In collaboration with The D-Word, I will be giving a practical four-week workshop on modern distribution and marketing for independent film.
The “traditional” distribution landscape is essentially gone – most of independent filmmakers are now on their own to find new and creative solutions to ensure their films reach audiences in an impactful way. In collaboration with The D-Word, I will be doing a four part virtual workshop where I will outline fundamental principles and real-world strategies for success in the ever-changing and often-daunting realm of distribution and marketing.
Taking place from April 23-May 21, the live sessions will take place on Zoom on Thursdays between 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm EDT. They will also be available as recordings to registered participants through June 30.
Fee: $299 – Use code jonreiss50 to get $50 off.
Modules
Session 1: Establish Goals, Identify Audiences: Set goals. Explore how the brand of the film and your brand as a filmmaker interact. Identify core and niche audiences.
Live Zoom Session: Thursday, April 23 from 12:00-1:30 pm EDT.
Session 2: Connect with Your Audience: How do you get audiences to know about and want to see your film. Dive into strategies and tactics for reaching your audiences including social media, email lists, organizational outreach and partnerships, publicity, influencers and paid advertising.
Live Zoom Session: Thursday, April 30 from 12:00-1:30 pm EDT.
Session 3: Distribution Paths: What are the ways that your audience wants to engage with your film – eg How does your audience consume media? Four main paths: Event/Theatrical, Digital, Educational, Merch. Focus on various potential split rights and windowing of distribution paths for your film including festivals, community screenings and theatrical; digital rights for broadcast, streaming, and VOD; educational distribution and merch!
Live Zoom Session: Thursday, May 7 from 12:00-1:30 pm EDT.
Session 4: Budgeting and Office Hours: This final session will include guidance on how to budget for different types of releases and more time for participant questions.
Live Zoom Session: Thursday, May 21 from 12:00-1:30 pm EDT (a second session at a different time that day may be arranged based on participant timezone preferences).
All session recordings will be available until June 30.https://jonreiss.substack.com/p/starting-tomorrow-how-to-create-a