Posted on July 22, 2008 in Marketing | No Comments
For years, the MPAA has prohibited weapons from being pointed at the “viewer” in advertising, presumably for fear that it will freak them out. That’s why they told the director of Watchmen, Zack Snyder, that he couldn’t have a guy pointing a gun at the audience in the trailer. Snyder replaced the gun with a [...]
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Posted on July 22, 2008 in Music | No Comments
Hopeful these new rules will help filmmakers cut though the “red tape” nightmare of licensing music for every country in the EU for films distributed in Europe.
Suggested by member: Dark Water
…Music download stores like Apple’s iTunes could soon be able to operate one shop for the whole of Europe, under new rules brought in by [...]
Posted on July 20, 2008 in Film Festivals | No Comments
From Here to Awesome is a discovery and distribution film festival for more info visit fromheretoawesome.com.
How the festival works from fromheretoawesome on Vimeo.
Posted on July 20, 2008 in Financing | No Comments
Slamdance presented Fireside Chat: Alternative Funding Methods for Indies. The panel started out reviewing some examples of methods that recent films have used to raise money, including house parties, sponsorships and advance DVD sales. Later, the discussion became more technical, addressing more advanced questions that arise from new, experimental funding models.
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Posted on July 20, 2008 in Selling Your Film | No Comments
Panel discussion from the Big Apple Film Festival featuring:
- Aaron Levine (moderator), Film Division Manager at Gen Art
- Peter Goldwyn, Vice President Acquisitions Samuel Goldwyn Films
- Clémence Taillandier, Head of Theatrical Sales, Zeitgeist Films
- Erik Davis Managing Editor, Cinematical.com
- Brian Chirls (Distribution and Marketing Manager, Four Eyed Monsters)
Posted on July 15, 2008 in Marketing | No Comments
Along with providing a sample merchandising agreement, Entertainment Attorney Mark Litwak discusses the basics of movie merchandising and product placement.
…Whether you view Toy Story as nothing more than a thinly disguised commercial hawking toys to youngsters, or you see the movie as a creative masterpiece that smartly capitalizes on spin-off opportunities, there is no doubt [...]
Posted on July 14, 2008 in Marketing | No Comments
Having met many fools in this industry I would never use the term “fool-proof,” but they are some excellent self marketing tips nonetheless. :)
…Marketing your independent film is the toughest, most time-consuming and most expensive part of the filmmaking process.
You think making the movie was tough? You ain’t seen nothing yet.
Now that the film is [...]
Posted on July 14, 2008 in Selling Your Film | No Comments
About a year old, this guide by Scott Kirsner of CinemaTech is still is a useful starting point guide for filmmakers wanting to distribute their film online.
…New revenue opportunities are emerging with the recent boom in video viewing on the Web. On this chart, I’ve tried to list the Web sites that are most [...]
Posted on July 13, 2008 in Selling Your Film | No Comments
John August replies to Mark Gill’s LA Time’s article “The sky is falling on indie film.” In the process he discusses his independent film “The Nines,” the roll of Sundance in the indie film world, the realities, the future and other great advice for anyone wanting to distribute their small film. Some may [...]
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Posted on July 10, 2008 in Selling Your Film | No Comments
by Phil Hall
In his new book, Independent Film Distribution, film journalist Phil Hall offers an unflinching look into the world of independent film distribution. In the excerpt below, Phil interviews expert Gregory Hatanaka, who provides a bevy of insider tips for filmmakers seeking a distribution deal.
Q: Do you recommend that filmmakers approach distributors with unsolicited [...]
Posted on July 8, 2008 in Marketing | 1 Comment
Here is a cool tutorial showing you how to create a “Sin City” style poster in Photoshop.
…Sin City was a really cool movie, at least visually. I really liked the stylish scenes and colors. A few months ago I saw a poster of another Frank Miller movie called “The Spirit.” The poster is titled “My [...]
Posted on July 6, 2008 in Selling Your Film | No Comments
From – arincrumley:
Susan and I were a part of this panel moderated by Liz Rosenthal and including Lance Weiler, Jeremy Nathan and Matt Hanson as we all spoke about our thoughts on the future of distribution. Some good audience questions sparked an interesting dialog that closed out the day. People were pretty exhausted as I’m [...]
Posted on July 4, 2008 in Marketing | No Comments
Science Daily Week published a study by assistant professor Vanessa Patrick (University of Georgia) along with co-authors Debbie MacInnis and C. Whan Park (University of Southern California): “Marketing: Too Much Hype Backfires.” The study shows that “people take notice when they feel worse than they thought they would, but—oddly—not when they feel better than expected.”
…Marketing [...]
Posted on April 9, 2008 in Internet | No Comments
Lance Weiler at Filmmaker Magazine tells you how to distribute your independent film online.
…The promise of unlimited choice and shelf space due to an emerging on-demand universe of content has many in the industry struggling to figure out how new media revenue should be divided. This highly contentious issue is at the center of the [...]
Posted on April 9, 2008 in Marketing | No Comments
Here is a great article in Variety by Anne Thompson on new ways of marketing and distributing niche documentaries. The focuses of the article is mainly on “In the Crease” and “Kicking It,” two sports documentaries.
…In March 2005, Matt Gannon and Michael Sarner, former acquisition and marketing execs at Fox Searchlight and United Artists, [...]
