Independent Film Distribution: That critical endgame.

In chess the endgame is most important because one wrong move will cause you to stalemate.  For an independent filmmaker it's the same problem.

 Every year countless indies are submitted to film festivals where one of two things happen.  Either they get in or they're rejected.  I could go on a rant pertaining to film festivals.  That's a blog for another time.  Film distribution has always been complicated because there are multiple ways to get your work seen.  Think of distribution as an open flea market where your trying to sale your digital product. 

Start by asking yourself what are you looking to accomplish.  Are you seeking fame or money?  Both are noble but there are benefits and limitations.  Fame will get you work but it might not get you money and fame costs money.  Money will get you paid but you'll be scratching for another gig so it's important to know what you're trying to accomplish with your content.  I'm going to list new distribution models that I think work in the internet age.

 
Mass email blast (assuming you know lots of people who like you)
Get mainstream success and acclaim (Wining the Oscar helps)
Blogs (Create a great blog)
Podcast-create an awesome show and grow a fan base
Showing your film on a portable device at a networking mixer
Sticker/graffiti projects
Priemum digital download/Try before you buy version (Mdot Strange)
Become a celebrity and sell directly your audience
Upload to Itunes/road trip your movie promoting it in theaters
Win awards at prestigious film festivals because your movie is that damn good.
Tom Leykis method- Create your own web channel provide your own content/premium content exclusive to subscribers and paid advertising (must become a celebrity)

The main idea here is to cultivate an audience and sell yourself and your content to them because your that damn good or interesting.

M Dot Strange - The new face of do it yourself filmmaking.

M dot Strange is a director who is silently on the come up.  If you've heard of him chances are your thinking outside the box.  Originally from California M dot is redefining what is to be an independent filmmaker.  With his skill set he could easily land a job at a reputable post production facility doing animation work but he is sticking to his guns and putting his visions on screen via the internet.

I have mad respect for this brother because he is a true artist in every since of the word.  He first appeared on the radar with his innovative film "We Are the Strange" which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2007.  Budgeted at $20,000 M dot created a unique animation style called St8 anime---inspired by 8 bit Nintendo video games.  His style has been shamelessly ripped off by many copy cats but he continues to innovate.

His latest film "Heart String Marionette" has taken five years of his life to develop.  M dot has bypassed studio distribution and decided to released the film himself over the internet.  He has uploaded a try before you buy version and a premium download for $5.00.  According to his website he's sold 438 downloads as of this posting.

M dot is interested in moving onto other projects as of now but I suspect that "Heart String Marionette" could have done better if it was marketed a little bit more.  I haven't seen the whole film so I wont do a review but I feel that most of his fans like him as a person and artist.  I believe they will over look the narrative quality of his work and respect the effort. 

M dot's work isn't going away and cannot be ignored if he keeps putting stuff out there and doesn't quit he will reach his goals.  Countless unknown artists have inspiration to draw from thanks to M dot's work.

In numbers obsessed Hollywood it's refreshing to see someone creating visual art for the love but I hope his work finds a way to the big leagues.

Project Ink Tattoo mini documentary

I finally finished my Project Ink documentary it was a nightmare because of creative differences and promises that never really came through so I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I had access to a fast Internet connection that speeds up the upload because the final edit came out to 25 minutes I ended up breaking it up into 3 parts. 

Ultimately I'm happy with it considering I made the best of the limited equipment at my disposal.  I'm also happy that I didn't make into something that it wasn't.  The footage I used is the best I shot we were originally supposed to shoot for a month but that was TOO AMBITIOUS for people who work a full time gig that wasn't possible and the fact that my producer didn't have personal transportation.

 Basically I got frustrated for carrying most of the weight and had to walk away..... but at least its done it'll be my last film for awhile because right now I'm going through tough times so until I buy another camera this is going to be it for now I look at it like most things in life as a learning experience.... turbulence indeed!

Interview with independent filmmaker Robert McTyre Jr---Adventures of a Filmmaker Part 1

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