Self distributing in indie film is an extremely difficult task. I've had the pleasure of doing it twice already. My 1st film Bang Bang was completely self distributed and to a certain extent it was successful. Meaning, I made back the initial investment. The YouTube trailer has 260,000 views. We had sold-out screenings in 3 different cities, and even till today almost 4 years after the release of the film, I still make sales and have people e-mailing me asking for the DVD of the film which we have already sold out of.
Using my knowledge and experience from my 1st film, I will now try a slightly different strategy for my new film Las Vegas story. My honest outlook for this film is that it will be much more difficult than my 1st. The reason for this is that the film lacks star power, despite having Oscar-nominated Eric Roberts in the film. The challenge is to create a buzz about the film and to gain a following of true supporters and fans. With my 1st film it was easier because the lead actor was a rap artist who had a considerable amount of fans already which I tapped into.
My strategy for Las Vegas story is to premiere the film and at the same time do digital online premieres in conjunction with the Festival premieres. This is a new strategy that has yet to prove itself. The idea is that we are able to turn the buzz from film festivals into direct sales, and not lose momentum going forward as we wait for each festival premiere. I will also do my own screenings to keep the momentum going and to hit cities where film festivals have not accepted my film. I would recommend not to get too attached to your festival screenings, because as you wait for each screening your film is slowly losing power. It's extremely important to know who your real audience is, and actively go out and find them and try to market directly to them. This can be done through Facebook ad campaigns, outreach to organizations to form partnerships, specific niche film festivals, social media, and through the word-of-mouth marketing of each supporter that you recruit.(if you would like consultation feel free to contact me directly at beyondcinema@gmail.com)
My film will be premiering at this year's Chelsea Film Festival in NYC on Saturday Oct.18th, 2014 6:30pm at the SVA Theater in Chelsea. Event details.
If you would like to catch the online premiere which will happen at the same time as the festival premiere, just go to this link. The film will only be available to stream for 48hours starting from the time of the premiere! http://www.reelhouse.org/beyondcinema/las-vegas-story
Self distributing an indie film has many stages, and can be a mix of direct sales through DVDs and digital sales, and through partnerships with digital aggregators. It can also mean a hybrid distribution model. I am also actively searching for an international distributor, and not completely foregoing any offers that may come through. It's important to have a sales agent go to the film markets to shop your film. what I mean by this is that you should still look for other options, even as you are doing self distribution. Any deal you make you should be careful and negotiate to still be able to make sales through your direct site even if a distributor buys your film. These things are always negotiable.
Keep your options open, because self distributing takes a lot of work and time. You will need to become a PR director, marketing director, and even learn to book theaters and event management. It's very rewarding, but not in a monetary way. You can follow my journey to self distribute my next film and see how it goes. I truly hope this is the last film I ever self-distribute.
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