This article was written by Angelo Bell.

“There’s an ongoing discussion about filmmaking that, ironically, isn’t about making films at all. The discussion is about marketing films and using social media.

For the new filmmaker, embarking upon a potential career as an independent filmmaker and looking to be able to feed his/her family as well, it’s important to understand and implement many of the highly discussed film marketing strategies. Social media, list building, partnerships, crowdfunding — all these things are useful tools.  However it seems like the passion we as indie filmmakers used to show about films is has not focused on marketing. Maybe it’s me, but that just seems wrong.”

Read the rest of this article from Angelo Bell.

This article was written by Angelo Bell.

“Today I spent several hours doing marketing. You know, that fun stuff where you try to find a nice mix of self-promotion and information so that recipients don’t immediately tune out.

As an indie filmmaker, the team of ME, it’s important to manage these tasks as if one were in production, on set, directing. It’s tough, and tedious — it can even be boring if one repeats the same mundane tasks over and over again.  But when a filmmaker is in the process of assembling a team he/she do everything he possible can on his/her own. This is particularly true when money (i.e. the budget) is almost nonexistent.

Most people don’t know this about me but I come from a long and deep history working for public relations companies. Porter Novelli. Ketchum. Dennis Davidson. Fischer & Partners. I know the value of PR. This history is joined with my experience with the Internet and social media (mixed with a dash of SEO). I’ve always written my own press releases. I’ve always sought after new and inventive ways to promote the work I’ve completed.”

Read the rest of this article from 1001 Positively True Stories of an Indie Filmmaker.

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Sign up now for your own FREE monthly subscription to “The Director’s Chair” filmmaking ezine and get: (1) Day One of my 201 page mutli-media Online film directing audio course, “The Art and Craft of the Director Audio Seminar” and (2) the first 24 pages (plus mp3 audio) of my 137 page “Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling Online Course For Independent Filmmakers.”

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“Much has been said and written about the current distribution crises of independent films, I am not going to belabor the horror stories here.

But just as a way of introducing myself – I will give you a brief introduction to my own horror story.

In 2007, I was at the Tribeca film festival where I was trying to sell my documentary “Bomb It.”  We did everything by the old school book, kept the screeners a secret, we spent $20,000 launching the film at the festival, with the result of packed houses and hundreds of people turned away.  After all the excitement, what we had were a few $10,000 all rights deals that we rejected.  A week after Tribeca, our film was available for sale on Canal Street — as a bootleg.

A number of lucky films each year will still get overall deals that make some kind of financial sense for them.  However these deals are not available to the vast majority of filmmakers at this time.  We are in the midst of a new world order or crisis.”

Read rest of this article from IndieWire.

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Sign up now for your own FREE monthly subscription to “The Director’s Chair” filmmaking ezine and get: (1) Day One of my 201 page mutli-media Online film directing audio course, “The Art and Craft of the Director Audio Seminar” and (2) the first 24 pages (plus mp3 audio) of my 137 page “Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling Online Course For Independent Filmmakers.”

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So you’ve authored your DVD and perhaps even replicated it. You’ve found a fulfillment company that you are happy with. Now, how to get people to buy it?

In the last installment of this series, which appeared in the Winter 2009 issue of Filmmaker, I outlined how to maximize your DVD release strategy and before that in the Fall 2008 issue I discussed ways in which filmmakers can get their movies distributed through DIY self-distribution methods and hybrid strategies, all of which are based on my own experience self-distributing my graffiti doc, Bomb It.

For filmmakers who are extending this DIY thinking to DVD retail by selling their own discs through a Web site or online store, this article will explore some of the ways you can cost-effectively publicize these releases, draw in potential customers and create revenue for your film.”

Read this article from John Reiss.

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

“Nathan Smith alerts us to an interesting interview with filmmaker Sally Potter, discussing her new movie Rage, which has a variety of unique and interesting facets to it. The movie — which has a bunch of famous actors, including Jude Law, Judi Dench, Steve Buscemi, Diane Wiest, John Leguizamo and others — is being released first on mobile phones, with a different part of it released each day for a week (I believe this past week).

The film is supposed to be from the view of a cameraphone, so that makes sense. But, Potter has also worked hard to cultivate a strong fanbase through a variety of online methods. And, of course, she’s all about embracing “free,” embracing what the technology enables, and thinks the rest of Hollywood is a bit silly to live in fear and try to lock everything down…”

Read this article from Techdirt.

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Sign up now for your own FREE monthly subscription to “The Director’s Chair” filmmaking ezine and get: (1) Day One of my 201 page mutli-media Online film directing audio course, “The Art and Craft of the Director Audio Seminar” and (2) the first 24 pages (plus mp3 audio) of my 137 page “Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling Online Course For Independent Filmmakers.”

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I will be posting a series of articles on why filmmakers need to take advantage of Social Media for communication, credibility, marketing and promotion.

To start, here is a very good article from the Vancouver Courier called: “Twitter Heads. Social media tools are radically changing the way we communicate.”

Do you use Twitter? Let me know what your experience is with this Social Media tool.

Ten Tips to Market and Promote your Independent Film by Mark Bosko

1. Understand Your Target Audience
2. Analyze Your Hooks
3. Create a Concise Logline
4. Utilize Free Media
5. Stage a Publicity Stunt
6. Hold a Premiere
7. Work with Sponsors
8. Enter Appropriate Film Festivals
9. Solicit Reviews
10. Use the Internet

Click Here to read entire article.

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Want to Learn More Film and Television Directing Tips and Techniques? Check out Peter D. Marshall’s 2008 multi-media reference guide for filmmakers, “The Art and Craft of the Director 10-Day Audio Seminar“ – a 162 page eBook packed full of insider film directing tips and tools supported by over 500 film making reference links, 26 mp3 audio files, 28 video links and 23 pdf special reports all designed to help you become a successful, working film and television director.
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