Finding An Audience and Getting Exposure Through Horror Hosts

So, you've dumped your life savings, as well as your friends and family's hard-earned money, into your indie horror film... and after your countless hours of work in pre-production, production and post-production, you're ready. Your film is complete. Now, what do you do? Well, as we know, now is when the real work begins. Do you take it to the festivals? Do you just put it out on the web? Do you self distribute? Do you look for a distributor? All good questions and the answers depend on what your film is like and what your goals for the film are. Sometimes, all you're really looking for is an audience and some exposure and, sometimes, getting that isn't as easy as it sounds.

Simply getting your film out there can be the most important thing for an indie filmmaker, especially if you're an indie filmmaker that's just starting out. In fact, a lot of filmmakers will make short films with a goal of just finding an audience to get their name out there. But, even if you are looking to sell your film, it never hurts to get more exposure. Now, we're always looking for new tools for you guys to use and have generally concentrated our efforts on web-based projects and the festival scene. However, I recently received an email from Mike Schneider, the curator of the film, "Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated". Remember him? Here's a LINK to the interview we did with him a little while back. Anyhow, he sent me an email recently and brought up a very interesting option for filmmakers - and I think this an option that's relevant to everyone, as it could work as a marketing tool as much as it could work as a way to just find an audience - get your film into the hands of horror hosts. That's right, horror hosts. There's plenty of them out there and they're starving for material... Mike will explain why. I've posted Mike's entire email below, as he explains this all better than I could. By the way, if you do decide to go this route, PLEASE email us and let us know how it goes...

"As I may have mentioned in the interview, NOTLD:R has been doing the rounds with numerous horror hosts both on TV and the net. What you might not know is, there are well over a hundred active horror hosts, some with over a hundred thousand regular viewers each week and many of these hosts are open to showing just about any short, feature and animated horror/ fantasy / sci-fi production. Since Universal stopped their hosting packages, many of these horror hosts have been land locked in the public domain and, since the Sonny Bono Act started allowing films which were once public domain to have their copyrights restored, this is a land slowly slipping away.

The hardest thing about offering productions to horror hosts is tracking them down. Many do not keep their sites up to date and many do not have websites at all. Being localized, they won't be topping any google search, and being public access they can't afford expensive ad campaigns... but they exist and they have an audience. Through research and networking, Corpse S Chris (Horror Host Graveyard) and I have come into contact with many of these active hosts (well over a hundred of them with more all the time). Working together and in conjunction with a number of horror hosts, we have created a blanket release form which would allow people to declare, 'Yes, you can host my production', to all horror hosts in one big sweep.

This release form (click HERE to find it) is a simple 2 page document which allows filmmakers to succinctly describe their productions as well as set the terms for hosting it through a series of multiple choice selections. (Every host has a different style and show format so the more the filmmaker is open to, the more hosts that might be able to show their productions.)

Once complete, the form should be sent to films@horrorhostgraveyard.com. These completed forms will be entered into a catalog which will be kept private, but accessible to all horror hosts. If a host agrees to the terms and is interested in the production then they will contact the filmmaker for a screener. There is no submission fee, handling fee, or compensation if selected... this is exposure, pure and simple. Still, with campy but informative frames presented by a familiar face and potentially millions of homes... that is a kind of exposure you can't buy... all while keeping the horror community strong.

I remember reading in some of the interviews that the filmmakers were having trouble finding distribution/ places to show their work/ and dealing with the cost involved in submitting their works to festivals. This circumvents the whole thing and gets it right into people's homes and the hosts will even plug their next production, website or DVD release(s)... so it might be another solution for people looking to get their work out there."

B-Side Closes It's Doors - A Tribute To B-Side

When you're an indie filmmaker, just a struggling artist trying to get noticed and make your way in the industry, you tend to see the entertainment world from that perspective. You against all those gatekeepers. However, you need to remember that some of those gatekeepers are struggling, too. In fact, the whole industry is filled with people are struggling. From small studios, to distributors, to festivals and everything in between. The truth is, the power and influence in this industry is held by so few, while the overwhelming majority of people in the industry are longing to move up that industry ladder. With that, I'd like to mourn the passing of indie film distributor, B-Side, who just announced that they'll be shutting their doors on March 1st.

B-Side was founded in 2005 and just had their best year ever, in 2009. That's why it was such a surprise to see them close their doors. They were an indie distribution company, based on leveraging the audiences and the festivals. They powered a lot of the festivals websites and connected audiences and gathered feedback on films. They had over 220 film festival partners, including Sundance, AFI and Fantastic Fest. Their platform created direct connections to audiences and used on-demand technology. They were a full service distribution company and they even provided research and marketing services to filmmakers and other distributors. I watched them closely and, personally, thought that their model could represent a bright future for indie film. So, what happened?

Here's some snippets from their release on the webpage... "On behalf of the entire B-Side team, I (Chris Hyams - B-Side Founder & CEO) am sad to announce that after 5 years in business B-Side is closing its doors on March 1." "In the face of the lingering economic crisis and ongoing upheaval in the film business, our investors decided to stop funding the company. Under extreme time pressure, we were unable to secure alternate financing, and are left with no choice other than to shut down." "I am sad to have reached the end of this chapter, but am incredibly proud of what we've achieved. I am confident that our efforts will have a lasting impact on this business. I am also confident that the B-Side team will bring their expectations to new ventures that will pick up where B-Side is leaving off."

What's the lesson here? Well, I'd like to talk with Chris Hyams and see what he has to say, but... I'd say the lesson is, this is a tough business. It's a tough business to turn a profit in and it's a tough business to try something new in. Also, when you're dealing with smaller, indie companies, you need to remember that they're in the same boat as you. There's a fight going on here and it's not filmmakers versus distributors... it's the indie world versus the studio world and everyone in the indie world, from the filmmakers to the festivals to the distributors, need to help and support each other. Otherwise, we'll be seeing more companies like B-Side close their doors.

It's definitely sad to see them go and if you'd like to check out the B-Side site and read the full release, you can click HERE.

Three Thoughts and A Cocktail

I don't know about where you are, but here... it's officially Fall. So, to celebrate, let's share a good, Fall cocktail. It's called a 'Dr. Morgan'. First, you take 2 oz (minimum) of Captain Morgan's Original Spiced Rum, then add a splash of Dr. Pepper Soda... and stir together in a highball glass that's filled with ice cubes. Delicious.

So, as happens about once a month or so, I've been dealing with internet problems this morning... I finally got it working again, but now I only have a short period of time before I have to head out. However, there are a few, cool things that came through my inbox this week and I wanted to share.

First off, we've been talking about "Paranormal Activity" quite a bit and so we should. It's a film that was born from our little world of micro-budgets that broke through to the big time and launched a career. Really, all we can hope is that this story shines just a bit of the spotlight on the indie scene and maybe, just maybe, it can help other filmmakers out... in any case, TheWrap.com did a piece on writer/director Oren Peli and it discusses the film, what it's done for him and what's next for him. Here's a link to the article, it's pretty cool... even though it downplays how long it took for the film to get to this point.

I was reading an article on Indieflix that directed me over to a blog by Jon Reiss. He's a filmmaker, but he also just wrote a book called "Think Outside The Box (Office): The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution And Marketing For the Digital Era". I'm going to do my due diligence and look in to the book a bit more and I may actually try to reach out to Jon to see if he'll talk with us, but I highly recommend you look into it, too. As an indie filmmaker, you really need to know about marketing. It's essential knowledge. Even if you have someone doing the marketing for you, you should know how to be marketable. Really, at absolute worst, you should read through his blog every once in a while. There's some great info in there. Here's a link.

Lastly, I'm going to embed episode one of a new web series called "The Scare Game". It's a horror/comedy series from Uncanny Entertainment that's cast and crewed out of New Mexico. Season one will consist of thirteen 7 - 10 minute episodes exploring horror, voyeurism and fandom...



Have a great weekend... see you next week.

What You Can Learn From The Films Coming Out This Week

It's another well deserved Friday and I can not WAIT to get my drink on tonight... or later today... or maybe right after I post this. By the way, I couldn't think of a good picture that's related to anything I wrote about, so I posted this screenshot from "Hostel II". Came across it, liked it. Anyhow... I'll tell you what, I don't know what it is, but I seem to have just been working on lots of different projects lately. A few of which I'm sure I'll be telling you about in the near future... it's exciting and hopefully it all pays off, but it's been leaving me with just small windows of time to work on the site... but I'm dedicated to it. I just finished up a few major things this week, so next week should be a little easier on me. Anyhow, there's two big releases, neither of which are horror related, hitting the theaters this weekend, which are "Fast and Furious" and "Adventureland" and I have absolutely no intention of seeing either of them. However, as with everything in life, there's interesting things about both of them that you can learn from...

"Fast & Furious" is really "The Fast & the Furious 4", obviously... and it's an interquel that's set between the second and third movies. I believe this actually came to fruition after Vin Diesel directed a 20 minute prequel in the Dominican Republic last summer. Either that or... that 20 minute short is the prequel to this. I'm not sure and, quite frankly, I don't care. I saw the first one and none of the others... There's a couple of cool things that they did on this film, though, which you could do. The first thing that's cool is that they went out and got a bunch of sponsors for the film, including Kuhmo Tires, NOS and Odessie.com to supplement their budget. I think that's genius and I think a lot of filmmakers should be trying to get sponsors. Why not? If people want to give you money to mention their products in your film, take it. The other thing that interests me is, why is this franchise still around? Seriously, what makes it relevant at all? The answer? I think it's because it's basically a 90 minute video game... and what you can take away from that is, remember your audience and cater to them. It's basic fundamentals - figure out your audience, figure out what your audience wants, then give it to them. Sounds basic, but people tend to forget that. After those two things, it looks fairly forgettable.

"Adventureland" is also interesting, but only because they've been marketing this film online for close to a year already. They put up a teaser site, then had an online game, then Myspace, twitter, Facebook, flickr, the whole deal. I'm interested in seeing if it pays off, as it doesn't really seem like they did a lot of traditional marketing and advertising. I haven't seen many ads for it, I don't see too many posters, I mean, there's not much out there at all. However, I know about it. Much like "Fast and Furious", maybe they know their audience? Maybe they know that they exist online and that's how they're going to reach them. We'll see... once again, know your audience.

Lastly, there's an indie (by Hollywood standards) film coming out today called "Alien Trespass". I got a bit excited when I read the title, but it turns out that it's a comedy with Eric McCormack set in 1957 about an alien attack. Anyhow, I went over to their site and I have to say, it's a pretty good site. It doesn't do anything too crazy, no games or things like that, but it's a really good website that tells you all you need to know. If you're putting together a site for your film, go check it out and get some ideas - link.

There's only one festival related thing that I wanted to talk about and that's the 2nd Creative World Awards Screenplay Contest. It's LA based and gives you direct access to top level producers, agents and development execs. It's ranked in the top 5 on the Moviebyte's list, "Most Significant Contests to Enter". Also, they're affiliated with a lot of the horror companies, such as Lionsgate/Mandate International, Icon Films & Entertainment, Relativity Media and various others... further, they have separate genre divisions, so you don't have to be grouped in with all the fluff scripts. I tend to be very apprehensive about screenplay competitions, but if you're a fledgling screenwriter, you do need to enter them. It's a great way to get coverage and to get your stuff out there. You don't just enter any of them, though... you need to pick the good ones and this is one of them. Here's a link to their site, go check it out.

That's it. Have a good weekend, see you next week...

What You Can Learn From Porn

So, when you're, uh, watching your porn... where do you get your, um... 'content' from? I'm going to take a stab in the dark, so to speak, and assume that you watch a lot online. Sure, you may have an old, sticky mag sitting around and there may be that scratched up, worn DVD that your "friend" gave you when he moved in with his girlfriend, but I'm going to make a bold statement here. I guarantee that if you've watched porn at some point over the last year, you've watched some porn online, in some form. Yeah, you know you have. Probably at work, too. So, who cares? Well, the porn industry cares... and, guess what? As much as Hollywood hates to admit it, the porn industry has pioneered almost every innovation in the film industry. They were the first to adopt video and the first to use the internet, but now they're in trouble and they're back to their pioneering ways. Piracy and free content, like user-generated shit, is cutting deep into their profits and they need to right the ship... so, it's time to watch porn. Well, what the industry is doing, anyhow.

Here's a link to an article I read called, "Internet Piracy Is Killing Porn's Profits", by Amy Kaufman on TheWrap.com. It doesn't say a whole lot more than exactly what the title implies, but there was a link to an interesting article on there called "Adult Industry Has Some New Ideas", also by Amy Kaufman, here's the link. (Dig porn much, Amy?) Now, there are a few, key differences between porn and the film industry and the main one is that porn is really only needed for a few minutes, at best. On the flip side, a few minutes of "Friday the 13th" won't really satisfy anyone. Therefore, pirated and free internet content is far more damaging to the porn industry than it is to the film industry. However, there is a key similarity between the two and it's that they're both 'non-essential' luxuries, in a way, and free, pirated alternatives are available. What's the answer? Well, porn seems to be banking on digital, interactive content and social networking. As for revenue, it looks like it'll be a mix of advertising and paid content. They're scrambling and eventually they'll come up with some innovation and they'll recover... then Hollywood will follow their example.

While we're on the fledgling porn industry, remember that other hurting industry called the music industry? Well, they're figuring shit out, too. I was just reading about how U2 is the first musical guest on "Late Show with David Letterman" to be on for an entire week. They're promoting they're new album, "No Line on the Horizon", but a whole week?! I was also reading how bigger music stars are trying to get on things like American Idol and be featured in Rock Star and Guitar Hero. That's all great and all, but the music industry does know where their bread is being buttered these days and it's from live performances. So, what do you think of Live Nation, the biggest concert promoter, and Ticketmaster, the biggest music ticket seller, merging? It's about vertical integration, which means more marketing power and ways to get you to buy those tickets. That also means that that new company could be the biggest entertainment company in the world. So, it looks like the answer for the music industry is in live performances and events, plus pushing the boundaries of where musicians and their music can go. The music, itself, actually becomes a bit of a loss-leader... talk about a major difference from just a few years ago.

Most importantly now, what does this mean for Hollywood... not even Hollywood, what does this mean for you, the indie horror filmmaker? Well, almost all of these forces are against you, plus a few more. Think about it, piracy and free, online entertainment will suck up a lot of your potential audience. Who wants to pay for something when there's free alternatives? Not only that, if you find an audience that IS willing to pay for your film, there's so many choices out there, how do you get them to find you? How do you even compete for shelf space against bigger budgeted films and all the other indie films? You really do have the cards stacked against you. Like they say, once your film is finished, the real work begins...

The key is, you can't push on a string. You need to pull the audience to you. If you just put your film out there with its fancy cover art and a press kit that you put together to sell it, it ain't going anywhere. You need to create awareness any way you can and get people to walk into the video story looking for your title... or going online, searching for your film. To do that, you're going to need a mix of everything that porn and the music industry is doing. You're going to need to create a website, a Facebook page, a Myspace page and start interacting with people and getting your name out there. Announce when and where it's available. Approach websites like ours and give out screeners, do interviews, get people talking about your film. Go to festivals and conventions and, better yet, get involved with them. Getting a screening at a festival is huge exposure. If you can't get a screening, get a booth at a convention. Utilize everything, sell something at every turn and leverage what you've got.... because, really, it's all you've got.

In the end, you need to watch what people are doing in these other industries and figure out a way to copy them, but that's if what they're doing is working... if what they're doing isn't working, avoid it. It sounds simple and, really, it is. Remember, in the indie film world, you can't just be an artist. You'll also need to be the agent... and the sales guy, marketing guy, janitor, shipping and receiving guy...

You get the picture.

linkapalooza - September 23, 2008: Actually Getting Paid in Hollywood... and Other Useless Junk

None of my links this week are really 'breaking news', per se... but they are interesting. This is stuff that may actually help you as an indie horror filmmaker. However, before I get to those links, let's look at a link where we're just trying to help you get a job... you know, so you can actually pay those bills. ...and, I know, the picture has nothing to do with any of this... or doesn't it? You decide.

Ten Ways To Break Into Hollywood on forbes.com: This article could be just kinda funny to you, but it's from Forbes and it goes through the ten easiest ways to get a job in Hollywood... and it got me thinking. If you're an indie filmmaker, especially an indie horror filmmaker, you can expect to live fairly close to the poverty line for a while... especially if you're concentrating on your writing and filmmaking more than you are on that whole 'making money' thing. So, your best bet is to try and get a job in Hollywood and pursue your indie horror dreams in your spare time - no one said this is an easy way to make a living, remember. Leisure time is, well, a luxury. If you get a job in the industry, you're going to be able to network, get ideas and be close to the action... which, at the end of the day, will be a catalyst for your career as an indie horror filmmaker. It's also better than doing something completely unrelated, like driving a cab or working as a telemarketer or something.

Sundance Channel to offer new pay-per-view option on latimes.com: If you read the next blurb below this, you'll see that people aren't making too much dough off of paid downloads, but it is nice to see that they're trying to change the field up a bit. Sundance Channel is now offering a pay-per-view option that's 'dedicated to independent films that did not have a theatrical release'. They seem to think that this service could 'democratize and emancipate independent film' and if I knew what 'emancipate' meant, I may agree... however, I can say this. You're probably not going to see too many slasher flicks available on this service. It's nice to see that they're laying the groundwork for someone to make a horror version, though.

DVDs Account For 81% of Video Spending on Multichannel.com: This article resides in my 'get to know your audience' file, which I've been kind of hammering on people lately. Really, it's basic marketing. Find out as much as you can about your consumer (in this case, audience), find out what they want, when they want it and how they want it, then give it to them. That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your artistic vision, but it could give you some direction. This is very generic information, but interesting, none the less. So, to sum it up... DVDs is where the money is (we knew that, though), but there are a few interesting things there when you break it down. 41% of consumers PURCHASE the DVDs versus 29% on RENTALS... only 0.5% is spent on paid downloads. Knowing that, what would make someone BUY your DVD over the next guy? (Think added value, like: extras, a poster, bonus CD, artwork, who knows..) There's more in there, too... interesting stuff. Know your audience!

HBO launches Web series on THR.com: It's interesting to see what the big guys are doing in online media. This article is about HBO's "experimental offshoot" called HBOlab, which, I'm guessing, just comes up with crazy ideas that use other distribution methods... namely, the web. It does seem like there's lots of people who get discovered through their online efforts, then sign a TV or film deal. However, there's very few TV or film guys that can make a successful web-based show. There's two things to take from stuff like this. 1. You have to keep an eye on what these big boys are doing. 2. Get ideas from what they're doing... the web is the only place where we're on even footing with these guys. We may not be able to get in the theaters or on TV, but we sure can do what they're doing on the web.

Using YouTube Tools To Build Your Audience

I was going to just briefly mention this in a post with a bunch of links, but the more I started reading about it and thinking about it, the more I thought that it may be worth dedicating a whole post to. However, before I get into what these YouTube tools are all about, let me tell you why this is important.

Hollywood is a business, plain and simple. They have executives, boards of directors, investors and CEO's to answer to and all of them never went to film school, care about the process of making a film or watch many films oustide of their private jets. They're just too busy counting their money, while they're up in the Hamptons. Anyhow, those are the guys that give a 'green light' to a film, meaning the studio can go into production on it, and when they do, it wasn't just done on a whim. They've spent so much money on test audiences, analysis and market research that they could've funded every low-budget, indie horror that I've watched in 2008, so far... and that's before a single frame has even been shot. The main reason they're doing this is because they're hedging against a loser and they do this by studying YOU. They want to know who you are, what you like, how you like it, why you like it and when you watch it. That way, they take ALL that data, then try to put together a formula that pumps out films that are both marketable and have, what they call, playability. Meaning, not only does it get a big box office opening, but it's still in the theaters a few weeks later. They're not always right, either. Think about "Bangkok Dangerous", which probably tested through the roof on all fronts, yet... flop. Don't worry, though. They'll get their money back internationally, on DVD, licensing and every other place they sell it. Nic Cage has great internationally marketability and playability. Regardless... why am I telling you all this? Well, because, in your own little way, you can now do this too... by using YouTube Tools.

Okay, you're an indie filmmaker, right? If you're not using YouTube, Myspace or one of these other apps for marketing your film and networking, you need to start. Put together clips, trailers, any sort of content you can, and get it out there on YouTube... then, have it direct people to your website, your Myspace page, whatever. Now, before (less than a year ago), you just put it out there and hoped for the best. However, now, you can use YouTube tools to help increase your viewership and study your audience's viewing habits. As, just like Hollywood, the more you learn about your audience, the more you know how to cater to them. For example, if you found out that your audience was made up of males, aged 18 - 24, who lived on the East Coast of the U.S. versus females, aged 30 - 40, who lived in the UK, you may start trying to cater to your audience AND you'll know how to find them. The long and short, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have. Now, do you want to start using YouTube tools and find out how this shit works?

These analytical tools were primarily developed for marketers, as, if you haven't noticed, most brands put their ads out on YouTube. YouTube wants to make money, the marketers have it, so... let's cater to them and let them analyze how people view their content. That's when I thought, shit... if they're doing it, indie horror filmmakers should be doing it, too. Best of all, most of these tools are free. The coolest new tool (which isn't available yet) is called "HotSpots" and it allows "video creators to monitor how viewings rise and fall within a video", basically it tells you what people rewind to, where people tune out, if it's getting more viewings than average, etc. So, it's going to tell you HOW people watch it and what parts they like, which could be pretty damned powerful. It's going to be a new feature under their "Insights" application, which you'll find if you just go to the YouTube homepage and look on the right side. Currently, "Insight" just gives you more demographic based information: who's watching, when they're watching, where they're from, etc. So, there you go. Tools at your disposal. Now, go use them... Plus, do yourself a favor and read a bit more about all this... there's a whole article on Adage about it and they go more into depth, plus talk about actual case studies and examples. Here's the link to that article.

In the end, if you want, you can just go out there and make whatever film you want and hope for the best. However, if you take your time, find out more about your audience and then cater to what they like... you will be more successful, I guarantee it. I can think of thousands of examples and I'll leave you with just one. What if everyone who watches your content on YouTube lives in the Southern States? Would it then make sense to enter film festivals in California and New York only, or should you try to find more festivals down South? What if you never knew that?

Linkapalooza - September 4, 2008: Independents do what Dead Harvey said they would...

God bless this industry, there's always so much going on and, as usual, Dead Harvey's just trying to keep you on top of it all. By the way, the poster to the right is for the film mentioned in the second link there... now, wtf? It's JUST in post production now and it doesn't come out until 2009, how can they already have three reviews? Whatever... don't ask, don't tell.

Independents change tactics on Variety.com: I think this gives me a GREAT opportunity to bring up a post that I wrote a while ago that I really liked, if I don't say so myself... Remember Mark Gill's speech about how the sky was falling for indie film? Remember my semi-brilliant retort? Here's the link, if you didn't get a chance to read it the first time around... Anyhow, guess what? It looks like indie filmmakers are already figuring this whole new scene out and doing what we thought they would. I thought my post covered all the necessary stuff, but you could read this one too... it basically says indie filmmakers are going to have to look at new distribution angles or just self-distribute. Plus, if you're interested in the business side and the numbers, they get into that. Jokes aside, it's definitely worth the read.

Internet-Born "Perkins' 14" Hits Theaters in January on ShockTillYouDrop.com: You remember that project that we mentioned forever ago? (probably more like 3 or 4 months ago) The project that was developed online at Massify.com to be produced by After Dark Films, where writers submitted story ideas, actors submitted audition videos and the site's community voted on everything? Well, they're in post-production now, the film's called "Perkins' 14" and it's going to hit theaters in January '09.

Analog Meets Its Match in Red Digital Cinema's Ultrahigh-Res Camera on Wired.com: I'm not much of a camera guy, really... I like them and all, but I usually just employ the services of someone who really knows what they're doing. However, this link is for all of you who are camera guys. This is about Red Digital Cinema, a company that's revolutionizing motion picture cameras with their product, "the Red One". Sounds a little weird, I know, but you HAVE to check out the video clip they have on that link, it's unreal. "Red Digital Cinema" was founded by the guy founded Oakley, then went on to become a billionaire. Apparently he's dumped tons of dough into making this camera and all the camera guys out there are blowing their loads over it. So, if you're one of those camera guys, do yourself a favor and check out it out... read the whole article, too. They really delve into the tech and everything behind it.

Kindertrauma: There's a certain type of horror movie that exists because it's trying to dig up things that you may have been scared of as a kid... like the clown in "Poltergeist", Chucky, Freddy, the boogeyman, clowns or a hockey masked, psycho killers that'll get you when you go out in the woods. You know, those basic fears that everyone's had forever. Well, I came across this site, Kindertrauma.com... and it's dedicated to everything that scared you when you were a kid. I'm thinking that if you're looking to write a script and you're still in the idea stage, take a look through this site... I'm sure you'll find something to write about.

10 Ways to Increase Your Marketing IQ This Summer on Adage.com: I'm going to lay something out here for all you indie horror filmmakers... and this really is a fact. When it comes to making money in this business, you'd probably be better off to know more about marketing and advertising than filmmaking. As far as Hollywood is concerned, they have marketing teams working on films before a frame is even shot and marketing does make or break a film. When it comes to an indie film selling 20 copies or 20,000 copies, the difference is in the marketing. Knowing how marketing works will change the way you approach filmmaking... Anyhow, this is an article from Adage and it's this guys advice to marketers on what they should be doing during the dog days of summer. Now, two things... one, almost everything he says is pertinent to filmmakers, so you should read it anyhow. Two, he mentions a few marketing books to read in there. Think about reading them. If not them, pick up some basic marketing books. You'll really be surprised how much it'll help you.

Mountain Dew funds Indie Film

I came across this article today and wanted to write up a quick post on it... I still hope to have something for Film Fest Friday up later today.

I was talking about product placement and getting financing from marketing budgets in a post a little while ago and here's an actual example. Check out this article from 'Advertising Age' or 'Adage', as they call it - they're pretty much the go-to site when it comes to advertising, marketing and media. The cool thing about the article is that it's from the perspective of the marketer, which is, in this case, Mountain Dew, who's financing an indie skater film called, "Deathbowl to Downtown". So, you'll be able to see what a brand would expect to get out of financing or just getting involved with your film.

Now for the rant/explanation part of my post: Product placement, sponsorship and outright advertising has been the business model in TV forever, as in... literally, forever. Basically, they give you content for free in exchange for making you watch ads, which they get paid for. However, with DVR's, VOD, time-shifting, etc... the TV market's become fragmented, eye balls are wandering and people aren't paying attention to ads, so advertisers are looking elsewhere. Further, the lines between TV and film are starting to blur... it's not so much a market where that's a TV program and I watch it on CBS on Thursday's at 9PM or that's a film that I go to the theater to watch it. The new market is, that's content, I don't care where it came from, and I'm watching it on TV, I'm watching it in a theater or even on my phone. So, with blurring lines and a fragmented marketing place, you're going to see more and more advertisers just trying to get involved with content, wherever it originates from. In fact, you're going to see advertisers trying to get everywhere - if you run a festival, it should be easy to get sponsors these days, but I digress...

So, as an indie filmmaker, this means a few things for you. One, (and most importantly) you should never just think of traditional distribution methods anymore. What you're making isn't as much a film as it is content... and people need to be able to view that content any way they want. Two, and the point of this post, remember that marketers and advertisers are yet another potential source for financing. You've got the talent and ability to make a product that people will watch, regardless of whether it's 500 people or 500,000 people... and there's a marketer out there who would pay to get his brand in front of those people.

The next post will be on some horror film festival... I'm trying to figure out which one to talk about.