Take this for example – when you distribute your DVD through traditional DVD distributors, you maybe net $1/$2 per unit of what they sell…. VS. when you sell DVD’s DTC from your website, you have the possibility of netting anywhere from $5-$15/per unit depending on what YOU decide to price it at. In my mind, what’s there to argue about? Especially since YOU can control the manufacturing and marketing costs and you don’t have to wait for the DVD distributor to recoup those costs before you start seeing any revenue.

Now having said that, there are case studies abound of filmmakers who make a whopping $0 and 0 cents self distributing DVD’s off their websites. And that’s because they are not executing the other part of the equation which is mandatory for a successful DTC DVD campaign: MARKETING. But on the other side of the coin, there are case studies of filmmakers who are succeeding wildly at DTC distribution, and quietly using that income to start producing their next project.

In my 2010 SELF DISTRIBUTION STARTER KIT I talk about the different ways to go about distributing your DVD from your website – whether it’s via On-Demand replication or traditional replication & fulfillment – but I’d love to hear from you and what your experiences have been. What combination of marketing, replication, & fulfillment has worked for you? Or do you know of any successful case studies you’d like to share?

** By the way, in full disclosure, the SELF DISTRIBUTION STARTER KIT is $39 on my site but is FREE for members of FILM SPECIFIC

For example, the Cannes Film Market just passed last month. Now we are in the midst of what is so-called ‘dead time’ in the industry – ie: Summer! Traditionally the months of June-August are very slow in the film business, but actually I see it as an opportunity to get things set up for the next big CYCLE which is Toronto & AFM in the fall. So I’m working on getting my projects, and my clients’ projects, to a stage where they can be launched in the fall market cycle, before the next big ‘dead zone’, otherwise knows as the HOLIDAYS, creeps around!

The film business is built around all these cycles and if you are in pre-production or production of a film, I suggest you WORK BACKWARDS from the festival or market you want to premiere at, and set your Post schedule accordingly. Don’t suddenly rush through post and have to sacrifice the quality of your film because you need to make the deadline to SXSW or AFM…..

Another thing to remember – if it’s a Film Market you want to premiere your film at, don’t forget that the way to premiere at a Film Market is through a Sales Agent, and in order to get a Sales Agent on board to represent your film, you need to be submitting to them at least 3-4 months in advance. Every year Producers come to me in October with a film they want to launch at AFM and are surprised to hear it’s too late. You needed to have come to me in August for that!

And as fall comes creeping around, if you find that you won’t have your film at a stage ready to premiere at AFM, there’s always Berlin’s European Film Market in February, where you guessed it, you need to start thinking about by October/November to avoid the black hole of the holidays…..

I got accustomed to this “Rhythm of Distribution” as a sales agent, when for many years my life revolved around these cycles. As a result, it stuck with me so I just naturally operate like that now.

How about you? What are you doing as a Producer to flow with the natural rhythm of distribution cycles? And what are you doing during Production & Post to prepare for the distribution of your film later?

1. Content is king! While having ‘names’ attached to your project still matters (a lot), buyers care more about the actual story and content of the film.

2. In terms of Genres: Good FAMILY & ACTION films are in high demand. Dramas are out. Art-house needs to have cross-over potential.

3. 3D is EVERYWHERE. But make sure it’s a natural for your genre — Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, and Animation are the most in-demand 3D genres.

4. Internet VOD revenue is even more in its infancy in Europe as it is in the U.S. Cable VOD revenue is big everywhere right now.

5. Sales agents say one of the biggest mistakes filmmakers are still making is not getting their deliverables right and ready to sell in foreign territories. Don’t skimp on deliverables!

6. Buyers say one of the biggest mistakes filmmakers are still making is not having a distinct marketing hook for their films — remember, you need a clear demo and hook for distributors to take notice since they have to be able to sell your film on to the end user. So you need to be thinking about who is the distributors’ end users and how can they market your film to them. Make their job easy and make it a no-brainer for them to say YES to your film.

7. If you’re wavering on whether to attend a film market like Cannes or not, just DO IT. There is so much value in being there even for a few days to meet people face-to-face and start (and preserve) the relationship building process. Relationships still rule the day in the film business!

8. Once you do decide to attend a film market like Cannes, preparation is KEY. Don’t wait till you get there to try and set up meetings with people because you’ll quickly get very frustrated. Start your targeted outreach at least 3 weeks before for best results.

9. Think about HYBRID PRODUCTION as a way to add future revenue streams to your film –edit a feature version & a broadcast version that you can sell as separate entities.

10. Presentation is everything. Remember when you are pitching your film you need to sell a VISUAL experience….so use as many visual aids as possible like teaser videos, one sheets, and beautifully designed presentation materials. Of course you won’t fool a savvy buyer with just pretty pictures, and your offering needs to stand on it’s own two feet, BUT I have found that having professional looking presentation materials goes a long way to making a great impression and getting the initial results you want.

While at Cannes, many people asked me why I was there and why I continue to go every year even though I’m not a sales agent any more. The truth is, once you catch the ‘bug’ of going to Cannes, you can never stop going! I see it as an investment in my business and in the advancement of my career as a Producer. If you want to be constantly moving forward in your careers, lets face it – you need to be where all the action is at (and it doesn’t necessarily have to be Cannes… AFM & Berlin markets are great for this too).

I’m going to be incorporating much of what I personally learned at Cannes into my upcoming DISTRIBUTION IN REVERSE 2.0 Group Coaching Intensive. Why? Because I’m passionate about helping filmmakers make more ‘distributable’ films and advance in their own careers.

If you went to Cannes, what were YOUR own personal take-away’s? I’d love to hear them!

This past week while at the Cannes Film Market I couldn’t help but notice all the traditional distribution deals being done for independent films. In fact, it’s been a rather healthy market according to the sales agents and distributors I’ve spoken to. Granted, acquisition prices for independent films are not as robust as they used to be, but films are still being acquired by worldwide DVD companies & broadcasters just like they always have been.

Now, I’m the first one to preach about Distribution 2.0 and all the new and wonderful distribution possibilities that exist for independent films. And what excites me the most about Distribution 2.0 is the actual empowerment it gives Producers, to take matters into their own hands and get their films out there in front of their audience. I also like the fact that you can add revenue streams to your financial plan that didn’t exist a few years ago.

However, my position has been and still is that Distribution 2.0 is just ONE PART of the distribution mix. It’s just ONE of the 5 revenue streams that exists for independent films — the other 4 being Theatrical, DVD, Broadcast, & Foreign. I’m not saying that every film will be able to tap into all 5 of these revenue streams, but some will….. and most still want to. Am I right?

Last weekend at a 3 Day Intensive Training I put on in London (called Dawn Of The Micro Major Film Producer), we focused a lot on Distribution 2.0 solutions for independent films, but we didn’t ignore what’s still happening in the traditional world of distribution either. Films are still being bought and sold all the time in the conventional way. This is called HYBRID DISTRIBUTION.

My position on Hybrid Distribution is that because traditional acquisition prices have decreased, filmmakers need to adapt to 1) lowering their budgets, and 2) buttressing their traditional distribution strategy with some of the new 2.0 distribution opportunities that exist. But to venture out and say that traditional distribution models are DEAD, and that it’s 2.0 or bust, I believe is doing a disservice to the filmmaker.

Keep in mind my perspective on Distribution comes not from being a filmmaker, but from being on the front lines as a Sales Agent for several years (which is why it’s a different perspective from a lot of the other stuff you’ve probably read on this topic). It’s for that reason I continue to run my seminal course called Distribution In Reverse. Because coming from the perspective of a sales agent and in the distribution business, I’m passionate about teaching filmmakers how to make a more distributable film in the first place. Let’s face it — we can talk about all the new distribution possibilities for your films till we’re blue in the face, but without a distributable (or watchable for that matter) film, none of it matters.

In a few weeks I’ll be kicking off an updated version of the Distribution In Reverse course called DISTRIBUTION IN REVERSE 2.0 whereby I’ll be integrating all the new distribution possibilities for indie films, while still promoting traditional distribution as part of the overall mix.

What’s your position on traditional distribution? As a Producer/Filmmaker, are you still interested in getting traditional distribution deals for your films? Are you interested in pursuing new 2.0 opportunities as well? And which is your priority?

Now realize I might be a little biased here only because 1) I’m in the throes of the film market circuit (Berlin followed by MIPTV and now on to Cannes), and 2) I used to be a sales agent myself – BUT, I will say that even in today’s climate I can still recommend that Producers hire a sales agent to handle foreign distribution. WHY? Because dealing with distributors outside of your home territory takes ‘old world’ finesse….and by this I mean, you need face time, long standing relationships, and good ol’ fashioned in-person wining and dining in order to make deals happen. I know this sounds very ‘old school’ and conventional, but it’s true — foreign distribution is not hip to new-world 2.0 style deals!

Now the challenge becomes this – as Producers you’ve probably heard nothing but horror stories about sales agents taking Producers’ money, making sales and not reporting them, and even dropping off the face of the earth once you sign with them – but I can assure you there are some decent sales agents out there. You just have to know how to look…..

For example, ALWAYS do your due diligence on a sales agent before signing on the bottom line. That means, researching them on Google, asking around to other Producers on message boards, and contacting other Producers whom they represent to get feedback.

And how do you find a sales agent in the first place? You can research reputable companies in the trades’ listings during AFM for example, or you can access a pre-cleared list in the Film Specific Sales Agency Database , or if you really want hand-holding, you can join my FILM MARKET LAB (which is $500 off until May 1 for all you early birds!)

But any way you slice it, YES a sales agent is still a good idea for Producers who want to explore ALL kinds of distribution for their films (including foreign). Just be sure to carve out the rights you want to retain for yourself (like all domestic rights, direct-to-consumer dvd rights, non-exclusive VOD rights, etc.) – THAT’s the new way of working with sales agents today and still remain in control.

Any thoughts you have on this topic….I’d love to hear them!