Monthly Archives: May 2010

This weeks Lowdown for The Production Office was Part I of a 2-part special focused on blogs and blogging.

PLATFORMS

There are 3 main blogging platforms out there, although you’ll be able to find many more if you search around.  The most well-known and easiest to use are Typepad, Blogger and WordPress.  Wordpress is, I believe, the most powerful, versatile and useful of all the blogging tools on the web and because of that, part two of this Lowdown next time will look at WordPress as a standalone platform.

There is a fourth platform, Tumblr, which is a micro-blogging site design for short, concise updates of anything from text to pictures to video.  It’s a great site and could be really useful for you if that’s the sort of set-up you want, but most bloggers prefer a little more space to ramble (more on that later).

THE LOOK

All of these sites allow you to customise your pages to differing degrees.  At the very minimum they allow you to change the background and colours of your blog, but can also let you delve deeper into the construction of the blog to rearrange the layout and other elements.

WIDGETS

These sites also all allow the addition of widgets.  A widget is a small application that runs in a sidebar or on the main part of your website and – most commonly – connects you to other place.  Twitter and Facebook are the two key widgets for most blogs, directing your site traffic over to your other online presences and encouraging them to get in touch.  Most bloggers receive far more blog feedback through social networking sites than they do through comments on the blogs themselves.

DOMAIN NAME

It’s really important to your brand as a filmmaker, producer, artist or whatever you may be that you purchase yourself a domain name.  There are various sites to do it at, I usually use 123-reg, and they’re usually fairly cheap.  You don’t necessarily need hoting for your blog (unless you’re using WordPress.org – of which more in part II), you can simply redirect the domain to go to your blog home page using something known as “masked web forwarding”. That means that all your visitors will type in yourname.com and see that in their browser window, but they’ll actually be (secretly) directed to yourname.wordpress.com or yourname.blogspot.com.

Why spend your money on something so seemingly insignificant?  Two reasons: 1) It’s really not that expensive and 2) It just makes you look more professional.  You’re not just some chump who’s thrown up a blog, you’re a serious blogger/filmmaker/whatever with something to say to the world.  Even if you’re not.

POSTS

The key thing about blog posts are that they are there to engage and entertain.  That doesn’t mean you’ve got to be hilariously funny on every page, just that you need to know what it is you want your blog to achieve.  Unless you know that, your blog will rapidly descend into random ramblings that no one is really interested in.

Invest your posts with a little bit of your personality – even if it’s a corporate blog.  Keep them light and, preferably, short – under 500 words if you can – so that people can pop in, have a read and shoot off again.

And lastly, but definitely not least, make your posts regular.  Yes, you’ll be pimping your new blog posts through all your social media outlets (won’t you…?), but you want people to come back because they want to read what you have to say next.  The more regular your posts, the more chance of a regular, returning readership – any blogger’s ultimate goal.

Next time, I’ll delve into a full break-down of WordPress and how you can get started with the internet’s most powerful blogging platform.

Not only did the phenomenal weekend of new model distribution practices put on by Chris Jones feature keynote turns from Sheri Candler and Jon Reiss (detailed here and here respectively), it also managed to fit in several fascinating, inspiring and illuminating turns from key indie film supporters and enablers as well.  Here’s a (very) quick low down on what we got from them all.

OPEN INDIE

Kieran Masterton stopped in on Day 1 to talk to us about OpenIndie.com, the great new website for indie filmmakers designed to help organise screenings of flicks where they’re most in demand.  I’m not going to go into heaps of detail, as it’s all available on their website, but I did learn a huge amount from Kieran about a platform I’d previously been a little dismissive of.  Although I’m still somewhat sceptical about how many non-filmmakers will join the site and thus the number of potential audience members who’ll be requesting films, I do think that given the right support and promotion among filmmakers and film fans, it has the potential to be a game-changing site for indie distribution.  I’ve gone from disinterested disbeliever to fascinated, active observer, so Kieran clearly did his job well.

He also treated us to an impromptu masterclass on websites for filmmakers which was remarkably insightful seeing as he was essentially riffing unprepared from his own experiences.  His key advice: know what you want your site to do before approaching a developer.  And don’t confuse development with design – they’re two VERY separate things.

SHOOTING PEOPLE

Although I have to say I didn’t learn anything new about SP from James’ talk to us on Day 1, it did serve as a reminder of just how effective it is as a tool to connect filmmakers across the country and – potentially – the globe.  As part of the new model of distribution and marketing, I think its use is limited given that it’s an audience of filmmakers, but as a resource to help you get your movie made it’s clearly invaluable.

OPEN CINEMA

Not to be confused with Open Indie, our presentation from Christoph of Open Cinema served as a stark reminder as to how we as filmmakers can make a real difference.  Open Cinema is a project aimed at kitting out hostels for rough sleepers with their own cinemas to show challenging, thought-provoking films to some of the most under-priviledged people of our country.  They also run projects to help homeless people tell their stories through film by partnering with established filmmakers.

This presentation really hit home to me and is something I very much want to be involved with.  I hope to have a meeting with Christoph in the next week or so to see how I can apply my skills in education to helping out with the Open Cinema project.  And I would encourage any filmmakers who can spare a little time to check out Open Cinema and see about volunteering to help brighten the lives of some truly wonderful but over-looked people, even just for a day.

NOVEMBER FILMS

We also had a great presentation on true DIY distribution from James of November Films, whose documentary BEYOND BIBA has been sold all over the world from James’ office at Ealing through judicious phone calls and constant hard work.  Along with global sales, the film is also a prime example of Jon’s “Live Event/Theatrical” model, having held over 60 screenings all over the UK that have been hugely successful.  They also highlighted the fact that merchandise can play a key role; at one screening, the team took over £1500 in sales.  Granted they had the film’s subject there and a packed auditorium of her biggest fans, but it still shows how making your screenings an event can turn a profit for you.

As I’ve said before, I could write reams of stuff on here about the weekend, but I could never do the experience justice.  I cannot recommend this workshop enough, nor the importance for filmmakers to follow, interact with and learn from Sheri, Jon and Chris.

What makes these three unique is there truly unselfish willingness to share their knowledge, insights and theories with all filmmakers and to enter into discussions over how to get this model out there.  They’re not precious; they want the best for all indie filmmakers and are willing to debate the issues we face from dawn ’til dusk (and then a little after that, too).  If they’re coming anywhere near you with this workshop, you HAVE to do it.

So Sheri Candler supplied us with a wealth of information, tips and tricks on Day 1 of the Chris Jones-organised marketing and distribution seminar and we all left with our heads ringing with Sheri’s “engage, engage, engage” message.

Little did we know Day 2 was going to bring on even more information to cram into our little heads as fast as we could assimilate it.

Jon Reiss, through the self-distribution of his feature-length documentary BOMB IT, has become a pioneer of the new model for indie filmmakers to get their film out there.  He’s collected his experiences and thoughts into his book, Think Outside the Box Office, and Sunday was spent going over some of his key concepts.  As for Sheri’s day, I’m not about to take you through it line-by-line, but rather highlight the salient points as they stood out to me.

The essence of what Jon was teaching throughout the day – in various different guises – was that self-distribution is both achievable and, potentially, profitable, but that the very best model to adopt is a kind of hybrid model between doing it all yourself and partnering with distributors to help you reach markets you may not be able to tackle on your own.

The biggest thing Jon stressed is something I mentioned in yesterday’s post: budgeting.  Not just having the money to do it, although that’s a key part of it, but also your time.  Getting your picture out there, especially if you’re doing all the work, is at least 12 months of full-time labour.  That’s a lot.  To help us think of it in a clearer way, Jon has introduced the concept of “The New 50/50” whereby you should be spending 50% of your resources on making the film and 50% on marketing and distribution.  And by “resources” we’re talking everything from cash budget to man-power.

There are bound to be arguments (and probably already have been) about a model that proposes that cash-strapped filmmakers should “wave goodbye” to half of their production budget, but that is fast become short-sighted in the extreme.  If independent filmmakers truly want our film to reach an audience and achieve our goals, it’s essential that we learn to embrace this sort of model.

For those who are still shifting uncomfortably at the thought of having to “market” your picture, Jon has another solution – the PMD.  Intended as a team member as vital as the producer, director or DP, the Producer of Marketing and Distribution is a new role who should be brought on board as early as humanly (and budgetarily) possible to start the audience outreach that is crucial for the successful marketing of the film – that early-stage engagement I spoke of yesterday.  Through pre-production, production and post, the PMD connects with and primes the audience so that they can leverage this support and transform it into sales of your movie – whether that be DVD through your own website or a sale to a distributor, the PMD takes care of it all, in close connection with the filmmaker.

It’s undoubtedly going to take time to build this kind of role enough in stature to convince indie filmmakers on a tight budget that it’s necessary, and for them to trust someone else with building this level of engagement, but I believe it’s crucial to the monetization of indie film.

It is also worth noting – and investigating – Jon’s ideas about the re-branding of a “Theatrical” release to his definition of “Live Event/Theatrical” – a concept that is defined as being any screening of a film in the way the filmmaker intended – ie, in controlled conditions with an audience.  That may be in a traditional cinema, or a church, community hall or anywhere you can project your movie in any capacity.

Key to this model for smaller indie pictures who can’t or won’t achieve the traditional theatrical run is making any screening an “event” by adding value beyond just that of the film.  That may be a Q&A with some of the team, it could include raffles, give-aways or similar.  But by embracing the short run and making the most of it, it’s possible for a filmmaker to earn more from a single screening in a town than a week-long run, as Jon himself can attest.

I could write a dozen essays on things we learned this weekend and I’m sure more of Jon and Sheri’s tips are going to be bubbling up and landing in my writings here over the next weeks and months, whether it’s specific to a project or in general discussion.  But I would encourage any filmmaker who wants to make a living from this to check out both Jon and Sheri’s blogs (jonreiss.com/blog and shericandler.com), as well – of course – as keeping up-to-date with what Chris is up to.  His courses are second to none and I have no doubt this one will end up repaying its costs many times over as we all apply these theories to our projects both current and future.

Thanks to all three of the marvellous trio for giving us such insight, help and knowledge.  Tomorrow, I’ll talk a little more about some of the visiting speakers over the weekend.  For now, you’re free to go make tea.

This weekend I headed down for Chris Jones’s 2-day course on the new models of distribution for independent film with Sheri Candler, indie film marketing guru, and Jon Reiss, pioneer of DIY distribution and author of the “new model” bible Think Outside the Box Office.

I could spent hours here – and thousands of words – going over everything we learned, but to be honest, you’d be better off buying the book.  Instead, I thought  I’d see what elements have really stuck in my brain and give a few notes.  This is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the weekend, but rather a toe-dipping to introduce any of you unfamiliar with these people’s work.

DAY 1 – Sheri Candler

Sheri Candler – indie film legend and marketing supremo – spent the first day introducing us to the “new” concepts of marketing.  I say “new” with inverted commas because actually, a lot of what Sheri was teaching us is fairly standard practice in the commercial and business worlds.  It’s just that not many filmmakers consider any of it at all and if they do, they approach it way too late.

What Sheri is preaching (and preaching really is the right kind of word for it) is audience identification and engagement.

IDENTIFICATION – it’s no good, as an indie filmmaker, making a horror movie and saying that you want to target horror fans.  There are far too many out there for you to successfully reach and you’ll end up throwing away money that you don’t have and won’t recoup.  Instead, you need to drill right down into you audience and find the core.  That may be, for instance, people who like independent horror movies featuring zombies.  If you can, it should be even narrower than that; the more precise you can get your target – or core – audience, the better you’ll be able to connect with them.

ENGAGEMENT – isn’t just sending out flyers and posting on internet forums.  To get a true following for your movie – a hardcore fanbase who will spread the word into wider circles – you need to full engage with them.  From the start.  That means finding out where they congregate (usually where online – forums, websites etc) and joining with them to start discussions about the subject – not just YOUR MOVIE.  This is a crucial soft-sell approach, without which it’s not real engagement, it’s just advertising.  At this level of movie making, advertising doesn’t really work – connecting with and befriending your audience is the key.

The biggest lesson I took out of day one is, without doubt, that the earlier you start the better.  You should be starting your audience “outreach” in pre-production or even as you’re finishing your script, but you should certainly do it before you reach post-production.  The kind of engagement you need to promote your small indie flick is too complex to take a stab at once you’re ready to release – you need to be building it from the beginning.

The other key element to this is budgeting – when you’re budgeting and fundraising for your film, make sure you include the marketing costs in there, too.  This isn’t simply advertisements (in fact, they may not feature at all), but you will need GREAT key art, a BRILLIANT website and also the TIME to engage your audience.  All of this costs – especially if you’re hiring a pro, which is something that’s really worth thinking about.  A professional can handle things for you while you focus on your movie and keep an over view of all the rest, because it will take up a lot of your time and your mental “bandwidth” to be doing both.

At the very least, you’ll need help in doing it.  You have help making the film (more than likely) so why not get help marketing the film?  As Jon would go on to tell us on Day 2, reinforced by Sheri herself, the ideal marketing, publicity and distribution spend is going to be 50% of your budget.  Allow for it.

Tomorrow, I’ll hit you with the key take-aways from Jon’s 2nd day session with us, which was packed with a ton of information and ended up running long without losing any of the filmmakers listening.  The whole weekend was exceptionally generous in the sharing of information and tips and none of the filmmakers there could thank Jon, Sheri and Chris enough for their help.

On Wednesday, I’ll also talk about some of the guest speakers we had visit over the course of the 2 days.  Right now, I think this is enough for one blog!

The last week or so I’ve been in a bit of a whirlwind and have therefore utterly failed to keep the blog up-to-date, including uploading my new Lowdown for Chris’s live show last week (which was the best so far, and can be seen again here).

The culprit is our new house. K and I have thrown our money into bricks and mortar and are now officially on the property ladder – and much higher up than we first thought.

It’s a great house, a lovely village and is perfect for our needs: a study for K to, well, study in and lay out all of her papers somewhere other than the living room floor and a separate study for me to work in, where I’ll have room to write, edit and store all of my various bits and pieces.

But it’s also got enough bedrooms to have people over to stay and enough room for great house parties.

It needs a lot of work to bring it into the 2010’s, being as it is slightly stuck in the 70’s, but that’s all worked into the budget and reflected in the brilliant price we got it for.

The only downside is that it’s starting to feel like we might be proper growed ups now.

Nah, that’s never gonna happen.