Distribution

Thank you so much, Maurice! I truly appreciate that.

It means a lot, and I'd be delighted to help whenever you need a movie poster, book cover, pitch deck, or any other visual design for your projects.

Looking forward to staying connected, and I wish you the best with your writing!

You're welcome, Mercy James. Thanks. Stage 32 has a Job Board you could check for members who are looking for design work (www.stage32.com/find-jobs). See you around the community. Have a great rest of the week!

if image is branding that's all a poster needs

Thanks so much, Maurice! I really appreciate the tip.

I'll definitely keep an eye on the Stage 32 Job Board and see if there are any opportunities where I can contribute my graphic design and content writing skills. Thanks again for all your encouragement, and I look forward to seeing you around the community.

You're welcome, @Mercy.

During development because it's here where your figuring out your audience

When I took the Professional Program in Producing at UCLA (turn of the century LOL!) the most-useful thing I learned was "Producing Rule #1: Know Your End Use."

Writing shooting directing producing distributing marketing a 2-minute short is a much different lane than writing shooting directing producing distributing marketing a 3 hour IMAX feature.

OTOH it's extremely difficult to line up all the elements, including distribution, prior to scripting, or even prior to lensing. Meanwhile any financing is going to want to see, as clearly as possible, how they're going to get their money back.

So I start with form; what's the best form for this story I want to tell? If I want to tell it with moving pictures, then what form of moving pictures makes the most sense both for my artistic vision, my wallet (income/outgo) and my intended consumer?

A couple of quick examples:

I'm early days in production on a feature documentary about a famous politician, with access to the politician, support from their family and team, and an amazing history. So as we're already filming (came to me super-quick) I reached out to some sales agents I know, and every one of them tells me, "the feature docu market right now is dead except for true crime." I'm still makeing the movie, but that informs my choices at this point as to how I tell the story and where I put my resources.

On another project, I'm shooting another feature in January, a war-centric thriller. I'm exploring DoD support, which requires a locked distrib deal early in the convo, so I've reached out to a trusted partner to get an LOI (Letter of Interest) for distribution, which will suffice. Will I ultimately place this movie with them? Not contractually obligating myself now, early days. But in this case, having the LOI from a potential distribber partner will help me explore other resources.

So, distribution is always in the soup. As is casting, funding, marketing, narrative, cool shots, crew choices, locations, and is the story cool enough for me to keep on doing this insanity!

As to expensive mistakes, well, there's always another one waiting to slap my ass, bwahahaha! The experienced-producer version of “avoid expensive mistakes” isn't “I have learned how not to make them.” It's “I have greatly diversified my portfolio of expensive mistakes.”

I believe distribution should become part of the creative plan during development. I think it's important to understand your audience before everything is completed. For a family-friendly superhero project, distribution early can help shape the overall vision for film and television.

Welcome to Stage 32, Mitraashini. Putting yourself out there internationally is already a good step. Is there a particular direction in film makeup you’d like to build toward — character makeup, prosthetics/SFX, or another area? Having a clear specialty can sometimes make it easier for producers and department heads to remember your work when an opportunity comes up.

Technically you should think about it even before you write the script to make sure you write in the format that distributor is looking for and in some cases genre as well. But I tend to think about it during the script or sometimes during pre-production.

Online, it's often the thumbnail... paired with a catchy title.

That's such a good point, Michael. The thumbnail and title really do create the first impression, they're often what determines whether someone clicks or keeps scrolling.

It's a great reminder that strong visual branding starts long before the audience watches the film. Thanks for sharing!

I completely agree, Abel. A strong logline opens the door, and the visual presentation gives the story an identity people can instantly recognize.

As a graphic designer, I love creating posters and pitch decks that reinforce the genre and emotional tone without overshadowing the writing. When both work together, the project feels much more compelling.

Thanks for sharing your perspective!

posters alone won't do it unless the image and title implore something for you to watch

Sure a poster can grab the eye, then a logline (depends on where it's posted), I'll glance at talent and director, and watch the trailer. Sometimes there's a great poster and logline, and the trailer puts nails into the coffin! And yes, sometimes the trailer makes me put it on m list to view later.

Abhijeet Aade Hi Abhijeet, I hope you are well.

Yes, owning the IP is one thing - and rendering it valueless is quite another!

Emil Soliman hello Emil, yes, long-term brand value has to be essential for the Streamers, but also the owners of any IP. Surely it must form part of any company’s strategy?

How are things with you? What are you working on at the moment?

Hi Geoff,

Absolutely. I agree that long-term brand value is becoming increasingly important, particularly for owners of strong IP. Theatrical exposure, audience awareness, streaming, and the long-term life of the property can all become part of the same strategy.

Things are moving forward with me. At the moment, I’m developing Beyond the Five Senses, a feature film based on real experiences from my life and my book Pharaoh in the Land of Cappuccino.

I’m currently working with a screenwriter on developing the screenplay, starting with the story map and timeline before moving into the full screenplay. I’ve also already had conversations with producers who have shown interest in the concept, but naturally they want to see a strong finished screenplay before moving further.

It’s an ambitious project, moving through Egypt, Italy, and Spain, with a substantial story and a number of events and locations. So right now my focus is making sure the screenplay is strong enough creatively and commercially to support that level of production.

I’m also developing several other books and film concepts, so there’s quite a lot happening at the moment.

I’d be interested to hear what you’re currently working on as well.

Best regards,

Emil

Geoff, I think that may be part of it too. The interesting shift for me is that theatrical no longer has to undermine the subscriber-first model. If the window is controlled carefully, Netflix can potentially gain box-office revenue, event status and publicity, then still bring the film to subscribers as a premium streaming title. It feels less like abandoning streaming-first thinking and more like widening the value of the same project.

Charmane Wedderburn yes, Charmane, we live in interesting and exciting times for multi-platform releasing.

Whether this will impact indie film is hard to tell, but doubtful. AMC itself calls it a “low-risk opportunity” - looking only for completed or fully financed films, no mention of advances, MGs, negative pickups. They are explicit they will not compete with the studios or their distribution partners... All of which in the ends means that there might be some space for new indies, but clean screens and block booking by the majors will still rule, and that they won't be paying more than other distributors...

Maurice Vaughan Constantly. The one that still gets me is when a film gets a great festival response and the team reads that as proof the audience exists. It is not the same thing. A festival crowd is people who came to see a film, any film. That is a very different group from people who will seek out your film specifically.

I have watched teams coast on a standing ovation for three months and then wonder why the VOD numbers were flat. The ovation was real. It just was not evidence of anything except that the room enjoyed the movie.

The other one is quieter. Filmmakers who built something real during production, an email list, a partner network, and then let it go cold for a year during post. When they came back the relationship had to be rebuilt from scratch. Attention is not a thing you bank.

@Shadow That is the right instinct, and starting before shooting is rarer than it should be. The intention point matters too. A film built for a specific community can start early because you know who you are talking to. A film still finding its shape sometimes cannot, and forcing it produces a generic audience that does not convert.

Great point. I agree that audience-building should start well before picture lock. Creating genuine connections around the story while the project is still in development can make a huge difference when it’s finally ready for release.

I think the earlier filmmakers understand who their audience is and why they should care about the story, the better they can build meaningful interest rather than trying to create attention at the last minute.

Thanks for the answer, @Chase. The third paragraph is something for filmmakers, writers, etc. to keep in mind.

thanks Karolina Ferguson That last point is the one I would underline. Knowing who your audience is changes what you make, not just how you sell it. The films that do best usually made that decision early rather than discovering it in post.

Laura Hammer While it’s not a re-release, the new Spider-Man brought me—a 60-year-old Goddess!—straight to the theater on opening day. And it was pure awesome (made even sweeter by my senior discount, LOL!). The storytelling was fantastic, and I loved every bit of it. That said, as a long-time Spider-Man fan, the one creative choice I couldn't fully get on board with was casting Zendaya as MJ. To me, MJ will always be that classic red-headed firecracker!

To your point about theatrical energy, though, it’s proof that whether it’s a shiny new blockbuster or a restored classic, people want the communal big-screen event right now. The magic of hearing a full theater react in real time just can't be replicated on a couch.

As for the re-release I’d drop everything to see on a massive screen? Give me a 4K anniversary theatrical run of The Last of the Mohicans or Jeremiah Johnson. Cinema that relies on sheer scale, environment, and physical score belongs in a dark room with a booming sound system!

My dad and I are X Files fans! Saw the 1998 movie in the theaters. I don't think I ever saw the 2008 movie, though, so will check this one out!

Laura Hammer Recently, my favorite re-release experience was Dogma for its 25th anniversary last year.

It’s one of my favorite movies, but I was six when it originally came out, so I obviously missed the chance to see it in theaters the first time around. Getting to finally experience it on the big screen felt really special, especially with Kevin Smith’s recorded Q&A panel afterward.

My husband surprised me with tickets, which made the whole thing even better. There’s something about seeing a movie you already know and love with a crowd that completely changes the experience. The laughs hit differently, the emotional beats land harder, and you notice details you’d never really paid attention to at home.

That’s one of the reasons I love this re-release trend so much. For people like me, it’s not always about revisiting something we saw theatrically years ago. Sometimes it’s finally getting the theatrical experience we missed the first time around.

And when there’s something extra attached, like a filmmaker Q&A, restoration notes, or anniversary material, it makes the screening feel like a real event instead of just another showing.

I’d absolutely keep showing up for more releases like that. For me, the best re-releases are the ones that make a familiar film feel communal and new again.

Oh, and one I would absolutely LOVE to see re-released on the big screen is Clue.

Especially after the recent news about Tim Curry, I think it would be such a wonderful celebration of his incredible performance. He’s endlessly quotable in that film, and I can only imagine how much fun it would be to experience it with a packed theater full of people laughing together.

Aww. I saw last night that some of the streamers put up movies including STEEL MAGNOLIAS and CLUE in tribute to Dolly Parton, Tim Curry and more greats that recently departed.