Creating Your Film's Release Strategy
Webinar hosted by: Jon Reiss
Filmmaker, Author, Speaker, and Consultant
Jon Reiss was named one of “10 Digital Directors to Watch” by Daily Variety, Jon Reiss is a critically acclaimed filmmaker who has produced and directed three feature films most recently Bomb It about graffiti and the battle over visual public space throughout the world. Based on his experience releasing Bomb It with a hybrid strategy is writing a Jon has written the book: Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution in the Digital Era to be published November 2009. He also speaks around the world at film festivals, schools and organizations on this topic.Jon teaches film the California Institute for the Arts where he created the class “Reel World Survival Skills: Everything I Wish I Had Been Taught in Film School.” This course covers the practical aspects of surviving as an independent writer/producer/director in today’s economy from finding a job, pitching and script development, to financing and new models of distribution. His previous documentary feature film was Better Living Through Circuitry, a startling, humorous and entertaining glimpse into the exploding rave culture featuring such acts as the Crystal Method, Roni Size, and Moby, among others. Reiss’ first film, Cleopatra’s Second Husband, is a dark psychological drama.As an award-winning music video director, Reiss has directed videos for Nine Inch Nails, The Black Crowes, Danzig, Slayer, and the Kottonmouth Kings. His shorts screened at festivals throughout the world.Jon Reiss’ early credits also include four hour-long documentaries concerning the notorious performance group Survival Research Laboratories. All were included on a compilation DVD 10 Years of Robotic Mayhem released Summer 2004. Reiss got his start in filmmaking at Target Video, a San Francisco based alternative video company where he covered much of the West Coast punk explosion. For more information go to www.jonreiss.com. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
Learn directly from Jon Reiss, a distribution and marketing specialist who's worked with Paramount Pictures, Screen Australia, Film Independent, and is the year-round distribution and marketing lab leader at the IFP Filmmaker Labs.
Filmmakers all over the world are confronted with a changing distribution landscape for their work – how are they to approach the myriad of options whether traditional or emerging? No matter how you release your film filmmakers must be grounded in what their goals are and knowing how to engage their audience.
This webinar will cover the essentials that all filmmakers need to consider before marketing and distributing their film: goals and audience. We will first examine the five main goals possible for a films release followed by three steps of the Think Outside the Box Office (TOTBO) audience engagement process: identification, connection, value.
What You'll Learn
- The current market for content.
- The current media landscape – a plethora of content.
- What you are competing against.
- Everything Starts with Goals – (not your creative goals).
- The 5 Goals That You Must Consider and Prioritize 1!
- The TOTBO (Think Outside the Box Office) Process of Audience Engagement:
- Who is Your Audience
- What are niche audiences and why are they important.
- The difference between niche and core audience.
- How to create value for your audience.
- Where does your audience receive information – how do they find out about films?
- Its not just social media.
- Partners, email, website, etc.
- How does your audience consume media?
- Q&A with Jon
About Your Instructor
Jon Reiss
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