We are on the verge of a new film culture and infrastructure.
Four years after my original guest post “Navigating Rejection With Grace” (May 10, 2011) we’re still navigating plenty of rejection (c’mon, does that really ever end!?) but also proud to share some “wins” – seven years in-the-making! Our doc FINDING HILLYWOOD (www.findinghillywood.com) has screened at more than 60 festivals around the world, and is available on iTunes (and a myriad of other digital platforms) this month!
Whatever time you have to give today, tomorrow, this weekend, lend an ear to this interview I did in Toronto with David Poland for his DP/30 series.
I explain why I have taken a hiatus from project producing, why I went to Fandor, and what we are truly capable of building now — in pretty specific detail.
For the first time ever in the history of the film biz, we NOW have the capacity to contemplate the design of a total systems rebuild of the film ecosystem. We can build it better for all stakeholders and take advantage of the tools now available us while making it function for today’s realities instead of the antiquated concepts of yesteryear. Here is a step in that direction:
I have written out 126 further steps too. They are all
In my book, Hope For Film, I write:
“Indie film is not about community or culture – it is more about business and success than ever before. This is where I let my gray hair (what’s left of it) show. The folks in this business generally forget that we are first and foremost a community. We could be
In the words of playwright Theresa Rebeck (from a talk she gave in 2010, reprinted in Women & Hollywood) : ‘It’s time to hear both sides, to hear all voices, to build a culture where stories are told by both men and women. That is the way the planet is going to survive, and it’s the way we are going to survive.’ So, how can we build that culture? Where do we start? I will list a few options to start with, and I’m inviting you to suggest more:
6 CRITERIA FOR DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS
Find distributors who are effective and honest. They should have track records that demonstrate this as well as raves from other filmmakers who have worked with them.
Find distributors who are flexible and will help you to implement your customized distribution strategy rather than requiring you to fit into a one-size-fits-all approach to distribution
Find distributors who are willing and able to be partners. Some companies are only interested in being masters.
