Okay, I am not truly a fan of the term “Producer Of Marketing & Distribution”, but I am even more NOT a fan of how easy we throw around the term “Producer” in general. To me the Producer of a film is the individual or team that is there from the very beginning until the very end — there is no in between — and ultimately responsible for EVERYTHING. If you were not involved in any aspect of either the development, financing, casting, production, post, sales, marketing, distribution, and reporting, then you are not a “producer” and should not take that credit. There: I said it. But a nickel is bigger than a dime, and we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway, so who am I to say that this world or a job title does not really make sense?
And frankly, if the collaboration between a “PMD” and a film works the way I dream it can, that individual is certainly there from at the very least VERY CLOSE to the beginning and all the way to the end — like a producer is.
Regardless of how I feel, at this moment in time we are calling those that work in DIY/DIWO films, the PMD, and the world knows they need all the incentives we can provide to do this necessary work, so who am I to quibble over semantics? But the real question really is, who are the people that do this work and where can you find them? Today I launch the Masterlist of PMDs. I will allow someone else to take it from here.
Two weeks ago I asked “Can We Create The Future Of Indie Film Marketing & Distribution — Or Is It Already Dead?“. Ultimately it was a plea for the indie world to take serious the training & utilization of people specializing in DIY/DIWO marketing and distribution. The readers of this column started a lively discussion (check out the comments). Many revealed themselves to be precisely the sort that is gaining this expertise from actual experience in the field. Jon Reiss kept the conversation going with a subsequent post.
If you are prepping a new film, you should budget to collaborate with them, and bring them aboard. Jon Reiss contributed a great post last week on the why and also another on the responsibilities of a “PMD”. I wrote out a list of all the services a “PMD” could utilize (now at 31!). I thought that the excuse of why I wasn’t collaborating with a “PMD” on my last production, was because I didn’t know who they were. I won’t let you get away with the same excuse. Nor will I use it in the future.
The important thing is to recognize that PMD’s are not simply for-hire service providers. They are collaborators. They are intimate with the production and can speak with an authorial voice. Community building and audience outreach are VERY personal endeavors. To do the job, not even to do it well, but just to do it, requires a tremendous amount of earned-trust from the creative heads. It should be recognized as a job that involves creativity as well as tactics and strategy.
So… Wondering who does PMD Marketing & Distribution work? This is what I found (please add to the list by posting some comments). Many thanks to Jon Reiss who provided several of these in his recent post on the subject.
I have listed contact information when I had it and when the filmmakers okayed it. The credits have not been confirmed. It is a start though…
NOTE: By request some of the names once on the list have been removed. If I add any, I will date when they are added (05.21.13)
J.X. Carrera –
Bill Cunningham
I am a PMD who has created, developed and executed over 75 motion picture marketing and distribution campaigns (both international and domestic) for clients including Omega Entertainment, York Entertainment, Peace Arch Entertainment, and Artist View Entertainment.
In addition to my motion picture marketing and distribution experience:
I was the Associate Producer of .COM FOR MURDER (Starring Nastassja Kinski)
I was the Producer of SCARECROW as well as its co-writer.
I was the producer and co-writer for its sequel, SCARECROW SLAYER.I have also been hired to write screenplays for several production companies here in Hollywood. In other words, I have a background that makes me useful on set, in post, and developing marketing plans to sell a producer’s movie.
My specialty is high-concept, low budget movies – horror, science fiction, action, etc…
I am well-versed in setting up promotional web media, creating exceptional, compelling marketing materials and making sure a motion picture is ready for delivery to a distributor, or ready for a producer to distribute himself. I attend the AFM every year, and keep close ties with the buyers there.
Bill can be reached at this email address: cinexploits@gmail.com
Or at the office:
Bill Cunningham
Pulp 2.0
2908 Allesandro St. Los Angeles, CA 90039
323.662.2508
skype: madpulpbastard
Stephen Dypiangco (@Dypiangco) PMD “How to Live Forever” & Oscar winning short “God of Love”
Contact: Email – Dypiangco@gmail.com
Website – StephenDypiangco.com
Twitter – @Dypiangco
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/thepmd
As a PMD, I must serve multiple functions on a film: strategist, project manager, communicator, problem solver and entrepreneur. But first and foremost, my primary goal as a PMD is to create and execute a customized marketing and distribution strategic plan (MDSP). I created this term, MDSP, to acknowledge the need for all film productions to have a concrete document from which to work. The term, “strategy,” is just too vague. This MDSP is a concrete strategic plan, a roadmap (a real physical document) of ALL OF THE WORK that needs to be done in the coming days, months and even years, before, during and after the film’s production. By moving forward without creating this roadmap beforehand, a PMD can become sidetracked and eventually get lost. If you don’t know exactly where you’re going, you’ll never get there.
Audrey Ewell –
Contact :Stay tuned for the website launch, and in the meantime Audrey can be found at audrey[at]cyborgpr.com, 347-495-1476, or at Union Pool in Brooklyn.
“I position a film so that distribution is both more likely and then more successful. As a filmmaker (and one who’s done all this for myself), there are nuances to the interactions between film, filmmaker and audience that I just get, a level of engagement that comes naturally and doesn’t reek of marketing.
I start by helping filmmakers identify and engage their audiences. Then I tailor multi-platform digital outreach campaigns that organically amplify core audience excitement to reach new and larger audiences. I strategize and coordinate transmedia elements and game/incentive-based audience development (when desired), do website consultation with an eye toward social and new media optimization, and implement social media campaigns with an emphasis on peer to peer marketing. During festival runs, sneak peaks, premieres, launches and theatrical or semi-theatrical engagements (whether booked by me or an outside party), I consult on promotional materials, coordinate their manufacture and distribution, develop and coordinate street teams, and set up co-promotions with localized partners to cost effectively access targeted local audiences, push early ticket sales, and build awareness and excitement. I seek out new ideas and avenues of engagement and exhibition across multiple platforms.
I help the filmmaker demonstrate audience support and then leverage that visibility and fan support during the theatrical engagement. Once that infrastructure is there the filmmaker can build on it, use it to drive distribution in other markets, and help leverage their success into the next project.
Laree’ Griffith
Ambient Muse Production Services
310-986-0177
www.lareegriffith.com
Specializing in social media and promotional admin services for entertainment industry.
Consulting with filmmakers and producers to create, implement and maintain an online presence for their productions.
Other services are, email campaign maintenance, promotional material handling, and event organization.
Laura Hammer
PMD @unicornsmovie http://unicornsthemovie.com/crew.html |
contact: http://laurahammer.com/contact/
As Producer of Marketing and Distribution I work closely with the creative team to develop a Marketing and Distribution Strategy translating the goals of the team into a plan; identify and engage with the film’s core audience and target markets; secure brand sponsorships; assemble and supervise all necessary specialists and consultants. I believe that a successful marketing and distribution plan enhances and supports the overall vision of the film’s director. I prefer to work with a film from pre-production through distribution but also offer a la carte PMD services. I have produced several narrative, experimental and documentary shorts that have screened at festivals, BAMcinématek, and the legendary Two Boots Pioneer Theater. At MUBI Garage I curate short films, produce interviews with established industry, and promote emerging filmmakers. I have set up and developed successful social media campaigns and web sites for individuals, small businesses, and feature films. I have additional experience in marketing, public relations, and audience outreach working with Broadway producers and Off-Broadway theater companies. I graduated with a B.F.A. in Drama from New York University Tisch School of the Arts and trained with Atlantic Theater Company. While an undergrad, I focused on Interdisciplinary Studies and graduate courses in Web Design at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.
I am currently PMD for I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS from Student Academy Award nominated director Leah Meyerhoff (Slamdance Grand Jury Prize winning short Twitch), executive producers Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging, Things Behind the Sun), David Kupferberg (Magic Valley) and Robin Leland (4th and Goal) and producers Heather Rae (Oscar nominated Frozen River) and Mark G. Mathis (Oscar winning Precious, Brick). I am also PMD for GRIOT, a feature documentary in post-production from Volker Goetze, Victor Kanefsky (Style Wars), and Samuel D. Pollard (Emmy winning When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts).
http://www.unicornsthemovie.com
http://www.griotmovie.com
Sally Hodgson
@SallyHodgson or sally@pipocapictures.)com, also see http://www.indiegogo.com/sounditoutdoc
Joe Jestus (via Jon Reiss’ post)
Michele Elizabeth Kafko – PMD “Revenge of the Electric Car”
Eddie Kahlish – “Happiness”
Jason Kohl – “Acting Like Adults”; currently 3rd Year student at UCLA.
Adam Daniel Mezei
About Adam Daniel Mezei’s PMD-For-Hire:
PMD-For-Hire (www.pmdforhire.com) is a full-service, full-time, 6-days/week film marketing and distribution shop.
I serve the needs of indie documentary and features clients (mostly docs, truth be told), working intimately with production crews on a strictly embedded basis as part of a minimum 3-month introductory commitment — or longer — to help get projects needed audience traction and off the ground.
The overall aim of the service is to help filmmakers brand their films accordingly. I harp on the need to develop sound traditional marketing, blogging, and social media evangelism techniques — among a dozen others — to painstakingly replicate in “micro-version” what mini-studios devote hundreds of thousands — millions, even — of dollars to achieve.
My techniques are custom-designed to inculcate solid habits from the get-go for filmmakers who are deathly serious about their long-term career prospects and who wish to harness the boundless power of the newly-democratized filmmaking milieu in true DIY/DIWO-style. Moreover, the point of the exercise is to get filmmakers generating a steady cash flow from their work so they can continue to shoot films.
The techniques I employ are varied, yet standardized because they work.
While every project’s ultimate marketing and distribution goals are indeed different, demanding a bespoke approach each time out after a critical evaluation of a project’s current marketing assets and personnel, the methodologies I leverage are similar depending upon which stage of the production process I’m parachuted in.
Several approaches I’ve applied for clients in the past include:
organizing themed live events from “soup to nuts” as a way to promote a project and sell product at the event.
conceiving of and assembling the pieces for a comedy documentary’s entire behind-the-scenes DVD Special Features section.
managing a team of half a dozen editing and marketing interns as part of a film’s post-production rapid rollout.
representing a client at a marquee L.A.-area film festival as part of that picture’s world premiere, taking potential distribution meetings in the process.
providing coverage on a spec script with suggestions for possible location improvements with the aim of potentially capturing better co-branding prospects in the future.
My rates are monthly, comprised of a flat fee, first and last’s months paid in advance (one month is always on deposit), and I no longer accept month-to-month contracts as past experience has shown not much of impact can be achieved in just 30 days. Clients wishing to sign me for 30-day periods are throwing away perfectly good marketing budget, and I tell them so. I also tell clients I can’t help projects which don’t move me personally. So if I’m not “method acting” certain aspects of the production role, there’s no PMD in the business who can help you.PMD-For-Hire is proudly Toronto-based and to my knowledge I’m one of the few Canadians who does this for a living. Given how public funding bodies like Telefilm Canada have now committed to releasing grant money only to those co-produced projects with a clear audience engagement or transmedia strategy in place, the need for PMDs on indie production crews has never been more imperative.
Since I only work the projects where I think I can be of assistance, genres like soft snuff, horror, or certain types of foreign dramas are out of my league. Furthermore, I collaborate with only a limited number of projects each quarter, so once that quota is filled don’t take on new clients until the current period is over.
For custom requests or to find out when the next opening is, info@pmdforhire.com, or dial 416-827-4196. I answer my phone almost always. Thank you.
And of course, client references available upon request.
Errol Nayci – PMD working in the Netherlands
I worked with Jon Reiss as he was releasing his film Bomb-It, helped him with flyering, distributing merch, coordinating deliverables, updating social media sites etc. I also did the same for a USC Grad Thesis film Carpet Kingdom by Michael Rochford and also for the feature documentary Danny Greene by Tommy Reid. I am based out of Santa Monica, CA and my contact info is Johnny Oravec 323 698 6900 johnoravec@gmail.com and my website is http://www.facebook.com/l/RAQCRrkJkAQDWj7UqyQgPYCC0R8M3
Diana Iles Parker PMD on “Eat The Sun”.
Spoken Media
Contact:
415.225.8121 (c)
415.388.8281 (o)
diana@spokenmedia.com
www.spokenmedia.com
www.eatthesunmovie.com
www.desertrunnersmovie.com
I am a PMD who partners with documentary filmmakers as early as possible in their filmmaking process so we can develop a strong, cohesive and well-supported launch for their film. I specialize particularly in hybrid models of distribution that focus on splitting rights and maximizing profits; festival strategy, publicity and marketing.
Amy Slotnick – PMD for “The Business of Being Born” (she received producer credit for her work); outreach for “Red State”; “Wake Up”.
Contact: aslotnick@mac.com
As a PMD I work with filmmakers to help them build, manage and optimize digital and traditional marketing and distribution, allowing them to better engage their audiences. This includes strategizing and executing marketing, publicity and distribution of independent films, often aimed to reach a niche audience or to promote a particular cause. Partnerships with organizations, brands and businesses as well as planning screenings with non-profit, student and regional groups has proved effective for raising awareness for a film. Creating and managing social networks, mobile and online promotions and overseeing online distribution, theater bookings and licensing deals are all part of the PMD position. A plan that is specific to a particular film’s subject matter and perspective can be crafted and implemented to leverage its assets and build momentum. Titles for which I have worked in this manner include Kevin Smith’s RED STATE (pre-release 15 city tour), THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN and WAKE UP.
Lila Yomtoob
lila@yomtoob.com
Lila Yomtoob is a Brooklyn based producer specializing in marketing in distribution. She’s got 12 years in different areas of the industry, a statuette named Emmy, and has produced three features, “Hidden Battles”, “Foreclosure”, and “High Life,” which she also directed. As an independent filmmaker in her own right, she understands and respects directors’ needs, and is especially passionate about getting good films seen by their audiences.
