You are in, and now you have all sorts of wonderful problems — the kind most filmmakers wish they could enjoy. You know, you have to do all the things you have to do for a film festival. I have tried to collect the various blog posts I have written or have found written by others that will really prepare you. There’s a lot more to be written. But this is a good start:
Tag: Todd Sklar
guest post by Todd Sklar
A few weeks ago, my good friend Dean Peterson emailed me about releasing his film Incredibly Small for free on the internet. In full disclosure; he was emailing me not because I know a great deal about releasing movies on the interner (I don’t), but because I was a producer on the film, and had been assisting with the film’s release over the past year.
Guest post by Steve Holmgren.
We are back to our regular twice weekly events at UnionDocs, a documentary arts space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. UnionDocs’ microcinema continues to be an exciting place to see important nonfiction films: from classics made by the likes of George Stoney, Rosa von Praunhiem, and Pare Lorentz to underseen crtical favorites like October Country and The Carter to boundary-pushing experimental work made by artists like Lynne Sachs, James T. Hong, and Ken Jacobs. In addition, UnionDocs presents panels and lectures, including talks last year on distribution and access (Richard Amromowitz, Todd Sklar, Ashley Sabin) and documentary criticism (Thom Powers, Richard Brody, Lisa Rosman, Ed Halter), as well as nonfiction photography, audio, interactive art, and writing. Always followed by engaging discussions with presenting artists.
We also host a year-long program for twelve emerging artists called the UnionDocs Collaborative. The participants collaborate on interdisciplinary group nonfiction production, and also attend private weekly workshops, sometimes with visiting artists. Between the collaborative, and the artist conversations, UnionDocs is a site for conversations about the future of documentary.
So now you’ve watched the first three parts, right? And you are dying to watch Part Four. Well wait no further.
Some Job Opportunities in Indie Film with Ted Hope (part 4) from Hope for Film on Vimeo.
Once again, courtesy of Chris Stetson. Give this man a job!
Todd Sklar has finished has Range Life tour has a lot to tell you about what he’s learned. He’s posted it up at the indispensable Workbook Project: Part One, Part Two.
Part One counsels filmmakers to build up their promo content and hold until the key release time. He identifies two main tendencies to the contrary (and explains why you need to avoid them):
- You jump the gun on building buzz and then lose momentum and interest before it’s time to utilize that buzz.
- You jump the gun on your release and can’t support it with the necessary content or resources & planning b/c it’s a full time job just maintaining whatever momentum and interest your gaining from the film’s release.
In part two, Todd expands upon new rules:
- You need to have a solid website 5 minutes after you’ve written the script.
- You need to have a solid trailer 5 days after you’ve wrapped shooting.
- You need to release your DVD within 6 weeks of your premiere.
- You need to start making your DVD 6 hours after you’ve made your final cut.
- You need to do your theatrical release within 2-4 weeks of your festival premiere You need to implement a festival premiere into your release platform, and there’s no better/other way to do it than utilizing it as the springboard for your theatrical release.
- You need to look at the theatrical release as a brand building and audience building campaign and focus on exposure and press secondly.
- You need to be ready to make your next one before your release this one.
- You need to roll with the punches and remember to focus on your planning your work and working your plan.
- you need sell DVD’s during your theatrical release.
Read the posts. We all need to.
