What's New In Distribution
Almost halfway through 2024, where's the opportunities?
In my Cannes recap yesterday I spoke mostly about the financing side of things but I received some requests to recap distribution. So here I am with that!
Distribution ‘Lite’
But first let me emphasize that if you are sitting on a film in post or one that’s completed and desire guidance, strategy, and ‘white glove’ placement with a trusted distributor, sales agent, or platform I’m taking on a few new Distribution clients in the lead up to the fall markets (TIFF, MIPCOM, AFM) and offering a heavily discounted rate for a ‘lite’ offering to my FS readers (that’s you!).
If you’d like to work with me on Distribution of your Feature, Doc, or Series please email me directly at stacey@filmspecific.com with details on the project and if I think I can help and add value to your efforts, I’ll discuss rates and timelines with you and how we can create a bespoke strategy for your project.
What’s New In Distribution
I can speak from my own personal experience as I currently have two features I produced that are mid-Distribution.
One film is on a Streamer after a successful festival run and six figure marketing campaign, and the other is currently touring more ‘niche’ festivals and will premiere in handful of theaters this fall before a Streaming premiere. I handled Distribution for both of these films and the Producing and Financing teams are more than happy with the results. The wheels were set in motion over a year ago though and distribution has even evolved since then.
I can say with certainty however that festivals are still relevant for *most* indie films since it offers an opportunity to gain positive momentum with audiences and press before becoming available online for mass consumption.
In many ways, these two films of mine represent the ‘traditional’ indie film distribution playbook of festivals > platform theatrical > streaming or in some cases just festivals > streaming.
The definition of Streaming is definitely more broad these days and in addition to SVOD (Netflix, Hulu) includes AVOD (Tubi, Pluto) and FAST (also Tubi, Pluto), and even You Tube. (side note - You Tube is actually the biggest streaming platform in the world, is viewed mostly on TV’s instead of mobile, and filmmakers are monetizing their films, docs, and series on here in a big way).
All this to say, Distribution for indie films (and series) has gotten more complex.
My remit as Distribution consultant has also widened to support these new and complex systems.
In some cases, I’m even working with You Tube creators to repackage their content for AVOD and FAST distribution and uncovering new revenue streams for them in the process.
Or doing the reverse - taking traditionally licensed content and catalogues and creating a digital first distribution strategy across AVOD, FAST, and Connected TV.
If you’re a die-hard for the traditional distribution playbook, maybe it’s time to broaden the framework in which you’re operating and consider all the new opportunities out there to get your work seen. Educate yourself, go to conferences, and stay abreast of trends lest you’ll be stuck in old thinking that limits the possibilities of your film reaching wider audiences.
How much are you interested in new Distribution trends?
Let me know in the comments below as I’d love to discuss this more and share with you all that I’m up to with my own projects in this regard.
More to come and have a wonderful day!
Stacey
PS: Don’t forget to email me at stacey@filmspecific.com if you want help Distributing your film, doc, or series and capturing a piece of this wide new ecosystem!
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