[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: Why do you say that every movie deserves a unique distribution and marketing path?
Jon Reiss, Filmmaker, Author, and Media Strategist: Because I fundamentally believe that every film is different, every filmmaking team is different and those are the two main aspects that then affect that.
Every film has a different audience. Every film has different ways to connect with audiences. Every film will have a filmmaking team and will have different goals. They’ll have different sets of resources. When you factor all of those things combined which I’ve laid out into very simple categories (there’s a deep dive into each one of those) but when you factor each of those aspects, you always end up with a different plan.
I’ve never seen any film replicating another film’s plan. I’ve worked with hundreds of filmmakers over the last 10 years. There’s never, ever plans that are carbon copies of each other or even close approximations of each other. There’s always differences, always. That’s a benefit in a sense because if every film was the same and everyone had the same goals and the same audiences, all those audiences would be too over it just wouldn’t work, the system couldn’t function.
The challenge for filmmakers is to understand that that’s the path they need to find. That’s what I enjoy helping filmmakers find is that path.
Film Courage: Why does every filmmaker think that they’re a unicorn born within the film world?
Jon: I don’t think every filmmaker thinks that anymore. I think they did at one time. I think there’s still a decent percentage of that going on. I think there’s a few reasons for it. I think you have to be eternally optimistic to be a filmmaker because you couldn’t be a filmmaker and everything you have to do in order to complete a film is so difficult, that if you weren’t optimistic, you would stop. Maybe there’s lots of filmmakers out there that aren’t optimistic and they don’t finish because if you’re not optimistic it’s too tough of a road to finish.
I think innately it’s one of the key qualities of being a filmmaker, either a director or producer. Someone on the team has to be optimistic…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BUY THE BOOK – THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX OFFICE: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era
About:
Jon Reiss is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, author, and media strategist. His experience releasing his documentary feature, Bomb It, with a hybrid strategy was the inspiration for writing Think Outside the Box Office, the first step-by-step guide for filmmakers to distribute and market their films. He has given workshops and spoken at conferences and festivals throughout the world. Jon has worked with numerous filmmakers, companies and organizations that are looking to connect with audiences and distribute their work in the digital landscape. Jon Reiss invented the concept of the Producer of Marketing and Distribution (PMD) which has become a new crew position in independent film. He has worked with and consulted for Paramount Pictures, Screen Australia, Film Independent, Creative Scotland, The South Australian Film Corporation and numerous film schools and festivals. He the year-round distribution and marketing lab leader at the IFP Filmmaker Labs. Reiss also contributes to Filmmaker Magazine, Huffington Post, Indiewire, Screen Daily, Moviemaker Magazine and other publications. Jon Reiss got his start in filmmaking and distribution at the infamous San Francisco documentary collective Target Video. Reiss not only shot seminal bands such as Black Flag, Iggy Pop, Throbbing Gristle, The Cramps, TSOL but was one of the first – if not the first person to conceptualize and execute video tours throughout Europe, carting 500 lbs of video deck and projector in a VW Bus across 15,000 miles.
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