Your Film Distribution Roadmap Starts Here

As you are probably aware by now - I am on a mission to help filmmakers connect with audiences. Besides releasing films and our Distribution Lab - one of the main ways that I do that is through this Substack - writing about distribution, holding webinars with new techniques and case studies and the occasional personal rant.

But Substack is a stream and unless you know to look for it - you won’t be aware of some of our previous posts that might be very helpful to you on your journey - so I decided to create this Start Here guide; a curated roadmap through some of our most useful posts, webinars, and case studies on film distribution.

The guide is organized in the rubric that I feel is most helpful for filmmakers engaging in this process. If you only have time for a few, I’ve starred the ones that I would suggest reading if you are new to my teachings.

Let me know in the comments below the burning topics that you want to know about!

Note - Nearly everything on my Substack is free - you don’t need to be a paid subscriber. As I wrote a year ago - I don’t want to be a rentier. However, creating the Substack and webinars does take time from several of our staff - and if you want to chip in - in a non-subscription way - I signed up with “Buy Me a Coffee” as an experiment (note-for me its Matcha). If you are so inclined, here is the button:

Buy Me a Matcha

OVERALL STRATEGY - KEY CONCEPTS

• 8 Essential Elements To Create Your Distribution Strategy*******

• 15 Years/15 Essential Concepts/10 Minutes*******

• Think Outside The Box Office: A Manifesto

What is Your Goal?

• Distribution 101: Set a Goal for Your Release*******

MARKETING

Who is Your Audience?

• 4 Essential Questions About Your Audience (That too many filmmakers skip)-Pt 1*******

• Is there an audience for Indie Films? - Keri Putnam Study

How Do You Reach Your Audience - Marketing Overview

• Find The Marketing Mix That Is Right For Your Film*******

• 4 Essential Questions About Your Audience (That too many filmmakers skip)-Pt 2

• Butts in Seats

Shared Media

Partnerships and Impact

• Crafting your Impact Distribution Campaign Strategy

Organic Social

• Social Media Myth Busting with Dor Dotson

Working with Influencers

• Mac McLean on Influencer Marketing That Actually Works

Earned Media

• 13 Tips for Review Marketing

Paid Media

• Building a Film’s Path to Audience

• Leveraging Letterboxd for Indie Film Marketing with David Larkin

Note - I really need to get writing about Owned Media!

FUNDING FOR DISTRIBUTION

• Envisioning a New Class of Executive Producers on the Heels of an Oscar Nomination

DISTRIBUTION

Distribution Overview

• Rethinking Rights: The New Playbook for Releasing Your Film*******

Event Theatrical

• Beyond the Marquee: The Power of Event Theatrical

• Beyond the Marquee: The Power of Event Theatrical - Part 2

Film Festivals

• The Art and Strategy of Film Festivals with Sky Sitney

• Taking Control of Your Distribution Destiny - A Case Study

Direct to Fan Platforms

• New Platforms, New Potential: Meet the CEOs Behind Direct Distribution

• Film Drops in the PVOD Window with Christie Marchese

Digital Distribution

Note - this is an area to be developed in the coming months - but for now:

• An Essential Guide to Monetizing Your Films on Youtube

Merchandise

• The Ultimate Merch Masterclass

Working with Distributors

• How To Evaluate If a Distributor is Right For You

• 2025’s New Indie Distributors

• From Crisis to Opportunity: How Four Indie Distributors Are Forging New Paths

Windowing

Note - more coming here too:

• Day & Date is Dead, Long Live The 9-Month Theatrical Window

CREATOR ECONOMY

• Cinema, Meet the Creator Economy - Webinar

CASE STUDIES

• The Librarians - Case Study

• Tales From the Lab: On Choosing Hybrid Distribution

• The Definitive Hundreds of Beavers Case Study In Your Inbox

• From Theatrical Underdog to Long-Tail Legacy (Big Sonia)

• Building Your Audience Before Your Release Replay (1946)

• Infinite Possibilities: What Eno’s Innovative Release Model Taught Us About Creating a Distribution Strategy That’s True to Your Film (Eno)

• No Time to Fail - Case Study

• Sabbath Queen - Case Study

• How Outdoor School Found Its Way: Reflections from the 8 Above Lab

ADVOCATING FOR OUR ECOSYSTEM:THE FUTURE FILM COALITION

• Doubling Down on Democracy - by Jon Reiss-8Above

• Future Film Coalition: Advocating for the Future of Independent Film

• Chokepoint Capitalism

• Joining Forces to Block the Merger

• Fight Media Consolidation? Build a New Ecosystem? Why Not Both!

MISCELLANEOUS RANTS/ABOUT MY JOURNEY

• “I fell in love with how a group of outsiders were taking media - music & film - into their own hands. “

• Distribution is Democracy/FilmStack Inspiration Post #81

• Self Distribution Does Not Exist

• Tragedy Of The Commons AI Edition - by Jon Reiss-8Above

• Yin and Yang of the AI Apocalypse - by Jon Reiss-8Above

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LAST CALL ON THE 8 ABOVE DISTRIBUTION LAB

If you are looking for a six month immersive program to create a distribution and marketing plan with myself and a cohort of filmmakers: the next lab cohort starts first week of August. There are a couple of slots left. If interested sign up for one of our remaining info sessions. For more information click here. Or:

Sign Up for An Info Session

AT THE END OF THE LAB YOU WILL COME AWAY WITH:

• A new framework on how to approach distribution and marketing.

• A comprehensive distribution and marketing plan and budget for your film and the confidence to pitch and execute it.

• A community of filmmakers that you can rely on for support during the lab and into the future.

• Connections with a range of industry experts.

• Up to date knowledge about industry best practices.