Action for Brazil’s Children Trust patron Fernando Meirelles together with writer/actor Don McKellar feature in a newly released Q&A session focused on the making of ‘Blindness’ – watch the web cast here. Meirelles also discusses his involvement with social film projects, notably Cinema Nosso, which is supported by ABC Trust, a UK-based charity. Cinema Nosso was set up by Meirelles in 2002. The project was directly born out of Meirelles’ renowned ‘City of God’. The film, famously shot on location using residents of the Cidade de Deus and nearby favelas, inspired the philosophy behind this dynamic charitable project.

Meirelles comments: “When I was first approached by ABC Trust, I found a fundamental synergy between our thinking and theirs – one of empowerment. ‘City of God’ had a profound effect on those involved in it’s making, especially the young people. It developed their self belief, opened their minds and changed their lives. Beyond this we saw an opportunity to harness the power of film to inspire more young people from deprived communities to tell their stories, encouraging them to work on both sides of the camera.”

ABC Trust CEO Andrew Webb adds: “Cinema Nosso has been incredibly successful in its approach to tackling the problems of social exclusion, violence and poverty faced by many young Brazilians. We believe that working through the arts provides a uniquely powerful way of changing lives and many of the projects we support use film, dance, theatre and music. This kind of work opens new horizons and often provokes deep rooted and meaningful change within individuals’ lives as well as whole communities.”

This is the second and final part of a 2 part post on non-theatrical distribution by Rachel Gordon, a freelance marketing/distribution consultant specializing in the niche and educational usage of documentary films.

Something to be aware of that many filmmakers don’t consciously think about when starting to get their work out is that it will take some time for your film to “hit” a place in the non-theatrical market – often up to a whole year.  You can’t count on this to be your only source of income because, while there are people who have made a year’s salary on one film, that is not the normal shape distribution takes – whether it be partnering with a distributor or a solo journey.

It is absolutely impossible to promise or estimate how much money you will gain.  I get this question a lot and I try never to give an answer because there simply isn’t one.  Some films do better because of controversy or timeliness of their content, others do better because the information they include is unique and nobody else has captured it yet.  There is no way of knowing how a film will fare until you start sending it out into the world.  There is a lot more to choose from than there used to be and sometimes it all comes down to a matter of timing.  The key point being, however, that you have to send out information repeatedly because nobody will know or remember that your film exists unless you tell them.

Educational distribution is a hefty time commitment.  It means researching organizations that might show your film at a conference.  It requires collecting quotes to use in emails and promotional sheets.  It involves taking the time to collect, or buy, email or mailing lists to send out information to parties that would be interested in using the material you have to offer.  It means having the nerve to ask people to be supportive and either provide advice on other people that would benefit from your film, or include a link to your website.

So if it is not easy, why do it?  The non-theatrical world is a wide, enthusiastic, supportive environment for consuming media.  Professors, social activists, non-profit organizations, journalists, etc, talk on listservs every day.  They give each other advice, they program fascinating conferences, webinars and discussions.  They also love media, and they will continue to be repeat customers when they have found reliable sources to obtain it from.  They know as much about a filmmaker’s work as the average film critic in New York City.  Yes, what I just said is true.  Every time I’ve exhibited at an educational marketplace, customers come into my room to specifically view the latest film from one of the independent filmmakers I represent.

Rachel Gordon is a filmmaker and freelance marketing/distribution consultant specializing in the niche and educational usage of documentary films.  Her short film, Loose Ends, is currently at festivals while she finishes writing the feature version of the story about feminine fear of commitment.  She is also in production on a documentary series about alternative medicines.  She can be reached through her website at www.energizedfilms.com

This is the first part of a 2 part post on non-theatrical distribution by Rachel Gordon, a freelance marketing/distribution consultant specializing in the niche and educational usage of documentary films.

Disclaimer – This article assumes that you are self-distributing and not working with a distributor.  The narrative below is solely from the perspective of educational, also known as “non-theatrical,” usage of film and does not refer to theatrical or home video distribution.

Independent documentary filmmaking continues to rise after several years of growth, alongside increasing use of the internet for both advertising information about how great your project is, and providing media delivery options.   Where do, or should, or can, filmmakers go to get their projects out to viewers?

Get an idea of who your target audience is:  Figure this out by looking at the film from such perspectives as – are you following families, advocates or cultural figures? What culture? What age groups? Any gender-based or sexual issues explored?  Do you see people helping other people, and if so, how and to what end?  What is it you think you are showing people that they were not shown before?  Why are the subjects involved with your film, and who do they wish to communicate with?

Being able to answer these questions is crucial to getting your media used in any classroom setting, be it grade school or college.  Teachers and professors alike are media-savvy professionals so they don’t need to hear you say how great your film is. They do need to hear you say how it should be used, what a student learns from it.  The more work you do for them in providing such information (i.e. the ever-useful study guide), the easier you make it on them to use your work in their curriculum.

Study guides are normally established through the grassroots question and answer sessions that you might have with a film.  If participants or a public screening effect a useful dialogue, this is something to take note of and flush out on paper.  Study guides usually come free, as a bonus material, and it is preferable if someone in the field you are trying to reach is actually collaborating with you on it.

This then begs the question of how to deliver said media itself to the classroom.  Unfortunately, though we’d like to think you just make a DVD and start shipping them, the choices you provide the end user can dramatically affect your ability to sell product.  It is very useful if you are providing the option to stream, either through your own means or by allowing the institution to do so with a license.  But streaming and DVD are still only 2 options of the many that are cropping up with new technology on a daily basis and it’s worthwhile to be flexible about content usage.  If your content isn’t available the way that someone can use it, they won’t necessarily make-do with what you give them, as it is easier to pass you by and not spend the money at all.

A uniquely useful new option for filmmakers, which I should explain I have been assisting recently with outreach to colleges and universities, is submitting your work to the Reframe Collection.  I have recently done this myself so I can now say I take my own advice.  I bring this initiative up, not just because I work with them, but because of the usefulness of being a part of something larger while still retaining your own identity as a filmmaker.  They have several technical options you can sign up for in terms of delivery, and your film is placed alongside films of similar themes, which makes it easier for educational librarians to find you when they are looking to program a semester. Using one website instead of visiting 10 filmmakers’ websites makes their jobs easier.

Links/Resources:

Reframe Collection – www.reframecollection.org

Educational publications to get work reviewed – Take a look at the American Library Association website – www.ala.org.  The ALA has caucuses and groups that discuss research on certain themes.

Email/mailing list – Richard Dill – rjdill *at* gmail.com – looks at your website and helps you define the librarians who look at and purchase your genre of film.  Charges affordable flat rate per 1000 contacts that includes the ability to re-use the list you are given.

Rachel Gordon is a filmmaker and freelance marketing/distribution consultant specializing in the niche and educational usage of documentary films.  Her short film, Loose Ends, is currently at festivals while she finishes writing the feature version of the story about feminine fear of commitment.  She is also in production on a documentary series about alternative medicines.  She can be reached through her website at www.energizedfilms.com

Part 2 will be published tomorrow.