ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

6 years, 2 months ago - Marlom Tander

Is this a question about Distribution (in which case, YouTube and Vimeo) or getting Paid for it :-)

6 years, 2 months ago - Karel Bata

Good question.
Not much point in making a micro-budget feature and then putting it out for free on YT or Vimeo. So yes, paid. You've got to have a revenue of some sort.

6 years, 2 months ago - Ray Brady

FYI Already a long thread here on Shooting People discussion board Karel:
https://shootingpeople.org/discuss/view/46af639f6b4a8a036402e3c0
Fair and exploitative distribution revenues available to indie filmmakers
Kindest regards Ray

6 years, 2 months ago - davina brown

Here's my 2 cents worth: It helps if a micro-budget film is made for a niche audience that's easily targeted via social media rather than making it for a general audience which means direct competition with films with A-list stars and huge marketing budgets. Films made for niche audiences can self-promote via social media, blogs, etc. and build up decent streaming and download figures via a dedicated website to position the film for non-exclusive deals with several smaller streaming platforms or an exclusive deal with a major platform. Festivals are important in this strategy because they provide an opportunity for a free theatrical premiere and promotion - a vital tool to kickstart an online release.

6 years, 2 months ago - Marlom Tander

IMO anyone making a microbudget feature would be nuts to put ANYTHING in the revenue columns of the planning budget :-) If you do, you are gearing up to lose more than you can afford.

View it as showing people you are serious. You are aiming for festival prizes and press coverage that you can use to the get the meetings that mean your next one has a proper budget and distribution.

That said, if you can also spin the social media, Patreon is worth a look. Not so much in advance of release, but in the sense that fans might join and help fund the next.

6 years, 2 months ago - Al Carretta

Distribution is 10000x more accessible than it ever was but it's only been in the 2010s that the pathways, in parallel with the technology, have been mapped out for the modern indie distributor, who is a far different beast to the tangible one of years gone by.

All the opportunities are there - if you have content ready to deliver - but it's all strategy from the moment you decide to make your film.

Sadly, and I can tell you this from experience (13 features since 2010), no-budget films and hyphenate talents behind projects gain nominal respect, particularly in the UK, which is a very snobby market and (unlike America) scared of people & teams who punch above their weight.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3428843/

If you've got saleable product (+70m feature) to distribute these are some key channels with similar deals.

Established since 2017:

https://filmhub.com

Up and coming/soon to launch (free):

https://cinistream.com
https://producer.hodtv.net

If you've got money and commercially viable content:

https://www.distribber.com



keep filming!

Al Carretta
www.nightpiecemedia.co.uk
Twitter: @alcarretta

6 years, 2 months ago - Dean Fisher

We are about to launch a new type of distribution platform called Film Ahoy. I am launching it as a filmmaker who has seen the change in the digital market. The platform has been developed for three years, and combines Avod with Tvod. People can watch films for free but there is commercial breaks every 20 minutes. If they don’t want to watch the commercials then they pay £1 to watch the film commercial free. All revenue is split 50/50 and we cover all marketing and transactional costs. Here is a promotion video on the platform, which is now live in the UK https://vimeo.com/331314688 to take a look at the site go to www.filmahoy.com.