distribution Completed 15 min short film... now what?
- Thread starter nmilla
- Start date
All of those things.
Do you buy short films? How many have you purchased?
The t-shirt, mug... idea is interesting. Do you have any t-shirts or mugs from short films?
Have you ever paid to watch a short film? Where do you go to watch them?
Do you buy short films? How many have you purchased?
The t-shirt, mug... idea is interesting. Do you have any t-shirts or mugs from short films?
Have you ever paid to watch a short film? Where do you go to watch them?
5. Start to brainstorm your next movie
Absolutely!
First off, congrats on completing your short film! That’s the major hurdle, and you’ve cleared it.
Rik raises many good questions. Give those some serious thought.
Personally, if you’re just getting yourself established in filmmaking, I’d keep the film off the Internet for now and start pushing it to local and regional film festivals. The reason not to post it is that some festivals have strict submission guidelines that the film must not have been published prior to the festival. Post it on Vimeo, YouTube, or wherever else, and you’ve knocked yourself out of those festivals.
Festivals can be be a great way to get diverse feedback from audiences, should your film be accepted. And if none of the festivals accept it, then you can look at publishing online. Either way, this will give you lots of good information to help you with your next project. And if you end up with a couple of film fest laurels (even “official selection”), more power to you! While those events aren’t career-building/defining by any stretch, they are helpful. You’ll get feedback, you’ll network and meet other folks in the production community, and you’ll get a little experience in self-marketing your films.
Last edited:
Depends on if this is your first film, why you made it, and how good it is.
Usually all of what you said is planned before the film goes into production, but here's an idea:
Upload to VIMEO and password protect it. (This is how you can submit festival screenings too).
I would forward the film privately to others for feedback. You can even send my way for some if you like.
Based on audience feedback, decide if you have something marketable or not. If not, decide if you want to fix those issues and try again or... Work toward the next project with higher release goals already in mind.
------------------------------------------------------------
The point of a short film is to either convey a distinct message to an audience quickly and effectively, or practice for bigger works. Almost no-one works on short films for money/profit. Unless they already have an audience that demands the film (i.e. Star Wars fan films)
They are concepts for bigger ideas, messages catering to a tight nit crowd, or a showcase of talent. Not financially sustainable in really any way.
The only way you would be able to sustain profit from shorts is based on views and subscribers. It takes usually more time than it would to make a feature film for a channel build that large of an audience on Youtube or the like.
Usually all of what you said is planned before the film goes into production, but here's an idea:
Upload to VIMEO and password protect it. (This is how you can submit festival screenings too).
I would forward the film privately to others for feedback. You can even send my way for some if you like.
Based on audience feedback, decide if you have something marketable or not. If not, decide if you want to fix those issues and try again or... Work toward the next project with higher release goals already in mind.
------------------------------------------------------------
The point of a short film is to either convey a distinct message to an audience quickly and effectively, or practice for bigger works. Almost no-one works on short films for money/profit. Unless they already have an audience that demands the film (i.e. Star Wars fan films)
They are concepts for bigger ideas, messages catering to a tight nit crowd, or a showcase of talent. Not financially sustainable in really any way.
The only way you would be able to sustain profit from shorts is based on views and subscribers. It takes usually more time than it would to make a feature film for a channel build that large of an audience on Youtube or the like.
If you think that it's good enough get it out to festivals.
Start preproduction on your next project.
Network, network, network, network, network.
Start preproduction on your next project.
Network, network, network, network, network.
If you are going for it with a serious film you can consider:
- Festival submission in your area/genre
- Select international festivals
- Slick poster
- Teaser video (Why for a short? Because it is not online and you need to blast social media with actual content not just words.)
- Behind-the-scenes video, production stills, funny stories can add bulk to your sm campaign
- Press kit
- Business cards
- A well put together outfit for festival networking (doesn't matter if you wear a suit or dress rock n roll you need to look like you care and not like you are shopping at Walmart)
- Set up meetings using FB events/LinkedIn to meet and greet (Ex: If your film plays at 5, announce an afterparty and welcome industry pros to network. Set up special pricing with the venue or do it during happy hour. Create an invitation and bring them to your screening to hand out but don't make it spammy, talk to people first, invite them.)
- Etc.
Thanks for all the responses! -will follow many, if not all of the suggestions...
1. Make DVD copies and give to everyone, not sell.. (make a t-shirt and mug for myself)
2. Submit to festivals and see how that goes..
3. In the future, upload to Vimeo and password protect
4. Always writing and re-writing the next project, that never stops.
thanks again everyone, most helpful!
nm
1. Make DVD copies and give to everyone, not sell.. (make a t-shirt and mug for myself)
2. Submit to festivals and see how that goes..
3. In the future, upload to Vimeo and password protect
4. Always writing and re-writing the next project, that never stops.
thanks again everyone, most helpful!
nm
Of course, it depends on what your specific goals are: make money, get a career going, make another film, get famous, etc...
+1 for Film Festivals, generally speaking. It's a fantastic way to meet all sorts of people (I met a guy on a bus, who got my number, he then literally won an Academy Award, and moved in down the street from me. No idea.). BUT the absolute best part of a festival is that you get to meet, listen, and interact with a REAL AUDIENCE. None of this YouTube garbage. Real humans. And, maybe it's the romantic in me, it saved my career at one point - just reconnecting with the audience again.
Suggestions, if you're going to do the film festivals racket, it takes at least 6 months of planning. Once there, you will go to lots of parties and meet a bunch of people, so use those 6 months to start working on your next project so you can talk about it at said parties. Make some cool little handouts for the festival and a couple posters.
+1 for Film Festivals, generally speaking. It's a fantastic way to meet all sorts of people (I met a guy on a bus, who got my number, he then literally won an Academy Award, and moved in down the street from me. No idea.). BUT the absolute best part of a festival is that you get to meet, listen, and interact with a REAL AUDIENCE. None of this YouTube garbage. Real humans. And, maybe it's the romantic in me, it saved my career at one point - just reconnecting with the audience again.
Suggestions, if you're going to do the film festivals racket, it takes at least 6 months of planning. Once there, you will go to lots of parties and meet a bunch of people, so use those 6 months to start working on your next project so you can talk about it at said parties. Make some cool little handouts for the festival and a couple posters.
1) Nobody buys DVD's. Nobody will ever find your website. Nobody will buy mugs or T-shirts either.
2) Just put it on Amazon Prime. Put it on YouTube after Amazon purges your title. All of the other sites are ghost towns.
3) Festivals are great..... for the people who collect entrance fee money.
2) Just put it on Amazon Prime. Put it on YouTube after Amazon purges your title. All of the other sites are ghost towns.
3) Festivals are great..... for the people who collect entrance fee money.
I like it when an old post is resurrected - give us a chance for a followup.
nmilla hasn't been seen in 10 months. Do you have email notices on for
this thread?
We'd love to know: did you upload your short anywhere we can see it?
Did you submit to any festivals?
nmilla hasn't been seen in 10 months. Do you have email notices on for
this thread?
We'd love to know: did you upload your short anywhere we can see it?
Did you submit to any festivals?
I mean, you are half joking, half telling your experience. Haha.
Seems like the artists who are doing well mix personal projects, websites, VOD, ad revenue, patron, and crowd funding to meet their needs.
Look at filmmakers like Noam Kroll or the Youtube channel Corridor. One gives job aids, templates, lessons... The other gives merchandise and profits on ads.
My friend who's been a filmmaker for two decades is doing this with his franchise Film Crux... And seems to be getting pretty great results. Its just the way things have been going for a while.
The big boys don't want your material, they make their own now.
Last edited:
Corridor has 8.25 million subscribers. Telling people that they can achieve that kind of success on YouTube is like telling someone that they can become the next YouTube star. Good luck!
I know someone who works on lots of indie films. The people who regularly make indie films and are making money, ALREADY have deals (with TV Networks, etc).
I know someone who works on lots of indie films. The people who regularly make indie films and are making money, ALREADY have deals (with TV Networks, etc).
I'm not telling anyone they can achieve it, just pointing out its possible. They started somewhere, and are experiencing success just like your Indie friends... Maybe even more so because they don't have to sacrifice so much for the next project. (cheaper for them to create content).
Point is, you can say one way works, one way doesn't, but it has more to do with skill and timing than any surefire method.
YouTube has also recently tweeked their algorithms to favor big corporate content providers. It was much easier 10 - 20 years ago for a small guy to gain a subscriber base or to have a video go viral.
That's true across the board. Question is, what do the small timers do about all of this? That's what I want to know. Complaining is easy, but finding solutions is cooler.
Complain to congress? Unfortunately YouTube is not obligated to be fair to small content providers. They can do what they want unless some lawyers can find some sort of angle in the law. Maybe argue that YouTube has become a monopoly? I don't know.
Hopefully BitChute catches on, although they have a long way to go and at the moment they do not pay out royalties.
Hopefully BitChute catches on, although they have a long way to go and at the moment they do not pay out royalties.