Your film CAN succeed or fail based on YOUR HARD WORK, TALENT, THE STORY YOU CHOOSE TO TELL AND THE BUSINESS MODEL YOU BUILD.

Finally, we are in full control of the flow of money back to us... the entrepreneurs and creatives!

It’s never been more exciting to be a film maker.

Distribution and Marketing In 2010: The New Model For Film Making Success

Location: London, Ealing Studios
Date: May 8th and 9th,
Price: £199 + VAT
Want to pay by Cheque? (email us here)

This groundbreaking event is headed up by possibly the most important voice in independent cinema right now, Jon Reiss, and supported by Chris Jones of The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook, and LA based cutting edge film marketer Sheri Candler. Three voices. One powerful message and toolkit.

Also presenting will be service providers in the independent film world whose tools you need to know about and producers who have navigated this world with success. Confirmed guests include representatives from Shooting People, Pixeco, Good Screenings, OpenIndie and OpenCinema. 

During the second day of the event, 2 projects will be chosen as workshop subjects with live consultation done by Jon with participation from the group, ensuring that you leave with the tools to create a clear strategy that you can execute RIGHT NOW.

Saturday kicks off with us showing you how to create a 21st century ‘no-to-low budget’ (but lots of elbow grease from you) marketing strategy that will create deep connections between you, your film and your audience.

Key to the success of your film is this groundwork – in the past, this used to be a screenplay, but now that work is interwoven with a marketing structure conceived at the concept stage. The good news is that this early marketing also acts as a cash attractor, proving to investors or donors that you have a clear vision and goal for the film.

We will take you through the quagmire of the effective use of social networking tools, creating and maintaining blogs, creating publicity opportunities, forging grassroots relationships with organizations, strategizing the festival circuit, managing SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) to get you ranked at the top of Google, using industry sites like IndieGoGo.com, OpenIndie, Shooting People and many more.

Sunday and the focus shifts to the creation of a dynamic distribution strategy that is unique to your film, offering insights into the ‘real’ markets that are available (in which to release your film), how and why to engage your audience as early as possible, and how to think beyond the feature film to create new forms of content.

Key to these strategies is the understanding that you MUST generate multiple revenue streams and adopt a HYBRID distribution model.

Throughout, you will be encouraged to adapt these tools to YOUR project using the strategies you have learned, causing an immediate breakthrough in the way YOU choose to get your film distributed. 

Jon Reiss is truly a visionary who can see not only how distribution ‘is’ but also ‘how it can be…’ We are lucky that he has chosen to stop off in London on his way to Cannes to deliver this career and life changing seminar.

Jon's book, Think Outside The Box Office, has transformed the strategies and careers of thousands of film makers since it was published just a few short months ago. His thinking is radical, but supported by his own real world experience as a multi award winning filmmaker. You can read reviews on Amazon here...

Sheri Candler recently handled the marketing for micro budget Slamdance horror, 'YELLOWBRICKROAD.' Here's what they had to say about her... "Sheri is very knowledgeable about social media and viral campaigns, understands the current state of independent film marketing, and always has the best interests of the film at heart.”-Eric Hungerford, Producer, YELLOWBRICKROAD

Here is some recent footage of Jon and Sheri in action speaking to participants in the National Screen Institute of Canada's FeaturesFirst program about film marketing and distribution.

And yes, that's me (Chris Jones) with Sheri, at the Producers Guild Of America Awards last year where Gone Fishing won BEST FILM.

Additional speakers will include...

Pixeco - Richard Freeman
Digital design firm dedicated to the film and broadcast industries.  They offer graphic design, website development, and online marketing services. http://www.pixeco.com
 
OpenIndie-Kieran Masterton
A website where anyone can discover films they’re interested in, request a screening in their area and put on a screening of any film on the site. Likewise, filmmakers can add their film to OpenIndie and upload and promote their film via social media. Founded by DIY distribution pioneer Arin Crumley of FourEyed Monsters fame. http://www.openindie.com
 
Good Screenings - Sarah Mosses
Film distribution service dedicated to showing award winning social justice films in conjunction with Channel 4 Britdoc Foundation. Anyone in the world can buy a license to screen films found on the platform. Screening hosts can then keep the profits for themselves or for organisations, campaigns or causes. Franny Armstrong's climate change film Age of Stupid was the first to utilize the platform. http://www.goodscreenings.org
 
Open Cinema - Christoph Warrack
Open Cinema is a nationwide network of film clubs programmed by and for homeless and socially excluded people. Each week participants watch the best in classic and contemporary cinema and work with professional filmmakers to create films of their own. If you are an artist who wants to give back to the community, Open Cinema provides a way to do that. http://www.openfilmclub.squarespace.com

Shooting People - James Mullighan
Shooting People is the world's largest network of independent filmmakers. There are over 35,000 members in the UK and US who share tips, recommendations and news, and cast their films using the nine Shooting People daily bulletins. Over 300 films each week are cast and crewed using the service.http://www.shootingpeople.org

We will NOT be running this event again in 2010 so this is your ONLY chance to attend. Good luck with your movies and we hope to see you at the event!

Chris Jones

Film maker and Author

www.chrisjonesblog.com