Filmmarketing For The Web From BelieveLTD PDF

FTW (Filmmarketing on The Web)
The digital landscape, &

5 steps you should take
to sell your indie film online
a digital white paper by
www.BelieveLTD.com
Producers of
The Graduates, Drinking Games & Turtle Hill, Brooklyn
FTW: Filmmarketing on The Web Ryan Gielen
Ryan Gielen
FTW
Filmmarketing on The Web
© BelieveLTD & Ryan Gielen
Copyright holder is licensing this under Creative Commons License, Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/
Special Thanks to our producers and collaborators,

Matt Gielen, Josh Davis, Holly Lynn Ellis, Brian Seibert, Ricardo Valdez,
Katy Wright-Mead, Blake Merriman and Rob Bradford.
Special thanks to our distribution partners @ IndieFlix

www.indieflix.com
Special thanks to the entire indie film community,

For your generosity, commitment, and talent.
Please share this eBook with anyone you feel may benefit
from reading the anecdotes and ideas within.
Ryan Gielen
FTW
Filmmarketing on The Web
What Are You Reading?

Page 1 - Who Are We?
Page 2 - The Graduates, in Bullet Points
Page 3 - The Problem, Simply
Page 4 - The Problem, Expanded
Page 5 - Mission Statement
Page 6 - The Small Business of Indie Film
Page 9 - New Math
Page 11 - The Top 5 Things You Should Do
Page 17 - Recap of The Top 5 Things You Should Do
Page 18 - Appendix A - A Big Idea, Free
Page 19 - Appendix B - Links & Resources
Page 20 - Our Friends and Inspirations
Who am I?
We are filmmakers by birth, film marketers by necessity. We have three
features to date, but this eBook focuses exclusively on our experience
self-distirbuting our first feature film, The Graduates.
Vital Stats: The Graduates
Synopsis:
Four friends journey to “Senior Week” in Ocean City, Maryland the day after
graduating high school for one last hurrah before leaving for college.*
Production Budget:
$150,000
Marketing Budget:
$0
Festival Accolades:
Winner, Best Comedy, Seattle True Indie Film Fest
Winner, Director Discovery Award, Rhode Island International Film Festival
Release date:
May 1, 2009
Standard synopsis, standard indie budget, a few festival wins...

B.F.D., right? This eBook isn’t about the film, it’s about how we marketed
the hell out of the film, made some money, and got to make the next film.
*The synopsis is written to reflect a generic “genre film” pitch, but that is purposeful. We’ll deconstruct
it in later chapters, and show how to break down even the most genre-ific films for in-depth marketing.
What we acheived with a $0 marketing budget:

Our only resources were people and effort, and of course
the collected and shared wisdom of our peers.
- Sold out screenings in New York City, Los Angeles and Maryland
- Arthouse release in 7 cities
- Articles or blog postings on over 70 sites
- Print newspaper articles and radio coverage in each major city with a screening
- Debuted at #1 on Hulu; remains in top 15 comedies all-time.
- Debuted at #4 on AmazonVOD, remained in top 10 for first month of release
- Successful CableVOD release in USA & Canada
- Email list grown to ~20,000
- Twitter Followers @GraduatesFilm
~ grown to ~8,000
- Facebook Fans @ /graduatesmovie ~15,000
- YouTube Subscribers @ /RyanGielenDir ~ 3,000
*
- Case study in one of world’s top marketing books “The New Rules of P.R. and Marketing”
- Op-ed in Filmmaker Magazine on strategies for independent film marketing
To date, over 1,000,000 people have interacted with our movie.

Across all media- theatrical viewing, downloads, soundtrack downloads
and online streaming- we’ve developed a massive audience.
*by David M. Scott, available on Amazon.com

Problems:
Truly independent films have an
extraordinarily difficult path to
profit, and rarely succeed;
Filmmakers rarely get to make a
second feature, or a third, because
their first just doens’t get seen.
Solutions:
Keep reading.
The Root of The Problem:

The totally understandable, totally reasonable,
deeply problematic filmmaker mindset.
The Indie Filmmaker Mindset:
“I’m an artist, not a marketer. I want to express myself through my film, then hand it off to a team
of dedicated salespeople who are as brilliant at their job as I am at mine. My film is going to a
major festival. I’ll just sell it there, bring home a huge check, and move on to my next work of art.”
Sound familiar?
If so, there’s good news and bad news.
Bad news first:

This mindset will most likely mean the quick, sad death of your film. Why? Because
there are exponentially more indie films being made and released annually now
than fifteen years ago, and 99% are not bought or distributed.
The good news:

You’re in the same boat as 99% of indie filmmakers! No distributor, no plan, just a
film and a bunch of evermore irritated investors, or blood-sucking credit card com-
panies... But, there’s hope. There are ways to get your film seen, and resources that
describe how.
Resources:
Websites, seminars, workshops, panels, case studies, consultants, books, and of
course, eBooks... There is a wealth of reporting available to you about distribution
and marketing strategies in the digital era, much of it first-hand from the filmmak-
ers themselves, and much of it free online.
In short, your film does not have to disappear.

You have the ability to learn from the experience of
independent filmmakers who have self-released a film(s)
in this new digital environment, and succeeded... starting here.
The Big Goal of This eBook:

Help shift the outdated “indie filmmaker” mindset to the
proactive, positive “filmmaker-marketer” hybrid mindset
required for independent success in the digital era.
What this eBook will do: What this eBook will not do:
Provide a clear, concise look at low-budget, Instantly supplant the distributor you
independent DIY distribution options. (and the rest of us) don’t have.
Illustrate a clear, easy-to-implement Bring indie fame and studio fortune in the
approach to independent film marketing. 30 minutes it takes to download and read.
} The Short Version:
If you are willing to invest time and energy, this
eBook will be a good resource for you as you take on
the monumental task of self-distribution.
It won’t solve everything, or answer every question,
but it will help you understand and prepare
for the task at hand.
No Distribution Deal... Now What?

You’ve committed to self-distribution. Whether it’s
by choice or by necessity, YOU are now officially
responsible for bringing your baby into the world.
Here is a glimpse into the mind the Indie Filmmaker at this exact moment:
- Conventional wisdom says I need an Opening Weekend! And it has to be BIG!
- That means I need theaters! How much does it cost to rent (”four-wall”) a theater?
- Holy s**t that’s a lot! Nobody goes to movies anymore, how do they get away with that?!
- I can afford only one theater! Maybe two. But if I have theaters, I need press!
- PR costs money, but how much? How much do we have?
- Ads cost HOW MUCH?! Nobody reads newspapers anymore, how do they get away with that?!
- I can’t compete with the local dinner theater at that rate, let alone the other movies!
- I’ll put it on a credit card! Put it ALL on a credit card! 28% interest be damned!
- I went to college. I could’ve gotten a real job. One with health insurance and vacation days.
- What happens if we don’t have a huge opening weekend? Our money is gone and our film is dead!
}
- Then what?!
This is old-school thinking.

It’s outdated, short-sighted, and expensive.
A Completely New Approach:

Instead of following the outdated old-school release
model, why not adapt to the new indie release model?
You must begin to see your film as a small business,
and not a movie.
Small Businesses (and successful Indie Films!)
Movies
- Live or die on opening weekend sales across country
- Launch local, expand, grow over years
- Produced, released by huge, highly specialized divisions - Launched by small team of jacks-of-all-trades
- Audience driven by star power and mass media - Customer driven by content, price & personality
- Two launches (Theater/DVD) with quick, wide rollouts - Several rollouts across many platforms, over time
- Filmmaker never interacts with audience
}
- Proprietor often interacts with and sells to customer
Old
Distant
Ineffective
} New
Hands-On
Awesome
Let’s Look a Little Closer:

The Small Business Model is a brand new concept for
indie filmmakers, but a handful of young indies have
demonstrated its effectiveness already.
Launch local, expand, grow over years
Make the audience an advocate! The Graduates launched in New York City then Maryland, with concentrated efforts to
pack screenings. Then we hit the beach, and sold DVD’s to MD, PA and NJ teens for two months. They took the DVD’s home
and spread the word. Then we launched digitally, recruiting the teens to help us promote the film during its expansion.
Launched by small team of jacks-of-all-trades

Ari Gold’s funny and heartfelt comedy Adventures of Power had a solid reception at Sundance and pieced together
a distribution team from other indie productions* Ari and his team created an entire 70-video YouTube promotional
campaign while touring the country promoting the film and organizing a massive charity tie-in with VH1’s
Save The Music Foundation. Everybody did a little of everything, every day.
Customer is driven by content & interaction with company

Let the audience get to know YOU. Four-Eyed Monsters was written, directed, and produced by Arin Crumley and Susan
Buice. They also starred in it. They also released the film on YouTube, in installments, and interacted with tons and tons
of fans and commenters. The audience bought into the filmmakers as much as the film. Look up their story, very cool.
Several rollouts across many platforms, over time

Create a snowball effect! Months after The Graduates hit a handful of arthouse theaters, it launched digitally on Hulu,
iTunes, and AmazonVOD. A full year later it launched on CableVOD. Instead of waning over time, strong word of mouth
has led to consistent growth across all platforms, including our social media following.
Proprietor often interacts with and sells to customer

Hit the road (with your film)! Festival programmers, theater managers, and venue owners attest that a screening is more
successful when the filmmaker attends, and holds a Q&A. John Reiss’ huge success with direct interaction while releasing
his doc, Bomb It is documented on his blog, and in his excellent book on self-distribution, “Think Outside The Box Office”.
What makes this approach successful?

Keep Reading.
*Including me and my brother (and co-producer) Matt Gielen.
Why is the new Small Business Model successful?

The new structure of film distribution (ie: how, where and when
revenue is earned, and the margins on that revenue) dictates
a new, lighter, more dynamic sales model.
Take a look at this (incomplete, but useful) chart:
Old Structure New Structure

Movie tickets “Screening” tickets
Large DVD/VHS sales Dwindling DVD/BluRay sales
DVD/VHS rentals Netflix, Hulu+ subscriptions
Soundtrack CD’s iTunes downloads
Fewer movies VS Exponentially more movies
Large, vague demographic targets Fractured, small, clear demographics
Opening Weekend + DVD Release Rolling releases across multiple platforms
Advertisements in old media Social media shares, Facebook ads, AdWords
Multiplex screenings “Alternate” screening venues, Festivals
Merchandise sold in stores Merchandise sold online
Fight for distribution in theaters Self-distribution on all platforms
What’s the difference?

The new structure divides the audience into fractured demos,
and drives them online, and charges them less for your movie,
soundtrack and merchandise.
Believe it or not, this is GOOD NEWS for your film.

Why is a fractured audience, watching online and

paying less for my movie “good news”?
Because you’re an independent filmmaker in 2013. What
would be a crisis ten years ago is an opportunity today...
Let’s take a look at a few of the more frightening
items here, and flip them on their heads:
Scary Concept, ie: The Crises The Flipside, ie: The Opportunities
Making less $ per purchase You are making less per web view or purchase because information can be
transmitted to an almost-infinite audience, instantly, cheaply.
Flipside: the web is so efficient & broad your film can reach literally
anyone. You can make up in volume what you lose in margin.
Increasingly fractured audience The audience is fractured by competing demands and interests, all of
which can be explored on the web instantly and cheaply.
Flipside: the web does the work of identifying and even creating
niche markets for you, all you have to do is market to them.
Primarily online audience Audiences consume so much video online that watching a film in theaters is
growing less and less appealing. Plus, so much web content is free, it’s hard
to get someone to pay for my film.
Flipside: the web allows you to use free content that relates or links
to your film to drive people to purchase the film. And the purchasing
mechanism online is so personal and efficient, people will consume
more quickly and more voraciously.
}
In the simplest terms possible...
The good news is:

Specialized, niche films can find their audience
efficiently and provide options for instant consumption.
Let’s break that into pieces:
1. Specialized, niche films... (and all indie films are specialized, niche films)
2. Can find their audience... (online at all hours of the day and night)
3. Efficiently... (read: free, or damn close)
4. And provide options... (how many digital outlets are there??)
5. For instant consumption... (a few clicks of the mouse and the download begins)
Here’s the case study:

The Graduates 2009-2013 release.
1: Define Your Niche

All indie films are specialized, niche films, they just don’t
know it yet. Define your niche(s) to target your marketing.
First, we asked “How is The Graduates a specialized, niche film?”
Fair question. On the surface: a genre film, a coming-of-age comedy aimed at 18-35 year-old
}
dudes. But, there are two very distinct “niches” or audiences that immedaitely stand out:
1. Ultra low budget independent film fans
2. “Senior Week” fans, participants, former participants
Next, we pulled out the defining traits of each niche:

ie: what do fans of each niche look for?
Q: Now what?
I understand my audience, but
1. Ultra Low Budget Indie Film Fans look for: what do I do with that knowledge?
- Personal stories
- Quality of writing A: Plan!
- Poor to mediocre production value (ie: “charming”) The identifying traits of each niche are
- Intimacy with creators, actors going to become the foundation for
- Unique content, setting or approach different elements of your marketing.
- Unique promos
- Thrill of discovering new talent For instance, when advertising to the
- Challening, stimulating material “illegal experiences” crowd, your
language or pitch will be vastly differ-
ent than your pitch to the “nostalgaia-
2. Senior Week Fans look for: seeking” crowd.
- Spring Break vibe , w/ added poignancy of “life transition”
- Specific ticking clock: college looming Create separate pitches for each
- Relationships end (and sometimes begin) for characters element, or audience.
- Beach/sex-infused setting
For The Graduates this meant advertis-
- Illegal experiences, drugs, alcohol, fighting ing the illegal experiences to current
- Flawed, clashing characters Senior Weekers with the slogan,
- Celebration of gross negligence “Banned On The Boardwalk,” while
- The boardwalk advertising to former Senior Weekers-
- Nostalgaia-inducing jokes, moments the nostalgaia crowd- with the slogan,
“Remember the Daze?”
2: Find Your Audience

Online at all hours of the day and night...
And believe it or not, through old media, too.
I have my various and targeted pitches! Where do I go??
Social Media’s popularity and effectiveness will only grow (Are your parents on Facebook yet? They will be...).
But you’re not a social media snob, right? You want- no, you need- all the press and support you can get:
Facebook Highly specific Fan Pages deliver information to opt-in audience. Friends and Fans will spread top
quality content (video is king). Facebook ads allow for incredibly specific or “rich” targeting.
Twitter Spammy environment, but solid for posting and spreading links; Highly-followed opinion leaders
can deliver updates to hungry opt-in audience. Tweets have short lifespan, however.
YouTube Young audience, highly-negative commenters; Appreciative of low production value, music videos,
animation, low brow comedy, cat videos and boobs. Create channel, post new content religiously.
AdWords Like Facebook Ads, a mechanism for low cost-per-click outreach to very specific, “richly” targeted
potential audience members.
Websites/Web Mags Highly targeted, with highly targeted subsections, columns, features. Large subscriber lists reached
by newsletters. Increase chances with giveaways, special download codes for movie or soundtrack.
Expert/Chat Forums Excellent way to spread your name and product simply by interacting with others who fall into a
niche relating to your film. Do not sell your product here, sell yourself.
Direct Email Extremely effective and personal, well-received if sent to opt-ins. Common mistake: over-emailing
your audience. Keep updates menaingful and rare, and include links to entertaining, exclusive vids.
Blogs Highly specialized, with very focused, niche audiences. Excellent local resource for promoting
screenings, excellent universal resource for targetting a larger, online niche audience.
Newspapers Mostly local media outlet, with the exception of the New York Times, or LA Times. Excellent
resource for promoting local screenings, or getting coverage while in-production.
Local Radio/TV Exclusively local. Excellent resource for promoting local screenings. Local stations often cover
films in-production or films opening at local theater, especially if director/actors attending.
} With each new release of The Graduates we used the web to track down highly-
targeted media outlets, then used (free) GoogleDocs to teamsource over 30 Media
Outreach spreadsheets that the producers and our distributing partners contributed
to, and continually updated to ensure fluidity and communication.
3: Outreach Efficiently
It costs almost nothing to pursue and earn coverage in these online
and real-world media outlets, and they’ve already done the heavy
lifting of finding and coralling your niche audience.
Facebook Sign up: free. Fan Page: free. Posting: free. Low cost-per-click ads available.
Twitter Sign up: free. Linking and sharing video and photo content: free.
YouTube Sign up: free
AdWords Low cost-per-click ads available.
Websites/Web Mags Subscribe: free. Outreach: free, contact info readily available.
Expert/Chat Forums Sign up: free. Outreach: free. Usually space for your photo (branding) and links to work.
Direct Email Gmail: free. Limits on # of identical emails. Marketing email service: pennies per email
Blogs Subscription/RSS feed: free. Outreach: free, contact info readily available.
Newspapers Sign up: free (except WSJ!). Outreach: free, contact info readily available.
}
Local Radio/TV Outreach: free.
}
Caveat time! Think
...about the content you share on Facebook.
No matter how much or how many people like you they If you’re anything like my Facebook friends,
will tune out boring “look-at-me” self-promotion. who span the globe, span ages from
mid-20’s to mid-70’s, span careers from
The best promotion is great content. blue collar, to pink collar, to white collar, to
no collar... You share three things: cool
So much content is thrown at the average person daily videos, pictures, and articles.
that entertainment (not information) has become expected.
Sure, you can plead with people to “click this link” or Why?
“’like’ this”, and maybe a handful will participate, but you ...because we want to entertain and be
want to build active, vocal advocates for your film! entertained. We don’t want to be marketed
to with boring information. Empower media
and friends to become advocates by giving
You create advocates by giving people them Sharebait*, ie: entertaining content
content they can be excited to share. to share.**
*I just coined that! Please credit me, I’m proud of that one.
**See Appendix A for examples and ideas ;)
4: Provide Options
In the digital era audiences consume video content- including movies-
when they want, where they want, how they want. Be available!
Release Schedule: The Graduates
Here is a glimpse into our release schedule. Notice the long rollout (8 months!) across the most popular digital platforms...
and then a break (9 months)... and then the CableVOD release... and then, TWO YEARS LATER, gaming consoles.
Partial List of outlets: Launched? Date Notes

“Alternate Screening Venues” Yes 4/1/09 - 5/1/09 College Tour, 16 schools
Rooftops Yes 4/16/09 1 Private Screening
Theaters Yes 5/1/09 - 11/7/09 7 theaters, 32 screenings
DVD Yes 5/20/09 Stores, Events, Website
Blu-Ray No N/A N/A
AmazonVOD (or DVD) Yes 7/2/09 Launched @ #4
iTunes (Buy/Rent/App) Yes 7/6/09 Buy/Rent
Netflix (DVD/Streaming) Yes 7/14/09 Free w/ membership
Hulu Yes 8/18/09 Launched @ #1
YouTube Yes 12/1/09 Posted in 10-min segments
Blip Yes 12/1/09 Posted in 10-min segments
CableVOD Yes 9/1/10 - 12/31/10 USA/Canada
PlayStation Yes 9/1/12 N/A
}
}
XBOX360 Yes 9/1/12 N/A
Every audience member For two years we have been releasing and marketing
has their preferred outlet(s). The Graduates across all the top platforms. Our audi-
Launch your film across all ence continues to grow as the film is continually
services, over time, to ensure discovered by new fans. To our pleasant surprise,
anyone can see your film on this snowball effect has turned The Graduates into
their preferred outlet... a sort of cult hit.
...Or they may decide not to
see it at all!
}
5: Create Instant Consumption

People are conditioned to consume information and
entertainment instantly... Adapt your marketing accordingly.
The Web is a system of links. Early in The Graduates experience
we were not converting traffic on the
They enable your audience to bounce around infinite virtual space the instant website into DVD sales at good rates.
they decide Something Else could be more interesting than your marketing.
We discovered through an informal
Note: there is always Something Else. survey and site analytics, the top three
So, when you’re lucky enough to get audience members to look at your reasons people visited were, in this order:
marketing- a trailer, a giveaway, your website’s homepage- their eyes must
be directed, immediately, to a purchasing mechanism: a “Buy on iTunes” 1. Watch Trailer
button, a DVD image, a Download Now link... 2. Download Free Soundtrack
3. Buy DVD
Attention spans are rapidly moving toward ZERO. We immediately made those elements the
Use this to your advantage. Place as few steps as possible between the
focus of the homepage, and increased the
audience and the sale. Why? button-size for the Free Soundtrack
button and the Buy DVD button.
Short Attention Spans + Ease of Purchase = Sales.
}
Need proof? Just visit Amazon.com or iTunes. DVD sales picked up, as did the amount of
time people spent on the site watching the
now-prominent trailer, as did downloads
of our free soundtrack.*
Give Your Site An iExam:*
Is there garbage between the audience and the purchase? Why? People were being given immediate,
Many films’ websites force you to sit through a flash intro with clear access to what they wanted, as soon
swirling computer graphics, and music that makes you rush to as they arrived.
turn down your speakers.
If all they wanted was a quick purchase of
What is your ratio of “buy now” buttons to garbage? the DVD, clicking on that button immedi-
iTunes never puts garbage between you and the ability to buy a ately took them to a shopping cart, with
lot of music, instantly. That little grey “BUY” button is every- DVD already placed inside.
where, the minute you arrive. Strive for more little grey “BUY”
buttons, and less garbage. Each subsequent promotion focused on
“Don’t bore us, get to the chorus” one specific outlet, with an embedded link
Give the people what they want: immediate access to your that took audience members directly,
trailer, and large, clear buttons and links that lead to purchas- instantly to a sales page on iTunes or
ing mechnisms! Throw in a couple prominently-placed quotes Amazon, and eventually to Hulu and
from glowing reviews and a few festival wreaths and your Netflix.
homepage is suddenly designed to sell.
*Check out Appendix A for the full scoop on
*I just coined that. Please credit me. I’m proud of that one. our groundbreaking Free Soundtrack
Recap...
Here’s where we started:
Specialized, niche films can find their audience efficiently
and provide options for instant consumption.
Here’s what it means for you:

1: Define Your Niche
All indie films are specialized, niche films, they just don’t know it yet.
Define your niche(s) to target your marketing.
2: Find Your Audience

Online at all hours of the day and night...
And believe it or not, through old media, too.
3: Outreach Efficiently
It costs nothing to pursue and earn coverage in online and real-world media, and
they’ve already done the heavy lifting of finding and coralling your niche audience.
4: Provide Options
In the digital era audiences consume video content- including movies- when
they want, where they want, how they want. Be available.
5: Create Instant Consumption

Audiences are conditioned to consume information and entertainment
instantly. Adapt your marketing accordingly.
Appendix A
The A stands for Awesome... ideas.
The Big Idea
}
Two columns referenced Appendix A. One was about creating Q: How did this Big Idea 1) create
entertainment-based promos, and not information-based promos. entertainment-based promotion, and
The second was about decreasing the distance (or, frankly, garbage) 2) reduce the distance between the
between your audience and the BUY button. audience and the “BUY” button?
These two concepts intersect perfectly at our most successful
promo over the last two years of promoting The Graduates:
A: 1) 24 great indie songs, available for
free, is certainly an entertaining
The Free Soundtrack proposition and the perfect Sharebait,
We were the first film in history to give away the entire soundtrack wouldn’t you say?
for free (and we still do).
2) When the audience member arrives
It contains 24 songs from indie bands from around the country, plus at our site, they can click on a promi-
one from Australia, and it rocks. In the six months leading up to the
film’s theatrical release we gave away just under 20,000 copies via
nent “Free Soundtrack” button, and
digital download. be taken directly to their shopping
cart. No gimmicks, no “watch this ad
Total cost to the film: $0 first”, nothing between the audience
and soundtrack.
Total fans gained: 20,000
}
~ to each fan: 1 email address
Total cost
What about the bands? It took a little convincing, but our bands
got behind the idea when we explained exactly why we wanted Create something cool.
to give away out entire soundtrack for free, forever:
Massive, free exposure Make it fun to share.

The free soundtrack introduced the film- and our bands- to 20,000
people who would have never heard of any of us. It was covered on
Make it easy to buy or download.
blogs, in webzines, customized by campus organizations, distributed
by groups ranging from the U.S.O. to private travel companies...
It cost us nothing.
Appendix B
The B stands for Bonus Track...
Think Outside The Box Office (by Jon Reiss)
http://bit.ly/JonReiss
Truly Free Film (Ted Hope)

So...
http://bit.ly/TedHope
What you read in FTW is the collected wisdom gleaned IndieWire

from DIY industry leaders over the few years that http://bit.ly/IndieWire
web-based self-distribution has been a viable option, and
lessons learned in our experience releasing Four Eyed Monsters (Arin Crumly, Susan Buice)
and marketing The Graduates. http://bit.ly/FourEyed
Power to the Pixel (Videos page)

It’s all in here. http://bit.ly/PowerToPixel
But, if you still have questions- and I hope you do- Filmmaking, The Hard Way (Josh Folan)
a bunch of the writing we studied is linked to over there --> http://bit.ly/JoshFolan
Web Ink Now (David M. Scott)

Check them out. Visit their sites.
http://bit.ly/WebInkNow
Buy their books. Learn from them.
Marketing Apple (Steve Chazin)
They rock. http://bit.ly/AppleEBook
Free: The Future of a Radical Price (Chris Anderson)

http://bit.ly/FreeRadical
IndieFlix (Scilla Andreen)

http://bit.ly/IndieFlixBlog
Blog Maverick (Marc Cuban)

http://bit.ly/MarkCubanBlog
Questions? Feedback? Funny cat videos from YouTube?
ryan@believelimited.com
Check out my movies, and those of other independent artists who are changing the game.
Every DVD and every digital download you buy helps keep independent film alive.
The Graduates Bomb It

http://bit.ly/GradsHulu http://bit.ly/BombIt
Turtle Hill, Brooklyn Gasland

http://bit.ly/THBiTunes http://bit.ly/GaslandDVD
Drinking Games All God’s Creatures

http://bit.ly/drinkinggamesmovie http://bit.ly/AGCdvd
Paririe Love Four Eyed Monsters

http://bit.ly/PLoveDVD http://bit.ly/FourEyedDVD
Adventures of Power Head Trauma

http://bit.ly/AoPdvd http://bit.ly/HeadTraumaDVD
Find these films everywhere films are sold (or streamed):
THANK YOU :)
FTW (Filmmarketing on The Web)
The digital landscape, &

5 steps you should take
to sell your indie film online
a digital white paper by
www.BelieveLTD.com
Producers of
The Graduates, Drinking Games & Turtle Hill, Brooklyn

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© BelieveLTD & Ryan Gielen

Special Thanks to our producers and collaborators,

Special thanks to our distribution partners @ IndieFlix

Special thanks to the entire indie film community,

What Are You Reading?

Standard synopsis, standard indie budget, a few festival wins...

What we acheived with a $0 marketing budget:

To date, over 1,000,000 people have interacted with our movie.

*by David M. Scott, available on Amazon.com

The Root of The Problem:

Bad news first:

The good news:

In short, your film does not have to disappear.

The Big Goal of This eBook:

No Distribution Deal... Now What?

This is old-school thinking.

A Completely New Approach:

Let’s Look a Little Closer:

Launched by small team of jacks-of-all-trades

Customer is driven by content & interaction with company

Several rollouts across many platforms, over time

Proprietor often interacts with and sells to customer

What makes this approach successful?

Why is the new Small Business Model successful?

Old Structure New Structure

What’s the difference?

Believe it or not, this is GOOD NEWS for your film.

Why is a fractured audience, watching online and

The good news is:

3. Efficiently... (read: free, or damn close)

4. And provide options... (how many digital outlets are there??)

Here’s the case study:

1: Define Your Niche

Next, we pulled out the defining traits of each niche:

2: Find Your Audience

Partial List of outlets: Launched? Date Notes

5: Create Instant Consumption

Here’s what it means for you:

2: Find Your Audience

5: Create Instant Consumption

Massive, free exposure Make it fun to share.

Truly Free Film (Ted Hope)

What you read in FTW is the collected wisdom gleaned IndieWire

Power to the Pixel (Videos page)

Web Ink Now (David M. Scott)

Free: The Future of a Radical Price (Chris Anderson)

IndieFlix (Scilla Andreen)

Blog Maverick (Marc Cuban)

Questions? Feedback? Funny cat videos from YouTube?

The Graduates Bomb It

Turtle Hill, Brooklyn Gasland

Drinking Games All God’s Creatures

Paririe Love Four Eyed Monsters

Adventures of Power Head Trauma

Find these films everywhere films are sold (or streamed):

FTW (Filmmarketing on The Web)

The digital landscape, &

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