8 Essential Elements To Create Your Distribution Strategy

Every film and filmmaking team is different and hence every film needs its unique distribution and marketing strategy.

It is crucial for filmmakers to have a roadmap/strategy for how they will release their films without being dependent on a streamer or distributor. Filmmakers must create this strategy no later than post production - before film festivals. This is not news. In this second Distribution 101 post I am going to outline the system I use when working with filmmakers to help them create their distribution strategies.  This is also the same rubric that I will use when examining case studies in this Substack.  

But first, here are the 8 essential elements of creating your distribution strategy: 

1. Your Goal - which I wrote about extensively here: 

   • What is a win for you and your team?

2. Your Film 

   • What unique attributes distinguishes your film from anything else in the marketplace?  Best to think about this in the conception stage.  

   • What is the “brand” of your film and how does that relate to your brand as filmmakers?  As a former neo-Marxist economics student and punk - I understand the objections with using this term. I still remember a near riot that occurred in the IFP Filmmaker Lab when I was introducing this concept. Use this concept as a tool. 

3. Stage: Where are you at in the process? 

   • Where are you at in the process of distribution (e.g. have you had a premiere festival yet, if it is a festival film)?

   • Are there existing distribution deals in place that will affect your release? 

4. Your Audiences

   • What niche audiences make sense for your film?

   • What are the core(s) audiences within those niches? 

   • Note core and niche are different - do not use them interchangeably. 

5. How to Reach Those Audiences

   • What is your overall marketing strategy? How does this accomplish your goal?  Create your marketing strategy by breaking it down into:  

   1. Shared Media Strategy:

      1. Partnerships - What organizations and/or businesses might you engage for the release? Why would they? 

      2. What is your organic social strategy? 

      3. Influencer strategy?

   2. Owned Media Strategy:

      1. Short form content strategy including trailer. 

      2. Key art/graphic strategy. 

      3. Email/newsletter/Substack strategy.

      4. Website strategy.

   3. Earned Media Strategy

      1. Film publicity - national and regional.

      2. Niche/interest group publicity. 

      3. Review marketing

   4. Paid Media Strategy

      1. Social ads 

      2. Programatic ads

      3. Radio/Podcast