We were thrilled to have so many of you join us for our webinar last Thursday, where we had a case study on the breakout success of the independent film, Hundreds of Beavers. The replay is above. Below you will find:
My Takeaways
Kurt’s responses to my long case study rubric - you will find lots of detailed information - some of it in the webinar - some not - in a systematic presentation.
Kurt’s 10 Things the HOB Team Did Well.
The 5 Things that HOB would do differently.
NOTE: This post is VERY LONG. The questionnaire itself is 22 pages. You will only get a portion of it in this now. But you can click to see it on the web and it will all be there.
We would also like to extend a special thank you to Hundreds of Beavers Producer Kurt Ravenwood and Filmmaker Magazine’s Scott Macaulay for being so generous with their time and information.
Our next webinar case study is scheduled for November 15th at 1pm ET - stay tuned for more information. Also below - I am doing a free workshop for IDA members tonight at 5pm PT on strategizing distribution. You can sign up here if you are an IDA member.
My Takeaways:
1. People Want to See Films in Theaters/Films Can Make Money
The film world has been struggling. New indie releases can have a tough time at the box office, motivating people to go to the theaters. TVOD revenue can be elusive.
HOB earned $650K gross in global box office (which means approximately $260K net after theaters take their split) and $150K+ in TVOD sales to date. They did this in part by:
2. Know Your Goal
If you read this Substack, you will know that having a goal is essential to a strategy. Kurt and his team were clear from the beginning - make money to pay back the investors.
3. Use your Festivals to Adjust and Hone Your Strategy
“Every film has obstacles and strengths. You need to find out where your strengths and obstacles lie - and market the film towards THAT.” Kurt Ravenwood and the HOB team used festivals to test audiences and what was resonating with them which informed their strategy. Filmmakers should be creating a strategy before festivals - but festivals are a great way to test that strategy.
