Implementing the Plan

At the 2008 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, TN, I recently met with a successful producer of documentaries and broadcast music specials. He confirmed that we should concentrate our efforts toward self-distribution through our own movie website.

This producer has a library of films available from his company website, generating enough income that their production output in 2007 (six films) doubled that of 2006. “You are likely to get your money back about 4 to 5 times faster through your own online sales efforts than through normal retail or other online outlets,” he explained.

It’s simple math: high sales volume – significantly lower cost of sales = maximum sales revenue.

Again, to repeat an earlier blog entry, self-distribution works best for micro-budget features. The larger your budget, the wider your distribution channels must be. That means you can’t rely on self-distribution alone. You will need to secure third-party distributors. At AFG, we made sure our budgets could have a return-on-investment primarily through self-distribtuion methods. We are actively in negotiations with other online, retail, theatrical, and broadcast distributors, but the revenues earned from those sources will be “gravy” on top of our main distribution channel.

For AFG, the main channel will be the movie website. In this case: the upcoming COME WHAT MAY (CWM) website. Feeding into this main channel are various online tributaries, as follows:

1. 1.The AFG company website.
   

2. 2.Homeschool organizations; aiming for every homeschool conference website in the country
   

3. 3.Speech and Debate clubs
   

4. 4.Pro-life/Pro-family websites and partners
   

5. 5.Student bloggers
   

6. 6.Social Networking sites
   

7. 7.Cultural and Social bloggers
   

8. 8.Online articles and searches about AFG and CWM
   

9. 9.Sponsors and partners
   

10. 10.Ad banners
    

11. 11.Film production and film community sites
    

12. 12.Church groups
    

13. 13.Political sites
    

14. 14.Subscribers to email newsletters and free offers
    

So how can a filmmaker attract so many distribution channels toward the main channel?

Remember the REQUIRED four major factors that YOU must identify and obtain BEFORE raising funds and beginning film production? I will repeat them here.

1. 1.One or more large organizations with whom you can have a mutually beneficial relationship.
   

2. 2.Pre-existing sales and/or communications channels within your target market. 
   

3. 3.An audience hungry for your kind of storytelling, who appreciate the value of your message, and have a desire to support the mission of your company.
   

4. 4.Your product naturally facilitates multiple or repeat sales.
   

If you follow this RULE OF FOUR, then your main online channel will prove to be attractive to all the other online tributaries. 

Next up, in Distribution Part 6, the importance of “Packaging” your movie for online sales.