Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era

The independent film community is a buzz with the collapse of the traditional independent film distribution model. No longer can filmmakers expect their films to be acquired and released nationally. But just as the digital revolution created a democratization of the means of production, a new hybrid model of distribution has created a way for independent filmmakers to take control of the means of distribution. This hybrid approach is not just DIY or Web based it combines the best techniques from each distribution arena, old and new. Jon Reiss spoke with countless filmmakers, distributors, publicists, web programmers, festival programmers and marketing experts to create this ultimate guide to film distribution and marketing for the digital era. Unlike any other book on the subject, Think Outside the Box Office is the first to address the new distribution and marketing landscape facing filmmakers today. Throughout the book, Reiss redefines the process from a filmmaker s point of view empowering the reader to create unique strategies for their individual films. Filmmakers are hungry for information on how to distribute and market their films. No single resource exists that combines all of the knowledge and tools now available to them. Think Outside the Box Office fills that void. The book is a break through step-by-step nuts and bolts guide to distributing and marketing a film. Each chapter addresses an essential aspect of a film s release and offers specific techniques so filmmakers can take control of their distribution and marketing destiny. Instead of buying multiple out of date books and searching the web for hints and tips now all of this information is available in one place for the first time. Topics include: o Audience identification and targeting o Negotiating split rights agreements for your film. o A reclassification of film rights from a filmmaker s perspective. o Your distribution and marketing team. o Integrating marketing into your production and post o Social networking crowdsourcing and crowdfunding. o Budgeting for distribution and marketing. o Redefining the theatrical release. o Booking a conventional and unconventional theatrical release. o The new role of film festivals. o Conventional and web marketing. o How to sell DVDs with a distributor and on your own. o How to negotiate with digital distributors and aggregators. o How to DIY your digital rights. o Using transmedia for marketing and expanded creativity.