Distribution is seemingly the newest, but still vaguest DIY-spirit-conquered quest that's often haunted independent filmmakers through the years, but now, no more! There are many websites available for everything from simply making films available for online viewing or download (like YouTube, OurStage, etc.) to the whole deal, including packaging, duplication, and shipping. There are also many different methods of going about self-distribution, including doing everything alone, all the way to letting a company make everything, sell everything, and just take a cut of the profits. Now, since I'm a very no-budget filmmaker, with typically no money to spend on the film, much less the post-production or promotional aspects of it's journey, I like the latter option. Before we go to that option, let’s start with an option that gives you more control, but has a startup cost and requires you to keep more “product” on hand. Examples of this would be sites like DiscMakers, which will make copies of cover art, discs and any other materials, and then send them back to the filmmakers at a cost. You can order package sets of different amounts, with different deals and prices, depending on what matches your needs the best.
Now to go back to the option I mentioned before, which has no startup cost, doesn’t require you to keep “product” on hand (although you can get discounted copies for selling yourself), and gives you a cut of the profits painlessly. Formerly known as CustomFlix, CreateSpace is an Amazon.com-owned company, which essentially behaves like the Withoutabox.com of the distribution challenge. It asks for information about your film, everything from descriptions to cover art to your own user-defined price. Then you send in (or upload, if you have a fast enough connection) your materials—your original disc (but not the master copy, never that one) along with a case and art—for them to duplicate and send you a proof copy. This copy looks exactly as it will when they send it out to anyone who orders your film, so you give them your feedback on how it looks. They make any needed adjustments to the package and send another proof copy for review. When you're satisfied, it'll be integrated into their system, available for purchase from your e-store on their website, as well as at Amazon.com. This is great because Amazon, as you probably know, is a huge place to be able to sell from, and they only take a cut from the profits. CreateSpace get a larger percentage when you sell off your Amazon site, but a smaller one when you sell off your CreateSpace e-store. Fortunately, they're very up front about what percentage of each they take, right on the front page of their website. As I mentioned before, this method in particular is a very cost-effective method of self-distributing a film, because you don't have to pay anything extra, and are freer to do more promoting of the project, getting it out there, and linking people up to your CreateSpace and Amazon.com stores to take a peek at the final results of your film, as well as maybe purchasing a copy of your film for themselves. With the advent of this technology, more opportunities are opening up for no-budget filmmakers, making it easier and more of an optimistic experience to make a film, going through promoting and distributing it to the masses around the world. Friendships and connections often are formed in this process that you can keep for life, getting ideas and jobs from each other, creating a whole other half to this wonderful community aspect of the no-budget filmmaker we all love so much once we get involved in the field.
Self-promoting and distributing your film is as much a mental exercise as it as an effort in social and professional networking and relationship-building. It takes a lot of guts and mental strength to get through the entire process of making a film and then not give up on it after that part’s over. My greatest temptation is to finish a film, show it to some friends and family, and have that be the end of it. I could give copies to family and whatnot, but, without this hard work, it won’t get much attention. However, when you pursue the project beyond that type of promotion, when you seek a global audience for you film, you’ve got a whole other half of the journey ahead of you. And it can often the be the hardest part, the most discouraging part of the process of getting your film finished, and I mean really finished, so at least someone you’ve never met has heard about it.
