"Slow Distro" requires three campaigns, each with distinct strategies.
The HopeForFilm INVISIBLE NATION Distribution / NonDē Exploration CaseStudy continues with Part 4
We knew our release of Invisible Nation would be long and slow, with extremely busy periods and then some moments of slack. And frankly, we could have used even more of those moments of slack…. to contemplate, to await opportunity, to recognize that the plan is to change to the plan.
Now, I assume you read the prior post, but just in case you didn’t…
There’s a lot more on that where that came from, but let’s keep moving along now, okay kids? You can go back and read what you missed later.
When we say we didn’t really have a distributor on the film, people assume that must mean we did it ourselves. You can’t call the type of release we did “Self Distribution” because it wasn’t even close to that. We had so many partners. So many collaborators. So many vendors.
But it still falls onto the filmmakers to do so much heavy lifting. And to be clear, that is not just publicity and outreach that the filmmaker needs to do. It is full on strategy. The SC-experts are stuck in antiquated ways that benefit them more than they benefit you, your film, art, artists or audience. It is up to you to source collaborators. The decision-making is up to you. You must handle thefund raising. You are front and center. You will always be. And it never lets up.
So that’s why you need to be reading all that follows now. And why you need to be sharing this series of posts and recommending it to all your cinema-making siblings. It falls on us to do the work. THEY are not going to help. THEY don’t want it to work. If THEY did, they would be changing their ways. But THEY are not. THEY are burning Rome down, taking the spoils while they still can. But. we will save that for another post, yeah? Let me try to be of some help to you now so you are not quite so all alone.
The work itself is always specific, but it will help to take a long view of the vessel it all fits in. Today’s vessel is the distribution strategy itself. Look out now from the plateau you are standing on. See the distance as far as you mind’s eye can see. That is the journey before us with our film. Long, far, and slow. And always in flux. Flexyflexy. You are going to seize opportunity whenever it raises its ugly little head. Pack for the unknown. Pack for long haul.
It is going to help to take that mighty massive and break it down it more manageable chunks. You have to be able to wrap your arms around each step of the journey.
I said earlier that it never lets up. And it never lets up. So when I say we had three phases, please also recognize that level of intensity carries through each and every one of them. That’s the glue. The binding agent. Sure, you can squeeze a breather in between one and two. We did. I went and made a movie but that was a worse hell than any distribution could be, so returning to Phase Two was like a vacation. But that’s a story for another time.
It is not everything all at once. It is one phase then the other. Sort of. New people can come in. Old people can go out. But yes, it is three distinct phases. It helps to hold them in your head. But also recognize that it is also all dynamic. Each of the vessels within the larger vessel will bleed. You will still be holding some of P1 when you are deep into P2. And the same for P3.
So that’s the mindset. It is long. It is slow. It is intense and never lets up. It is dynamic. It is a team. It is all flexible, but there are distinct phases. These phases though need to be custom built for each film and each team. The boundaries get squishy when you adapt the process to get your own bespoke fit.
Anyways, let me break down the phases as they were for us and as they are still becoming. I hope it will be helpful for you.
