Overview

1) First project: King Corn in 2007. Film is about two friends who plant and grow a crop of corn on one acre of Iowa soil. When they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm.

2) Had great success on festival circuit and a scheduled theatrical release.
Was receiving requests from those who wanted to bring the film to their communities.

3) Why not harness interest/impact, monetize opportunities, expand reach? Had idea to create a more collaborative, grassroots, audience-driven model as a more direct way to get content to audiences instead of the prevailing top-down model.

Explanation of conventional (not traditional) model.

1) On a ferris wheel hub/spoke/cars, the distributor is in the middle and the audience is in the seats.
The distributor has all the power.

2) When and where the film is accessed by audiences is all on the distributor’s terms. The audience is just along for the ride.

1) Unlike hub/spoke model, grassroots distribution is more like a farmer’s market. Audiences are buying the product directly from the person who grew it (filmmaker) or their proxies (such as Film Sprout).

2) When/where the product is made available is dictated by the location/host who creates the experience. Every screening is unique and localized.

3) It’s a more empowering system that allows for two-way conversations between the film team and community members. It is more collaborative and more equalized, everyone has some power.

4) Note that grassroots distribution has not emerged based on any technological advancements; in many ways it’s a return to time-honored ways of sharing information and creating community.
EXAMPLE: Netflix era vs bringing people together.
Netflix is catching on (Audrie and Daisy and 13TH)

1)We shouldn’t think of audiences as amorphous and “general”. We all do! EXAMPLE: Prescreening work

2) Think about/envision/observe who is/ would be in the room at your screenings. There is a narrow slice of the supposed “general audience” that is going to be most interested in your film.
3) Be specific and you will be more successful at communicating with them in order to share your passion for the film in a way that empowers them to share your story in their community.
EXAMPLE: Before taking a film on, we like to know about the organic interest. Attend film festival screenings. Who are they but more importantly, what is their feedback and what questions do they ask?

1) The center of the bullseye is your audience, that’s who you must reach. Keep them in mind from the very beginning and allow them to guide your decisions. This should be a very narrow “slice” of your audience: the people for whom your film is likely to be most resonant.

2) You can expand this to include the green section once the bullseye is covered. The green might be the next tier: the audiences who may not organically draw themselves to your topic, but could be convinced. We all want to reach beyond the choir, but first saturate the choir, then look beyond.

3) Don’t heavily focus on the yellow & black areas. You’ll get there if you first impact the center portions powerfully. Those who are the “true believers".
EXAMPLE: Containment. Began with Academics, anti nuclear spread to Sierra Clubs. Hunting Ground. Booked in 500 colleges mainly through word-of-mouth in 6 weeks.

1) Conventional system is studio > theater > staff (B2B) and audiences were not involved except in an end-user of the experience. Because of this, there is a steep learning curve for screening hosts. They are learning parts of the distribution chain that were previously hidden from view.

2) Farmer’s market example: See a vegetable you’ve never seen before, the maker/grower explains it and tries to educate you.

3) Part of our value is that we shepherd screening hosts through the process to ensure that they have all of the information and tools they need to be successful. This extra bit of attention is valuable and required.

EXAMPLE: Most common questions are about screening license fees/terms (seeing hosting a screening as an opportunity for the filmmaker) and format.

1) You may think you know who your audience is through demographic stats, and you need that information, but psycho-graphics are as, if not more, important.

2) Includes personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles: how audiences see the world and see their place in it.
Should consider this from development stage onward.

EXAMPLE: Election.
EXAMPLE: We are making assumptions that the people we reach out to, at a base level, believe in media, believe in community organizing and the power of shared experiences. These ideologies aren’t reflected in demographics!

1) You need to create a sense of urgency. A film with a calls to action is more likely to galvanize hosts/audiences.

2) Think about hooks like national or international events ex Earth Day, especially if the call to action is not urgent.
EXAMPLE: FTDF Transgender Awareness Month DBD Petition to Apple/Samsung/Foxconn to demand safer more sustainable electronics.

1) It can be a lengthy process but this goes for all forms of distribution.
EXAMPLE: Vessel launched at SXSW in Mar 2014 & their campaign happened in March 2015 to take advantage of International Women’s Day.

2) You need to think way ahead and plan in advance. Envision the timeline for the life of your film and plot it out the way you plan a shooting schedule or grant applications.

3) Ideally, a campaign happens after a festival/theatrical run and before a streaming/vod release/educational. Broadcast and festivals can be ongoing.

1) Many screening hosts take this on in addition to their other roles.

2) Avg 10% of outreach converts to a confirmed screening. There are variations but this is the average experience and we are working from best practices.

3) Variables include theatrical (WTIN) partnerships (TRAPPED).

1) Make sure you are clear on what makes your film different through the eyes of an audience member and what you want to accomplish.

2) Might sound overwhelming to be the sales agent, marketer, & distributor, so break it down to your goals for example audience vs $? You will need to prioritize.
"If nothing else…"

EXAMPLE: CARE

Go back to why you are making/made this film in the first place.
The most successful and impactful films happen when the filmmaker is deeply in touch with the content.
Example: CARE