DIY Distribution Becomes "the System"

Great piece here by the Multi-hyphenate blog about how indie filmmakers have created the model that they have always sought to be apart of. Here is another exciting article on the subject and the latest news coming out of Sundance that confirms the new model of distribution for indies has become commonplace.

Yet as a fellow producer recently noted, the jury is still out on exact success stories (besides a few like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Monster) of the service deal and smaller films. Are we facing yet another case of "cinematic blue-balls?" Are we all getting excited by the possibilities only to realize that this model, like the others, only lends itself to one or two breakout success stories per year? Is it similar to the passionate calls-to-action for DIY filmmakers to use social media, viral marketing and crowd sourcing for their no budget feature films to find their audience - only to realize that one of the few actual success stories for no budgets is Four Eyed Monsters and that their campaign has generated one of the few, true runaway internet hits (one that lacked true studio support unlike Paranormal Activity)? Or is this just the beginning of a beautiful new love affair? Decide for yourself after the jump:

Traditionally, the studio system has, amongst other things, institutionalized collaboration. And most indie film makers, no matter how indie they are, crave access to a studio’s resources: countless screenwriters, directors, actors, cinematographers, composers, etc, all available and willing to work on projects that are organized and funded by Papa Studio. Now, however, the Old Model is floundering, the gold-plated door knocker is out of reach. Indie filmmakers have been left out in the cold to figure out what the New Model is.

So just what do you do when the mythical support systems you’ve been dreaming about are taken off the table? What do you do when you lose all hope of being swept off your feet by a handsome, charming studio offering guidance, connections, and money? You become what it is that you seek.

Need money for your new project? Utilize a crowd-funding site like IndieGoGo or Kickstarter. Need a website to promote your new project? Set up a free one through Blogger or WordPress. Not sure how to distribute your own movie? Read Jon Reiss’ new book, Think Outside the Box Office, and take notes. Want to build an audience? Find friends and fans through Twitter and Facebook.

Red the rest of this piece HERE.