spoke digital films

The subtitle of this post should be “Suggestions from Indie-Film Distribution Guru, Peter Broderick,” however, that implies that I interviewed Peter Broderick or he contributed to this post. Actually, I’ve never met Peter Broderick, but I hope to. If that happens, I hope he’ll let me buy him dinner, which couldn’t begin to compensate him for the excellent advice he’s been giving filmmakers with respect to successful marketing and distribution for projects of ANY size or budget. I’ll simply provide a brief overview of his philosophy and provide some links for more detailed information.

film consultant Peter Broderick (image property of peterbroderick.com)

If you’ve been doing any research about distributing your independent film, you’ve likely stumbled upon the name Peter Broderick. If you haven’t, then I strongly suggest learning a little more about him or the strategies he advocates before doing any further research. I first learned about Peter after downloading a 2006 podcast from SilverDocs/AFI which documents a two-hour lecture he gave. I have found this information to be invaluable not just from a “business” point of view, but also because the stories and anecdotes Broderick provides offer inspiration to the frustrated or confused filmmaker. His stories illustrate that filmmakers at any experience level can successfully make their films, find an audience, and even generate real revenue in the process. He even includes examples of very small films earning six and seven figures primarily from sales from their own websites. While these are obviously not the norm, they offer wonderful examples of the possibilities of new distribution models. I highly recommend you download the podcast and listen to it at least once:

(click here, go the bottom of the screen and find “The Distribution Revolution with Peter Broderick”, and click the center purple podcast link which will direct you to iTunes - none of the other links seem to be working. Or search “silverdocs” at the iTunes store and look for the 2006 series of podcasts.)

In this podcast Peter discusses creative and inexpensive strategies for finding and reaching a core audience for your film, regardless of subject matter. He goes on to discuss how to distribute your film (once you’ve reached your core audience) in a way where you retain the rights to and control of the film. This is hugely important, as Broderick emphasizes, not just because it allows filmmakers to retain most of the revenue their films generate, but also because it allows filmmakers to aggressively seek out new audiences or venues for their films (something traditional distributors often fail to do), and because it allows filmmakers to create a continuing relationship with their audience.

As you might assume, new technology and the web are the primary engine driving these strategies. Broderick reminds us that filmmakers can now have control over production, post-production, and even distribution at relatively low costs. For the first time in history, filmmakers can own the equipment used to make their films, own the equipment used to edit films, and, thanks to the web, have a venue to market and sell their films at little to no cost. This isn’t to say that one has to exclude theatrical or television distribution, but Broderick advocates a broad strategy where one’s web presence is often the main hub of marketing, outreach, and distribution.

Of course, this podcast speaks primarily in general terms and serves more as a starting point than anything else. It provides a great foundation, however, for further research. You can also visit Broderick’s website for more information. Broderick also provides formal consultation to filmmakers through Paradigm Consulting, also found on his website. As I said, I do not know Peter Broderick and am in no way affiliated with him so I cannot vouch for his services. That said, Broderick has a long history of helping filmmakers and by all accounts is someone who cares deeply about independent film and independent filmmakers.