THE DISTRIBUTION BULLETIN ISSUE #55
By Peter Broderick and Keith Ochwat
Welcome back to Section 3 of our Dynamic Distribution crash course. (Here are links to Section 1 and Section 2). You will get the most out of the course if you read the Sections in order.
This Section presents four Breakthroughs. They are excellent examples of how films are using Dynamic Distribution strategies and tactics to succeed. They show how to:
- make the most of Pre-Distribution
- connect with core audiences
- build partnerships
- design a dynamic distribution strategy
- secure vital financial and in-kind support
Keith Ochwat of Show&Tell and I have created these mini-case studies to help filmmakers escape from the broken Old World of Passive Distribution. Each case study includes: the results achieved, a strategy breakdown, and takeaways. There is much to learn from these Breakthroughs. As you design your distribution strategy, consider new tactics that are working, serious mistakes to avoid, and ways to refine your strategy stage-by-stage.
==============================================================
DYNAMIC DISTRIBUTION #3
BREAKTHROUGHS
Rescued Hearts
Pre-Distribution fundraising supercharges support and awareness and reveals core audiences.
The Film: a feature doc about the unique and powerful bond between humans and horses
The Results: the film team raised over $260,000 before rough cut and that number has grown since finishing their film. How? Donors. Lots of donors. Many donations were just $5. A handful were over $25,000, including one $50,000 donation. Every single donor came from the film’s core audiences, which were identified, tested, and confirmed, starting when production began.
Strategy Breakdown: their success underscores the power of Pre-Distribution – for audience identification, audience building, and targeted fundraising. During production, they hosted a series of virtual sneak preview events showing work-in-progress footage. This helped them confirm their most excited fans, build a large email list, and develop a significant social media following. They prioritized raising donations from fans instead of applying for traditional film grants, which is time consuming and often fruitless. Their fan focus paid off handsomely.
Takeaways from their Success:
- The earlier you start identifying and engaging your core audiences, the better.
- Leverage Pre-Distribution fundraising to gain early financial stability, reducing dependence on grants and uncertain funding sources.
- Targeted fundraising is more effective than traditional fundraising. Rather than competing against other filmmakers for a limited and diminishing number of grants, targeted fundraising focuses on seeking financial support within a film’s core audience that cares deeply about your film’s message.
All the Lonely People
Audience engagement during Pre-Distribution leads to effective targeted fundraising.
The Film: the story of how people can overcome crippling social isolation and loneliness.
The Results: the film team raised about $250,000 in partnerships, speaking events, and community events. They raised much of this during production, when they also secured many of their most productive distribution partnerships.
Strategic Lessons: Midway through production, the nimble film team turned an ordinary invitation into a golden opportunity. When they were invited to show their film at a conference, they explained they were far from finished. Unfazed, the conference organizer asked them to make a presentation with some clips and a Q&A. The presentation was a hit, and the team received a sizable fee. This inspired them to refine the presentation, which included six clips from their work-in-progress film. They booked 14 hour-long virtual events (many for AARP state chapters), averaging fees of $4,500. Not only did this strategy pay off for this film, the networking and awareness building also helped them secure over $1 million for their next project.
Takeaways from their Success:
- Partners are interested in using clips, not just your full film, at conferences, special events and classrooms. Short clips can be used in many situations that can’t accommodate films that are 60 minutes or longer.
- Sharing clips can open doors for your film’s release. Clips can be used to start relationships that will grow as you complete your film. They can also be used to secure funding.
- Conferences are a key way to network with potential partners, funders, and event hosts.
ASD BAND: The Movie
Connect with audiences early and often. Untested assumptions about your audiences can lead you astray.
The Film: The story of a group of talented musicians who are all on the autism spectrum. (ASD is Autism Spectrum Disorder)
The Results: raised nearly $100,000 from one very specific niche within the autism treatment space - ABA therapy. This audience was overlooked for more than a year following the film's festival premiere - a missed opportunity.
Strategic Lessons: After you've tested audiences and determined where you have the most responsive following, identify companies, nonprofits, educators, and conferences that align with these audiences. These organizations can become your partners, your PBS underwriters, your event hosts, and your promotional allies. The film team spent a year screening at over 30 film festivals and launching a large and involved impact campaign targeting untested audiences with disappointing results. Then they finally identified a passionate core audience. Don't assume that just because your film was a success on the festival circuit, you'll have an adoring audience waiting for you after festivals are over.
Takeaways from their Success:
- Clarify your target audiences early. Attend key conferences and engage with organizations aligned with your audience’s interests.
- Test multiple audience hypotheses. Be prepared to pivot based on real responses. The film team assumed autism groups and health organizations would be their best audiences so they made a major effort to reach them. They were sorely disappointed. When they pivoted to therapists and therapy companies, they were able to forge sponsorships and secure event hosts.
- Once you have found an audience, dive deep into the ecosystem of companies, nonprofits, advocacy groups, philanthropies, and others in that space. These are your people!
Skydiving Over Sixty
Clarifying your film’s audiences can attract six figure partners.
The Film: a team of skydivers between the ages of 60 and 92 attempt to break a world record.
The Results: the film team generated about $250,000 from partnerships, PBS sponsorships, virtual events, and in-person events, including a high-profile skydive event with characters from the film. The team was able to identify a handful of partners. The main partner ended up contributing nearly $200,000 in sponsorship for the PBS broadcast plus a live event featuring a skydive with characters from the film.
Strategic Lessons: the film team understood their core audiences were professionals, companies, and organizations focused on the theme of encouraging seniors to stay fit and engaged. The team identified the top senior sporting events in the country and researched their sponsors. They reached out to a hearing aid company that sponsored a series of Pickleball tournaments. A few months later the company became a PBS sponsor, promoted the film to their massive email list, and hired characters from the film to do a skydive at the USA Pickleball Nationals.
Takeaways from their Success:
- Identify specific partners in your core audience such as corporate partners, media outlets, and event organizers, and suggest ways to work together.
- Emphasize how your film's message aligns with the work a potential partner is already doing. Partnerships are born when your film complements priorities they already have in place.
- Grow your partnership. The Skydiving Over 60 team initially brought the hearing aid company onboard to be a PBS sponsor. After learning that the company sponsors Pickleball tournaments, the film team asked if they would like to sponsor a special screening and skydive with characters from the film. The company agreed, which led to additional revenue and a deepening relationship.
==============================================================
Keith and I will follow up soon with four more Breakthroughs in Section 4.
Here are links to Section 1 and Section 2.
© 2025 Peter Broderick
THE DISTRIBUTION BULLETIN ISSUE #55
By Peter Broderick and Keith Ochwat
Welcome back to Section 3 of our Dynamic Distribution crash course. (Here are links to Section 1 and Section 2). You will get the most out of the course if you read the Sections in order.
This Section presents four Breakthroughs. They are excellent examples of how films are using Dynamic Distribution strategies and tactics to succeed. They show how to:
- make the most of Pre-Distribution
- connect with core audiences
- build partnerships
- design a dynamic distribution strategy
- secure vital financial and in-kind support
Keith Ochwat of Show&Tell and I have created these mini-case studies to help filmmakers escape from the broken Old World of Passive Distribution. Each case study includes: the results achieved, a strategy breakdown, and takeaways. There is much to learn from these Breakthroughs. As you design your distribution strategy, consider new tactics that are working, serious mistakes to avoid, and ways to refine your strategy stage-by-stage.
==============================================================
DYNAMIC DISTRIBUTION #3
BREAKTHROUGHS
Rescued Hearts
Pre-Distribution fundraising supercharges support and awareness and reveals core audiences.
The Film: a feature doc about the unique and powerful bond between humans and horses
The Results: the film team raised over $260,000 before rough cut and that number has grown since finishing their film. How? Donors. Lots of donors. Many donations were just $5. A handful were over $25,000, including one $50,000 donation. Every single donor came from the film’s core audiences, which were identified, tested, and confirmed, starting when production began.
Strategy Breakdown: their success underscores the power of Pre-Distribution – for audience identification, audience building, and targeted fundraising. During production, they hosted a series of virtual sneak preview events showing work-in-progress footage. This helped them confirm their most excited fans, build a large email list, and develop a significant social media following. They prioritized raising donations from fans instead of applying for traditional film grants, which is time consuming and often fruitless. Their fan focus paid off handsomely.
Takeaways from their Success:
- The earlier you start identifying and engaging your core audiences, the better.
- Leverage Pre-Distribution fundraising to gain early financial stability, reducing dependence on grants and uncertain funding sources.
- Targeted fundraising is more effective than traditional fundraising. Rather than competing against other filmmakers for a limited and diminishing number of grants, targeted fundraising focuses on seeking financial support within a film’s core audience that cares deeply about your film’s message.
All the Lonely People
Audience engagement during Pre-Distribution leads to effective targeted fundraising.
The Film: the story of how people can overcome crippling social isolation and loneliness.
The Results: the film team raised about $250,000 in partnerships, speaking events, and community events. They raised much of this during production, when they also secured many of their most productive distribution partnerships.
Strategic Lessons: Midway through production, the nimble film team turned an ordinary invitation into a golden opportunity. When they were invited to show their film at a conference, they explained they were far from finished. Unfazed, the conference organizer asked them to make a presentation with some clips and a Q&A. The presentation was a hit, and the team received a sizable fee. This inspired them to refine the presentation, which included six clips from their work-in-progress film. They booked 14 hour-long virtual events (many for AARP state chapters), averaging fees of $4,500. Not only did this strategy pay off for this film, the networking and awareness building also helped them secure over $1 million for their next project.
Takeaways from their Success:
- Partners are interested in using clips, not just your full film, at conferences, special events and classrooms. Short clips can be used in many situations that can’t accommodate films that are 60 minutes or longer.
- Sharing clips can open doors for your film’s release. Clips can be used to start relationships that will grow as you complete your film. They can also be used to secure funding.
- Conferences are a key way to network with potential partners, funders, and event hosts.
ASD BAND: The Movie
Connect with audiences early and often. Untested assumptions about your audiences can lead you astray.
The Film: The story of a group of talented musicians who are all on the autism spectrum. (ASD is Autism Spectrum Disorder)
The Results: raised nearly $100,000 from one very specific niche within the autism treatment space - ABA therapy. This audience was overlooked for more than a year following the film's festival premiere - a missed opportunity.
Strategic Lessons: After you've tested audiences and determined where you have the most responsive following, identify companies, nonprofits, educators, and conferences that align with these audiences. These organizations can become your partners, your PBS underwriters, your event hosts, and your promotional allies. The film team spent a year screening at over 30 film festivals and launching a large and involved impact campaign targeting untested audiences with disappointing results. Then they finally identified a passionate core audience. Don't assume that just because your film was a success on the festival circuit, you'll have an adoring audience waiting for you after festivals are over.
Takeaways from their Success:
- Clarify your target audiences early. Attend key conferences and engage with organizations aligned with your audience’s interests.
- Test multiple audience hypotheses. Be prepared to pivot based on real responses. The film team assumed autism groups and health organizations would be their best audiences so they made a major effort to reach them. They were sorely disappointed. When they pivoted to therapists and therapy companies, they were able to forge sponsorships and secure event hosts.
- Once you have found an audience, dive deep into the ecosystem of companies, nonprofits, advocacy groups, philanthropies, and others in that space. These are your people!
Skydiving Over Sixty
Clarifying your film’s audiences can attract six figure partners.
The Film: a team of skydivers between the ages of 60 and 92 attempt to break a world record.
The Results: the film team generated about $250,000 from partnerships, PBS sponsorships, virtual events, and in-person events, including a high-profile skydive event with characters from the film. The team was able to identify a handful of partners. The main partner ended up contributing nearly $200,000 in sponsorship for the PBS broadcast plus a live event featuring a skydive with characters from the film.
Strategic Lessons: the film team understood their core audiences were professionals, companies, and organizations focused on the theme of encouraging seniors to stay fit and engaged. The team identified the top senior sporting events in the country and researched their sponsors. They reached out to a hearing aid company that sponsored a series of Pickleball tournaments. A few months later the company became a PBS sponsor, promoted the film to their massive email list, and hired characters from the film to do a skydive at the USA Pickleball Nationals.
Takeaways from their Success:
- Identify specific partners in your core audience such as corporate partners, media outlets, and event organizers, and suggest ways to work together.
- Emphasize how your film's message aligns with the work a potential partner is already doing. Partnerships are born when your film complements priorities they already have in place.
- Grow your partnership. The Skydiving Over 60 team initially brought the hearing aid company onboard to be a PBS sponsor. After learning that the company sponsors Pickleball tournaments, the film team asked if they would like to sponsor a special screening and skydive with characters from the film. The company agreed, which led to additional revenue and a deepening relationship.
==============================================================
Keith and I will follow up soon with four more Breakthroughs in Section 4.
Here are links to Section 1 and Section 2.
© 2025 Peter Broderick
THE DISTRIBUTION BULLETIN ISSUE #54
By Peter Broderick
Welcome back to Section 2 of our Dynamic Distribution crash course. In this section we explain Pre-Distribution and discuss tactics. (Here is a link to Section 1), which is where to start if you have not read it yet.)
- Peter Broderick and Keith Ochwat
==============================================================
DYNAMIC DISTRIBUTION #2
THE TACTICS
Pre-Distribution is an essential part of a Dynamic Distribution strategy. Keith Ochwat of Show&Tell and I created the term to highlight the critical first stage of the strategy.
Pre-Distribution should begin before or during Pre-Production. In the Old World of Passive Distribution, Distribution didn’t begin until after Production and Post Production. In the New World of Dynamic Distribution, Pre-Distribution begins before Production and continues through Post Production.
The sooner you start Pre-Distribution, the more time you will have to achieve its major goals. When you dream up your new film in the shower one morning, you should begin thinking of core audiences and potential partners.
Pre-Distribution provides the time you need to achieve these important goals. You should have at least a year or more for Pre-Distribution, which continues through Pre-Production, Production, and Post. This will provide the luxury of time to explore core audiences, reach out to potential partners, pursue funding, and design and refine your distribution strategy. Without Pre-Distribution, you won’t have enough time to fully accomplish these goals and won’t be able to maximize your distribution.
Here are the 8 essential Pre-Distribution steps:
DESIGN A DYNAMIC STRATEGY - During Pre-Distribution, it's essential to design a strategy to maximize your film’s distribution. Your strategy must be customized to your goals, your content, and your audiences.
It needs to be flexible so it can be refined as you move through Pre-Distribution and Distribution. When you are creating it, focus on the latest opportunities in the New World of Distribution rather than looking backwards at broken Old World models.
A state-of-the-art strategy will empower you to retain overall control of your distribution.
TARGET KEY AUDIENCES - Determine which audiences will be most interested in the content of your film. Create an audience hit list so you can prioritize and test audiences. Seemingly obvious audiences may not be interested but others unexpectedly may be. Begin your distribution by focusing on core audiences rather than the general public. If you succeed with these audiences, they may create a base to build on to reach a wider public.
SECURE PARTNERS - Create a hit list of potential partners. Many organizations interested in partnering may only be able to provide in-kind support. By letting their members or network know about your film, they can create significant awareness, which turns into great word-of-mouth within the organization and the core audience. Other partners may be able to provide both financial and in-kind support.
The key to finding great partners is to give them a sense that being involved with your film will benefit their organization by helping them:
- educate or inspire their members
- attract new members or supporters
- make money by screening your film as a fundraiser
- build public support for an urgent goal
CREATE VITAL TOOLS - When you begin Pre-Distribution, you must create a website and a pitch deck. The initial website can be simple and the pitch deck should be no longer than 2 pages. You need both when you start approaching potential partners and exploring core audiences. The third vital tool is a teaser or trailer. This will take longer to create and will be invaluable.
SMILE AND DIAL - Use a "smiler and dialer" to fast forward your efforts to connect with potential partners and core audiences. Your "smiler and dialer" will research possible partners, create a hit list, and do the initial outreach to organizations. She will facilitate your key partnerships. Her conversations with potential partners will also help you explore and target core audiences.
ORGANIZE TEST SCREENINGS - Once production is underway you will be able to do test screenings. You can arrange work-in-progress screenings of scenes before you have a rough cut. The Forks Over Knives team did more than 20 test screenings of cuts as they were editing the film. They showed it to groups of 20 or more, discussed it with them afterwards, made changes, and then showed it to another group. Their test screenings were essential to refining their cut. The result was a film that was irresistible to its core audience for many years to come.
TARGET FUNDRAISING - Pre-Distribution will enable filmmakers to target their fundraising for production and distribution more precisely and effectively. The more they learn from engaging with their core audiences, the easier it will be to find potential partners. These partners can help filmmakers identify potential funders. The connections filmmakers have made with core audiences will help persuade funders that their films will have real impact.
BUILD A DEDICATED DISTRIBUTION TEAM with the mix of talents and experience needed to execute your strategy. Some roles may be part time or short term. A one-man band or one-woman band won’t work.
Here are the 8 Stages of Dynamic Distribution:
Next we will focus on Dynamic Distribution success stories.
==============================================================
Keith and I will follow up shortly with Sections 3 and 4 of our Dynamic Distribution crash course. They will provide concise case studies of 8 films that have broken through using Dynamic Distribution. Understanding their different strategies and reviewing the takeaways from their successes will be invaluable as you design your own Dynamic Distribution strategy.
Here is a link to Section 1.
© 2025 Peter Broderick