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DISTRIBUTION U. New York: A One-Day Crash Course on the New Rules of Crowdfunding, Audience-Building & DistributionCinemaTechSaturday, November 13, 2010 from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM (EST)New York, NY |
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Event Details
[ Info on our November 20th event in LA is here. ]
Distribution U. is back by popular demand. The inaugural event in late 2009 was sold out, generating useful strategies and valuable new connections for the filmmakers and producers who participated. (Here’s coverage from the 2009 event in the New York Times, Documentary Magazine, and CinemaTech.)
This year, we’re doing an entirely new edition of Distribution U. in both New York (Nov. 13th @ NYU) and Los Angeles (Nov. 20th @UCLA). We're calling it Distribution U. Version 2.0.
Designed and presented by leading distribution strategist
Peter Broderick and cutting-edge author and tech analyst Scott Kirsner, this is
a unique event that informs and engages its participants in new ways. The
Distribution U. audience is active — film industry professionals and emerging
filmmakers absorbing new ideas and sharing their experiences. Distribution U.
focuses on the newest strategies and the latest tactics that actually work,
avoiding theoretical predictions about the future. There’s interactive
brainstorming — an opportunity for
you to get ideas for your current project. You’ll sit down for in-depth lunch
discussion groups with industry experts. You’ll hear how successful filmmakers
built an audience and made the distribution decisions for their latest
projects. And you’ll engage in resource-sharing and networking with the other
participants.
Last time around, here’s what participants said about
Distribution U.: - “The room
felt like the future to me…” - “…Extremely valuable information, as well as inspiring and
greatly challenging.” - “…Truly rich in content…I learned so much, met some great
folks, and enjoyed the lunch session.” - “I was inspired by the sheer awesomeness of the creativity
filmmakers are mustering to release their films. So many opportunities for all
of us.” - “Learned so much.” - “It was an excellent, thought-provoking, and practical
program.” “Casual, participatory, and supportive, Distribution U. was
chock-full of useful information with which anyone embarking on a filmmaking
adventure should be familiar,” wrote Tamara Krinsky of Documentary Magazine. “The 200 filmmakers inside the conference room laughed,
soaking up Mr. Broderick’s pitch as if their careers depended on it, which
perhaps they do,” wrote Manohla Dargis of the New York Times. “Independent
filmmaking has never been for the faint of heart.” Distribution U. Version 2.0 will use the same format that worked so
well last year. The content will be new — fresh case studies and
up-to-the-minute information — reflecting all the changes and developments in
the past year. We’ll talk about
the realities of crowdfunding, an area of rapidly growing importance to
filmmakers. There will be outstanding new speakers, resource people, and
participants, all of whom will differ between New York and L.A. We
hope you’ll be part of this in-depth, interactive, and practical event on
Saturday, November 13th in the comfortable, intimate upstairs cinema at the Cantor Film Center.
Distribution U. is an event unlike any other. It is
panel-free and hype-free. Information is candid and real, coming from
filmmakers and key members of their distribution teams. (At left is Adrian Belic, producer of "Beyond the Call" and "Genghis Blues," leading a lunch discussion.) We tap the experience of our
participants, along with the knowledge of speakers and resource people. There
is a collective sense of mutual support and collaboration. It’s designed to
produce constructive ideas you can actually act upon — not confusion or
anxiety!
Our plan for the day:
Arrive
early to get your name tag and materials, sign up for a lunch discussion group,
and meet your fellow participants. 9:00 –
9:45 AM – Ignition We’ll
get off to a fast start by discussing the objectives of the day… hearing from
you about what you’re working on, and what your goals are…and inviting you to
describe resources and expertise that you can offer others in the group. 9:45 –
10:30 AM – Fans, Friends & Followers: The Secrets of Successful
Audience-Builders Scott
will explain the latest counter-intuitive approaches to using the Web in a way
that won't be a distraction to your real work — in fact, it'll help you move
your projects forward. He’ll focus on social media tools that will help you
build a fan base interested in your current (and future) releases and willing
to support you. Case studies include documentary and narrative filmmakers, as
well as musicians and artists. 10:30 –
10:45 AM – Networking Break 10:45 – 11:45 AM – Navigating the New World of Distribution, Part 1 Peter
will give an overview of the latest distribution strategies and explain the
principles of hybrid distribution. He will reveal the techniques that made a
number of independent films so successful this past year, and offer examples of
filmmakers who have used crowdfunding techniques to help raise money for their
projects. 11:45 -
12:00 PM – Announce lunch groups Join a
lunch group that interests you, or create one you’d like to lead. See topics below. 12:00 – 2:00 PM – “Off-the-Record”: Small Group Lunchtime Conversations, Led by Experts
We'll
adjourn to NYU's nearby private club, The Torch Club, for lunch discussion groups. (Lunch, beverages, and dessert will be provided.) We'll have many
pre-arranged, led by industry players, and also allow to to create your own if
you wish. You'll have a chance to join one group for lunch... and switch groups for dessert. Discussion leaders will include: - Scott Macaulay, producer and editor of Filmmaker Magazine: How to Develop Relationships with Media, Bloggers, and Critics - Noah Harlan, producer and transmedia expert: Creating Digital Content That Pulls Viewers into the World of Your Film - Caitlin Boyle, founder of Film Sprout: Grassroots, Campus, and Community Distribution for Social-Action Films - Ira Deutchman, CEO, Emerging Pictures; head of Columbia University's creative producing program: Understanding the New Economics of Theatrical Release, DVD, and VOD - Slava Rubin, Co-Founder, IndieGoGo: Developing a Crowdfunding Strategy That Will Work for Your Film - Daria Sommers and Meg McLagan, co-directors, "Lioness": A New Approach to Licensing: Creating Multiple Versions of Your Film for Different Constituencies & Partners - Eric Kohn, lead film critic, IndieWire: Who Are the New Film Critics and How Do They Work? - Jennifer Owensby, director/producer, Waking Heart Films: Getting Your Film Shown on PBS Stations - Curt Ellis, producer, "King Corn": Creating a Brand — And Cultivating An Audience — Around Multiple Film Projects - Aina Abiodun, consultant, "Film Futurist": How Do You Build Productive Relationships With Bloggers, Tweeters, and Online Communities? - Brian Chirls, crowd-funding, social media, and Web outreach consultant: YouTube Channels, Fan Pages, Webcasts, iPhone Apps — What Should You Be Doing Online, and How Should You Do It? - Robert Bahar, documentary producer, "Made in L.A.": Making Impact & Making Money: The Double Bottom Line for Social Issue Docs. Effective distribution/outreach partnerships, taking your film on the road and building an overall "double bottom line" distribution strategy for your social issue doc. - Amy Dotson, producer, "Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo" and deputy director, IFP: Inside Intelligence on Navigating Film Markets and Festivals - Vlad Nikolic, director, "ZENITH" and associate professor, The New School: Marketing & Distribution Strategy for Fiction Filmmakers - Director and producer Sandi DuBowski: Forging New Frontiers of Creative Film Financing - Jim Browne, theatrical booker and founder, Argot Pictures: Customizing the Release Strategy and Timing for Your Film - Fernanda Rossi, story consultant and author of "Trailer Mechanics": How to Make Trailers for Crowd-Funding Platforms and Social Media
- Jim Tusty, director, "The Singing Revolution": Designing a Winning Theatrical Release - Jeff Rosen, president, Breakthrough Distribution: The Mechanics of Outreach: Selling DVDs, Downloads, and Merchandise Directly to Viewers, Educational Institutions, and Groups - Ben Niles, director/producer, "Note by Note": Creating a Semi-Theatrical Special Event - Marc Schiller, CEO, Electric Artists: Thinking Through Your Online Strategy - Richard Abramowitz, President, Abramorama: Designing a Killer Theatrical Release 2:00 – 3:00 PM – Navigating the New World of Distribution, Part 2 Peter
continues his exploration of new distribution strategies and takes questions. 3:00 - 4:00 PM –Case Studies Case studies will highlight recent projects that are successfully implementing
innovative buzz-building and distribution strategies (including theatrical, television,
non-theatrical, home video, educational distribution, and web sales). Featuring "Exit Through the Gift Shop," with Richard Abramowitz of Abramorama and Marc Schiller of Electric Artists...and "Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037", with director Ben Niles. 4:00 –
4:15 PM – Networking Break 4:15 -
5:45 PM – Strategic Brainstorming: Marketing & Distribution Improv We'll
brainstorm crowdfunding, marketing and distribution strategies for filmmakers
in the audience. Come prepared to pitch your project, describe your core
audiences, and leave conventional wisdom at the door. 5:45 –
6:00 PM – The Final Analysis An
opportunity to ask questions that haven't been answered...and to discuss where
we go from here. 6:00 PM
– Onwards – Join fellow participants for drinks and schmoozing at Apple Restaurant & Bar nearby (we'll buy hot appetizers and the first drink).
At the event, you’ll receive a free paperback copy of Fans, Friends and Followers (a $16 value) and a packet of resource materials from Peter. We recommend early registration to hold your spot, since space is limited. To register,
select a quantity of tickets above, and click the "Check Out With
PayPal" button. You'll be able to use a major credit card, or a PayPal
account, for the purchase. (Please note: Cancellations made before
midnight on November 5th will receive a 50 percent refund of the ticket
price; thereafter, we are unable to refund the ticket purchase, but you
are welcome to transfer your pass to another participant.)
8:15 –
9:00 AM – Registration, Lunch Sign-Up & Networking
Extras:
We’ll send you a list of participants and their projects before the
course, so you can decide who you’d like to connect with. (Please do not
e-mail everyone on this list about your project/service/financing
opportunity.)
About
Peter Broderick:
A leading distribution strategist, Peter consults with filmmakers and media
companies to develop strategies to maximize distribution, audiences, and
revenues. He was previously President of Next Wave Films, which helped launch
the careers of Christopher Nolan and other exceptionally talented filmmakers.
Peter also established Next Wave Films’ Agenda 2000, the world’s first entity
devoted to financing digital features. A key player in the growth of the ultra-low
budget feature movement, Broderick became one of the most influential advocates
of digital moviemaking. Now focused on the revolution in film distribution,
Broderick has given keynotes and presentations in Cannes, Berlin, London,
Sydney, and Tel Aviv. Check out his seminal reports, “Welcome to the
New World of Distribution” and “Declaration of
Independence” and sign up for his distribution bulletins at
www.peterbroderick.com. About
Scott Kirsner:
Editor of the blog CinemaTech
and author of several books including Fans, Friends
& Followers (2009) and The Future of Web Video (2008), Scott has written about
how new technologies are changing the entertainment industry for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, BusinessWeek, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Wired, and Fast Company. Scott was the lead organizer
for The Conversation, a
gathering held last fall at UC/Berkeley, and has spoken or moderated panels
about marketing, distribution, and new technology at the Harvard Business
School, MIT, SXSW, Sundance, the LA Film Festival, the Toronto International
Film Festival, the IFP Filmmaker Conference, and the Rome Film Festival.
When & Where
NYU Cantor Film Center
36 East 8th Street
New York,
NY 10003
Saturday, November 13, 2010 from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM (EST)
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Organizer
CinemaTech
CinemaTech chronicles changes in the world of digital entertainment, and most recently published "Fans, Friends & Followers: Building an Audience and a Creative Career in the Digital Age." Visit http://cinematech.blogspot.com.