Lessons from the Lab: Digital DIY and Distribution U.

Last month Indies Lab Director Davin Hutchins went back to school to learn about “do-it-yourself” (DIY) distribution and filed this report for BTB.

If you haven’t heard of the phrase “do-it-yourself” or “DIY distribution” then perhaps you have been too busy fundraising, shooting, or editing your latest documentary to notice. Or perhaps you live under a rock.

With traditional theatrical, broadcast and DVD distribution channels for independent docs in serious decline, everyone is talking about “DIY distribution,” also known as “hybrid distribution.”

Independent filmmakers in New York City debate the prospects of digital distribution of cinema at Distribution U.

The concept, coined most famously by Paradigm Consulting’s Peter Broderick, suggests that there is no cookie-cutter approach to the successful distribution of a film. Each approach should be tailored. Custom strategies like these were the main focal points at the east coast installment of Distribution U., a one-day crash course held by Broderick and journalist and CinemaTech blogger Scott Kirsner.

We here at the IndiesLab are sort of obsessed with the digital aspect of DIY distribution — that nexus where fan-building, advertising, and promotion intersect with online platforms like iTunes, Netflix, Amazon VOD, etc. We’ve been monitoring filmmaker conversations online and at events like Distribution U. to see if people are thinking seriously about digital DIY approaches.
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Tags: distribution, DIY, Hulu, independent producers, IndiesLab, iTunes, netflix, New York

Shop Talk: Q & A with Programming

When is the International Call deadline for 2011?

The International Call 2011 deadline is December 10, 2010. The application will go live on October 15, 2010 and all submissions must be in-office by Friday, December 10. In addition, we aim to have an interactive international message board up and running by October 1.

What kinds of documentaries are you seeking?

For International Call, the › Continue reading

Tags: funding, funding international, independent producers, indie films, international docs, ITVS, PBS, public television