The thing that I noticed was that a lot of first time filmmakers had completed films and were now looking for a market. That may sound obvious, I mean, we were at a film festival after all! What struck me was that this approach is the complete antithesis of the standard business model! I know that some of you may shudder at talk of the "business" of "art", but I still think that it is worth mentioning here.

When people start a business (which, no matter how you look at it, is what you're doing when you make a film!) they usually work with some kind of a business plan. This is where I lose half of you I'm sure! I don't necessarily mean a formal written business plan with "Executive Summaries" and all those eye-glazing, mind-numbing business school details. Even if your company is just a concept in your head, it usually centers around the commercial promise of your business idea. And one of the most important aspects of even the most informal business plans is examining the market. Who are you going to sell your product or service to? Are there other companies doing the same thing? Will the market cover the start-up and operational costs? The bottom line being: Are there enough people out there willing to pay for your product or service so as to sustain your business?

When it comes to first time filmmakers I am alarmed to see how many times their intended market is the last thing that they consider! In many cases filmmakers were struggling to figure out who their market was, and even if they had a market, long after their film was completed. Films require huge amounts of time and money (certainly time anyway!). Attempting to figure out who your market is after your film is complete can have dire consequences on the rest of your career. I'm not saying that filmmakers should give up on personal or off-beat films, or go to Hollywood's extremes of trying to offend no-one and appeal to everyone. However, I do believe that they should at least explore their market potential before they start those cameras up. As far as I'm concerned, the earlier you consider your audience the better. Start with the script and follow it through into the making and marketing of the film. There are huge markets for smaller, niche films out there. Again, I am certainly not trying to silence first-timers with films dealing with anything outside of the "norm". I love interesting and challenging indie films, believe me... because I fit into many of those niche markets! For example, if you're looking to sell your movie, it's a good idea for the cost of making a film to be proportional to it's market. If you don't know who is going to want to see your movie, how can you budget accordingly? In a way, the less you spend, the more edgy and risky and personal you can be. Keeping your film's audience in mind will allow you to be much better prepared for getting it seen once it's finished. Nobody likes to pigeon hole their film, but the reality is at some point you need to be able to tell people what section of the video "store" (please tell me you're not still going to the video store?!) your movie is sitting in. This can be a pretty good rough indicator of your market. The genre allows you to look at similar films and budgets and compare them to your own.

With our first film "A Dog's Breakfast" we looked at the Stargate audience I had from acting in the show, and tailored the script to suit that crowd. It became a more "family friendly" black comedy and I like to think a better film because of it! We even had a secondary audience that we felt would be made up of "pet-nerds" like myself. I looked into the number of people visiting Stargate websites and got some idea of DVD sales, television viewers and convention attendance around the world. "A Dog's Breakfast" was sold not just because MGM liked us and the film. The film sold because when we went in to talk to MGM about it, we had a very clear marketing strategy and a solid audience in mind. MGM were not only able to quantify the film's market, they were already intimately familiar with it!

I'm not saying that we're super-geniuses (well, my producer Jane might be, that's why I'm marrying her... that and she's very pretty ;-). I see a lot of big Hollywood directors making movies purely to appeal to the biggest audience possible. I'm certainly not advocating that one should go to that extreme with indie film, unless money is all you're worried about, and if that's the case, what are you doing in independent cinema!? I'm just saying that it is so important in the exciting rush of setting out to make a film, not to forget to start with the end in mind... your audience. They are the ones that are going to buy the tickets. They are the ones that are going to sell your movie with their word-of-mouth. And they are the ones that give you the satisfaction of seeing people enjoy your own unique vision.

If you like this article, please digg it.

Comments

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Written by nanook660 on 2007-03-23 10:48:19 Very well written David and I agree 100% with you   Peace  Fran

Written by purple_dragon on 2007-03-12 05:07:38 Hmm..something seems to have gone a little wrong with that post, oh well. I think you can get what I was aiming for     purple_dragon

Written by purple_dragon on 2007-03-12 05:06:21 dugg it, and commented too     nullnullnullI'm not saying that we're super-geniuses (well, my producer Jane might be, that's why I'm marrying her... that and she's very pretty ;-) - aww! that's so sweet David     purple_dragon

spreadin' the word Written by AylaMc on 2007-03-11 17:37:36 I showed this article to my brother, who is an amateur artist/comic artist/cartoonist/filmmaker (by film-maker, i mean he takes our digital camera and plays with windows movie maker and flash)...   to quote him:    "i thought it was a good article. I mean, I knew that stuff was important, but I didn't realize that important... but it makes sense, and now I'll actually take that more into consideration. I hadn't really put that much thought into that aspect of it before."    He's 17 and heading off to art college next year. I think it's important he keep a grasp on the business end of things.

The 60-second sum-up: Written by Jan on 2007-03-10 15:36:08 The 60-second summation: "Think of your audience, and hey, did I mention that this Jane person is brilliant and beautiful?"    You glib, silver-tongued devil, you! You guys are so durned cute!!!

Dugg! Written by teknikal on 2007-03-10 14:43:14 Dugg and Dugg!!!    Quote: i'm not saying that we're super-geniuses (well, my producer Jane might be, that's why I'm marrying her... that and she's very pretty   aww

Saying good bye... Written by Lady of the Lake on 2007-03-10 13:25:08 I think thats going to help a lot people who don't know what they getting into, well said and as such I'm leaving dgeek.com as I might join the Army, So bye ...

Written by Becky S. on 2007-03-10 09:17:58 It's a very good article David. With very good advice for first time film makers (and other people as well) I'm glad you wrote it.    Dugg, of course.

Written by dutch eowyn on 2007-03-10 08:04:09 Dugg!    And digging seems to go more smoothly this time around *knocks wood*

Written by Icarus on 2007-03-10 02:41:55 This is useful, practical advice based on personal experience. It makes a contribution rather than simply selling A Dog's Breakfast. I'd be very surprised if you had any problems wading in Digg.    Dugg it.

Written by pavaneofstars on 2007-03-09 15:09:53 Very interesting. I just digged it. Congrats on the success of your movie.

Written by MdGateFan on 2007-03-09 14:06:59 I went, I read and I dugg...       As a few of friends love to say "There is a reason the call it show BUSINESS.     I have seen the same sort of discussion in various photography/printing class and from various photographers. That is if you want to make money at it, you have to find your niche, or your market.

*absorbs info* Written by Aten on 2007-03-09 13:37:21 I shall take this all to heart. And brain.     *fingers crossed for more theater releases*

Written by Vikitty on 2007-03-09 13:35:20 Hmm that was a very interesting read. Thank you! =) It actually sounds like common sense... 20/20 hindsight maybe?    Quote: what section of the video "store" (please tell me you're not still going to the video store?!)     Are you suggesting something illegal here?

Written by Erynn on 2007-03-09 13:15:17 So you're suggesting Jane is better than Wile E Coyote? (Probably because of her habit of not exploding when faced with Acme products...)    I'm just glad this whole thing has been going so well for you, and that you're enjoying it so much.     Mostly, I buy films off the internet, provided I know something about them. I have kind of quirky tastes, and am pretty much into stuff with subtitles. (Hey, Godzilla has subtitles!) That said, there's not necessarily a lot of what I'm into in vid stores, so I have to buy online. I don't watch too many films in theatres these days either -- it's often actually cheaper just to buy a movie than to go down to Seattle, pay for parking and the ticket and the popcorn and something to drink. With that in mind, when does ADB hit dvd?    Oh, and I'm really hoping you'll be showing it in Vancouver while the SG con is going on. I'll be in town anyway that weekend (not for the con) and would be thrilled to see the movie.

Okies, it's 17:45 on Friday here in the Written by Annie on 2007-03-09 11:48:55 ...and I've just finished reading this article so I can Digg It (dugg and made number 1) when I noticed - there are 6 members (yes, I'm one of them) and 165 guests online at the moment.    165!!!!

Written by rosiewook on 2007-03-09 10:04:50 I said this on Digg and I'll say it here, too. I think there are too many people who think that films can magically attain Star Wars status. But they don't realize that Lucas had an audience in mind and figured out how to reach them. It was still a strange phenomenon, but he probably would've made back his money by reaching out to the right market.

the business of film Written by Sweeneybird on 2007-03-09 09:54:53 is just that, a business - I'm getting a kick out of your obvious enjoyment of the practical aspects of film-making.     My brother is an artist/middle school teacher who used to complain all the time that we should go back to the patronage system for supporting artists, but in fact that's what exists now. It's just that the patrons are many rather than just a few rich guys - kind of a mutual fund approach.

Written by sammy on 2007-03-09 09:16:51 some great advice for first-time film makers there. don't think im going down that route with my life, but who knows i could change my mind, especially since i started playing around writing a script a few months ago! we'll see!    and i bravedly dugg it for ya!  congrats again on the extra screening. fancy doing another in England some time soon? i so want to see it again!!!!!

Okay, now I'm curious... Written by Night Spring on 2007-03-09 08:29:24 Do you have a similar sort of "business stragedy" for marketing yourself as an actor? What, if any, differences are there between marketing your acting talents and marketing a film?     And congrats on the additional showing at Cinequest, that's such exciting news!

Well put Written by Freya on 2007-03-09 07:48:56 Very well explained. I think so many artists are so caught up in their art that they forget that there is a world out there that runs mostly on money. Yes you should pursue what you believe is right in making that movie, but unless you want to be the only one owning your movie you better do some planning before hand.

Wise Words Written by Carron on 2007-03-09 05:36:38 It's like Nike said - Just Do It. This can be applied to most ventures across the board, don't you think? You need to start something with the 'end user' in mind. Love of the art is all well and good, but if no one's going to come along for the ride, it's a pretty pointless journey to take. What we appreciate about you and this particular adventure is that you've invited your audience to come along and be part of the process...call us *emotional investors* if you will. And everyone seems to be having a pretty good time along the way. Even Mars.    So. When's Jane getting a blog so I can follow her around the internet, too?

Nicely put Written by Squonk on 2007-03-09 02:47:23 Sound advice! And i've braved the horrors of Digg It!!    Quote: I'm not saying that we're super-geniuses (well, my producer Jane might be, that's why I'm marrying her... that and she's very pretty     You old smoothy!

Wise..even Yoda like.. Written by Zerocool on 2007-03-09 02:13:28 I see what you're saying. The thing that worries me about looking at film like a business is that all too often good ideas fail. Its the risk that scares me the most about getting into film making. LOL So we're kind of your squirrelly shareholders

Written by Netty on 2007-03-09 01:01:10 Great article David!. Really interesting. Im starting a short film for film and tv this term. Some great tips there D! Its Dugg from me!

I Digg it, baby, it's all gravy Written by AylaMc on 2007-03-08 21:16:14 Hmmm, I'll have to print this off and show it to my brother. He's in the habit of making small films using our digital camera and Windows Movie Maker (it is, to say the least, a small time operation) and he'll be taking film-making-classes when he goes off to art school next year (I wish I had his talent. Instead, I'm stuck in Microbiology&Immunology)...    I'm sure he'll find this useful and interesting.    Thank you for writing this up! It's very informative.

Written by lemonchicken on 2007-03-08 21:10:43 Its a good article, and hits on something that is very important to remember, no matter what the product is you're trying to sell.    I'm not saying that we're super-geniuses (well, my producer Jane might be, that's why I'm marrying her... that and she's very pretty ;-).    Nice!

Well Said ... I Digg ... Written by amararti on 2007-03-08 21:01:29 ... proof yet again that you are not just a pretty face (of course I'm talking about Jane *smirk* )    ... but seriously some very good, thought provoking points here about the need for a clear business strategy if you are going to get anywhere ... a lot of artists find that aspect very difficult to embrace but you seemed to have thrived on it and enjoyed it almost as much as the writing, directing and acting (from what you have said)....    ... and yes ... I have still to see the damn thing ... *grrr*    So what are MGM going to do next with ADB - do you know yet??    Current mood *in suspense*    Glad you are happy  Hugs  AMx

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