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If shooting Surviving Family was a sprint (an adrenaline-fueled dash through 10 locations in 3 states over 20 shooting days in the course of one month), then marketing it is a marathon. You go around a curve, up a hill, and back down, and then you do it again. On the bad days, you stumble over a twig or into a pothole. But on the good days, you feel the wind at your back and feel invigorated.
On the plus side, and it's definitely a big plus: Surviving Family is now represented in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean by Circus Road Films. A distribution deal - a GOOD distribution deal - is the holy grail of independent filmmakers, and it's great to have these guys working on our behalf to help us get distribution.
I managed to only stumble slightly in the pothole, and recovered quickly: after learning that there is an important difference between HD Cam SR and HD Cam as screening tapes, I had NO idea that our required HD Cam came in two possible frame rates, and that having the wrong one would spell disaster. Fortunately our friends at Off Hollywood made sure that I had the right info from the Woods Hole Film Festival before they made my tape.
And the twig? Lately I feel like I'm personally keeping Fed Ex and the US Post Office in business, as I send dvd's, blu ray discs, posters, postcards, press kits and all sorts of fun stuff around the country for upcoming festivals. On the other hand, I'd have much more to complain about if I DIDN'T have fests to send all this stuff to, right?
So next stop: Woods Hole. Director Laura Thies arrives from Germany next Saturday morning, and then we're off to our world premiere. I can't wait.
Wow! I'm seriously impressed- a distributor! Now all you need is a distributor cap. We Lesemann women look good in caps. Wait. That's hats. We look good in HATS. As Gilda Radnor would say, "Never mind..." But really - this is good stuff, Mara. Sounds as if you're putting all that stuff you learned in your classes to work for you.
ReplyDeleteThey're actually our sales representative to help us get a distributor, but they're much better positioned to do it then we are on our own. So it's a first step, but a big first step!
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