Film 101: New Rules for Distribution (Mid-2024 Edition)

Strategic brand consultant and independent film producer Brian Newman details the current state of distribution, laying out his rules for documentary distribution strategy. Newman reports on the declining presence of streamers in documentary acquisition and in output deals with distributors, leading distributors to take fewer risks; transactional revenue is down, particularly with documentaries; and theatrical releases do not work for documentaries unless there is an event screening (though audiences are showing up for arthouse narrative screenings). Newman suggests that filmmakers budget and prepare for self-distribution and marketing early in the filmmaking process and explore new tools for distribution and marketing, which work even better if you have an easily targeted, underserved audience.