Self Distribution Reaching Tipping Point

Don't look now, but we might be reaching a tipping point for self distribution of film.  Even as recent as a couple years ago, self distributors were disregarded as small time filmmakers that couldn't score the right deal with a traditional distributor.  But today, more filmmakers than ever, with Sundance credentials and more, are bypassing the normal route and putting the risk and reward into their own actions.  The New York Times even joined the conversation this week with an article aptly named: No Film Distributor? Then D.I.Y.

Everyone is always looking for examples of DIWO (Do-It-With-Others) bravery, so below I have extracted the NYT examples and added more:

• Bottle Shock
• Ballast
• The Singing Revolution
• Last Stop for Paul
• Wicked Lake
• The Last Broadcast
• We are the Strange
• 10 MPH
• Four Eyed Monsters
• Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home
• Iraq For Sale
• Box Elder

Using Bottle Shock as the lead example for the NYT piece below are some highlights about the decision making:

• Director, Randall Miller, is opening the film himself next week in 12 cities
• The downside? “An enormous amount of work, an enormous amount of stress, no sleep and lots of people I’ve come to know and love who have given me millions of dollars,”
• For the possibly lucrative DVD market, “Bottle Shock” has separate deals with Fox Home Entertainment and the all-important Netflix, both of which have helped in the marketing (which ensures them a better return later).
• Mr. Miller also negotiated his own deals with airlines and with advertising outlets, and has worked out his own price for prints.
• Remains is the slim chance of being picked up by one of the surviving “mini-majors” like Sony Classics, Fox Searchlight or the Universal-owned Focus Features, or finding themselves at the mercy of smaller distributors. While many are well regarded, most offer small cash advances (if any) in exchange for most of the rights (DVD, TV, international release), but don’t usually spend the kind of money necessary to assure public awareness and ticket sales.

Most indie filmmakers won’t be able to raise the $10 million Mr. Miller raised, so will need to be more creative and flexible with their plan.