Greetings true bloods. Die hards. Martyrs. Preachers. Teachers. Indie Filmmakers.

You got to love the first year of a start up. Shoot for the Moon – if you fall you at least catch a tree, and after taking two ground-shattering documentaries to market this year, we can smile at our progress knowing that John Fiege’s MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN has found a home at Watchmaker Films.

We started this blog to share our experiences with the hopes that what is written here can save you valuable time and heartache. If you are reading this…you take it personal. Your life is your art and if you are making a film that’s worth your time, its worth my time to share what I have learned this year about selling independent documentary films. Who reads blogs anyway?

1. Know your film.

a. Is your film a film or a movie? Meaning, are you deluding yourself? So you have a documentary… but getting an advance for any serious money is challenging unless you are premiering at Sundance. Outside of Sundance hysteria, five-figure advances in the doc market should send you laughing all the way to the bank.

b. ITS ALL ABOUT GRASSROOTS. Who is your core constituency? Online and on-the-ground live the tastemakers and the experts on your subject. What is their response to your film? Their support is essential to a good GRASSROOTS Campaign.

c. Who is your target audience? Who are the people that are going to pay dollars to see your movie at the arthouse, buy it on DVD or Netflix it? In some instances it may be your core constituency, and in others your core constituency might help get you to your target audience.

d. Do your homework, reach out, build relationships, information is power, and your info better be word of mouth and up-to-date.

2. Find an Advisor

a. Find 10 Advisors. The movie world is secular – acqs execs roll with acqs execs, filmmakers with filmmakers, festival programmers with festival programmers – and they see the best docs, have their ear to the ground and are completely plugged into who’s who and who you need to talk to at Film Festival XYZ.

3. Don’t Stalk People!

a. Yes my passionate go-getter types, you know who you are. Call once a month. Unless you have an important screening, follow-up calls are essential, and it is okay to follow twice (if you have thick skin), and never chase an acquisitions exec down after a panel at a festival on her way to catch a flight – usually ends up as a pass on your film, especially if you stuff it into her bag as she slams the door in your face.

4. Internet Television is coming

a. Your digital rights can be as valuable as your TV rights in less than five years. If you are giving them up, be sure to inquire on your distributors plan to exploit them and negotiate to have the digital rights revert back to you if they are not exploited in a pre-designated amount of time.

5. SEMITHEATRICAL is THE WAY OF THE DOC

a. Unless your documentary is narrated by Don Cheadle or plugged by Leo, or directed by Michael Moore, widely releasing your doc in the 2007 marketplace would have been masochistic. Look to your indie music buds who saddle up to go on tour all summer. This is the way of the doc. As soon as the film plays at your first fest, press them up and start selling, and be sure to check with the fest first. This bread will help you with travel money for the long road ahead.

6. Iraq Fatigue

a. Obviously, distributors have little faith in the audiences of the United States. I mean, who wants to be informed? I got free tickets to the premiere of the new Bob Dylan movie “I’m Not There.” Sorry Phil, I feel your pain my friend.

7. PREMIERE PREMIERE PREMIERE

a. Make sure you have a sales rep or someone dedicated to herding cats. Getting a distributor to a screening is an art unto itself if you are just beginning to build your network. Your premiere is your BEST opportunity of selling your project. Remember, the dollar is backed by hype, so the transitive property of HYPE would imply hype is currency that drops in value faster than its Government certified counterpart.

8-10. RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH

a. know everything you can about who you are trying to partner with for distribution, what titles they have released, google or imdb names of acquisitions personnel so you know who you need to speak with, create databases of who you’ve called, what you’ve sent, and always send your film to several people in the department, not just one. And lastly…an introduction from a respected colleague always goes a long way.