We Need a ‘Producer of Marketing & Distribution’

Just as most filmmakers do not make their films on their own, they should not be distributing and marketing those films on their own

In my book "Think Outside the Box Office," I wrote about what I call the new 50/50 – in which 50 percent of the work that filmmakers are now responsible for is making the film (what most filmmakers used to consider 100 percent of their job), and the other 50 percent is to distribute and market their films (or connect their films to an audience).

This situation has arisen because there are fewer distributors acquiring and releasing films, while there are many more films being produced. 

As a filmmaker, I know how difficult adopting these new tasks of marketing and distribution are. I also know how they can interfere with making new films – and there have been a fair amount of complaints lately from filmmakers about being responsible for doing this additional work. 

However, just as most filmmakers do not make their films on their own, they should not be distributing and marketing those films on their own. I would argue that from now on, every film needs one person devoted to the distribution and marketing of the film from inception, just as they have a line producer, assistant director, or editor. This person is part of your team from inception, not tacked on at the end of the process.

This is why in "TOTBO," I came up with the concept of the Producer of Marketing and Distribution or the PMD. I gave this crew position an official title of PMD because without an official position, this work will continue to not get done. I gave this position the title of producer because it is that important. (For someone learning the ropes, you can start them at coordinator then move them up to associate producer and so on).

Creating a crew position will cause people to seek jobs as a PMD, train to become a PMD, apprentice as a PMD just as people do this for any film crew position. Less than a year after creating the title – this is already happening. Without a title, it won’t happen. The creation of this crew position should spur schools and institutes to create curriculums in order to train people to fill this role and other people will write books about it (just as there are a plethora of books on how to be a line producer).  (I’m actually in the process of writing one myself)

I look forward to a near future in which filmmakers/directors will be able to put out calls for PMDs just as they do for DPs and Editors – and that they will get an equal volume of applications. Directors will develop long term relationships with PMDs that “get them” just as they do with DPs, Editors, and Producers etc.         

This weekend I will be in Atlanta doing one of my Think Outside the Box Office 2 Day Workshops – with Sheri Candler in conjunction with Atlanta Film Festival 365 and PushPush Theater. If you are in the sout,  I hope to see you there!

For the next several of months I will be posting a number of PMD FAQs here in The Wrap to help clarify this new position as well as on my blog, Think Outside the Box Office Facebook page or follow me @Jon_Reiss.

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