As everybody else out there, I always watched videos online, but I guess I heard the term online film distribution for the first time when I met Francesco about 5 years ago, when he was founding Film Annex. The term simply meant distributing films on the Internet. To be honest, 5 years ago, I didn’t know anything about distribution. I graduated from school and I was mainly interested in production. I didn’t think much about how filmmakers got their films out there or the process that went into it.

I think when people think about movies, they mainly think of the end product and the making of, but very few think about the process that goes between the production and distribution. That period is crucial for a film’s destiny. The promotion and marketing of a film before it comes out might influence where the film will end up eventually.

The most common way for filmmakers to get their films out there was to submit them to festivals. It still is a common way. But how many films do actually get picked up and find distribution? I met many filmmakers along the way who won tons of awards at festivals, which is gratifying. But, in a way, they went home empty-handed, because they didn’t get distribution, and they didn’t make any money.

Many filmmakers will tell you that they don’t care about the money, but the ideal goal is to make at least some money with your movies so that you can invest in making your next movie. Realistically speaking, nobody is going to give you money to go make a movie, especially if you’re just starting out. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could stop knocking on strangers’ doors for money to make a film and be self-sufficient instead so that you have complete control over making your movies?

I think this is where online film distribution comes in. To me, the phrase “online film distribution” means independence. I’ll be honest. I used to be pretty old-fashioned when it came to movies. I wasn’t a fan of watching them on my laptop. I went to the movie theater. I was weirded out by films shot on digital. I wanted to see a film shot on film. But this changed. Because if the goal is to tell a story through filmmaking, then people should take advantage of the opportunities that are around them. It’s 2012. We have DSLR cameras, Black Magic, Final Cut, Adobe… and we have online distribution. Instead of worrying too much about the feud between film and digital, it’s time to tell our stories, and online film distribution makes this possible.  All you need is a computer, Internet, and to find the upload button.

-- Eren

Next up: Monetizing Films with Online Film Distribution