10 MPH DIY Manual: DIY for Everyone?

I was asked by Lance Weiler in an interview on Workbook Project if we were going to do a DIY distribution campaign for 10 Yards. Arin Crumley (Four Eyed Monsters) asked me a similar question, though it was more based on a scenario - if you got X amount of bucks and yada yada, would you give up rights? I definitely would consider more conventional means of distribution. But it's not the only answer anymore.

For every film, you have to consider your options and figure out what your main goal and objectives are. For us, making 10 MPH was our way of jumping into a very competitive and convoluted industry and hopefully being able to begin a career that will last for some time.

Things have obviously changed. For a business that used to depend almost 100% on having relationships because of all the investment needed to produce and the difficulty to distribute something, things are now vastly different. Anyone with the right approach and a fresh twist can get millions of people to see their film. Now that's power. This is still a business and to find a way to sustain yourself in this industry, it's probably going to be necessary to be open to conventional means of distribution. I think it all depends on where you are at with everything and what your ultimate goal is with a film.

I've met with and talked to many indie filmmakers in the past few months and they are all frustrated with the barriers of entry into the market. This idea of DIY distribution sounds golden and for awhile it may be, but once everyone jumps in, it may be more difficult to get noticed. Keep thinking unconventionally, don't let go of the passion, and take a few risks. Just like making a film - what do you have to lose?

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DIY Resources

Other DIY films
+ Four Eyed Monsters
+ Tijuana Makes Me Happy
+ Head Trauma
+ The Talent Given Us
+ Guatemalan Handshake
+ Book of Caleb
+ Black Gold
Film Festivals & Distribution Books
+ The Insider's Guide to Independent Film Distribution (Stacey Parks)
+ Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide
+ The Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook
+ I Wake up Screening: What to Do Once You've Made that Movie
Filmmaking & Production Books
+ Planning the Low Budget Film
+ The Complete Film Production Handbook
+ Clearance and Copyright: Everything the Independent Filmmaker Needs to Know
+ Film Scheduling: Or, How Long Will it Take to Shoot Your Movie?
+ Film and Video Budgets
+ Filmmakers and Financing, 5th Edition: Business Plans for Independents
+ The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers
+ Independent Feature Film Production: A Complete Guide from Concept Through Distribution
Key websites
+ IndieWIRE
+ Greencine
+ Spout
+ Workbook Project
+ cinematech.blogspot.com