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On June 6th we are going to begin the process of locking down the top 10 feature films and top 10 short films to showcase starting at the end of July all over the world.
Please spread this video wide and far so we can get this film revolution underway.
This is a quick update to let you know what’s happening with the festival and to give you a chance to make a final push around your films and to prepare yourself for possible inclusion in the festival showcase.
FINAL DEADLINE - JUNE 6th
JUNE 6th is the deadline for voting. So this is a good time to start making your final pushes across various outlets. Remember that a number of factors our weighted to determine the showcased films - did the film create a submission video, how many people awesomed the film on FHTA, how many people favorited, viewed, commented and linked to the videos on youTube and myspace. And finally how has the film done in terms of spreading the word about their film online and off.
STEPS TO THE SHOWCASE:
The top 10 feature and short films will be contacted and 2 DVDs of the film will be requested. These will be used for the legal vetting process to ensure that films can be distributed through all outlets. Filmmakers will be asked to sign a wavier that states that they own the rights to the film and have all the necessary clearances and release forms in order.
Attached is a spreadsheet that lays out the materials that will be needed by the various outlets. NOT all the FHTA distribution outlets are listed but we wanted to provide some materials to help you start thinking of what will be needed. This is known as delivery and it is the steps that a filmmaker needs to take to prepare his or her work for various forms of distribution. Not all things will be needed but they could. Before incurring any costs please consult with FHTA staff to ensure that you need to. The last thing we want is for a filmmaker to spend money that they don’t have to. BUT we wanted to share this to give you an idea of things that could be required for the showcased films.
TIMING ISSUES:
VERY IMPORTANT - from the time the films are notified of inclusion in the showcase IMMEDIATE delivery of all materials will be key to a film staying in the showcase. So if a film doesn’t provide the materials that are requested they will be replaced by the film that is next in line. We realize that this is a very quick turnaround but in order to take advantage of all the distribution outlets and promotional opportunities (over $500,000 in promotional placements for festival films across Amazon, myspace, youTube and other partner sites) all materials will need to be delivered within in 14 days of acceptance.
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions please let us know. It could take a couple days for a response but we will make sure to answer all your questions.
WORKBOOK PROJECT
The workbook project is an excellent free filmmaker resource http://workbookproject.com that covers many issues regarding the business side of DIY filmmaking. A lot of the questions that you might have can be found there.
Good luck and we look forward to showcasing your film,
Lance Weiler, Arin Crumley, M dot Strange
Filmmakers and FHTA founders
So we’ve been working overtime to pull together a number of exciting things around FHTA.
JUNE 6th
Festival films will have until June 6th to build audiences around their work. So if you’re a festival filmmaker the clock is ticking. Checkout what your fellow FHTA filmmakers doing to promote their work. The more you spread the work the more it is likely that people will find it. Consider possible groups, sites, bloggers or other filmmakers who could help you reach a wider audience. One of the driving goals of the festival is discovery, so we encourage you to think creatively about how you can use the web to build your audience.
DIY DAYS
We’ve teamed with Current TV to produce two live events around FHTA. DIY DAYS will be held in LA on July 26th and in SF on August 2nd. The events will consist of screenings, panel discussions, case studies, and workshops. For those not in LA and SF fear not we will be documenting the whole affair so that it can easily be embed and spread.
Distribution outlets - this is what everyone wants to know - where will the showcased films be shown?
Theatrical - special screenings in LA, SF, London, Melbourne, Montreal, and Paris to name a few. We’re also working on 25 other screening locations.
Living room - VUDU, Amazon Unbox via TiVO, other outlets include AT&T, TVN, and NetFlix.
Online - FHTA miro player, Amazon Unbox, Myspace, YouTube, IndieFlix, BlipTV, OurStage, Joost, and Hulu
Mobile - we’re working on a couple deals here that would have films playing on mobile devices in the US and Europe
For certain films there could be additional retail and online outlet possibilities.
*Outlets subject to change and some outlets require that films can meet clearance and have E&O.
ON THE WEB
Independent Films Direct an excellent new filmmaking resource and news site has decided to feature a number of FHTA films weekly for the next six months! So if you’re a festival filmmaker make sure to spruce up your film page and include those links to myspace, youTube, myspace, OurStage, twitter and delicious.
Spout.com is one of our festival partners and they’ve established a new section to their site just for FHTA. On the section their featuring projects that they feel that they’re community will find interesting. If you’re not a member of spout make sure to join. Drop by the discussion to introduce yourself . It is a place to discuss filmmaking, the festival and films. Special thanks to spout for setting up the dedicated space. Festival filmmakers make sure to drive your audiences there. Not only is it a great way to promote your work it is also a way to introduce your projects to Spout’s community of film lovers. To visit the special FHTA spout group click here.
DIY NEWS