No audience means no money for your film

Who's going to watch your movie if you have no audience?

By far, the biggest mistake first time filmmakers make when it comes to marketing and distributing their films is waiting until the film is done to find an audience.

"Make it, and they will come" doesn't work.

To have a chance of reaching an audience once the film is complete, you need to identify who they are before you're even shooting. Without an audience, you don't have a viable business plan. Raising funds to make the film will be 100x harder, and if you somehow get the film done, you'll have no idea how to market it.

The reason this happens

Filmmaking is more of a lifestyle than a job. It can be all consuming, and getting a film made requires an unlikely series of miracles. It's natural that we let the making of the film take over our every waking hour. We want to make it the best it can be, and doing that requires everything we've got.

But if you aren't making the film for someone, you risk it being watched by no one. If no one is watching your film, it is very unlikely you are earning money from your film. We all want to talk about and think about getting the money to make the film, but you equally need to get money after the film is made. That’s a big part of how you will create a sustainable career as an indie budget filmmaker.

When you forget about who's going to see your film once it's done, you're doing a disservice to everyone who gives their heart and soul to the project.

Realizing you need an audience when the film is done puts you at a significant disadvantage. Audience building takes time.

It's an exercise in building trust and affection between you and the people who are going to spend their time and money to see your film.

Filmmakers who start this process once the film is done are months, maybe years, behind where they could be had they started building their audience at the start of the project.

And I get it, putting yourself out into the world is a scary thing. We're "behind the scenes people" for a reason. We don't do it for the fame and glory, but because we love making movies. That love and the limiting belief that's stopping you from sharing your work are key to shifting your mindset around building an audience for your film.

Let me show you.

How to fix it.

To start out, we need to answer one big question: Who's going to watch your film?

You already know your film inside and out, so start brainstorming. Here are four questions to help you get started:

• Who is your main character, and what would they be into in real life? Describe in as much detail as possible. People who feel like, and empathize with your main character are a great starting point for who your core audience is.

• What do people like that's similar to or related to your film? (If you're making an adventure film, it could be "People who like Indiana Jones etc.")

• What are the themes and key takeaways from your film? (For example, if your film is about overcoming a disability, there might be a lot of special interest groups that would love to watch and screen your film.)

• What genre is your film? This is a simple and broad question, but along with the other questions, it can help narrow down your audience.

Next, combine the results from these questions into descriptions of people who could be your ideal target audience.

Let me give you an example. Say you're making an action adventure movie about a wheelchair bound archaeologist. He's on a wild adventure to discover the secrets of an ancient Mayan ruin. (Stairs, why does it always have to be stairs?!?)

One version of your ideal target audience could be:

People who are superfans of Indiana Jones, who can relate to overcoming a disability, and who love action movies.

With all your answers from the questions above, you can mix and match to create various personas for your ideal audience. Try to come up with at least 10 to get started.

Out of those personas, we can pick one and go a little deeper.

Where do they hang out? What social media accounts do they follow? What subreddits do they post in? What Facebook groups are they a part of? What kind of film festivals (or other events) do they go to?

This will give you a great starting point for where you can start sharing your filmmaking journey.

Your passion and love for the film you're making are the #1 ingredients for building your audience. You don't have to become a different person or use sleazy sales tactics to find your people online.

All you need to do is share your process.

Sharing your process online, on social media, forums, etc. is a great way to attract the people interested in the kind of film you're making. If you're bothered by putting yourself out there, think about it this way: the people who aren't interested will scroll by in less than a second. But for the people who might end up becoming your fan, you might have just shared something they'll love for the rest of their lives.

Think about it, if the creators of your favorite films and TV shows were sharing what they were doing as the thing was being made, wouldn't you devour that stuff?

I know I would.

By sharing your process, you're providing value to the people who will end up being your core audience, far beyond just showing them your movie. That's not sleazy at all.

My last tip is for the indie filmmakers out there who can't compete with Hollywood marketing budgets. In order to get discovered, you need to stand out. The best way to stand out?

Make. It. Special.

You want to foster a unique connection between yourself, your film, and your audience. To do that, you need to think outside the box and be creative in how you promote your film.

• Leverage live events, screen your movie followed by a Q&A with cast and crew

• Host giveaways of props, posters, signed scripts, etc.

• Give your audience a glimpse behind the scenes

• Go on tour like a rock band with your film (more on that in Day 3)

• The list goes on...

Your relationship with your audience is special and the key to making a film that is seen and loved. So start building these relationships early, well before you think you should.

You'll thank yourself when the film hits the big screen, you’ll love the feeling when a random audience member sends you a message on social media telling you how great your film was, and your love you made some revenue so that you can continue to support your career as an indie filmmaker.

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By the way next week I pre-launch my course which I am so excited to finally be able to share. Anyone that signs up for the pre-launch will also get the Indie Filmmaker Template Package for free as well, so be on the lookout for when I launch.

I’m also looking forward to getting feedback from course users to continue to update it and make it the way that filmmakers need.

If you’re not interested in the course but just want the template package right now, you can grab that here