Get your guide to becoming a documentary filmmaker at MyDocJourney.com
HotDocs 2018 Documentary Audience Research study https://telefilm.ca/wp-content/uploads/hotdocs2018-doc-audience-report-en.pdf
Peter Broderick blog about Distribber http://peterbroderick.com/distributionbulletins/distributionbulletins.html
How to develop your audience
DON’T assume you know who your audience is. Do some research.
- Make a list of topics/keywords related to your film
- Research what exists
- Other films, news stories, books, blogs, reddit groups, twitter chats, businesses, influencers
- Create a spreadsheet/ organize findings
- Make list of types of content that gets shared, the way people communicate, what topics people are talking about or asking about
- Make list of conferences or other events
- Bonus is that you learn even more about your topic!!!
- Here’s where you’ll find the groups/influencers who you will reach out to to spread the word about your film
- Follow unexpected leads to find things you hadn’t thought of- add to list of keywords
Create a composite sketch of your audience with 3-5 examples
- Beliefs and mindset are most important aspect- not age or sex
- Go out and talk to people who match your sketched and make sure they really are interested
Develop a relationship with your audience
- Share your WHY
- Engage in-person as much as possible
- Start building your email list
- Make sure you’re offering value
- Ask audience for their feedback/ideas
- send your list a survey asking them about their lives and interests. Ask them what intrigues them about your documentary project and what topics they’d like to see covered.
- Bring them back to your site by giving them ways to participate
- Blog: about filmmaking process, about characters/themes; expand narrative beyond the film by working with/connecting to grassroots orgs that work on the social issues your doc covers; post content from film
Write articles that can be shared by people/groups/orgs
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