What is an impact film? And what's the difference between distribution and outreach?

I thought it would be good to do a refresher on 'What is an impact film? ' And why you might want to make one.  It’s good timing to do this little refresh as we’ve been deep diving into all things documentary film production the past few months and we’re working our way to post-production. 

Later in the episode, I’m going to walk you through the difference between distribution and outreach.

For impact films this is a pivotal time to understand what you’re hoping to achieve when it comes to distribution and outreach.  You still have time to shape these plans before you get into post-production and it’s best to have this in play before you really get into the edit. 

So don't wait, hit play and learn more and make your filmmaking brain bigger!

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Transcript

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Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the Moonshine Moonshot. We are up to episode 70 on making movies that matter. And in keeping with that today, I thought it would be a good time to do a bit of a refresh on what is an impact film and why you might want to make one. It's good timing to do this little refresh because we have been in a deep dive into all things documentary film production over the past few months and we're working our way towards post-production. And then later in this episode, I'm also going to walk you through the difference between distribution and outreach. For impact films, this time between production and post-production is quite pivotal to what you're going to do next. So understanding what you're hoping to achieve when it comes to distribution and outreach, you still have time to shape these plans. So before you get into post-production, it is best to have this all in play and then get into your edit. So once you have a solid grasp on what makes an impact film different to other types of films and how you'll put your film out into the world through distribution and outreach, right there, you are a step ahead. So I'm glad you're here with me today because that's what this show is all about helping you make that step to get you ahead and become a successful filmmaker. So welcome to the Moonshine Moonshot Podcast. I'm your host, Sue Collins, and if you've landed here, it means you're likely wanting to find out how to make filmmaking a sustainable career. And you're also probably curious about how to make meaningful work that fills your cup. If you're ready to learn about how to make movies that matter, build a sustainable career, and have a positive impact on your audience, then you are in the right place. Filmmaking has so many parts, and I'm sharing what I've learned over the past 15 years about producing impact films that reach their intended audience and support real world change. So let's get started. What is an impact film? It's always amazing to me how people like to put things in a box. If you Google what is an impact film, you'll get generally the same definition depending on which search tool you use. But they all sort of pretty much say the same thing. An impact film is a short or long non-fictional film. Its objective is to encourage the viewer to get involved and take an action. Now, look, this is a good definition. Impact films are all about creating a narrative that inspires an audience to do something once they've seen the film. It's not passive entertainment. But the bit that bugs me about this definition is that it's already limited. It's already putting impact films in a box. It's describing a non-fiction piece of work, saying that impact films need to be documentary, and I do not agree with that. I've seen very powerful narrative films that are really impactful films. Think about titles like The Green Book, Contagion, Our Brand Is Crisis, or The Blind Side, and so many more that tackle social issues that impact our lives and they educate us through a narrative story. They might encourage us to change our behavior, start a conversation, or just simply grow social awareness. And when you think about an impact film and making an impact film, it should be about what you're trying to achieve and not whether it's fiction or documentary. What's your creative vision and how can you best share that vision through film and then decide on what type of film you want to make? Don't let anyone tell you that it has to be documentary to be impactful or simply defined as an impact film. So that's my first little rant. And I should also point out here that you don't have to be an impact filmmaker exclusively. Not all of your work has to be classified as an impact film. You could make an impact doc, you could make a feature drama, you could make a comedy, you could make a YouTube series if you want to. How you use your filmmaking skills is in your hands, so don't be pigeonholed or limited by other people's opinions. But I will say that impact filmmaking can be very rewarding, and impact films can have a very long tail compared with other types of films. So definitely they are something to consider in your filmmaking journey. To me, an impact film simply means that the film inspires or encourages the audience to take an action. And that action can be direct like visiting a website or signing a petition, joining a mailing list to stay informed, sharing the content with a friend, making a donation, hosting a screening of the film for their own communities. Or that action could be very impactful, immediate and direct. And a good example of this is our film Conquering Cervical Cancer, which educated audiences on the global elimination strategy. It helped them to understand the three steps that need to happen to eliminate a cancer for the first time in human history. And those steps were simply vaccination, screening, and treatment. And I said simply, it's not simple. The three-pronged approach is simple. Applying it, not so simple. And we ran extensive outreach campaigns across a number of different parts of Africa. And at some of those screenings of the film audiences, they were offered an opportunity to have a cervical screening right there and then if they chose to, or they could simply book in a time to attend a local clinic. So they were encouraged to also vaccinate their children and offered ways to arrange that. So the call to action was very direct and very immediate. However, that same film, when it was shown to audiences in Australia, they were encouraged to make sure that they were up to date with their cervical screenings and if not, book in or join the mailing list to stay informed and to remind their friends to do the same. So they were becoming advocates for the cause. So impact can take many forms, and this leads to distribution and outreach. What is the difference? How you want to put your film out into the world? That's distribution. So, for example, you could engage a distributor to do this for you. And beware, if you're not a big production house, it can be hard to negotiate a good deal for yourself and your film with a distributor. You're also handing your film over to somebody else to get it out into the world. This is a whole different episode when we start talking about how to work with distributors. But there are a few options. You can work with a distributor, you can also self-distribute, or you can do a combination of both. And we have done both, and usually it is a combo. But recently we actually experienced just exclusively self-distributing a title, and it was much more successful than any of our other titles where we've done it through a distributor. And again, this is a whole different episode, but I will urge you to do your homework on distribution before you sign any deals. And I will talk more in upcoming episodes about how to actually do distribution. For the purpose of this episode, just it's simply about understanding what distribution is, which is essentially just how people can see your film. Will it be theatrically released in cinemas? Will it go to festivals? Is it cinema on demand? Video on demand? Is it going via a streamer or a broadcaster? There are a lot of options, and the best one is definitely going to depend on your film and where your audiences are. So if you want to find out more about how to find your audience and figure that bit out, just jump back one episode to episode 69 after you've listened here. But once you've figured out the path that you're going to take to distribute your film, you'll then move on to thinking about outreach. And this is where it often gets confusing for people. What is the difference between distribution and outreach? Well, if distribution is how people can see your film, then outreach is what they do after they've seen it. Outreach in filmmaking is how you get your audience involved. It's the steps you take to inspire tangible action that benefits your cause. So as I mentioned in that earlier example, the film on eliminating cervical cancer, some of the film screenings, so those screenings were the distribution, how we got them out into the world. But the outreach was when women attended the screenings, they were provided with an opportunity to have a cervical screening that same day at a location close by. And that action of actually taking a step towards getting a cervical screening, that's the outreach component. So, for example, you might arrange a QA session of your film, and at the end of the screening, people can ask questions to a panel or an individual. Now that's outreach. People can ask questions and gain a deeper engagement with the topic of your film. Perhaps it's a simpler call to action where you ask people to write to a local member of parliament or sign a petition. It could be joining a mailing list where you follow up with more on the campaign and ways that they can get involved. Perhaps you're going to do something like put your film into schools, like an Australian film called That Sugar Film did. And that was in order to engage directly at that real grassroots level and help change the way kids thought about sugar in their food and make better choices in their diets. All of these decisions are formed from what is available for you to do, but also where your audience is at and what your film is about. So it's probably a bit overwhelming if you're not familiar with outreach or distribution and you haven't really thought too much about this in the past. So what I will say is before you get into prose production, think about your film and the decisions that you need to make. And they will really come from these four questions. So I suggest you spend a bit of time just thinking about first, first question. What impact do I want to make with my film? In other words, what's the change you're hoping to achieve? What cause are you supporting? So the first question, what impact do I want to make with my film? Number two, what do you want people to do in order to achieve that impact? That's your call to action. So question two, what do you want people to do in order to achieve the impact? And question three, where do you want your audience to see the film? That's distribution. And four, how can you engage your audience to do something or learn more after they've seen the film? That's outreach. So impact can take on all types of forms. It is likely impact will depend on what you're passionate about and what your mission is. It's also essential that you find groups to collaborate with who care just as much about the cause as you do, and they're going to help you convey that message. And it will be much easier for you to create an impact if you have a team who are pulling in the same direction. Filmmaking is a team sport, after all. So, you know, get some supporters involved, get an organization that aligns with your cause involved, and get really active in the space your film is planning to make a difference in. So there you go. That's kind of a broad overview of what is an impact film, why you might want to make an impact film, and the difference between distribution and outreach. So it's a lot to ponder, and I do encourage you to take note of those four questions and I'll list them again for you now. Number one, what impact do you want to make with your film? Two, what do you want people to do in order to achieve that impact, which is your call to action? Three, where do you want your audience to see the film? That's distribution. And four, how can you engage your audience to do something or learn more after they've seen your film? That's outreach. All right, so I'm sure this is gonna be something you need to ponder on, and you're probably gonna have a load of questions. Do not hesitate to direct message me over on Instagram or shoot me an email to support at Moonshine CommunicationsAcademy.com. And there's loads more I can tell you about this topic, so please don't hesitate to ask me some questions. I will be back next week. So until then, happy filmmaking. Thank you for joining me today and every week here on the Moonshine Moonshot Podcast. If you're wanting a deeper dive into the topics being discussed on the show, then I would encourage you to head over to Moonshine CommunicationsAcademy.com and sign up for the weekly drop of moonshine via your email. Being on our newsletter community means we can support your filmmaking journey in a more tailored way as well as keeping you up to date with the resources we share on how to make movies that matter. And so much more that we deliver inside your inbox every single week. So head over to Moonshine CommunicationsAcademy.com and at the bottom of the homepage you'll see a little box to add your email address and adds thank you for signing up. We'll also send you a bonus ebook to support your messaging. So voila! You'll be on the way to receive all the best content weekly.