Film School of the Week: The Secrets to Distribution

by MovieMaker Staff | Published May 6, 2007

”Many moviemakers won’t share the information that took them years to learn, for fear of diminishing the value of it and their strategies,” claims writer-producer Jerome Courshon. Luckily for up-and-coming moviemakers, Courshon has not been so stingy with his own knowledge of the Hollywood machine. Using the experience he gained from getting his first feature, God, Sex & Apple Pie, picked up by a major distributor, Courshon is now imparting his hard-earned and practical wisdom through a traveling seminar entitled “The Secrets to Distribution: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!”

Over the course of one day, Courshon provides seminar attendees with the essential tips needed to get on the path to U.S. distribution, from advice on how to best utilize the festival circuit to the names and contact information of the 80-plus U.S. home video distributors. “I came to my experience and knowledge from my own trials and tribulations of getting distribution for the independent movie I produced,” explains Courshon. “So this isn’t coming from someone who hasn’t done it themselves or what I call a ‘theorist’â€”which makes a big difference.”

Over the next several months, Courshon and his seminar will make their way across the country, starting in New York on May 12, and ending in Los Angeles in August. For more information on upcoming seminars, visit www.distribution.la.

Sound Off: How much do you depend on the advice and insight of other moviemakers to help you find your way in making and distributing your own work? Do you have, or would you like to have, an “industry pro” give you advice and support? Talk back in the comments section!

--Jennifer Straus

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COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

Comment by School on 2/27/08 at 12:24 am

Advice from an expert is good, but there is always a cost. People are always offering their service for money, that’s is how human operate. Nothing is free in this world. If you’re lucky enough to be friend an expert in movie making and they sincerely help you, that’s a big advantage.

What new moviemakers should do is test first and experience the good and the bad. That way they’ll get a basic knowledge and some understanding of the field. When they take the course and start learning new things, they will know how to apply what they have just learned.