If there is one person that should be recognized as the “father” of DIY distribution, that person is certainly Peter Broderick. And the reason for that is simple: he just started doing it before everyone else. In 1999, as President of Next Wave Films, he slowly watched the decline of old distribution methods and foresaw the exciting new times of digital filmmaking and distribution. As he was helping filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Joe Carnahan and Amir Bar-Lev launch their careers, he set up Agenda 2000, the first ever established branch in a traditional media company dedicated to financing digital features.
Since 2002, Broderick has helped more than 900 filmmakers and 600 films develop strategies to distribute their movies. During this time, he developed and refined the principles of “hybrid distribution,” a term that he coined. The internet and new digital technologies presented unprecedented opportunities for independent filmmakers to circumvent the middlemen and gatekeepers and reach audiences directly.
As the “Old World of Distribution” continues to decline, a vibrant “New World” has emerged. In the New World, filmmakers retain overall control over their distribution rights. Maintaining distribution control is just as important as maintaining creative control. In the “New World”, filmmakers don’t give all of their distribution rights to a single company. Instead, they split their rights up and then craft partnerships with distributors and NGOs (read more in one of Broderick’s seminal articles: “Welcome to the World of New Distribution”).
In Broderick’s next article, he presented his 10 Commandments. The article defined ten golden principles to maintain control of your film’s distribution strategy. I also recommend reading his previous article, “Maximizing Distribution”, for more tips.
“The Singing Revolution” (by Jim and Maureen Tusty), “Note By Note” (by Ben Niles), and “Valentino: The Last Emperor” (by Matt Tyrnauer) are just some examples of successful projects that benefited from consulting with Broderick.
Broderick is now a leading distribution strategist. As head of Paradigm Consulting, he continues to help filmmakers and media companies develop strategies to maximize distribution, audience, and revenues.
Broderick previously wrote articles for publications such as “Scientific American,” “The New York Times,” and “The Economist.” He now gives presentations and keynotes around the world. He has been basically everywhere. Sydney, Toronto, Cannes, Guadalajara, Berlin, London, and Rio de Janeiro, you name it. By the way, last year he was at IDFA giving a lecture on… you guessed it… “The New World of Distribution.”
To get a glimpse of his ideas and vision check out this three-part interview with Broderick, conducted by Scott Kirsner (remember him?).
I don’t want to end without saying this: subscribe to Broderick’s Distribution Bulletin. They are enriching pieces of writing and a great way to keep current on the latest success stories and developments in the New World of Distribution.
With top advisor Peter Broderick we take a break from the advisors and theorists in our Who is Who series. We will move to 10 cool film projects to watch. Next stop: Mdot Strange.
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