I’ve seen too many great films struggle after they’re finished. Not because they weren’t good… But because no one thought through how they were going to market and release them. That’s a workflow problem. In most industries, you don’t build the product and THEN figure out who it’s for. But filmmakers do it all the time. We’re also living in a moment where you can build your own audience and that changes everything. He who owns the audience, wins the day. In this article, I break down: Why audience should be greenlit first Why direct sales matter more than ever Why your release plan should be mapped BEFORE production If you’re putting together a pitch deck, this matters. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-film-pitch-packages-need-go-to-market-strategy-ron-newcomb-q9k3e

I’m currently building a marketplace for the business side of filmmaking - designed to connect filmmakers with the service providers they need to get projects made. My main question is: which of these three formats do you prefer? 1) Sharetribe: https://filmmakingbiz-vmerk5.mysharetribe-test.com/ 2) Bubble: https://rnewcombva.bubbleapps.io/version-test?debug_mode=true 3) Replit: https://filmbizmarketplace.replit.app/ I’d also welcome any additional thoughts or advice you may have.

Filmmaker! I have 2 new resources. Money is not A problem, but THE problem. I have pulled together an active investors website that are open to opportunities in entertainment. Fund Your Film AND When you complete a script, you have 2 options: 1) you produce the film (of which you'll need the above info), OR 2) you find a Representative to get you in the right rooms to sell your script and they come in the form of Managers and Agents. I have created a site that pulls together all of the agents and managers that are open for consideration. Find a Rep These are in BETA version. So, I need your feedback to help make these sites the best they can be. Now let's go get your project the Greenlight!

Hardship has a way of bonding people like nothing else. Not comfort. Not convenience. Not easy wins. The valley does that. I’ve seen it with brothers, sports, the military, law enforcement, and filmmaking. Going through difficulty with others builds trust, loyalty, and tribe. That’s why when life gets hard, don’t isolate. Get tethered to the right people. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-hardships-bond-us-ron-newcomb-jl00c

Independent filmmakers hear these two terms tossed around all the time: Option Agreement and Shopping Agreement. And a lot of people nod along like they mean basically the same thing, but they do not. If you are a writer, producer, or rights holder, understanding the difference can save you time, protect your project, and keep you from getting stuck in a bad deal that goes nowhere. At the end of the day, both agreements are about one thing: who controls the project, for how long, and under what terms. And that matters. Because too many good projects get tied up. The Simple Difference An Option Agreement gives a producer or company the exclusive right to purchase or license the rights to a script, book, article, life story, or other IP within a specific period of time. A Shopping Agreement gives a producer the right to shop the project, meaning take it out to buyers, financiers, talent, studios, streamers, or sales agents, in an effort to get it set up. Here is the cleanest way to think about it: An option locks up the rights. A shopping agreement gives permission to take the project out. That is the difference. But the implications are bigger than that. Why Does This Matter In independent film, momentum is fragile. A project can live or die based on timing, relationships, packaging, and whether the producer actually has the ability to move the ball down the field. So when someone says, “Let me shop your project,” or “Let me option it,” the real question is not whether they sound legitimate. The real question is: What exactly are you giving them? Because if you give away control too cheaply, too broadly, or for too long, you can end up in the worst possible place: Your project is not moving, but you are not free to move it either. And that is a dangerous place to be. What an Option Agreement Really Does An Option Agreement is a stronger deal for the producer because it gives them real control for a period of time. Typically, the producer pays an option fee for the exclusive right to buy the property later. During that option period, the writer or rights holder usually cannot sell it to anyone else.