In Development: Not Every Filmmaker Has to Be a Hydra

""I understand and see that filmmakers are being forced to embrace newer models of reaching audiences directly, doing their own marketing/social media, and even booking theatrical screenings on their own. Or placing their features online to bypass gatekeepers. But not all filmmakers/artists were cut out to be direct-to-consumer types. They should be able to focus on their art form and make the best final product they can.""

""At Square Peg, I was surrounded by more than two dozen filmmakers - all brilliant, all hand-selected - and exactly none were excited by the prospect of building audience or crafting distribution strategy. As one put it, "Oh, you mean the stuff that marketing used to do?" They want to make movies. Full stop. And who could blame them? They're filmmakers.""

Community Center is a new prototype under development by the agency behind Letterboxd, and its founders are seeking filmmakers to test the product. Filmmakers face growing pressure to adopt direct-to-audience models, handle social media, run marketing campaigns, and even book theatrical screenings independently. Many creators are not inclined toward these tasks and prefer to concentrate on the craft of filmmaking. The industry tension centers on integrating distribution and marketing into creative practice while acknowledging that not every filmmaker should be expected to become a direct-to-consumer entrepreneur.

Read at IndieWire