Director Amardeep Kaleka and executive producer Steven M. Greer, MD, faced a dilemma. Their movie, Sirius, a documentary about Dr. Greer’s quest to prove the existence of UFOs, had a large potential audience—fans had been following its production through regular social media updates—but no traditional distributor would touch it. Early word from a movie critic who had seen the film at a private screening was not kind. TV and cable networks turned them down. How could Kaleka and Greer get their movie in front of ticket buyers, to share their message and recoup their financiers’ investment?

With money running out and no theatrical release in sight, they turned to Yekra, one of several new platforms that allow filmmakers to upload a movie, set a fee, and market a film through social media and peer networks. On opening day, everyone was nervous. Would audiences show up to this virtual theater? Within hours, the answer came: a resounding yes. In its first week of release in May 2013, the producers netted half a million dollars with no advertising budget. The following week, theaters in New York and Los Angeles had contacted them to arrange a theatrical run.

Kaleka and Greer’s story proves that new models of marketing and distribution work and that what was unconventional only a year ago is viable today. But their original concern of “Will people show up to see our film?” is one that virtually all filmmakers face. Audiences have many possible options for entertainment, including seeing other movies, hanging out with friends, reading, and watching television. For your movie to sell tickets, people must want to see it on its opening day; if they are willing to see your movie on the day it opens, it means you have succeeded in creating anticipation and urgency for what you are offering, as in the case with Sirius. If you get a similar result, your movie will have good attendance (whether that attendance is virtual or physical), the website or theater will likely keep your movie on its marquee, and people will be able to keep buying tickets.

Of course, filmmakers don’t always get this happy ending. A frequently repeated bit of advice for aspiring filmmakers goes like this: “Two years in production, two weeks in a theater, two-for-one at Wal-Mart.” That fate, common to films both good and bad, only serves to remind us that after all the work you put into your film, the audience will decide its future in just one day.

Still, as noted, there are more possibilities for today’s filmmakers. Ten years ago, it cost millions of dollars to advertise a movie, and audiences could only see it at venues tightly controlled by several dozen film distribution companies, predominantly the major studios. All that changed in February 2005 when YouTube launched and made video sharing ubiquitous, democratic, and free. Now, it is easier and cheaper than ever to share your movie with the world: you can show it immediately through free social media and content sites.

At the same time, there have never been more movies competing for audience attention. How will you get people to know your film exists, and then watch it? While democratizing distribution, this movement has created a virtually limitless number of choices for the audience.

This chapter provides some of the tools you will need to get your audience to react positively to your film and spread the word to their friends—from how to define your audience and “message” your movie to how to place it in front of their eyeballs. You’ll learn how marketing and distribution work, both for your student film and for big studio movies, since some of what they do may help you in the future.