The end of your filmmaking journey is really the beginning. Now, at long last, you will move out of the more private, creative space in which you’ve made your film and go public, sharing your work with the people you made it for in the first place: your audience. From this interaction, a new cycle begins—screenings online, in your classroom, at festivals, and at other venues; reaction to your film from peers, investors, critics, and the public; the possibility of praise and awards; and commencement of your next project.

There are two aspects of meeting and attracting your audience: marketing, which means making them aware of your film and what it offers in a way that makes them want to see it; and distribution, which means finding opportunities for them to see it through an ever-expanding choice of screens and distribution mediums. Audiences are extremely picky because they have many ways to spend their entertainment dollars. Therefore, today’s savviest filmmakers think of the audience before the first shot is taken—before the script is even written—and embrace the idea that the audience is an invisible collaborator in the moviemaking process. You may conclude your audience is a broad swath of the filmgoing public, or you may be targeting a specific niche. Either way, defining and “getting to know” your target audience will directly impact, as we have discussed, how you develop your story, budget, schedule, and production methodology throughout the filmmaking process.

Just as a film must eventually meet its audience, so, too, will you “go public” one day if you decide to pursue a career in filmmaking and media arts. In the final chapter of this book, you’ll discover a spectrum of resources and paths you might take as you begin your professional journey.