P03: Audience, Distribution, Competitive Landscape, Team Bios
Due Date / Time: Tuesday September 26th at 3:33pm
Objective
This phase of the written content for your pitch deck provides the more practical information that a prospective funder or distributor would want to know in order to make a decision about the viability of your project: who will want to watch the project, where will it ideally be seen, what other documentaries are out there that are similar (and how is your project different), and who is making the film. This written content is brief, but will answer important questions that any funder needs to know.
Assignment
Each of the following items will eventually become their own page in your designed pitch deck with appropriate imagery and written content:
AUDIENCE
See Item 2b in the Documentary Core Application. Length: 1 paragraph.
Who is the target audience for the project? If you think of the target audience as concentric circles, with the core audience at the center, then larger audiences expanding out, describe who you want the film to appeal to. The text on this page should describe the potential audiences for the film not in terms of age (demographic) but in terms of interests or affinities (psychographics):
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- Primary Audience: the people most likely to be interested in the film
- Secondary Audience: a wider circle of people who may be interested in the topic
- Broad Audience: the widest potential audience for the film
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As an example, for a film about low rider car culture in Latinx communities, you might say:
- Primary Audience: Low rider and car enthusiasts
- Secondary Audience: Latinx audiences
- Broad Audience: Anyone interested in community, culture and cars
DISTRIBUTION
See Item 2a in the Documentary Core Application. Length: 1 paragraph.
What is the ideal platform for viewers to see the project? List the top 2 choices for distribution of your project, and a brief statement of why the film would fit well on the platform. Using the same example as above, the target distributors might be:
- Netflix: known for colorful documentaries from many different subcultures, with wide global distribution
- Hulu: programs documentaries about popular culture targeted at a younger, diverse audience
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Here you will specify what other existing documentary films or series are about similar subject matter, or are a similar style, to your project. You’ll list those films or series, and then explain how your film is different. Length: 1 paragraph.
- Include screen shots or posters from the competitive project.
- Write 3-5 sentences explaining how these projects are similar, and what makes your project unique.
TEAM BIOS
See Item 3a in the Documentary Core Application. Length 3-5 sentences.
Who are the key creative people who will make the project?
- Include a photo and a brief 3-5 sentence bio of yourself, giving some of your background, work experience, and making a connection between you and the topic of the project.
Additional Resources
- Documentary Core Application Checklist (Check file)
- Link: https://www.smartmove.us/streaming/services-listing
- Link: https://medium.com/immj-ma-recommended-reading/outlets-producing-online-short-medium-and-long-form-news-journalism-video-documentary-bc4326a57834
- Link: https://nofilmschool.com/2017/05/find-audience-your-film-5-simple-steps
- Link: https://www.dicacademy.com/post/the-basic-principles-of-film-marketing-identifying-your-audience