.You gave everything to your film—late nights, endless edits, pushing through setbacks. But now…
No one’s watching.
No one’s talking about it.
Festivals came and went, but what’s next? Silence.
You tried ads, social media, word of mouth—but outside your own circle? Nothing. And the worst part? It’s not about quality.
Here’s something most filmmakers don’t realize: people don’t just “find” films—they choose them.
And what makes a viewer choose?
A clear, compelling hook—why should they care?
A connection—does this film feel made for them?
Visibility—is it even showing up in front of the right people?
Most indie films struggle not because they aren’t great, but because they never answer these questions before release.
I work with filmmakers on solving this—helping films find their real audience and gain traction.
If this resonates with you, let’s talk.
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Those are the things that make me choose a movie, Pavel Starikin, especially a clear, compelling hook. Catchy/interesting posters and other promo help me choose too.
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Pavel Starikin, so many filmmakers think the hardest part is making the film, but getting people to care, connect, and choose to watch it is a whole different challenge. Visibility without clarity won’t get you far. I’d love to hear more about your approach, especially around identifying the hook and reaching the right audience. Do you have a favorite success story from a film you’ve worked on that really cracked the code?
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Maurice Vaughan Absolutely, Maurice! A strong hook is the difference between getting noticed and getting ignored. And posters, trailers, and promo materials set the emotional tone before the viewer even presses play. Have you seen a recent indie film that nailed the hook and promo?
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Ashley Renee Smith You’re spot on, Ashley. The hardest part isn’t just making a great film—it’s making people care enough to watch it. Identifying the hook and matching it to the right audience is key.
As for me, my favorite success stories is our first film Cheers, Maestro!—a 25-minute short we shot back in 2007. It did great on the festival circuit, won multiple awards, and even screened at Cannes Short Film Corner. But in terms of revenue? Zero. We haven't received any distributing deals so we had to start self-distributing.
For years, I struggled with finding the right strategy—until we started applying think we called later the Audience Engineering. Instead of just putting it out there and hoping for the best, we tested different hooks for different audiences. We set up a paid link on our own site and ran targeted campaigns, adjusting messaging to what resonated most.
Today, the film is still generating revenue, and we’ve refined our approach down to 6-7 specific audience segments, each with a tailored hook. It’s proof that with the right strategy, even an indie short can have a long and profitable life.
Curious—what’s a film that really grabbed you with its hook?
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The Substance, Pavel Starikin. They nailed the hook and promo. Did you see the movie?
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From the internet: "Some estimates suggest that from announcement to release, the average time for a Hollywood movie is around 871 days (just under 2 and a half years)"
If you release just a 2 minute video showing behind the scenes or interviews with cast and crew, you're giving out 1,742 minutes of information about your movie for literally free given what social media you use. Set up a website with daily updates and direct the audience to the material. If you divide that into 30 seconds commercials, that's 58 commercials spread over 30 months. That's literally a commercial every two weeks whether it's a trailer, a teaser, or BTS video.
Now some distribution companies won't distribute you because "You gave away too much of the movie." That's a lot of crap. They just can't overcharge you for marketing ploys that don't work anymore. From the first day of shooting to the wrap party, if the entire world doesn't know about your movie, you have failed your own project. There's still time during post production to correct that.
The bottom line is if you can create your own buzz, distribution companies will come to you and you'll be in a better position to get a fair deal. If they block you out or try and force you into making a terrible deal, make a video about it. The American audience is tired of corruption. They are tired of corruption in our politics and they are tired of corruption in Hollywood. Their disapproval over a small campaign for a beer product completely created massive losses for that company. Disney's Snow White is a literal black hole sucking profit into the void before it's release.
Don't be the victim. Make a great product that audiences will be entertained by and you can hold the cards. It's all about crafting a masterpiece that people will find escape in watching before they have to go back to work.
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Maurice Vaughan Yes, the promo was excellent. We're actually working on adapting this kind of approach specifically for independent films. Big studio projects have it all figured out, but ironically, it's the raw, honest, unpolished indie films that need strong positioning the most. Without a clear hook, even a powerful story can get lost in the noise. That’s exactly why we’re building a systematic method to help every film find its audience.
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Philip David Lee Brilliant take, Philip. 100% agree — if you're not building awareness while you shoot, you're setting yourself up for a silent release. That’s exactly why we developed the Audience Engineering system. It helps filmmakers find what to say, who to say it to, and where, before a single dollar goes into “promo.”
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This is an ongoing topic at the IPG, and part of the analysis recognizes that MPA cartel ownership of all major streaming channels necessarily means that algorithms, marketing, recommendations etc. are biased to major studio content. That means that independent producers have to explore all alternatives to promotion, and not rely on anyone else who should or may (or may not) promote the title. One of our answers, which I have often referred to here is the Direct To Audience Initiative, and this has now evolved into a structured set of tools and delivery systems that get the independent filmmaker to a global audience without resort to gatekeepers and middle actors who absorb their profits without giving value. We will be formally announcing the launch within the next several weeks. Stay tuned and people with projects entering prep all the way through to post, contact me direct if interested to hear more early on.
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Isn't a consideration for the audience, 'Who's in it and who's the director'? Also, the genre is an important consideration, particularly for the horror audience and indeed distributors. Oh and forgive me for being finicky, but on your poster, shouldn't it read 'Why no one IS watching your film' rather than, '.....are watching your film'.