After talking to some other filmmakers I feel better about the whole festival process. It's really all about who you know, and not much about the quality of your film. You see, I'm a nobody, don't know anyone of any importance in the industry, I set out completely on my own with this film and used it as a learning process.

Anyways, to the DVD... since the opening song in the film is by a fairly well known band called Guster, I was only able to acquire the festival rights for the song. So that means I have to change the opening song of the film, which is going to be a tough thing, because the song sets the perfect emotional tone for the beginning of the film and the film is edited to go along with the music. See for yourself:



So I have to find the "perfect" song to go along with it, for free or extremely cheap, most likely a band that is looking for some exposure. (If you are a band or know a band for which this might work, please contact me.) After I get the song, I'll have to re-edit the beginning and I'd like to rework a little bit of the film as well, then color correct and re-mix the audio for those sections. Not a quick, easy process for a no-budget film.

Since I've had about zero reactions to sending the film around, I don't want to bother with trying to set up a deal with some little DVD company out there, who would probably ignore the film once it was released. Thankfully the Internet lends itself to all kinds of self-distribution possibilities. There are quite a few companies that will help you release your DVD, while you retain the film rights and a good percentage of the sales. (If you're a filmmaker with any experience in this area, I'd love to hear from you.)

I don't expect to sell more than a few hundred copies, a thousand would probably be a windfall. But I don't need to sell many to get back what I put into this film. Mainly I want the film out there so people can see it for themselves.

Don't worry, I'll let you know when it's available.