Filmmaker Freedom

Meet the man who convinced me it actually is possible to earn a living self-distributing your films.

Show Notes

Today on Filmmaker Freedom, an in-depth interview with Mike Dion.

Now, Mike's not a household name in the film community, but to my mind, he's one of the real pioneers of indie film entrepreneurship.

In fact, since 2010 Mike's put out a handful of features that appeal to an extremely small, niche audience. But despite the size of the niche, Mike's managed to make a good living for himself—without film festivals, distributors, sales agents, or any middle men whatsoever.

Instead, Mike has figured out how to sell directly to fans, put on his own theatrical tours, create cool physical products, and lots more. He even created something called the Whole World Wide Premiere, where you create an amazing in-person event for your film, but then livestream it to the world and charge for access.

Point is, Mike has been on the cutting edge of direct distribution for a long time. And today, you're going to hear his story, and get the inside scoop on some of the strategies he's used to make the films he loves, and make a living completely independent of the industry.

So let's get to it.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

What is Filmmaker Freedom?

Filmmaker Freedom is a new kind of filmmaking podcast. It's handcrafted it for those of us who like to think outside the box, to experiment, to walk our own path instead of doing things the way they've always been done. If you want to make make films you're proud of and make a living from it, this is the show for you. It's full of clear, focused, and actionable advice to help you succeed as an indie filmmaker in a constantly changing world.