Dori Cohen
May 2016
I focused on distribution options for a film I am currently working on. The film focuses on the ride sharing app Uber but also looks at larger issues related to labor in the on-demand economy. I think the results of this research can be beneficial not only to people working on labor related documentaries but also to anyone thinking about how to approach distribution since many of my finding could be applied to different topics with slight adjustments based on subject matter.
My film looks at the ramifications of the 1099 economy. This is an economic model which relies on independent contractors rather than employees. Independent contractors do not get paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, workers compensation, retirement benefits or vacation days. These hard won benefits, which were won and safeguarded by unions over the last 75 years are in jeopardy of being lost as we move more toward a freelancer and part-time worker based economy. While this film will focus only on Uber the trend toward a 1099, parttime, and adjunct based economy is affecting many industries and professions and the film will also draw some of these connections.
I will follow a network of driver organizers as they work to organize a union and driver owned ridesharing
app based on the cooperative model. Interwoven throughout the film will be the voices of union organizers, labor lawyers, authors, and academics. They will provide a larger context of the social and political ramifications of this new economic model.
Distribution:
Audience: I see this film as having two main audiences.
- General Audience -raising general awareness about the future of work in the digital economy.
- I see it as a film (or I will create a shorter cut) that labor organizers can use in their advocacy efforts and in their efforts to organize.
Method:
The main method I used for my research was asking for suggestions and following the trajectory of similar films.
Overall Framework:
I think of distribution as having to parts. The first is the work that goes on during production and the second is how the finished film gets seen.
Thinking of distribution during production :
In part my film looks at the effects of the digital age on work, specifically as it relates to taxi drivers. However, the digital age has changed the nature of work in almost every industry, including filmmaking. I’m not an expert on this matter but I’m sure the advent of easy and cheap access to films has changed the landscape for distribution for independent documentary filmmakers. For example, a conversation with one documentary filmmaker revealed to me that one way in which documentary films often made money is by selling their product to educational institutions. Since these days institutions often have access to online content they no longer need to buy hard copies of films. Furthermore, distribution channels now sell films in bulk to institutions and as a result filmmakers are getting paid a lot less. As with most things related to the internet, there is also a plus side for filmmakers. Online platforms offer filmmakers with greater opportunities for not only reaching an audience but also building an audience. Therefore in my distribution plan I will talk about two ways in which filmmakers can utilize online spaces for distribution and audience building. When talking about distribution as independent filmmakers I think it is important to talk about audience building because the two work together and help sustain each other. It’s a lot easier to distribute a film if you have already generated excitement among people.
- Create a Youtube Channel in which you periodically upload small segments of your work. Tag these segments with keywords which will hopefully draw people interested in this topic to your film. You can also give these small segments to allies who are working on similar issues to post on their own social media sites.
- Crowdsourcing as a form of audience building. Of course there is nothing so new about crowdsourcing but I’m not sure if most filmmakers think of its broader potential. Crowdsourcing campaigns allow you to reach out to organizations, activists, individuals and other people who might be interested in your film and asks them to contribute a small amount to help bring your film into existence. There are two reasons why this is a good way to build an audience. First, it gives you a reason to reach out to a wide network of people and generate excitement about your work. Second, when people contribute they feel more invested in the film and are more likely to want to see the finished product. During one of our classes we spoke about some of the issues related to receiving grants from philanthropic organizations (which have their own agenda and governments (which have their own agenda). Crowdsourcing is a way to retain more freedom and not feel like you have to mold a project into a specific thing in order to receive a certain grant. It also could be a way of using your resources and building community which fits with Third Cinema ideals.
– Many of the below listed venus for showing the film are also people I could reach to in a crowdsourcing campaign. Another option is to offer these organizations a screening in exchange for an agreed upon contribution to the film. That way you are using distribution to help get the film made.
Places to Potentially Show the Film and Contact for Crowdsourcing.
Well known institution that is an important bedrock for labor issues in the city. Part of CUNY school of professional studies. It offers higher education programs for working adults and union members, and serves as a resource center to labor, academic, and community leaders seeking a deeper understanding of labor and urban issues. Many people might know about it but I feel like it’s a really important place for anything having to do with labor issues in NYC so important to include it in case someone didn’t know.
INDOCUMENTALES/UNDOCUMENTARIES
Not specifically relevant to labor issues but they might be interested since they are interested in immigration which often goes hand in hand with labor issues. I thought it was a good find for this project so I included it.
INDOCUMENTALES/UNDOCUMENTARIES is a US/Mexico Interdependent Film Series founded by three organizations located in New York City: what moves you?, Cinema Tropical, and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) at New York University. Through collaborative programming, the series has also partnered with other organizations such as the Mexican Cultural Institute and a vast array of host sites representing schools, nonprofits, and community organizations. As of 2013 the CUNY Institute of Mexican Studies has also become part of the Indocumentales team of copresenters.
Conscientious Projector
Conscientious Projector is a free monthly documentary film series, in association with the Armory Center for the Arts , Los Angeles. If focuses on social issues, geopolitical currents and economic and environmental challenges.
Film festival focusing on social justice issues. I thought it was good to include some lesser known film festivals that are theme specific. Also, most Human Rights film festivals could be good fit.
Left Forum
Left Forum is a conference with panels and discussions which bring together intellectuals and organizers to share perspectives, strategies, experience and vision. You can propose a panel around your film including a discussion with the subjects from the film.
Park Slope Food Coop
Reiko suggested this as a potential place to screen the film. Since the drivers are also thinking of starting a cooperative I think it would be a good fit. Also, it would be a good way to reach an audience that might not otherwise see the film because they are not directly related to labor issues.
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice [JFREJ]
I saw a film here on a similar topic that involved the Laundry Workers Union (they are the Union organizing B&H workers) At the screening that I went to the union activists spoke and also used this event as an opportunity to do some fundraising and raising awareness about other campaigns they are involved in.
NYU The Review of Law and Social Change
They hosted a similar film so I think they might be open. Universities can use this film as a conversation starter.
Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Same as Above.
Labor Studies Working Group
From their Website: “interdisciplinary group of faculty members and graduate students from Syracuse University. The primary goal of the group is to institutionalize Labor Studies at SU and to elevate labor―broadly defined―as a topic of intellectual inquiry and social and political importance on campus. The group meets on a regular basis to discuss research concerning labor and employment and to spark conversation on these issues on campus and in the community. Generally one could reach out to Political Science, Economics, and Law student groups.
Featured image for this article on “What’s Happening” page is borrowed from https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-auto/78306/uber-dealt-blow-by-eu-court