Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with this “independent entertainment sales” thing for a while now, and let me tell you, it’s been a ride. I wanted to share my experience, from the very beginning to where I am now, just in case anyone else is thinking about diving in.
First off, I started by just trying to figure out what I was going to sell. Music? Videos? Games? I spent a good chunk of time just brainstorming and writing down ideas. I was all over the place, seriously. After some serious thinking, I decided I wanted to focus on short films, that’s my real passion.
Next, I had to create some content. This was the fun part, but also the most time-consuming. I got my hands dirty with script writing, storyboarding, and eventually filming. It wasn’t easy, I did everything from finding actors to recording sounds. I even learned how to use some basic editing software – lots of YouTube tutorials, I’m not ashamed to admit it.
- Wrote scripts – some were okay, some were garbage.
- Filmed – this involved begging friends to be actors and borrowing equipment.
- Edited – hours and hours of cutting, adding music, and trying to make it look professional.
Once I had a few short films I was relatively happy with, I needed a way to sell them. I looked into a few different options. I thought about setting up my own website, but that seemed like a lot of work. I checked out some online platforms, but some of them took a huge cut of the sales.
Eventually, I settled on a couple of platforms that seemed decent. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. I uploaded my films, wrote some descriptions, and set the prices. It was a pretty nerve-wracking feeling, putting my stuff out there for the world to see (and hopefully buy).
Then, I had to figure out how to get people to actually see my films. This is where the marketing part came in. I’m no marketing expert, but I started by sharing my stuff on social media. I posted on all the usual places, like Twitter and Instagram. I even tried making a few TikTok videos, but I don’t think that’s my strong suit, to be honest.
Getting the Word Out
- Posted on social media – every day, multiple times a day. It was exhausting.
- Reached out to some film blogs and websites – a few of them actually wrote about my films, which was cool.
- Tried some paid advertising – this was a bit of a gamble, and I’m not sure it paid off.
Slowly but surely, I started to see some sales. It wasn’t much at first, just a few here and there. But it was enough to keep me going. I kept creating new films, kept promoting them, and kept learning along the way.
I’m still figuring things out, to be honest. It’s not easy, and there have been plenty of times when I’ve felt like giving up. But I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to see people enjoying something you’ve created. So if you’re thinking about doing it, go for it! Just be prepared to put in the time and effort.
