AUDIENCE DESIGN & DISTRIBUTION 
New Perspectives on Story & Audience
November 10th, 2022
from 16.00 - 19:00 pm
followed by Networking Drinks

Location: KOMED im Mediapark Köln, Im Mediapark 7, 50670  Cologne

The rapidly changing documentary industry has influenced our strategies and means of distribution. We have to redefine our roles as authors, producers, distributors and broadcasters. We have to be more flexible. And more than ever: We have to know our audiences. 
How can documentaries better connect to their audiences to gain visibility and generate impact? The session will focus on new opportunities in reaching audiences and give insights into new options for distribution on multiple platforms.
The event is organized by Documentary Campus, in collaboration with the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and Creative Europe Desk NRW.
Curated by Eva Rink, VIVE la DOK, Berlin. 

Program: 
Audience Design and its potential for documentaries
Speaker: Paul Rieth, Strategist, Tutor and Lecturer , Germany 

How can “Audience Design” be used to identify interested audiences at an early stage, in order to think about and involve the audiences more intensively during the development, production and release of a film? Audience Design as method identifies themes, settings,  protagonists and background information within a treatment and/or the finished film to develop touch points that allow access to specific audiences. 
This session will explain how through effective audience strategies and online marketing, target groups can be addressed from the beginning of the film production and thus become valuable multipliers within the whole production and distribution process. 

Producing for various platforms 
Case Study: Game of Minds (2022, FIN/DE)

Speaker: 
Marianne Mäkelä, napafilms, Finland
Martin Roelly, Corso Films, Germany 

“Game of Minds” is a ‘documentary content universe’ about young professional esports gamers who try to make it in the very harsh industry with the help of the world’s best sports psychologist. 

“Game of Minds” is a simultaneously produced production of a one-off feature film (75min), web series (4 x 20 min) and two different types of social media series (5 x5 min & 10 & 1min).  In this case study, the producers share insights into how they carefully planned and produced with multiple platforms, broadcasters and audiences in mind. 

Creative digital distribution strategies
Speaker: Vincent Lucassen, Aggregator, Under the Milky Way, Austria 

What needs a filmmaker/producer to know about streaming- and Video-on-Demand platforms to plan a successful digital distribution?: Above all awareness of the change of exploitation windows and global availability as well as  the importance of community building and audience targeting. 

The technology changes, driven by global investment capital and worldwide operating platforms, are re-shaping the film exploitation since the beginning of this century. Companies like Apple, Google and Amazon follow a strong competitive strategy in which the needs of filmmakers and film producing companies are just a tiny factor and prices for watching films tend to go further downwards.
In a short overview Vincent Lucassen will show the latest trends: the effect of the pandemic, the future of VoD and the influence of cinema and social media.