Ohlson Leads IFP Narrative Filmmaker Labs

Revelator’s Head of Production, Chris Ohlson, was recently invited to lead a “Non-Traditional Distribution” Workshop at the IFP Narrative Filmmaker Labs, which were held at the Made in NY Media Center in New York City. The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the largest and oldest not-for-profit dedicated to independent film, and champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution.

According to Ohlson, participating in the lab was a great experience. “I was able to share details on how Thank You A Lot and Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter found their way out into the world in a detailed and practical way,” Ohlson said. Speaking alongside Josephine Decker (Thou Wast Mild and Lovely and Butter on the Latch) and Lab Leader / Filmmaker Jon Reiss, Chris described his experience as a “full circle moment” since he attended the same workshop back in 2010 as a fellow.

(photo courtesy IFP)

While speaking about the release of Thank You A Lot, Chris also shared how he and his video production team created their own distribution approach. This approach included combining TUGG Theatrical Screenings along with a VOD Release (via Gravitas Ventures) while simultaneously releasing their own DVD (hint: you can buy that DVD, right here, right now.)

Lab Fellows were also eager to hear about Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, as the film had just finished its multi-week theatrical run in NYC at the IFC Center. This was a humbling conversation, according to Chris. “I stressed the challenges of distributing a film to the public nowadays,” Ohlson said. “Kumiko had an amazing sold-out Sundance Premiere, a stellar international premiere at Berlinale, and went unsold for nearly 6 months after the film had won numerous awards,” Ohlson added. The production team ultimately partnered with the good folks from Amplify Releasing, who did a great job placing and marketing the film. Another hint…Kumiko is now available for purchase on Blu-ray.

(photo courtesy IFP)

Chris concluded the workshop by providing some ‘upbeat thoughts’ on the distribution process and film production overall. “Thank You A Lot and Kumiko were able to find their specific audiences, through a lot of hard work, creativity and perseverance,” Chris said. “I’m incredibly excited about all the new, innovative ways we can release content out into the world… but it doesn’t change the fact that a great deal of creativity and determination has to go into the release and distribution strategy as well.” Congrats to Chris on such an incredible invitation and check back for more exciting news from our Revelator production team.

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ABOUT REVELATOR: Revelator is a full service film & video production company in Austin, Texas. We like to write, produce, & edit projects for t.v. and the web. We specialize in brand films, corporate identity work, as well digital advertising and t.v. broadcast advertising. If you need help with your script, production, or just an idea, give us a call.

REVELATOR SERVICES: Video Production, TV Commercials, Brand Films, Virtual Reality, VR Experiences, Script Writing, Music Videos, Lifestyle Videos, Technology Videos, B2B Videos, Product Videos, Feature Films, Motion Graphic Videos, Turnkey Solutions, and Live Event Video Production.