Friday night, I saw a movie I had been waiting for since I first became aware of it in the trades: Conclave. It did not disappoint. From the richness of the locations to the twists and turns of the story, to an Oscar-worthy performance by Raph Fiennes as Thomas Cardinal Lawrence, Conclave delivered on all fronts against an industry slowdown. Conclave’s ending was something I didn’t see coming, but when it did, it was a powerful message that will long be discussed in countless forums.

What inspired me as both a filmmaker and film enthusiast, is that a movie like Conclave, which isn’t based on a video game or other IP (intellectual property), can break through and resonate with audiences. In today’s fragmented media world where every film, streaming and TV show is vying for eyeballs and wallets, Conclave seems to have cut through the noise. With its modest budget of a reported $20 million (certainly by today’s film standards!), my hope is that it will recoup its investment for all concerned.

A couple of weeks ago, First Signal received its latest quarterly payment from Indie Rights. While I certainly don’t purport First Signal to be on the same playing field as Conclave, the one thing both these films have in common is marketing—and lots of it. Since First Signal’s release in 2021, I have been regularly marketing the film on several social media channels. Likewise, with Conclave the social media advertising has been going on for months before its release on Friday. Simply repetition of message is necessary if you want to be seen and heard.

When Indie Rights sends our quarterly payments, they recap the quarter with an in-depth newsletter that analyzes the market along with recommendations for success. I know I might sound like a broken record on this subject, but if you have a product you must market it. You must find an audience and just be consistent in your message. Because I promise you, someone with a similar or even lesser project, will do more and beat you to market.

At the request of a possible investor in my next feature, I prepared a report about First Signal and the marketing plan I created. When First Signal was released in 2021 it trended in the top 1% of IMDb and stayed in the top 5% for three years. While I consider myself fortunate that a film I made with nothing but passion and enthusiasm performed like it did, it didn’t happen on its own.  While the film was going through the festival circuit that’s when the marketing began, I knew I couldn’t wait until it was ready for a theatrical run before VOD release. Since the time I produced Justice Is Mind in 2013, the independent film market has exploded. When I think of the number of films that are produced on an annual basis, I’m just happy First Signal found its audience and provided a return.

While I’m obviously happy with First Signal’s performance, that does ratchet up the game for the next feature. Folks, consumer marketing is not easy. Believe me. I’ve been doing it for years. First in publishing, then in film. The market and tactics change all the time. I don’t have the answers to everything and God knows I’ve made my share of mistakes. But not to try, is perhaps the biggest mistake of them all.

Speaking of marketing, I want to give a shout-out to BMW—a company that truly understands its customers. In the early morning hours this week, when I started mine (2020 3 series) there was a message on the iDrive that stated I had a surprise. When I tapped the message, a 30-second Halloween video played that featured my car down to the color. It was smartly done and personalized (you’ll see my 3 series in the independent film Stonegate where I play Father Clayton).