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Indie Film Marketing, and How Things Have Changed… (video) #GetIndieWise

I was on a panel about Indie Film Marketing at the Grand Indiewise Convention in Hollywood (Florida, that is…). I had the chance to share some of my experiences in the “old days” and how things have changed today with the proliferation of Social Media and new distribution channels. As the saying goes, “everything old is new again,” and I think that many of the marketing angles we applied “back in the day” can be applied to the Indie Film world today (but with a few new twists), and I share some of those ideas and tips in the video below. NOTE: This is an edited version of the panel, of mostly my bits, as I just had my phone pointed at me…  🙂

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Get Ready for a Super Time at Florida Supercon!

 

It’s Supercon time! On July 12-15, 2018 Supercon returns to the Broward County Convention Center, which is literally in my backyard, just a few minutes from my home. So how could I not take advantage of this great opportunity to promote my book to avid pop-culture fans!

I’ll be selling and signing books at Booth 735 all four days of the show. Also, on Saturday, July 14th at 1:00 pm I’ll be giving a presentation in Room 304 sharing some of the business and marketing lessons I learned working for Troma that have helped guide my career from B-movies to the C-suite!

During Jeff Sass’ 7-year tenure in Tromaville he worked on classics including TROMA’S WAR, TOXIC AVENGER II & III, CLASS OF NUKE’EM HIGH II & III, he co-wrote SGT. KABUKIMAN, NYPD and he was instrumental in the creation and launch of THE TOXIC CRUSADERS cartoon series and merchandise. In this entertaining and educational talk, Jeff shares the lessons he learned making Troma movies that have helped him throughout his career as a tech entrepreneur and CMO – lessons that you too can apply to your career. Fun Fact: When Jeff left Troma in 1994, they hired James Gunn to replace him…

(By, the way, I offer a customized version of this presentation as a free webinar for businesses that purchase 12 or more copies of the book  – contact me for more information).

If you are in South Florida and love movies, comics, cosplay and pop-culture you should definitely make your way to Supercon. It is an awesome event, with costumes, celebrities, tons of great products and merchandise, and great content sessions every day. Organizers Mike Broder and Sandy Martin and their team run an amazing show!

And if you do attend, please be sure to stop by Booth 735 and say hello!

 

 

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And the Reviews are in!

As you can imagine, when publishing a book, the reviews it receives carry a lot of weight in helping others decide whether they want to purchase and read it. I can remember in the good old moviemaking days how we waited with baited breath for the reviews to hit for our films. Even in Tromaville, reviews mattered and we were always thrilled when one of our meager movies got noticed by a mainstream reviewer. Like when Stephen Holden of the NY Times said Sgt. Kabukiman, NYPD, “…is funny in a Mad Magazine-manque sort of way…” That was a great review (and compliment). Even the late, great, Roger Ebert was often kind with his thumbs when it came to Troma’s fare.

As for my book, while it has only been a few weeks since Everything I Know about Business and Marketing, I Learned from THE TOXIC AVENGER has been published, the initial reviews on Amazon.com have been very positive. It is great to hear from people who have spent a few bucks and taken the time to read my words, especially to hear that they found value and inspiration from the stories and lessons I share in the book.

Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed the book so far. Here are a few highlights:

What can be learned from the B-movie industry? A lot, as it turns out. Brand consistency and predictability is important there as it is for Louis Vuiton. Jeff’s stories of the Hell’s Kitchen low budget studio are not only funny, they are highly transferable to other industries and environments… I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and I would put it up there with books like “Positioning” by Reiss and Trout if you want to really understand how marketers think.
– Fred K.

If you like movies, super heroes or have ever wondered what the real business of the independent film industry is like, you’ll enjoy this book and have great takeaway points about how to build and promote your products and services.
– Jennifer Wolfe

I’ve read a lot of business and marketing books that include banal examples from Corporate America. This book is very different; it brings life to business lessons such as the importance of teams through colorful stories from the author’s personal experience at B-movie studio Troma. Several of the business lessons are ones I haven’t heard anywhere else and make a lot of sense. I highly recommend picking up this book.
– Andrew

A delightful read! Engaging and educational at once. Jeff has a colorful and extensive background and I had numerous take-aways that I will apply in business and life – highly recommended.
– Montagne

If you have read my book and enjoyed it, I hope you will also consider leaving a review. It really does help. And, of course, please tell others about the book if you enjoyed it. 🙂