after them. Videos can be sold on a website, but most feel that a distributor is necessary. Do
your homework to discover who distributes what. In the United States stores like Wal-Mart,
Target, and Best Buy sell the most DVDs. Even your local grocery store can sell your
product. The Amazon Advantage Program accepts online applications for VHS or DVD
titles.
Independent Theatrical Features and Shorts
Independent films are marketed many different ways. Prerelease publicity, promotion, and
merchandising can help to build an audience for a film. A book about the making of a film
may help. A game developed at the same time as the film and released just before or at the
same time as the film can help to build an audience as well. Independents might obtain pub-
licity, and possibly distribution, by posting dailies on a website. International markets, like
the American Film Market (held in California) and MIFED (based in Milan), serve as a
meeting place for those buying and selling films.
Filmmakers might try for awards at the festivals or at least nomination publicity. Inde-
pendents and students can screen films at festivals like Sundance, Annecy, Ottawa, Toronto,
or Hiroshima to win awards and attract the interest of distributors. Students might also enter
in competitions for animated student films like those at the Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the United States.
Games and Interactive
Original animation is also marketed for computer software, games, CD ROMS, and DVDs.
The Game Developers Conference is held in San Jose, California, in the spring. The
Australian Game Developers Conference takes place in December in Australia, COMDEX
(a major computer show) is usually held spring and fall in the United States, E3 (games) sets
up an expo in the spring in the United States, the VSDA Conference (home entertainment)
is held in the summer in the United States, and the Children’s Interactive Expo (multi-
media) takes place in the United States in the fall.
Wireless and the Internet
Wireless is growing fast. In the United States Jamdat and Handango are two of the biggest
wireless content distributors, obtaining content from development partners. You can become
a partner of one or more publisher/distributors. To join the Handango Software Partner
Program, go to the website for more information. The Handango site lists the games of their
partners, and partnership allows access to international distribution channels.
The World’s Smallest Film Festival accepts short animations and digital films, three
minutes in length or less, meeting their criteria for mobile devices. Go to http://www.bigdigit.com/
splash for more information.
See Animation Magazineor AW Nonline for lists of festivals for promoting your Inter-
net short. These sources also list contact information for most of the markets listed. Gaming
on the Internet is profitable and growing. Yahoo! has sponsored an Internet online film
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