Fanbase & Email
Build Your Fanbase & Make More Money
Remember how we compared the Independent Film Economy to how podcasters get started? When podcasters have no listeners, they reach out to friends and family, inviting them to listen. Filmmakers wanting to make a living from indie movies should do the same. You have an advantage: a bigger network of professional relationships.
Think about your last film. You had 5 main actors, 3 extras, a cinematographer, a lighting technician, a sound engineer, a hair and makeup artist, and your best friend who helps on all your projects. That’s 13 people you can email and invite to subscribe to OPPRIME.tv. When those 13 fans open your email and click your film's Referral Link, you will be making $29.25 a month—a fantastic starting point!
​Testimony – Gabriel Turned Fans into $3,000
Take Gabriel Bennett, for example. He made a cool 4-minute animated short and wanted to do more than just break-even; he aimed to buy Autodesk Maya for $3,000 so he could create even bigger and better projects. When he first guessed how many subscribers he needed, he said, “about 1,300 subscribers.” But here’s the surprise—he only needed 185 subscribers paying over 7 months!
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Gabriel reached out to all his friends from art and filmmaking school, asking them to support him by subscribing to OPPRIME.tv. With their subscriptions, they could watch his film and explore a library of 1,000 award-winning indie films. Fast forward ten months, and he had enough money to buy Autodesk Maya! Even more impressive, 30% of our filmmakers earn $1,000 or more every month from their films—showing that taking that first step can really pay off!
Don’t Leave It to Luck
At OPPRIME.tv, we offer a free first meeting to every filmmaker who wants to explore our distribution options. No other company does this because it takes a lot of time and effort. But we think it’s important to understand what each filmmaker needs for their project. Without that first chat, it’s tough to solve their problems and help them succeed.​ Two questions I ask every new filmmaker are:​
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I always start by asking two key questions:
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How will you reach your intended niche and target audience?
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Who is going to pay to watch your movie?
When I hear responses like:
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“Everybody”
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“We have word-of-mouth”
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“Social media marketing… but I don’t have a marketing budget.”
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I can’t help but think, “You’re not going to reach anyone, and nobody will pay to watch your film.” When a filmmaker says “everybody,” it shows they aren’t targeting a specific audience. Without knowing who their true fans are, it’s tough to connect with people who really want to watch the film.
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While word-of-mouth can be powerful, it takes time to build. Relying only on that can lead to slow growth, especially if the filmmaker isn’t actively promoting their movie. It’s not a guaranteed way to get support.
Also, without a marketing budget, their social media efforts will be weak, and their posts might not reach many people. Effective marketing usually needs some investment to help get noticed and engage with more fans.
Ready, Set, Grow: Make Money from Your Email List!
Start with Friends First
Start by making a list of your closest contacts: friends, family, colleagues, and anyone who has shown interest in your work. These people are your first support group and will likely be your first subscribers. Send them a personal email that talks about your new project, explains why it’s important, and invites them to subscribe to your email list and share it with their friends.​
Crowdfund from Fans Works
​One ambitious filmmaker shared a smart strategy with me: he looked carefully at his Twitter followers to find the ones who often liked and replied to his posts. Even with just 2,000 followers, he made a special list of potential supporters. The filmmakers who earn money through their referral links on OPPRIME.tv all do one thing the same—they reach out to their followers and ask them to subscribe one by one. Their message is like a mix of asking for support and crowdfunding, and it goes something like this:
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“Please support my filmmaking! My film just came out on OPPRIME.tv, a great platform that really helps independent artists with real funding. For just $5.00 a month, you can subscribe through this link to watch my films and check out over 1,200 award-winning indie films from amazing filmmakers all over the world. If you love indie films, half of your subscription fee will help fund my next project. You’ll be supporting the arts and helping me create my next great film!”
OPPRIME.tv Guarantees You Money
Just like Spotify helps podcasters make money from their content, OPPRIME.tv helps filmmakers earn from their films. But the Independent Film Economy hasn’t fully used the amazing power of the Referral Link yet. As more people learn about our technology, sharing this call-to-action on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn will get easier and more effective. Right now, the best way to gain subscribers is by sending direct, personal messages.​
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One filmmaker decided to act by messaging people on Twitter in December 2023. By February 2024, he was already earning $300 a month from his ten-minute documentary! This shows how reaching out personally can really lead to good results!
Your Followers Really Belong to Mark Zuckerberg
Today, social media platforms decide how you connect with your fans, but it wasn’t always like this. Just six years ago, anyone with a Facebook page could easily reach most of their audience with every post. Then, Facebook realized they could make money from those fan relationships and changed their algorithms. Almost overnight, people’s organic reach dropped. Now, if you want to reach all your followers as an independent filmmaker, you have to pay to boost your content. The same goes for Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other big platforms.
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Take our OPPRIME.tv Instagram page, for example. We have 9K followers, all gained naturally by following Instagram rules and posting regularly. But when I share a post without paying to boost it, that “free” post might only be seen by about 200 people, even with 9K followers. This shows why email is a better way to talk to your fans—it lets you own the relationship and reach them directly.
Own Your Fanbase
You might not have your social media followers' email addresses, but you can change that by getting them to subscribe through your Referral Link. When they sign up, they give their email address to us, helping you build your contact list. Each month, you’ll get your Referral Link Royalty Payment through PayPal or Cash App. Plus, we’ll send you an Excel spreadsheet with all your subscribers and their email addresses.
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This means the Referral Link not only helps you earn money but also turns your social media followers into a valuable email list. By building this list, you take control of your audience and put the power back in your hands. With email, you can:
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Directly communicate with your fans
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Share updates about your projects
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Promote your future films
Having an email list is super important for independent filmmakers. It lets you keep control over your audience, no matter how social media platforms or their rules change. By turning your social media followers into email subscribers, you’re setting up a long-term plan to grow and support your filmmaking career. It’s like building a strong foundation for your future success!
Guaranteed Money & Bigger Audiences
We help you with the business of your art, so that you can make money from your creation. We guarantee you'll get results!
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Don’t just rely on generic royalty payments. Only OPPRIME.tv offers the Referral Link technology that lets you make money directly from your fans, giving you guaranteed earnings. No other indie film company can offer that!
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OPPRIME.tv helps you reach your film’s niche fans worldwide. We’ll show your film to the right audience—fans who want to be inspired by stories like yours.
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OPPRIME.tv also helps filmmakers build personal brands by promoting you to 80,000 new indie film fans on social media and email.
Your Dreams Matter
We offer you a free consultation because we care about your dream and want to help you carry it forward. Without a solid plan, success slips through your fingers. With OPPRIME.tv, we sit down with you, listen to your story, feel your vision, and guide you toward real results. Whether you're taking your first step or have walked this path before, we’re here to walk beside you now!