ProSocial’s CEO Speaks to the Producers Guild of America
It’s often part of our job at ProSocial to produce panel discussions, but recently, we also had the pleasure of being involved with one that we weren’t in charge of organizing. On February 9, our CEO, Meredith, was featured at a workshop for the Producers Guild of America (PGA), the first in a series from its Social Impact Entertainment Task Force. The event focused on the marketing and distribution of social impact entertainment: films and TV intended to not only entertain audiences but also engage them with social issues. In attendance were about 100 producers who were diverse in gender, age, and ethnicity, ranging from younger assistants to award-winning industry veterans.
Moderated by producer William Nix, Chairman of the Creative Projects Group, Meredith’s panel also featured Mitchell Block, founder and CEO of Direct Cinema Ltd., and Stuart Volkow, a consultant with expertise in media and entertainment technology. The discussion often touched on the shifting trends and disruptions in entertainment distribution, such as the rise of Netflix and the escalating amounts of content competing for viewers.
For independent filmmakers seeking to get their issue-oriented film in front of audiences, Meredith made the point that if you land a distributor to put your film in theaters, on a streaming platform, or on TV, additionally bringing on a social impact agency like ProSocial will help broaden your audience and go further in activating them. And if your film doesn’t get picked up by a distributor or you choose not to pursue one, then investing in a social impact campaign can provide de facto distribution—strategically identifying powerful audience segments and using screening tours, influencer events, and supplemental content to enable them to see and share your film and engage with calls to action.
Despite the many changes and challenges for distribution, Meredith emphasized, there’s good news: More and more philanthropists and foundations are interested in underwriting social impact campaigns for entertainment media. (And although ProSocial doesn’t directly fundraise on behalf of films, our services do include strategy documents and decks to help filmmakers obtain campaign funding.) Traditional distributors are increasingly recognizing the benefits too, for scripted films as well as documentaries—although, as Meredith noted, it’s important to know how to “speak their language” to convey how an impact campaign can support their marketing priorities.
It’s also great news that PGA has created the Social Impact Entertainment Task Force and committed to providing members with events, activities, and resources relating to social impact entertainment, media, and storytelling. We appreciated hearing from several PGA members who came up after the panel discussion to express thanks and interest in our work, and we look forward to continuing the conversation!
