Age is No Barrier: The Plan to Bring ‘Silver Screamers’ to the Audience That Inspired It

I’ve learned that you can only truly maintain a career in this industry if you FORCE the success of your previous film.  And by force l mean “ensure by any means necessary” that your film is going to find an audience. Because if YOU don’t make a monumental effort to do so, it likely won’t pan out. 

I’m currently in post production on my new movie called Silver Screamers, a heartwarming and spine-tingling documentary that follows a group of spirited senior citizens as they embark on an extraordinary adventure far outside their comfort zones: creating a horror film. It’s a film with broad intergenerational appeal, primarily targeting seniors. And while I hope to finish up all the post production in the next couple of months, my distribution efforts are already starting now.

Making the movie, as crazy as it seems, is the easy part. So how am I going to find an audience for this next film?

Well, I’ve come up with a bit of a strategy for Silver Screamers, and I’m happy to share if you want to follow along. In addition to working with our well-respected distributor Blue Ice Docs on what we call the “Theatrical A” plan (meaning the traditional theatrical, video-on-demand, and broadcast windowing system that most of us are used to by now), I’m also going to be supplementing their hard work by implementing the “Theatrical B” plan in various non-traditional venues, aiming to engage directly with senior communities to ensure a collaborative, respectful and impactful approach to storytelling. This will entail reaching out to as many retirement homes, senior active living centres, and senior community groups across Canada over the next several months and letting them know this film is in the works.

My aim is to book as many screenings in this manner as possible to supplement our theatrical revenue. Interested organizations can sign up for our mailing list, as well, to make communication easier: https://mythicproductions.ca/project/silver-screamers/

I’m going to try and post regular updates along the way and be honest and transparent about whether this grassroots initiative pays off in the long run. I might not have any solid data to share for another year or so. But happy to share what’s working and what isn’t working along the journey. Is it daunting work? Yes! But if I don’t ensure the success of the film, who will? When I tell colleagues, they think I’m crazy. I think it’s crazy NOT to try.

So, if you happen to be connected to someone who runs a seniors organization, or someone in healthcare who works in senior programming, and you are open to making a connection, I’d be forever grateful if you could put me in touch.