GET BUSY LIVING director Chris Burket had explored all the usual channels for getting the word out about his documentary without getting any significant traction. By adopting Partner-Driven Distribution, Show&Tell’s creative approach to distribution that prioritizes partnerships and virtual events, Chris and his team breathed new life into their film. By identifying and connecting with enthusiastic target audiences, they were able to expand the film’s reach and generate meaningful revenue.

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“I had no idea these possibilities even existed before doing virtual events.”

Chris Burket, director of GET BUSY LIVING

GET BUSY LIVING is a documentary about a professional skydiver’s tragic accident and 18-month road to recovery. After trying conventional approaches to distribution, director Chris Burket and team weren’t getting the traction they knew the film deserved, so they decided to change their strategy.

Using Show&Tell’s Partner Driven Distribution approach, the film team honed in on the film’s subject matter to identify prospective partner organizations in the world of medical rehabilitation. Targeting national conferences that attracted these audiences, the team then used Show&Tell’s virtual event platform to offer a free virtual event with a 15-minute preview version of the film to inspire attendees and drum up excitement for the film.

As a result, they were able to book three keynote presentations at national virtual conferences for nursing and physical therapy organizations. The team discovered that people in these caregiving professions were their target audience–their most enthusiastic fans. Building on the momentum of these national partnerships, Chris re-cut an hour-long version of the film and pitched it to PBS. Next summer, GET BUSY LIVING will screen nationally on PBS.