Day in the life of
Vice President of Distribution and Marketing – Kristen Bedno
Vision Films is a global distributor which releases 3-5 films each month and has a library of over 400 titles plus several other vast libraries we represent.
My position entails making sure all of these films are available in the most accessible outlets for consumers. This entails working directly with the myriad of streaming platforms and pitching not just our films for release, but also pitching creative ideas to get them highlighted so in front of potential viewers. Marketing, publicity, and social media promotions are a big part of my roles, too.
So daily, I’m communicating with the streaming platforms, developing stunts and promotions, overseeing art and trailer creation, working directly with producers to onboard and market their films, overseeing the delivery of assets to platforms, and talking to producers with projects we could potentially acquire.
The biggest time suck in my role is metadata, which is essentially the consumer-facing information about the films including the synopses, filmmaker and talent credits, runtimes, etc. Each platform has a different format for inputting this endless array of metadata Extremely time-consuming!
Pros and Cons
Don’t work in the indie space if you want an 8-hour workday and to clock in/out at a specific time. To do it right, it is your life. But some of us thrive on that 24/7 type of schedule and if you’re motivated and don’t mind rolling up your sleeves, this is a truly rewarding career. Working with our vendors and producers that become legitimate friends is my very favourite thing. I love that I can use both the creative and analytic sides of my brain. And I love that, at an executive level, I have an opportunity to participate in panels and discussions that are driving the entertainment industry to be a diverse and inclusive place to work.
