The short version
In early 2020, documentary filmmaker Keith Ochwat partnered with HQ to build Show&Tell, a platform that lets independent filmmakers distribute their own films and earn revenue directly from their audiences. HQ designed and developed the custom platform, where a filmmaker can sell tickets and host screenings without relying on a traditional distributor. Filmmakers can also take donations and sell merchandise, and sponsorship tools let them partner with other organizations. The platform also carries lead tooling for filmmakers, with leads tagged by event and moved through stages in batches. Filmmakers using Show&Tell have raised $12 million collectively, and individual documentaries have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars each. More than 85 films have been placed on PBS national broadcast, including one that reached 90% of US markets. Show&Tell has hosted thousands of events and now serves a worldwide community of more than 7,500 filmmakers.
1) Client background
The film industry has long been dominated by large streaming platforms, leaving independent filmmakers with few options to monetize their work. Filmmakers may pour thousands of dollars and years of work into film festivals and chasing streaming deals, only to realize that even if successful, they may end up with little control over their revenue or audience engagement.
Show&Tell, founded by documentary filmmaker Keith Ochwat, provides an alternative: a platform that helps filmmakers not only control their own distribution and generate revenue directly, but build relationships with their audiences.
Chemistry really matters
“Chemistry really matters. Communication matters. The reason our collaboration worked so well is that we always had really good communication.” Keith Ochwat, Founder of Show & Tell Films
2) The challenge
Keith’s experience as a filmmaker showed him that the traditional distribution models weren’t working. In order to create a new platform to address the issue, the Show&Tell team needed:
- A flexible, user-friendly product for users without technical backgrounds
- The ability for users to screen and monetize their films
- Something scalable, capable of handling thousands of users
Since Keith didn’t have a technical background, he needed a development team he could trust to help him turn this idea into a functional product.
3) The MVP
Keith partnered with HQ in early 2020, just before the pandemic forced the film industry to rethink distribution. The shift to virtual screenings made Show&Tell’s mission even more urgent, and the two teams worked to build a custom platform that would allow filmmakers to monetize their films directly.
Keith points out that when someone initially sets out to create an MVP (minimum viable product), it’s often based on assumptions. As more filmmakers have used the product, Show&Tell has continued to evolve based on real-world feedback.
“We’ve now helped filmmakers host thousands of events through the platform, and part of that process is learning better how we can support filmmakers more efficiently.”
Show&Tell now allows filmmakers to sell tickets, host screenings, partner with sponsors, sell merchandise, take donations, and connect with audiences, all without relying on traditional distributors.
4) What results has Show&Tell seen?
Since launching, Show&Tell has proven that independent film distribution can be both profitable and sustainable. Some of the key outcomes include:
- Individual documentaries have been able to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars
- Thousands of filmmakers using Show&Tell to distribute their films
- Sponsorship tools allow filmmakers to partner with other organizations
Now hosting a worldwide community of over 7,500 filmmakers, Keith said his team did not anticipate such a global network of filmmakers wanting to use the platform.
5) The lead tooling underneath
A filmmaker running an event is also running a small business, so the platform carries the tooling for it. Leads are tagged by event, and a team can move a batch of them through stages in one action instead of one record at a time.
Getting there meant a migration. Years of leads sat across four separate spreadsheets with inconsistent columns, and they had to come in deduplicated against one email per person.
That old data raised a question worth answering carefully. Early forms let people type free text, so those answers do not sit neatly beside the structured answers the new forms collect. We gave the historical answers their own table, which keeps the new ones searchable field by field while none of the old ones are lost.
