A shot from Idiots & Angels.

So, it's the morning after the grand premiere of “Idiots and Angels” at the IFC Center. It was a wonderful evening, lots of old friends and a lot of new fans of Plymptoons.

I can't say it was a smashing success; even though we had good crowds for both evening shows we didn't have a sell-out, and that's the dream of every filmmaker: A nice fat “sold out” sign over the box office window.

A shot from Idiots & Angels.

Call it “Crazy Week” or “The Imperfect Storm”. It seems like everything is happening at once. First of all, in my studio, I'm trying to finish a low-budget commercial for an accounting firm. Then I'm working on animation for John Leguizamo' new feature, “Fugly”. Plus, I'm right in the very critical last week of sending my new Rizzoli art book, “Independently Animated: Bill Plympton”, off to the printers in China.

A shot from Idiots & Angels.

So things are going smoothly – I'm setting up a number of signings and showings in LA and NY.  Then I'm talking on the phone to Tom Akel of MTV who's setting up a new animation web channel (he even wants to bring back Liquid Television) and wants to do some interviews and maybe show some of my shorts, when I get this panicked call from my NY press agent;  the dynamo Phyllis Bishop. 

Turns out another cinema is playing Idiots and Angels and IFC is very angry because they thought they had an exclusive run of the film in NYC.  So I freak out because I don't want to alienate the IFC and I have no idea who else could be showing my film.  I go online and discover that Cinema Village is opening Idiots and Angels on exactly the same weekend! 

Bill Plympton's Team Idiots volunteer marketing force.

Today's a big day—we've been scouting the local schools for volunteers to help spread the word about Idiots and Angels opening up in NYC on October 6^th. So through the talents and guidance of Alexia Anastasio, we've built a group of 15 or so eager volunteers called "Team Idiots". Their bold mission is to go around midtown and the lower Manhattan area putting up posters and placing stacks of our postcards, so hopefully everyone will be aware of our film opening. It's called guerilla marketing.

Many people think that if you can't get the Weinsteins or Sony Picture Classics to distribute your film then it must be crap.  Perhaps for some films that may be the case, but let me talk about the differences between indie distribution and self distribution.

A shot from Idiots & Angels

As the release date is getting closer, October 6^th, 2010, I find that more and more of my work time is allocated to publicity about Idiots and Angels. I've turned down commercial work, pushed aside my new short, Cop Dog, and delayed work on my two new feature films because I've absolutely got to score big in the cinemas with “I&A.” So in this final week, I've been calling all my contacts, anyone who has a blog, website, a newspaper, a newspaper column, a TV show – anyone who can help get the word out, they are now my best friends.

A lot of you people have been following my travails with Idiots & Angels.  First, making the film, then in distributing the film.  In fact, I always say there are 3 major steps in the success of a film.