The TAO Framework: Part 2 - Purpose and People

[In Part 1 of this series, we introduced the Targeted Audience Outreach (TAO) framework—a new approach to connecting independent films with their natural audiences. We explored why traditional distribution often fails filmmakers and outlined the five stages that form the TAO journey.]

With our framework overview established, it's time to begin the actual work of building connection. Every meaningful relationship starts with understanding—both of ourselves and those we wish to reach. In this installment, we'll explore the crucial first steps: uncovering your film's true purpose and identifying who will genuinely resonate with your vision.

Step 1: Uncover Your True Intent

Every film has a beating heart—a core truth that drove you to sacrifice years of your life bringing it into existence. Before worrying about platforms or marketing plans, pause and unearth the deeper purpose:

• What made this story impossible for you to walk away from?
• What perspective or voice does your film bring that's uniquely yours?
• What feeling or realization do you hope lingers after the credits roll?
• What conversation are you starting in the world?

I've seen too many entrepreneurs and filmmakers rush past this crucial foundation. The impulses that drive our creative work often operate below conscious awareness—in what Jung calls our "personal unconscious." Working with archetypes and examining our shadow aspects helps surface motivations we might not recognize but that powerfully shape our creative choices.

There's something deeply clarifying about digging out these motivations, about looking beneath the surface of what initially drew you to the story. This isn't just a psychological and philosophical exercise. Your answers become the compass that guides every decision that follows, from who you reach out to, who you work with, to how you frame your film's importance. These insights reveal not just what your film is, but who it's truly for and how it should reach them.

Step 2: Discover Your True Audience

Forget generic demographics. This step is about finding the people who will genuinely resonate with your film's purpose—the direct extension of the creative intent you uncovered in Step 1. Your film's deeper themes and purpose often reveal exactly who needs to see it.

We'll briefly explore:

• The gap between your audience size wish and reality
• How to map audience needs to your film's themes and intent
• DIY research techniques for resource-limited projects
• How to estimate audience value—commercial or otherwise
• Prioritizing audience segments with strategic focus

Knowing who your audience is—and what they care about—grounds your entire outreach strategy. If you're aiming for revenue, or your goals are artistic or impact-driven, this step is where you draw your assumptions. You're asking: Does this land where it's meant to?

Clarity starts here—not with a marketing plan, but with real people and the reasons it matters they see your work.

Planning vs. Reality: The Assumption Testing Cycle

You may have heard of terms like comps ("comparables"). You look at films that are "comparable" to yours, and draw its potential from that. It's a staple in business plans. The problem with business plans—and I have seen hundreds of them—is that they're rarely close to reality. They're often wishful thinking, designed to please potential investors. Sales get overestimated by at least a factor of 2 (usually more), expenses are grossly underestimated, and timelines stretch sometimes to infinity.

The mindset on how to approach your audience needs to shift. It starts with assumptions. And they are just that: assumptions. Not truth. Not reality. But your best guess at what your audience is like, how it can be reached, and what kind of impact you can create.

Audience Identification in Practice

Here's a concrete example. For the cinéma vérité documentary I'm working on, I've identified film schools and cultural organizations as my primary audience. This represents what's called a business-to-business-to-consumer approach (B2B2C)—rather than marketing directly to individual viewers, I'm focusing on organizations that will share the film with their own communities.

In practice, this means selling licenses to film schools who would use the documentary in their curriculum, seminars, or special screenings. These institutions become partners in connecting the film with exactly the audience who would value it most: students and enthusiasts of film history who are actively seeking to understand cinematic movements.

Next comes market sizing. Working internationally with a focus on Europe and US film schools and cultural institutions, I've gathered an initial list of more than 400 organisations. There are surely more, but for now, the key question to answer is: what percentage will actually purchase a license? Past experience with similar specialized content suggests somewhere between 3-5% conversion is realistic when working with a highly qualified list like this one. But assumptions are just starting points—only actual outreach will confirm what's possible.

As you calculate your potential sales from the different audience segments, your financial projection shapes what your film can sustain—its budget size and whether your audience outreach can be accomplished within current resources. It's part planning, part actual work on the ground, continually refining your approach based on real-world feedback.

With a clear understanding of your creative purpose and target audience, you've now established the essential foundation of your distribution strategy. These insights provide the compass that will guide every decision that follows.

In the final part of this series, we'll explore how to transform these insights into action through thoughtfully designed channels, meaningful relationship building, and purposeful implementation. We'll complete our journey through the TAO framework by focusing on the practical pathways that connect your film with its intended audience.

Before we continue, I'd love to hear about your experiences defining your creative purpose and audience. Have you found alignment between your deepest intentions and your outreach approach? Share your thoughts in the comments—your insights might help fellow filmmakers and shape our upcoming exploration.

[To be continued in Part 3, soon...]