More is what keeps us going. More is why we wake up. More is what keeps us alive. More is our fuel for the grind. The inspiration. The aspiration. More works when you are ready to meet it. More is there when you least expect it. We should always be thankful for more.

In my career track more has never disappointed. It has left me wanting, desiring, seeking, understanding. More wasn’t always that clear to me but over time it proved to be my guide, my teacher, my anchor. I sought more for a long time but not in any greedy or gluttony sense. I wanted more not because of anything ostentatious or pretentious. More was not a motivation to get more likes or shares on social media. I wanted more for the simple sake of keeping me on track, allowing me to stay in tune to my destiny–helping me stay aligned with my purpose and truest intention.

With my latest documentary film more is essentially what I sought throughout the filmmaking journey. But as an independent filmmaker who usually works from concept to completion on projects more came after my film was already signed, sealed, and delivered. This time more presented itself in distribution. It’s a great feeling to shop around a new title looking for distributors (or, in this case, self-distribution). Finding creative ways to reach new audiences in the midst of a global health pandemic was a bit of a challenge. There I was putting press releases together, sending out thousands of emails (no exaggeration on the number range), making cold calls, and doing some leg work for the next opportunity at exposure for my finished product. I wanted more. But I had to be patient with more. The challenge of climbing up the marketing/PR mountain requires patience. Press releases get distributed but not easily read. Emails get sent off but not replied to until days later–if you’re lucky. Voicemails are rarely listened to, calls don’t always get picked up. And, digital platforms go through their own timely phase of streaming independent titles with their rules for specs and legal clearances.

In just five months I was able to get my latest film, High On Heels, to be distributed on two popular digital streaming platforms with hundreds of viewers tuning in daily. I was able to get up to 5 news/magazine websites to post a featured article about my documentary. I was able to get fashion bloggers to give me a social media shout-out and a hyperlink or two. I landed podcast and radio interviews. A few film critics chimed in with short and long reviews. All this at a considerate, doable price of financial means, time, and initiative. Did and do I still want more? Absolutely. But more than wanting more in terms of exposure to my recent work is something even more subtle yet vital to my focus on succeeding as an independent documentary filmmaker. I now learn first-hand what it takes to win in this new digital 21st century landscape of media saturation. More taught me to play the long game.

I now know that it really takes more to get to the next level. It takes persistent yet proper communication from concisely, written missives to one-minute-and-less elevator pitches. It takes constant drudging through “no”s and soft “maybes” to keep at the ambition of getting your project noticed, watched, reviewed, and shared. It takes timely events to seek new creative en-routes to reach your targeted audience. It plainly just takes more. In an ever-increasing digital landscape where new streaming apps are delivered as fast as content itself it takes more to get eyeballs on one’s work. This attention to detail, learning how new markets emerge and studying what ways people now consume videos and films is paramount. To deliver your original content is a matter of how much one wants it. In my case, how much more I want it.