Elizabeth Austin: Operas and features and distribution, oh my!

If you’ve ever finished a film and immediately whispered “cool… but what now?” this one is for you.

Ilse sits down with Elizabeth Butler Austin, VP of Sales and Licensing at Echelon Studios, for a real-world look at how movies actually find an audience once the creative part is over.

Elizabeth breaks down what distributors are thinking the second they watch a screener, why metadata and deliverables can make or break a deal, and the biggest misconceptions filmmakers have about streaming, FAST channels, and whether advances are even a thing anymore.

She also gets into the stuff nobody wants to learn the hard way: music clearances, runtime realities (yes, length matters), and why key art that feels like “trash can Santa” can absolutely tank a release. Smart, practical, and weirdly comforting.

Follow Elizabeth and check out what Echelon Studios is releasing next.

Hosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezacharias

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Thank you to our sponsor, Mezcla Media Collective. Please follow them on Instagram @mezclamediacollective and join the community at mezclamediacollective.org