Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith made Clerks (1994) for under 30,000 dollars on credit cards, and its success at Sundance became a blueprint for no-budget filmmakers. He later self-distributed Red State (2011) with a roadshow of live screenings and Q&As instead of selling it to a studio, and has used his podcasts and appearances to promote other low-budget films. He is a case study in building a direct relationship with an audience.