What is film marketing? Is it something you can afford to ignore? Do you think you can make a film and just sell it at festival? This does happen and films do get picked up but they have to be so damn good. Unfortunately this isn’t the case for the majority of independent feature films that are made, which never get seen or distributed to anyone except the cast and crew and their immediate families and pets.
If you want to sell your feature movie or get it seen by anyone then you’ll need to do some thinking about marketing strategy, no matter what the size of your budget. If you have no money and you are shooting a no-budget 75 minutes then your marketing strategy could be as simple as finding somewhere, like the local bar, to show your film. But whatever the case, it is good practice to start thinking about these details so you have experience and ideas when it comes to a bigger project in the future.
Let’s see how big movies go about marketing at different stages of their existence:
- Script development and Pre-production: This is where the idea is developed into a script, which is then written, redrafted and polished and the initial excitement is generated through the use of concept posters and artwork, internet buzz, word of mouth, forums etc.
- Production: The shooting of the film produces still photographs, cut sequences, early teasers, and on-set interviews for later broadcast on television or inclusion in the DVD.
- The Post-production period sees the emergence of a coherent trailer, show reels, preliminary poster elements for publicity campaigns and festival strategies.
- The finished film stage: Early screenings take place at festivals such as Cannes, Venice and Sundance to generate publicity and awareness.
- The distribution process: This includes press junkets, poster campaigns, theatrical trailers and national and international releases at specific times of the year. Here the public is allowed to see the film for the first time (test audiences will have already been used) and this audience and critical feedback will then influence any further marketing plans.
- Continuing distribution: All other markets such as in-flight entertainment, internet downloads, DVD and blue-ray are brought into play.
Public relation companies who specialize in media marketing are brought in to promote and ‘seed’ knowledge of the film, its story and images over all the territories where it will play.
Now, budgets are always tight on independent movies and you don’t have to follow this plan to the letter but there are sensible strategies here for everyone which you should implement. This will give you plenty of material with which to publicize your movie.
- Try and develop word of mouth about your forthcoming project. Join web based forums, discussion groups and post regularly with relevant and useful info.
- Develop a website where you can update your progress regularly but only if you can do it regularly and provide fresh content. This can later be a platform where you can have your film available for direct download if you want to go it alone.
- Produce your own concept poster using some decent software like Photoshop.
- When shooting make sure you grab as much behind the scenes footage as you can for your DVD extras. This should include director/writer/producer/DP interviews and anything else you can think of.
- ‘Stills’ photos are absolutely essential for publicity and marketing later. Get a good photographer to come in for a day on the shoot and take some great pictures of the lead actors and main action/dramatic scenes (you should to stage these specifically).
- Produce several different length trailers for a publicity DVD plus for viewing on your website and for download.
- Develop a festival strategy and decide which ones you will aim to enter. It’s important to know and be ready for festival submission dates.
- Produce a brochure with photos, DVD and other promotional materials ready to give to anyone who may be interested.