Short film marketing
Content
SHORT FILM producers guide
Producers Guide Overview
The marketing life of your short film is generally no longer than two years so it’s crucial to capitalise on this time by developing a clear marketing strategy. Ideally your marketing strategy should be drafted alongside the development of your project. This will ensure that you allocate a budget for your promotional needs and schedule time during filming to complete your publicity activities (media set visit, stills photography etc).
[
This guide can assist you in the creation o f your sho rt film or lo budget fe w ature film marketing strategy.
]
Marketing strategy what to include ?
Your marketing strategy should address these key elements: 1. Project Overview 2. Marketing Objectives 3. Target Markets 4. Promotion 5. Film Festival Strategy 6. Press Kit
“Professor Pebbles”
Project Overview
Your marketing strategy should start with a project overview. This is a short description of your project (one or two para) including the genre, subject matter and the unique features that set it apart from other short films (e.g. first-time filmmaker, innovative filmmaking style).
“Storytime”
Marketing Objectives
Your marketing objectives should be three or four key aims that will define and shape your marketing strategy. The objectives should be based on your project’s strengths and weaknesses and the current state of the global film economy.
While your key marketing objective should be to gain recognition and the widest audience possible you should also consider these questions when defining your objectives: Do you have other projects that you hope to secure financing for or promote as a result of your marketing of this project? Do you want to connect with a sales agent or other filmmakers by attending film festivals? Will you target film festivals or distribute the film electronically? (e.g. via iTunes) What research or consultation have you undertaken to assist with developing your objectives? Is the short film/independent film market booming or experiencing a downturn? If so, how will this affect your project?
“ Talkabout Walkabout”
Target Markets
Identify and describe the type of market(s) that would be interested in your short film. You can describe this in relation to demographics e.g. gender, age range, subculture (distinctions based on ethnicity, class, location etc) and values. Your target markets will help to shape your film festival strategy and inform all steps of your marketing strategy.
Consider wha t media your target markets consu me/rely upon for information (e .g. print, radio , TV, internet) as th is will inform yo ur promotional a ctivities.
[ TIP! ]
“Done Dirt Cheap”
Promotion
Your promotional activities should meet your marketing objectives by utilising some or all of these elements: • Internet (e.g. website, blogging) and social marketing (e.g. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter) • Public relations (e.g. releasing a media statement) • Advertising (e.g. print, radio, television, internet) • Marketing materials (posters, flyers, postcards etc) Your choice of promotional activities should also be tailored to the media usage of your target market (e.g. if your target market is middle-aged then you should utilise traditional media including newspapers and radio).
“ The Deep End”
Promotion cont.
Marketing materials are not always the most cost effective way of achieving your marketing objectives. Before you produce any marketing materials you should consider these questions: • • What is their purpose? Will the materials direct people to a website for further information or promote a specific screening? Where will the materials be distributed? This should affect the content and type of marketing material you produce. Film festivals receive large amounts of marketing material from filmmakers; as a result this material can go to waste, especially if you are not physically at the festival to hand out the material to the public. Marketing material for short film submissions may also not contribute to the festival’s consideration of the film. Your materials are more likely to be utilised by a festival if the design is strong (e.g. an eye-catching poster) or if the design matches the festival’s image / brand. Some films are submitted with a ‘designer’ hard-copy press kit, however this may be an unnecessary cost and only relevant if the film has been selected for a market that is attached to a film festival. An electronic press kit with good quality electronic stills is usually all that is required to accompany your film entry.
•
Promotion cont.
If your film is selected for a film festival, you are recommended to contact the festival publicist to discuss: Ways you can assist with promoting your project; Local newspapers to actively pitch stories for media coverage; Whether marketing material for your film will be effectively used or if it will go to waste; How much marketing material you should deliver (if required); and Also inform the publicist of previous festival screenings and any relevant territory premieres (e.g. North American premiere).
If you are sele cted to a high profile festiva l then conside r releasing a m edia statemen t. Any media clip pings should be scanned and included in yo ur press kit as p ublicity is view ed favorably by fe stivals.
!] [ TI[PTIP! ]
“ Karla”
Film Festival Strategy
Your festival strategy should be based on your marketing objectives, target market(s) and the unique features of your film.
Consider these points when creating your film festival strategy: What festivals will you be targeting and why? Is your festival strategy realistic? Many filmmakers aim for a screening at one of the prestige film festivals (e.g. Cannes, Sundance, Toronto) but these festivals only select a small number of very high quality films. Be realistic about your festival prospects and don’t waste time and money by entering festivals that may not be relevant to your film. Research the type of films (genres) that are usually programmed at film festivals. i.e. if you have made a short observational doco and a film festival only usually screens short comedies then you should not be targeting that film festival. Start by targeting festivals locally (e.g. in your home city/state) so you can build a profile and support network for your film, especially if you utilise social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter). The profile of your film will be viewed favorably by other film festivals as an indication of your film’s potential audience and success. Be aware of territory premieres: a festival may not screen a film that has previously screened in the same city/ state/country. If you do not have experience with entering film festivals, seek advice from a producer who does. If you have been selected for a festival, contact any filmmaker you know who has previously been accepted to the festival for tips and advice, especially if you aim to attend the festival.
Press Kit
This is an example of the information and material you should include in your press kit: • • • • • • • • • • • • One-liner / tag line* Short synopsis (one or two paragraphs) Long synopsis (less than one A4 page) Production images** A medium close up shot of the director Director’s statement*** Short bio/CV of the key creatives (e.g. producer, writer, director) Technical specifications (e.g. language, duration, ratio, shooting format, screening format, sound) Festival and award success Cast and crew credit list Contact information and link to website Scanned press clippings (include the name of the publication, page number and date)
These items should be available on request: • • • Post production script Rights clearances Additional stills
Unless otherw ise specified by the film fest ival, all of this material sh ould be sent electronically or on a CD/ DVD.
[ TIP! ]
“Medusa: First Date”
Press Kit cont.
* One-liner / tag line: Things to consider: can a journalist easily include this in a story? Is the statement comprehensible to a reader? Can a publicist easily include the line in a media statement? Ask a friend/someone not closely connected to the film if this accurately reflects the core of the film. ** Production stills: Hopefully you have a number of photos taken by a professional photographer (and are not relying on potentially low resolution screen grabs) so that you have eye-catching production and behind-the-scenes images to offer to the media and festivals. Eye-catching images are more likely to be used in festival marketing materials, which will increase the profile of your screening. Images should be colour (unless your film is B&W) and you should submit two electronic formats for each image: high resolution format for print reproduction (300 dpi, at least 1MB, CYMK); and low res format for websites (72 dpi, RGB). All images should be electronically labelled identifying all cast and crew in the image as well as describe the resolution format (e.g. Director_Bill_Bloggs_on_set_of_FILM_ TITLE_300DPI.EPS). A photo log can also be provided as a Word document with a list of each image file name and the corresponding caption (e.g. L-R Director Bill Bloggs on set in Albany with actors Tony Mac (‘Jimmy’) and Jane Betts (‘Jessica’)); the name of the photographer for crediting; and copyright information (e.g. Copyright Joe Bloggs Films). The festival may specify how many images you can submit or you should send 1 or 2 set-up poster shots; 2 or 3 A shots (which tell the story of the film in one shot); character shots including a medium close up of each of the principal cast; key relationship shots; and 5 set-up behind the scenes shots.
*** Director’s statement: Include info about any projects that are in dev and mention anything unique about the director that a journalist would be interested in e.g. first time filmmaker or personal connection to the story.
“My Shout”
Other Tips
Continue to refine and revise your press kit and marketing strategy based on feedback received and recent news/festival screenings; these documents should not be static. Seek advice from fellow filmmakers and attend events where you can gain knowledge from pros with years of experience. Success with a short film can lead to interest from a talent agent to represent you and help you get more work. If your film is in a high profile festival it may get noticed by a visiting agent or you can submit your film to local and international agents. Withoutabox.com and ShortFilmDepot.com enable filmmakers to easily enter multiple film festivals online and receive notifications of upcoming festival entry deadlines. Save time and money by setting up a free Blog that can function as the website for your film e.g. Wordpress.com, Typepad.com, Blogger.com. Keep your short film short (10mins or less) and snappy to increase your chances of festival selection. Tips for film festival submissions: Regularly update IMDB and Withoutabox with your screenings and award wins to increase your chances of festival selection. Avoid buying cheap quality DVDs as they are more prone to faults. Before you submit a DVD to a festival, check that it works on a few different DVD players. Check that your DVD is the correct region code and that it is the correct television encoding system for the territory (e.g. NTSC or PAL). Label all DVDs / tapes clearly with the title, length, aspect ratio, contact name and contact details. Consider putting a watermark on the screener DVD for security purposes. This can be a logo or text but don’t make it too obvious or distracting for the viewer; a simple visible watermark in the bottom corner is sufficient. The watermark can be set for the duration of the film or set to appear every 20mins or so for a few moments at a time.
WEBSITES FOR MORE INFO
The Flickerfest Filmmakers Resource website has useful tips on how to maximise your time on the film festival circuit. The AFC (now Screen Australia) released the document Marketing Short Films Internationally in May 2004. Note that some of the funding info is no longer relevant and the festival deadlines and details may be out of date. The Young Filmmakers Fund Marketing Guide is available from the ScreenNSW website (formerly the NSW Film and TV office). The Film & Television Institute (FTI) has forums on their website where you can post marketing related questions. Shortfilmcentral.com is an international short film database where you can create a short film profile. This great YouTube clip (9mins) from Screen Yorkshire is a concise intro to marketing your short film including what will increase/decrease your chances of being selected into a festival and the importance of attending festivals and watching other shorts to see what has already been made – so that you make a unique film that will be accepted into festivals. The BBC Film Network website has a breakdown of a short film marketing lifecycle and other useful filmmaking guides. Cinemaroll.com has an info page with creative promotional ideas and tips on how to use social media to promote your film.
“Edgar and Elizabeth”
ScreenWest Funding
ScreenWest’s Short Film and Self Funded Low Budget Feature Marketing Program provides funding to assist newer filmmakers in WA to cover some of the costs of marketing and promoting their film. Funding is in the form of a grant of up to $2,000 per applicant, intended to cover the creation of press kits, dubbing, postage etc. Funding is limited and applications will be assessed competitively. Films produced through a course of study are not eligible to apply. For further information read the program guidelines on the ScreenWest website.
“Mabuji”
ScreenWest Contact Info
Address: Level 7, Law Chambers, 573 Hay St Perth WA 6000 Phone: +618 9224 7340 Fax: +618 9224 7340 Email: [email protected] Web: www.screenwest.com.au ScreenWest would appreciate your feedback on this document and if it has been of use to you. Please send your feedback to [email protected]
About This Guide
Staff from ScreenWest and The Film & Television Institute (FTI) provided input into the content of this guide. ScreenWest also consulted with members of the Western Australian screen industry. The websites and documents listed in this guide were referenced in its creation. Some of the images used in this guide are from short films made with the assistance of ScreenWest, Lotterywest and/or the Film & Television Institute (FTI). These images are credited to the following people: Talkabout Walkabout (Ashley de Prazer), The Deep End (Josh Weeks), Edgar and Elizabeth (Ulli Krafzik) and Mabuji (Torstein Dyrting). Copyright © ScreenWest January 2010
Producers Guide Overview
The marketing life of your short film is generally no longer than two years so it’s crucial to capitalise on this time by developing a clear marketing strategy. Ideally your marketing strategy should be drafted alongside the development of your project. This will ensure that you allocate a budget for your promotional needs and schedule time during filming to complete your publicity activities (media set visit, stills photography etc).
[
This guide can assist you in the creation o f your sho rt film or lo budget fe w ature film marketing strategy.
]
Marketing strategy what to include ?
Your marketing strategy should address these key elements: 1. Project Overview 2. Marketing Objectives 3. Target Markets 4. Promotion 5. Film Festival Strategy 6. Press Kit
“Professor Pebbles”
Project Overview
Your marketing strategy should start with a project overview. This is a short description of your project (one or two para) including the genre, subject matter and the unique features that set it apart from other short films (e.g. first-time filmmaker, innovative filmmaking style).
“Storytime”
Marketing Objectives
Your marketing objectives should be three or four key aims that will define and shape your marketing strategy. The objectives should be based on your project’s strengths and weaknesses and the current state of the global film economy.
While your key marketing objective should be to gain recognition and the widest audience possible you should also consider these questions when defining your objectives: Do you have other projects that you hope to secure financing for or promote as a result of your marketing of this project? Do you want to connect with a sales agent or other filmmakers by attending film festivals? Will you target film festivals or distribute the film electronically? (e.g. via iTunes) What research or consultation have you undertaken to assist with developing your objectives? Is the short film/independent film market booming or experiencing a downturn? If so, how will this affect your project?
“ Talkabout Walkabout”
Target Markets
Identify and describe the type of market(s) that would be interested in your short film. You can describe this in relation to demographics e.g. gender, age range, subculture (distinctions based on ethnicity, class, location etc) and values. Your target markets will help to shape your film festival strategy and inform all steps of your marketing strategy.
Consider wha t media your target markets consu me/rely upon for information (e .g. print, radio , TV, internet) as th is will inform yo ur promotional a ctivities.
[ TIP! ]
“Done Dirt Cheap”
Promotion
Your promotional activities should meet your marketing objectives by utilising some or all of these elements: • Internet (e.g. website, blogging) and social marketing (e.g. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter) • Public relations (e.g. releasing a media statement) • Advertising (e.g. print, radio, television, internet) • Marketing materials (posters, flyers, postcards etc) Your choice of promotional activities should also be tailored to the media usage of your target market (e.g. if your target market is middle-aged then you should utilise traditional media including newspapers and radio).
“ The Deep End”
Promotion cont.
Marketing materials are not always the most cost effective way of achieving your marketing objectives. Before you produce any marketing materials you should consider these questions: • • What is their purpose? Will the materials direct people to a website for further information or promote a specific screening? Where will the materials be distributed? This should affect the content and type of marketing material you produce. Film festivals receive large amounts of marketing material from filmmakers; as a result this material can go to waste, especially if you are not physically at the festival to hand out the material to the public. Marketing material for short film submissions may also not contribute to the festival’s consideration of the film. Your materials are more likely to be utilised by a festival if the design is strong (e.g. an eye-catching poster) or if the design matches the festival’s image / brand. Some films are submitted with a ‘designer’ hard-copy press kit, however this may be an unnecessary cost and only relevant if the film has been selected for a market that is attached to a film festival. An electronic press kit with good quality electronic stills is usually all that is required to accompany your film entry.
•
Promotion cont.
If your film is selected for a film festival, you are recommended to contact the festival publicist to discuss: Ways you can assist with promoting your project; Local newspapers to actively pitch stories for media coverage; Whether marketing material for your film will be effectively used or if it will go to waste; How much marketing material you should deliver (if required); and Also inform the publicist of previous festival screenings and any relevant territory premieres (e.g. North American premiere).
If you are sele cted to a high profile festiva l then conside r releasing a m edia statemen t. Any media clip pings should be scanned and included in yo ur press kit as p ublicity is view ed favorably by fe stivals.
!] [ TI[PTIP! ]
“ Karla”
Film Festival Strategy
Your festival strategy should be based on your marketing objectives, target market(s) and the unique features of your film.
Consider these points when creating your film festival strategy: What festivals will you be targeting and why? Is your festival strategy realistic? Many filmmakers aim for a screening at one of the prestige film festivals (e.g. Cannes, Sundance, Toronto) but these festivals only select a small number of very high quality films. Be realistic about your festival prospects and don’t waste time and money by entering festivals that may not be relevant to your film. Research the type of films (genres) that are usually programmed at film festivals. i.e. if you have made a short observational doco and a film festival only usually screens short comedies then you should not be targeting that film festival. Start by targeting festivals locally (e.g. in your home city/state) so you can build a profile and support network for your film, especially if you utilise social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter). The profile of your film will be viewed favorably by other film festivals as an indication of your film’s potential audience and success. Be aware of territory premieres: a festival may not screen a film that has previously screened in the same city/ state/country. If you do not have experience with entering film festivals, seek advice from a producer who does. If you have been selected for a festival, contact any filmmaker you know who has previously been accepted to the festival for tips and advice, especially if you aim to attend the festival.
Press Kit
This is an example of the information and material you should include in your press kit: • • • • • • • • • • • • One-liner / tag line* Short synopsis (one or two paragraphs) Long synopsis (less than one A4 page) Production images** A medium close up shot of the director Director’s statement*** Short bio/CV of the key creatives (e.g. producer, writer, director) Technical specifications (e.g. language, duration, ratio, shooting format, screening format, sound) Festival and award success Cast and crew credit list Contact information and link to website Scanned press clippings (include the name of the publication, page number and date)
These items should be available on request: • • • Post production script Rights clearances Additional stills
Unless otherw ise specified by the film fest ival, all of this material sh ould be sent electronically or on a CD/ DVD.
[ TIP! ]
“Medusa: First Date”
Press Kit cont.
* One-liner / tag line: Things to consider: can a journalist easily include this in a story? Is the statement comprehensible to a reader? Can a publicist easily include the line in a media statement? Ask a friend/someone not closely connected to the film if this accurately reflects the core of the film. ** Production stills: Hopefully you have a number of photos taken by a professional photographer (and are not relying on potentially low resolution screen grabs) so that you have eye-catching production and behind-the-scenes images to offer to the media and festivals. Eye-catching images are more likely to be used in festival marketing materials, which will increase the profile of your screening. Images should be colour (unless your film is B&W) and you should submit two electronic formats for each image: high resolution format for print reproduction (300 dpi, at least 1MB, CYMK); and low res format for websites (72 dpi, RGB). All images should be electronically labelled identifying all cast and crew in the image as well as describe the resolution format (e.g. Director_Bill_Bloggs_on_set_of_FILM_ TITLE_300DPI.EPS). A photo log can also be provided as a Word document with a list of each image file name and the corresponding caption (e.g. L-R Director Bill Bloggs on set in Albany with actors Tony Mac (‘Jimmy’) and Jane Betts (‘Jessica’)); the name of the photographer for crediting; and copyright information (e.g. Copyright Joe Bloggs Films). The festival may specify how many images you can submit or you should send 1 or 2 set-up poster shots; 2 or 3 A shots (which tell the story of the film in one shot); character shots including a medium close up of each of the principal cast; key relationship shots; and 5 set-up behind the scenes shots.
*** Director’s statement: Include info about any projects that are in dev and mention anything unique about the director that a journalist would be interested in e.g. first time filmmaker or personal connection to the story.
“My Shout”
Other Tips
Continue to refine and revise your press kit and marketing strategy based on feedback received and recent news/festival screenings; these documents should not be static. Seek advice from fellow filmmakers and attend events where you can gain knowledge from pros with years of experience. Success with a short film can lead to interest from a talent agent to represent you and help you get more work. If your film is in a high profile festival it may get noticed by a visiting agent or you can submit your film to local and international agents. Withoutabox.com and ShortFilmDepot.com enable filmmakers to easily enter multiple film festivals online and receive notifications of upcoming festival entry deadlines. Save time and money by setting up a free Blog that can function as the website for your film e.g. Wordpress.com, Typepad.com, Blogger.com. Keep your short film short (10mins or less) and snappy to increase your chances of festival selection. Tips for film festival submissions: Regularly update IMDB and Withoutabox with your screenings and award wins to increase your chances of festival selection. Avoid buying cheap quality DVDs as they are more prone to faults. Before you submit a DVD to a festival, check that it works on a few different DVD players. Check that your DVD is the correct region code and that it is the correct television encoding system for the territory (e.g. NTSC or PAL). Label all DVDs / tapes clearly with the title, length, aspect ratio, contact name and contact details. Consider putting a watermark on the screener DVD for security purposes. This can be a logo or text but don’t make it too obvious or distracting for the viewer; a simple visible watermark in the bottom corner is sufficient. The watermark can be set for the duration of the film or set to appear every 20mins or so for a few moments at a time.
WEBSITES FOR MORE INFO
The Flickerfest Filmmakers Resource website has useful tips on how to maximise your time on the film festival circuit. The AFC (now Screen Australia) released the document Marketing Short Films Internationally in May 2004. Note that some of the funding info is no longer relevant and the festival deadlines and details may be out of date. The Young Filmmakers Fund Marketing Guide is available from the ScreenNSW website (formerly the NSW Film and TV office). The Film & Television Institute (FTI) has forums on their website where you can post marketing related questions. Shortfilmcentral.com is an international short film database where you can create a short film profile. This great YouTube clip (9mins) from Screen Yorkshire is a concise intro to marketing your short film including what will increase/decrease your chances of being selected into a festival and the importance of attending festivals and watching other shorts to see what has already been made – so that you make a unique film that will be accepted into festivals. The BBC Film Network website has a breakdown of a short film marketing lifecycle and other useful filmmaking guides. Cinemaroll.com has an info page with creative promotional ideas and tips on how to use social media to promote your film.
“Edgar and Elizabeth”
ScreenWest Funding
ScreenWest’s Short Film and Self Funded Low Budget Feature Marketing Program provides funding to assist newer filmmakers in WA to cover some of the costs of marketing and promoting their film. Funding is in the form of a grant of up to $2,000 per applicant, intended to cover the creation of press kits, dubbing, postage etc. Funding is limited and applications will be assessed competitively. Films produced through a course of study are not eligible to apply. For further information read the program guidelines on the ScreenWest website.
“Mabuji”
ScreenWest Contact Info
Address: Level 7, Law Chambers, 573 Hay St Perth WA 6000 Phone: +618 9224 7340 Fax: +618 9224 7340 Email: [email protected] Web: www.screenwest.com.au ScreenWest would appreciate your feedback on this document and if it has been of use to you. Please send your feedback to [email protected]
About This Guide
Staff from ScreenWest and The Film & Television Institute (FTI) provided input into the content of this guide. ScreenWest also consulted with members of the Western Australian screen industry. The websites and documents listed in this guide were referenced in its creation. Some of the images used in this guide are from short films made with the assistance of ScreenWest, Lotterywest and/or the Film & Television Institute (FTI). These images are credited to the following people: Talkabout Walkabout (Ashley de Prazer), The Deep End (Josh Weeks), Edgar and Elizabeth (Ulli Krafzik) and Mabuji (Torstein Dyrting). Copyright © ScreenWest January 2010
