CDs & DVDs
Marketing an Independent Film
Independent films and videos are a product, and like any other product, they need marketing. It is that simple. Why did you start using a Swiffer® instead of a broom? Why do you drink Dasani® water instead of the free stuff that comes out of your kitchen faucet? Why do you watch movies on DVD instead of VHS? All of these products and thousand of others that succeed in finding their "audience" do so because of successful marketing and promotional campaigns. And it's no different for films and videos. Entertainment products must find and satisfy an audience.
You can view the practice of independent film marketing, in its most basic sense, as a 3-step process:
- Deciding what type of film/script/idea (product) you have to market.
- Deciding who is in your audience(s).
- Deciding how to contact/attract audience members to what you have
This is by no means an exhaustive discussion of what it takes to successfully fund, market, distribute and sell an independent movie. Rather, it is an overview of information and ideas in the first step of the process (other steps covered in coming newsletters) to get you started/thinking in the right direction. What Do You Have? Your movie or video project cannot be all things to all people
You should be able to define your film (idea, script or finished product) in one concise sentence, identifying its genre in the process while at the same time conveying the basic storyline to the potential viewer, financier or buyer. This method of summarizing your entire film into a short sketch is known as the "concept capsule."
This is industry-accepted practice and at all stages of the filmmaking process - whether you are raising funds or soliciting buyers - you will be asked for this "logline." To make sure yours is as good as it can be, answer:
- What is the basic structure of your project? Consider length when deciding if it's a feature-length film (70+ minutes), documentary, instructional or informational tape, short or something else.
- What is your projects' prevailing genre? Would it be categorized as science fiction, horror, western, drama, action, children's, erotic, reality-based, comedy, cult, anime, instructional, educational?
- What are the projects' emotional pleas? Will the viewer simply be entertained, or is the purpose, or effect, of the project to enlighten, educate, inform, sadden, madden, scare or elicit pity? Can the viewer relate to the information or material in some personal manner? Is the project experiential?
- Does the film or video make a call to action? Is the viewer prompted to buy something, change his way of thinking, alter his lifestyle or daily habits?
- Who are the principal characters within the parameters of what is being presented? Are they fictional or actual beings? Are they historical, present-day or future beings? Are they human, animal or other-worldly creations?
- What is the major action? Is the viewer presented with a hero's journey, a tale of forbidden love, search and conquest, reversal of fortune?
- Does the project deal with a current event, fad or popular culture phenomenon? Is the subject popular with specific audience segments? Will the time frame of the projects' appeal be limited?
- Does the film or video depend upon realistic special effects or stunts? Are you showing off new technology by painstakingly recreating a time or place through the magic of visual effects?
- What are the physical and time settings? Does the project showcase never before witnessed landscapes? Are you exploring fabled lands? Is the setting past, present or future?
- Who is the hero, the protagonist? Who drives the action of the story? Is there a love interest? Is it believable? Are they typical for the story? Is their gender important? Will the audience relate to these characters? Will viewers like these folks?
- Why does the audience care? Who would be attracted to your project? Are you a member of the target audience?