From Scott Kirsner’s ITVS Digital Initiative: Report from the Field about digital strategies for social issue filmmakers.
1. Start a blog or create a bare-bones website to generate awareness of what you’re up to; this can be a way for potential collaborators, sources, funders, and DVD-buyers to get in touch with you early on.
2. Participate and post in existing online communities related to your film’s topic.
3. Maintain a database of everyone who you’ve interviewed or who has offered help during production, so you can let them know when the film is finally finished.
4. Consider ways to allow interested parties to get involved with your filmmaking process; some filmmakers have “open-sourced” their research, having others contribute by shooting far-off locations and interviews, and even some editing.
5. Think about posting some clips/excerpts from your rough cut on video-sharing sites to begin building an online presence for your film. Provide links back to the film’s site or to your blog.
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
05 June 2010
Top Five Marketing and Promotion Strategies
From Scott Kirsner’s ITVS Digital Initiative: Report from the Field about digital strategies for social issue filmmakers.
1. Leverage the lists and websites of membership organizations related to the topic of your film to communicate with viewer who may be interested in seeing/purchasing it.
2. Connect with bloggers who cover the issues in your film, offer them interviews, review copies of the DVD or embeddable clips from the film.
3. Collect email addresses (and ideally zip codes too) from the visitors to your film’s website; you can notify them when the film is playing in theaters or on TV, or when it becomes available on DVD or as a download.
4. Post clips on video-sharing sites or social networking sites, with links back to the film’s main site; this can help introduce it to new audiences.
5. Consider allowing internet users to remix or “mash up” parts of your film, or create their own trailers for it. This adds their perspective to the work and, ideally, helps it reach a broader audience.
1. Leverage the lists and websites of membership organizations related to the topic of your film to communicate with viewer who may be interested in seeing/purchasing it.
2. Connect with bloggers who cover the issues in your film, offer them interviews, review copies of the DVD or embeddable clips from the film.
3. Collect email addresses (and ideally zip codes too) from the visitors to your film’s website; you can notify them when the film is playing in theaters or on TV, or when it becomes available on DVD or as a download.
4. Post clips on video-sharing sites or social networking sites, with links back to the film’s main site; this can help introduce it to new audiences.
5. Consider allowing internet users to remix or “mash up” parts of your film, or create their own trailers for it. This adds their perspective to the work and, ideally, helps it reach a broader audience.
25 May 2010
Random Connections
A few additional resources and connections gathered while at Hot Docs:
HotDocs Library
A wealth of Canadian documentaries you can watch online. In the youth zone be sure to check out the top shorts made by youth. Plus special sections for educators (including downloadable resource packages) and an industry corner where you can see the industry sessions held at HotDocs Film Festival.
Shooting People
An international network for independent filmmakers.
Arts Engine
Connects media makers and active audiences in order to spur critical consideration of pressing social issues.
Ideas from Cinereach
An assortment of articles, panels, case studies, useful links and more.
DocAgora
An open sapce to consider new forms, new platforms, new tools and new ways of financing creative and socially engaged documentary media.
HotDocs Library
A wealth of Canadian documentaries you can watch online. In the youth zone be sure to check out the top shorts made by youth. Plus special sections for educators (including downloadable resource packages) and an industry corner where you can see the industry sessions held at HotDocs Film Festival.
Shooting People
An international network for independent filmmakers.
Arts Engine
Connects media makers and active audiences in order to spur critical consideration of pressing social issues.
Ideas from Cinereach
An assortment of articles, panels, case studies, useful links and more.
DocAgora
An open sapce to consider new forms, new platforms, new tools and new ways of financing creative and socially engaged documentary media.
Distribution Now
A few notes taken during a Hot Docs industry session about distribution strategies and getting your movie seen. Watch the session.
A good distributor should and will take the time to explain how things work to filmmakers. (Robin)
You need a combination of passion and knowledge for distribution. Build up a team for distribution just like you did for the making of your film. (Peter)
Let the distributor know what your expectations and goals are. They need to know that up front. (Peter)
Get your movie out however you can. For example, check with small Film Societies around the country and show your film there. (Robin)
You need a strategy and partners. Maybe community partners. Build your audience. (Scilla)
It takes patience and persistence.
Rejection is commonplace. Do not take it personally. Do not be deterred. It often has more to do with what the distributor of festival is looking for at that time and whether it strikes a chord with the person who is reviewing it than the quality of the film.
Look at theatrical as a way to drive people to the video-on-demand. (Matt)
Currently, doing theatrical and video-on-demand at the same time is unusual. There are barriers to doing this that will probably change in the future. For example, with more mergers, it is possible the same company would be doing both theatrical and video-on-demand. (Matt)
$50,000–$75,000 for broadcast rights is decent.
For exhibitors, they’re more interested in your strategy and your numbers (audience stats, etc) than in your film. (Robin)
As you build up funders, you are building up an audience for your film ahead of time. This can also be a good selling point to potential distributors.
Read the article about the six case studies given in this industry session as covered by Indiewire.
Sandra Whipham (moderator), Director, London Fields Pictures
Scilla Andreen, CEO and Co-Founder, IndieFlix (USA)
Matt Dentler, Head of Programming, Cinetic Rights Management (USA)
Peter Jäger, Managing Director, Autlook Films (Austria)
Aida LiPera, Manager of Acquisitions and Festivals, Visit Films (USA)
Andrew Mer, VP, Content Partnerships, SnagFilms (USA)
Robin Smith, President, KinoSmith (Canada)
A good distributor should and will take the time to explain how things work to filmmakers. (Robin)
You need a combination of passion and knowledge for distribution. Build up a team for distribution just like you did for the making of your film. (Peter)
Let the distributor know what your expectations and goals are. They need to know that up front. (Peter)
Get your movie out however you can. For example, check with small Film Societies around the country and show your film there. (Robin)
You need a strategy and partners. Maybe community partners. Build your audience. (Scilla)
It takes patience and persistence.
Rejection is commonplace. Do not take it personally. Do not be deterred. It often has more to do with what the distributor of festival is looking for at that time and whether it strikes a chord with the person who is reviewing it than the quality of the film.
Look at theatrical as a way to drive people to the video-on-demand. (Matt)
Currently, doing theatrical and video-on-demand at the same time is unusual. There are barriers to doing this that will probably change in the future. For example, with more mergers, it is possible the same company would be doing both theatrical and video-on-demand. (Matt)
$50,000–$75,000 for broadcast rights is decent.
For exhibitors, they’re more interested in your strategy and your numbers (audience stats, etc) than in your film. (Robin)
As you build up funders, you are building up an audience for your film ahead of time. This can also be a good selling point to potential distributors.
Read the article about the six case studies given in this industry session as covered by Indiewire.
Sandra Whipham (moderator), Director, London Fields Pictures
Scilla Andreen, CEO and Co-Founder, IndieFlix (USA)
Matt Dentler, Head of Programming, Cinetic Rights Management (USA)
Peter Jäger, Managing Director, Autlook Films (Austria)
Aida LiPera, Manager of Acquisitions and Festivals, Visit Films (USA)
Andrew Mer, VP, Content Partnerships, SnagFilms (USA)
Robin Smith, President, KinoSmith (Canada)
17 May 2010
Doc Publicity and Marketability
A few marketing bits and pieces I picked up from the industry sessions at HotDocs 2010:
1. Rather than thinking about the website as a way to drive people to see your doc, flip that around and think of it the opposite way. Use your feature linear doc as a way to drive people to the web doc, to the interactive doc, the real content.
2. Theatrical doesn’t make money, but it’s how you get the publicity, the reviews.
3. It is about all types of media, not just the film. That’s a reality. Find partners to help you with the areas that you don’t have the skills for or don't want to do.
4. A film has to have a website because often people respond to what they know immediately. They’re reacting to the film, so the film's website is probably the first place they’re going to go to look for something else, more information, more content.
5. If the media is talking about the same subject matter as your doc, it makes your doc relevant.
6. What you’re going to get people to pay for is what they can’t find elsewhere for free and what can’t be stolen. What can’t be stolen is the interactive element. Non-linear storytelling gives them options in how they experience the content which can get them coming back again and again.
7. People love contests. It doesn't have to be a big prize.
1. Rather than thinking about the website as a way to drive people to see your doc, flip that around and think of it the opposite way. Use your feature linear doc as a way to drive people to the web doc, to the interactive doc, the real content.
2. Theatrical doesn’t make money, but it’s how you get the publicity, the reviews.
3. It is about all types of media, not just the film. That’s a reality. Find partners to help you with the areas that you don’t have the skills for or don't want to do.
4. A film has to have a website because often people respond to what they know immediately. They’re reacting to the film, so the film's website is probably the first place they’re going to go to look for something else, more information, more content.
5. If the media is talking about the same subject matter as your doc, it makes your doc relevant.
6. What you’re going to get people to pay for is what they can’t find elsewhere for free and what can’t be stolen. What can’t be stolen is the interactive element. Non-linear storytelling gives them options in how they experience the content which can get them coming back again and again.
7. People love contests. It doesn't have to be a big prize.
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