Overview
Recommended Reading
How to Build a Press Kit
Sample Websites
Distribution
Information
Film
Festivals
Overview
The information below should start you thinking about the promotion
and marketing of your film or video project. Remember, it is
never too early to start! As stated in The Next Step: Distributing
Independent Films and Videos edited by Morrie Warshawski:
Filmmakers cannot hear these
maxims too frequently:
-
think about distribution
early and often, and talk to distributors during pre-production;
-
have a professional
photographer take good production stills;
-
never underestimate
the power and importance of press coverage;
-
set aside adequate financial
resources for distribution and include these funds in your
budget.
As you think about the distribution
of your film or video, you should also be considering the markets
that apply. Debra Zimmerman, Executive Director of WMM, advises
that though every film has a potential audience, not every film
has a market. Even though your film might be of interest to
a small niche group off the coast of Maine over the age of 65,
that audience does not constitute an entire market. Therefore,
the cost of getting your film to that select audience is cost
prohibitive to a distributor since the interest and profits
will be very limited. On the other hand, if your film
does fit into a market then you are more likely to generate
interest and sales.
The major markets include:
film festivals, theatrical. semi-theatrical, educational, international,
public television, basic cable, premium cable, and home video.
As you identify the appropriate and ideal markets for your film,
you will also have to decide on the sequence of each market
release. For more information, see
Distribution
Information.
Finally, you must be able
to pitch your project briefly and enthusiastically. Your
excitement and expertise should be evident to your listener.
However, you must also be knowledgeable of who you are pitching
your project to and what points you should stress to them.
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A press kit is essential
for introducing your film to reviewers, festival programmers
and distributors. Your kit should be user friendly, informative
and visually appealing. Creating an electronic version of your
press kit in PDF format for download or sending by email is
also a good idea. The following outlines items that you should
include in your press kit. Additional resources for building
your press kit follow.
-
One-line
Description
Make sure this description can be used alone
to accurately describe your film in publications and reviews,
and make sure someone briefly looking through your materials
can easily locate this information.
-
Statistical
Information
You can simply list this information. This should
include date of completion, running time, language of subtitles
(if applicable), original and exhibition formats.
-
Synopsis
of the film
This information should not exceed
one page.
-
Director Biography
This information should not exceed one page and should
include both a narrative biography and a resume.
-
Complete list of cast and crew
including any copyright credits
List this information on one-page.
-
Bios of main cast and crew
This information should be limited to key cast and crew
and only one paragraph on each.
-
Production Notes
Include anything that might be of interest or make an
interesting note in a review or article on the film.
-
Photos
The quality should be good enough for newspaper use
and include both black & white and color images. Color
images are great to use on the internet, while most print
publications will use your black & white image.
You should have an action shot with the director and production
stills.
-
Director funding history
or awards the film has received
Again, a brief list is sufficient.
-
Copies of good reviews,
if available.
-
Contact Information
Additional Resources:
Sample
Press Kit
Tips
on Selecting Photos and Writing a Synopsis
Fourteen
Essentials of a Great Press Kit
Writing
an Effective Synopsis for Press Material
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Below is a list of fiscally
sponsored films that have websites set up to promote their film
or video projects.
From Baghdad to Brooklyn by
Jennifer Utz
www.frombaghdadtobrooklyn.com
Hoonah's Heros: A Documentary by
Samantha Farinella
www.samanthafarinella.com
Justice for My Sister by Kimberly
Bautista
www.artevistafilms.com/index.html
My Nose: The Bigger Version by
Gayle Kirschenbaum
www.mynosethebiggerversion.com
Absolutely Safe by Carol
Ciancutti-Leyva
www.absolutelysafe.com
Sunkissed by Maya Stark
www.sunkissedproductions.com
Tales of Waria by Kathy Huang
www.thewaria.com
The Population Bomb by Valentina
Canavesio
thepopulationbomb.com
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