Many filmmakers place their limited budget totally into Film Production. They ignore the equally important part of the process. That is finding your audience and marketing. Therefore only about 10000 people see their film when it should be one million people.
Emerging Filmmakers place all the effort into making the film, but due to the dislike of sales and marketing, place no effort into finding an audience. Today, I want to focus on some very inexpensive marketing for film festivals.
When you complete your short film or feature film, you need to place your film into windows.
Short Film Windows
- Window 1 – Film Festivals – 6 – 9 Months
- Window 2 – High Calibre Websites such as Shorts International and Short of the Week 3 – 6 Months
- Window 3 Facebook – YouTube – Vimeo and have a very small advertising budget to ask people to watch the film. This is so it can go viral.
Feature Film Windows
- Window 1 Film Festivals 6 – 9 months
- Window 2 Sales Distribution – 3 year exclusive contract. – With reputable Film Distributor – Monetise
- Window 3 If your Distributor is great, keep with them. If not find a new one and make the most out of your film. Passive income should occur on a quarterly basis for years.
When you make a Short Film or Feature Film, the number one thing is Exposure. Make sure that the film industry VIPS to notice you too. This is worth its weight in gold.
Window 1 Film Festivals is where it starts for every short or feature film. Let’s focus on that today.
When entering film festivals, use the website Film Freeway. This is an amazing all in one site that takes care of your film festival entries, selections and awards. Film Freeway also has one exceptionally important tool. A Marketing program.
You can explore the site and it will guide you on entering film festivals. You will have to set up a Project Page for your film with trailer and poster. Both trailer and poster are relatively easy to make, and I will outline how that is done in a future post in the very near future.
Once your page is set up, you will have to upload your film or set it up on Vimeo and enter the video link. Do not use YouTube. Vimeo is the site I use for all of my films and videos, and it has quality and far more control on settings.
Now the important part. You submit your film only to IMDB recognised film festivals. Email the festival to check if they are. IMDB recognised. These are the worthwhile films festivals.
Once you have successfully been selected for and IMDB recognised Film Festival, this will then make it easy for your to se up your own personal IMDB profile. Whatever IMDB Film festivals you are selected for, can be added to your profile building up your credibility as a filmmaker. IMDB profile is essential for your film career.
Finally, marketing. Film Freeway has many different marketing offers ranging from $15 per day to an Email blast to every film festival director and selector for $150.
This is very inexpensive marketing cost. Film festivals will now see your trailer and poster and film. As a result of the marketing, film festivals will offer you 50% and 80% discounts on your film festival entry fees. This will save you so much money when you enter 30 – 50 Film Festivals over the next year. Marketing is key and essential.
Please see the screenshot of the marketing services on Film Freeway. I have no affiliation or connection with Film Freeway. But I do admire their site and what they have done for the Indie Filmmaker.
So, if you want to get exposure for your film, focus on film festivals first and market the film.
You can learn more from our Flagship Make your Feature/Short Film Course here
