While there are no guarantees that your movie will become the next viral, breakout hit, doing something is better than letting your movie collect dust. Oct 12, 2015 having spent the greater part of my film career working in film distribution, i can tell you that the filmmakers who actually land the big deals have a movie marketing plan. Who can apply canadian distribution and production companies in search of financing for the marketing and distribution of their feature film projects. How to promote your film on social media without being. This can be done directly by the producer or service provider, or using indirect channels with distributors or intermediaries. Agents and brokers agents and brokers are marketing intermediaries that act, essentially, like an outsourced sales force. You can typically group potential marketing intermediaries into a couple different categories. As creatives, we often think our job finishes once our film is edited but far from it, i have only just started to learn how important marketing your film actually is. Produced in collaboration with pbs digital studios. Filmmakers need to get a good, rocksolid understanding of how film distribution works. Want to learn more film promotion and marketing strategies.
Securing a contract with an established sales agency is crucial to making money from your short film. You now hold a card that hollywood doesnt have, your own fanbase. Having spent the greater part of my film career working in film distribution, i can tell you that the filmmakers who actually land the big deals have a movie marketing plan. In other words, these filmmakers dont necessarily need a distribution deal to get their movies seen and selling. Every film can benefit from having a distribution strategy before its festival premiere and before any rights are sold. A customized strategy can help you maximize audience, revenues, impact, and. The objectives of no good deeds marketing plan will be to generate awareness and revenue from our target markets. To create the product so that it responds to the customer needs and expectations. Ideas for promoting and marketing documentaries your business. The plan first markets the film to film festivals, then distributors, then to the general population. With so many factors to consider and different paths to go down, the new guide to short film exhibition, distribution and marketing from the random acts network is a vital resource.
Our paid business plan template is updated constantly throughout the year. Basically, film and video production industry is an industry that is responsible for producing and distributing motion pictures and videos. Ideas for promoting and marketing documentaries your. Best film business plan template sample, financials, investors. The conventional wisdom is that there just isnt much short film distribution out there. Distribution refers to the location strategy and tactics you use to sell your product. Eventually, marketing and distribution strategies will help build a platform of opportunities to get into independent film festivals such.
We also offer the option to filmmakers of doing a service deal with us, where the filmmaker pays the distribution and marketing expenses for their film. Hi and congratulations on downloading our filmproposals film business plan template excerpt. Nov 30, 2017 in this episode of crash course film production, lily talks us through some of the history and methods of marketing a film to an audience. Funding is approved on a quarterly basis throughout the financial year see the dates here. In the past, this would more than likely be the end of your film s public life, especially without a sales agent.
While a feature film producer would expect to be there from development through distribution, a short film producer may see their role as limited to getting you through production or postproduction. Short film exhibition, distribution, marketing guide. This industry does not include thirdparty providers such as distributors and disc manufacturers, as well as products, such as television shows and madefortelevision movies, aimed specifically toward television et al. Sep 16, 2015 she is vicechair of the short film conference a worldwide organization working to promote the status of the short film and unite the global short film community. We walk you through the nuts and bolts of your project so you present the investment opportunity in the best light possible, without compromising your creativity. Although we are always talking about film distribution also, marketing is an essential part of this process, the marketing strategy is what will define the movie and people will look for, will want to know more about it and would like to see the film wherever it is present. Shorts tour showcasing a wide variety of story and style, the sundance film festival short film tour is a 95minute theatrical program of eight short films from the 2016 edition of the january festival.
Marketing plan for your movie posted 08062016 08062016 rosa camero the marketing plan is surely the least important when you are making your movie, the most important at this point is to follow the script and the story you are filming goes according to the standard you and your team want to achieve. But the life of a short film as a product a film distributor wants to sell is limited. How to write a 4part film business plan that gets you funding. The advertising of a film is known as film promotion or film marketing and the people who are responsible for this are the distribution company, socalled. Film independent is pleased to welcome distribution expert jon reiss who will explain the steps you must take when crafting a successful marketing and distribution plan for your indie film. Here is some insight into finding the right home for your short film or video content in todays online distribution world. Creating a business plan for your film outlet is a meticulous process that requires a fair amount of time to ensure its quality. Nov 18, 2018 4 types of distribution channels in marketing manufacturers originally bear the responsibility to create the perfect marketing mix for their production. A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for the marketing, including things such as advertising and release of the film. The final piece of your short film business plan is your release strategy.
Successful filmmakers and by that i mean filmmakers who successfully recoup their budget and repay investors, are the ones who develop a distribution strategy before they embark on the filmmaking process, and sometimes before they write the script. Film distribution strategies to use when financing your movie. Since most distribution agreements do not immediately result in upfront cash to the filmmaker to pay for the costs of principal photography and postproduction, the production company must use the distribution agreement as collateral to borrow money from a traditional bank, film finance company, an investment fund or other lender. Marketing your short film beginners filmmaking youtube. Jan 14, 2014 every film can benefit from having a distribution strategy before its festival premiere and before any rights are sold. Its everything you need to learn how to create professional narrative and documentary films using the equipment you already have, wherever you live, with guidance, community, and resources at a fraction of the cost of traditional film school. Though, if you meet other filmmakers through networking at these film festivals and online, initiate a distribution plan. Use a short film to meet agents and managers to show what you can do. Youve spent months, if not years, producing your documentary, and now its time to market and promote the film.
Apr 19, 2018 with so many factors to consider and different paths to go down, the new guide to short film exhibition, distribution and marketing from the random acts network is a vital resource. With a film marketing plan you can now market directly to film audiences at the fraction of traditional hollywood marketing budgets. I created this marketing plan for a students thesis film at chapman university. With this template, youll learn what are the important factors when presenting your feature film. My independent movie movie business plan template, film. Most filmmakers make their shorts without much thought for distribution.
Distribution methods and marketing plans your business. Mia now runs birds eye view film are a film agency and film agitator marketing films by women to audiences to effect industry change. Marketing and distribution for a film production is an important process as this supports filmmakers in allowing them to build recognition through an audience, such as using social media and reaching out to other independent filmmakers. The film business plan template is a stepbystep guide enabling you to understand your film as a business proposition to film investors. Marketing a film when a new film is made, it has to be advertised like any other new product, to let people know it exists and to encourage them to go to the cinema to see it. Distribution agreements in order to sell the right to distribute a film, a production company must enter into one or more acquisition and distribution agreements with a. She is vicechair of the short film conference a worldwide organization working to promote the status of the short film and unite the global short film community. The term business plan comes out of the corporate world. Her background includes cinema programming and management, marketing and publicity for films, festivals and major attractions. How to create a distribution strategy that actually makes. May 24, 2018 here is some insight into finding the right home for your short film or video content in todays online distribution world. Here are some things to think about when crafting the distribution and marketing plan for your film. How to create a movie marketing plan without going crazy. If youve made a great film, and plan the right sales and distribution strategy, you have a shot at making some if not all of your money back.
Distribution or place is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. The aim is to make as much profit from the film as possible. First of all, peter believes that the cornerstone of every distribution plan must include a web site and a meaningful distribution list. Best film business plan template sample, financials. The film business plan is a stepbystep guide on how to structure your film as a business and projects what your film will cost to develop and operate every film investor wants to see how you are going to spend the money and most of all, what the return on investment will be.
Marketing intermediaries, in short, help you sell your product to the end user. This plan provides grassroots strategies you can implement over a 12 week period. How to distribute your short film in todays online marketplace. So you made a short film, and it got into some festivals now what. The best marketing plans begin long before production and continue to evolve as the project moves forward. Task 4 marketing and distribution plan marketing and distribution for a film production is an important process as this supports filmmakers in allowing them to build recognition through an audience, such as using social media and reaching out to other independent filmmakers. Next the film will team up with a credible distributor in order to achieve a successful platform release. We provide this free, short excerpt to filmmakers to show you a sample from our film finance toolkit, which has successfully helped 100s of filmmakers worldwide produce their films. Then join our online film school, complete with a comprehensive filmmaking course. Film festival doc nyc s pro marketing boot camp, grounded by the storied morgan spurlock of super size me fame, focused on grassroots marketing, leveraging partnerships and crowdfunding for promoting your film, and upping your social media game. A quick guide to social media marketing for filmmakers. Jan 24, 2019 this 12 week movie marketing plan will help you sketch out a way to promote your film. We spoke to dozens of independent film distributors. In the past, many documentary makers relied on the major studios for distribution, financing and marketing.
If you pull together a kickstarter campaign to raise funds to distribute all of your short films all on 1 dvd, not only will you reach each others audience but you just done the unusual distributed a short film. Learn more about funding for marketing and distribution of south african films. Film distribution and marketing linkedin slideshare. Here are some rules for how to make your audience into your film s best advocates with social media. Dec 01, 2015 as creatives, we often think our job finishes once our film is edited but far from it, i have only just started to learn how important marketing your film actually is. This 12 week movie marketing plan will help you sketch out a way to promote your film. My independent movie film proposals movie business plan. Jun 05, 2017 in that regard, as part of understanding the entire process of production and distribution, it is important to understand how film distribution and film financing are linked. The other three elements of the marketing mix are product, pricing, and promotion. How to distribute your short film in todays online. It refers to a document that is prepared before a business launches. The marketing plan is surely the least important when you are making your movie, the most important at this point is to follow the script and the story you are filming goes according to the standard you and your team want to achieve. How will you bring your film to the attention of your target market. Many successful feature films have followed this approach e.
This program supports canadian distribution and production companies looking to finance the marketing and distribution of their feature film projects. To begin, the film will be shown at specific film festivals where we will brand no good deed as a hip, independent film in order to generate the initial buzz. In this episode of crash course film production, lily talks us through some of the history and methods of marketing a film to an audience. Many strategy steps will stem from these two items. Overview of the program priority is given to films that have been funded. Task 4 marketing and distribution plan maecreativemedia. Jan 19, 2017 to be a pmd a person must be involved in all aspects of a films distribution and marketing, including audience identification and engagement, creating a distribution and marketing plan, budgeting that plan, creating marketing elements, creating and managing other assets to help promote the film, etc. Filmhub allows filmmakers to upload your film for free, while streaming channels discover, order, and stream your work worldwide. In the past, this would more than likely be the end of your films public life, especially without a sales agent. Social media numbers have an impact on potential marketing and distribution. Short films have a life in the festival circuit and are a great way to create a calling card. To be a pmd a person must be involved in all aspects of a film s distribution and marketing, including audience identification and engagement, creating a distribution and marketing plan, budgeting that plan, creating marketing elements, creating and managing other assets to help promote the film, etc. Crafting a marketing and distribution plan film independent. Next the film will team up with a credible distributor in order to.
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