10 Keys to Marketing Your Film For Festivals, Theaters & Streamers

Getting an independent film made is quite an accomplishment. From writing the script and raising the funds to assembling your cast & crew. Then, getting through production to the locked picture. Amazing. But you didn’t make this to entertain your family and friends. You want to attract an audience, which takes a marketing strategy.

Sadly, this is an area often lacking, in budget and experience, for emerging independent filmmakers. Whether you are considering a festival run, theatrical release and/or streaming platforms, these elements take time, field experts, and money. It’s important to plan ahead. Below, you will find 10 keys in the marketing bucket that are critical in giving your film the best chance to succeed.

1. Key Art

The artwork used to create your marketing materials drives everything. Think of every memorable film, and the artwork typically comes to mind. This establishes your look and feel, and drives the poster and your website. Here is an article for a deeper dive.

2. Poster

The poster is often the first thing audience members see before making the purchase. Anchored by your key art, the poster should have a strong image(s) of your lead character. While creative key art supports the image, don’t sacrifice strong facial imagery for artistic composition. Studies show it’s the emotional connection to faces that will attract the greatest interest. Here are some great examples.

3. Thumbnail

As we all know, especially for independent films, streaming platforms will be where audiences are likely to discover and view your movie. In many cases, the thumbnail is just a smaller version of the poster, but there is often more than one version of your poster, which can serve multiple purposes, and be seen in larger formats. Thumbnails are small, so avoid too much text and too many characters.

4. Trailer

If it’s the poster that attracts the viewer, it’s the trailer that seals the deal. A good trailer can make all the difference, and not just to score the sale. We often recommend trailers as a key driver to get the attention of programmers at film festivals. Do yourself a favor and secure a good trailer editor or company. This is an art form, and even strong film editors can often struggle to come up with a great trailer. Yes, it’s a form of storytelling, but marketing is the key lens here.

5. EPK

The Electronic Press Kit has become a critical piece of the marketing arsenal. The old school press kit that simply included a synopsis, credits and director’s statement has evolved to become more of a creative and practical marketing vehicle. They now include your poster image on the front, trailer links, multiple still images, festival laurels, and reviews. Of course, you still include the standard tagline, synopsis and cast & crew listings. The key art can be used throughout the document, often made in Canva or Keynote. Shared folders with talent interviews and outtakes are another nice touch.

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6. Still Images

This is another element that emerging filmmakers can overlook during production. Whenever possible, it’s great to have a still photographer on set during principal photography. It’s great to have a combination of beauty shots and images with characters supported by strong composition. These can help depict the look and feel of the film or the emotion of a particular scene. Primarily used in landscape format. And if they are not captured during the shoot, they can often be pulled from the actual footage through screen capture. A selection of these will be used in your press kit, for media interviews, on your website, through social media channels, and often on the poster.

7. Synopsis

The synopsis is a general summary of what happens in your movie. You want to introduce the key goal of the hero, along with the introduction of your primary characters. This overview can share the tone and feel of the world of the film, without presenting all the key plot points. This is usually done in 1- 2 pages. Oftentimes, you will be asked for a logline, which can precede the summary (and you will be asked to provide this to festivals and distributors). Think of the logline as a 1-2 sentence elevator pitch. More tips can be found here.

8. Website

Your window to the world, this is where you can present all your materials. AND, where you collect emails to reach out to fans and future buyers. From your key art, team and director’s statement, to your gallery and trailer, this is a platform for you to share the updates and materials as you get them. You can add festival laurels, reviews, and screening information. You may eventually have a discussion guide, tool kit and sales information. It should be designed with your key art and poster, right out the gate, with the understanding that it is designed to expand along with the life of the film, from conception to release.

9. Social Media

This has become a necessary evil and will be important to maximize the audience and fan reach for each of the key social media platforms. Depending on your movie subject, genre, and target audience, you may lean more into one (Instagram) than another (X), but they will each serve their role. You may even have a theme or element that could attract influencers, who can help you get the word out to their broader community or fan base. For a nominal budget, you can reach targeted demographics and track behaviors and statistics.

10. Publicity

Depending on your movie, genre, and attached talent, you may want to generate publicity throughout the life of the production. If there is something newsworthy about your project, who is starring, its relationship to the locale, or current events, there may be press opportunities before the release. Creating awareness for your project is always a good thing. And if you have a feature and play top festivals with a lot of films in major markets, it can even help to hire a publicist. When you eventually set a release date, a publicist can help you strategize your campaign to build momentum leading up to your launch.

By: JON FITZGERALD