Launching Films

Here are some notes on a series of 14 video clips from http://www.launchingfilms.tv/, which give low budget film makers advise on filmmaking, and information behind the launch and release of films from a filmmakers point of view.


1) Release of a Film

- Filmmakers first identify the ‘marketability’ of a film by deciding on its most suitable audience.
- From there, they have to create a campaign best suited to appeal to this audience.
- In making this campaign the filmmakers decide on a suitable budget, based on the estimated box office hits etc.
- The marketing/promotion team have talks with different people within the media, such as on the radio and television.
- They then have to concentrate on mainly a premier, as well as posters, adverts and a website.
- The main thing is to decide on the best and most effective way to reach your target audience through the various forms of media.

2) Positioning & Audiences

- Define the target audience by deciding on the genre and the message behind it i.e. who the film is speaking to age-wise.
- Different directors appeal to different age groups, with particular directors/actors appealing to more film literate audiences who know a lot about the history of film or them as actors/directors.

3) Target Audience

- Small films have to rely specify a particular target audience.
- Firstly you research past films and how they have tackled target audience, as well what people watched these films, how they watched them and when etc.
- You have to be 100% sure with the target audience, as a lot of money has to be spent on promotion to this audience, which can be a gamble.
- Adults usually view advertising on television and take a week or so to make a decision as to whether they will bother and see a film.
- Teenagers turn up at a cinema to see what films are on and make a decision there and then, so cinematic advertising is more effective for this audience.

4) Competition

- You need to stand out from the other films to be successful.
- Certain seasons are more competitive such as October half term, so you have to think about when you are going to release your film and how much competition there will be.
- In the winter, indoor television advertising is better, whilst the weather is not good outside.
- In the summer, outdoor advertising such as big posters are more effective in the good weather when everyone is out and about.

5) P&A Budget

- The first thing to think about is the cost of all the film prints/copies of the film, and the technical elements such as shipping.
- Then most importantly is the advertising costs, which involves everything from posters to trailers.
- You have to look for the best bargains, finding a balance between cheap and expensive advertising, whilst using your money wisely to make sure this advertising is extremely effective – low budget films are limited as to how they can advertise.

6) Word of Mouth

- With films that you know will stir up lots of interest and be very popular from the start, it is good to spread word of mouth early on as soon as you receive the film copy, by getting into contact with media partners such as newspapers etc.
- Advanced screening programs can be used to promote the film and create media interest with the incentive of watching a free film. If 100 people watch this film free they will each tell a few people to see the film, which can spread interest very fast.
- People are effected by their friends and what they say, so word of mouth is important.
- If you get the movie very late, you have to rely on the opening weekend of the film and the word of mouth from that point. This will either build a strong foundation for the film to last 8-10 weeks, or could be very week and prevent the film from lasting more than about 3-4 weeks.

7) Marketing Plan

- The main ways of marketing are through advertising and through press.
- Advertising is more expensive, using the multi-media slots for adverts.
- More free forms of advertising done through press and publicity, with support from the director/cast, or through sold stories about the film in the form of features or interviews.
- Outdoor advertising is also expensive but effective.
- Word of mouth is the best form of free advertising, boosted through free screenings.
- Internet can be used through viral campaigns on email, which can entice people to see your film.
- Word of mouth can make or break a film, as if the film plays well to the audience it doesn’t matter how much money you have, interest will spread really quickly.
- Bad word of mouth can kill the interest of a film.

8) Film Trailers

- The trailer is the most important key to sell a film, as it is the audience’s first and only exposure in the cinema form/environment as to what they are buying into.
- The trailer must have the right impact and message through the way graphics, sound and overall concept of the film are portrayed.

9) Link Between

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10) Digital Marketing

- Viral marketing is creating an element such as a game, video or quiz, which is good enough that when a person sees it they will send it on to show their friends.
- A personal recommendation from a friend is more valuable to you than anything you read in the press, so word of mouth is the most important way of advertising.
- Digital marketing such as viral marketing is like word of mouth in quick, digital form, so can spread even quicker by email etc.

11) Test Screenings

- Research done well in advance for screenings such as testing material, poster ideas, movie concepts and posters.
- You have to think about the visuals and whether this meets your target audiences expectations.
- For test screenings you get together people from your target audience to watch your film.
- The can fill in questionnaires or you can send focus groups them to share in more detail with about issues in the movie, what they liked or disliked etc. The director may sometimes alter the movie after listening to feedback from people who watched test screenings.

12) Persuading Cinemas

- The first step is to persuade the exhibitors/actual cinemas to take your film.
- This is easy when they know your film, such as if it is a big title.
- For more difficult/independent films you have to sell the film to the cinemas first, so you need to be to the point.

13) Opening Weekend

- The 3-day opening is the figures from the opening day on the Friday and then the Saturday and Sunday, with the Monday being the make or break point.
- On the Monday, the lowest seen films in a cinema are taken off screens after just a week and are called a ‘hold-over’.
- Whether or not your film carries on being screened is down to how much money it has made and how many times it has been viewed in relation to the other films shown at a cinema – this being decided on the Monday after the opening weekend.

14) Piracy

- Piracy has escalated in the last few years with 20% of all DVD sales being pirates in the UK in 2006.
- Consumers are getting ripped off as they are paying for lower quality, whilst the filmmakers lose out on views and money.
- What people do not know is the money people pay for pirate DVD’s may be contributing towards some criminal behaviour.