Gone with the Trends….
Discussions on Hollywood and Social Marketing
Let’s talk about film trends and media directed at film marketers — from the indie to the studio levels — with insights on capturing the film viewer, film lover, and film fanatic’s attentions for the purpose of growing audience bases, expanding reach, attracting new viewers, and getting your film in the eyes of the beholder.
What I’d like to cover today, is how movies are being marketed in 2019, from the big studio blockbusters with a (prepaid) built in audience to how you can build guerrilla campaigns around even the micro-est of indie films.
Using trailers is one of the most important ways to market your film. Trailers thrive on the internet, and are ever-evolving to fit today’s current trends. On YouTube or Vimeo, millions of people watch, engage, and react to what are basically long advertisements. In a bite-sized online culture, a bite-sized sales pitch is the baseline for marketing strategy for any film.
Creating high exposure through the online release of marketing materials that have already been produced (read: paid for) in the form of trailers, posters, character art and set photos represents a smart way of using our beloved internet as advanced media for ad distribution perceived as content.
In one highly original example, Marvel star Tom Holland “accidentally” revealed the poster for the upcoming Avengers film on his social media.
In another example, a bespoke experience promoted the Netflix Series “Stranger Things.”
This is how the big boys are doing it. But, what about the little guys? You and your movie likely lack the infinite stones which Avengers has to work with.
Luckily, Sundance Institute recently posted their social media tips for indie filmmakers, and while they are more grassroots, they can be equally as effective given careful attention to the message and culture you (the filmmaker/the film/the brand) want to curate around your film.
The main thought of the article revolves around understanding the platforms available to you and the way you want to use them. If you are a cinematographer, Instagram is a great way to show your camera expertise. If you are a producer, produce behind the scenes photos and short, fun anecdotes to share — especially via video — on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube to show the audience who you are and what this movie’s about. If you are a writer, maybe write a blogpost(!) and share it across all platforms — there’s hundreds of social media apps available to get your message out there!
The key to getting the message about your film out there, and attracting a new audience to watch revolves around three main actionable items.
- Break the Internet! (Go viral)
- Face Time
- Variety of Content
In conclusion, film marketing is easier than you think. Even with more competition and more access for anyone to create, the best way to succeed and have your project seen is to STAND OUT.
