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Filmmaking resources for indie filmmakers, including, screenwriting, financing, producing and film distribution

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5 Movie Marketing Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb

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As a movie marketing nerd, I routinely read and study every movie communication and advertisement that comes my way. And over the years, my interest in movie marketing strategy has given me tons of ideas on how to help clients reach their own audiences and sell more movies.

Without mentioning names, a few days back, I received a promotional email from a rather well known movie distribution company. And on this particular day, I regretted opening the email. The truth is, this company should have known better…

Like many traditional distributors, this is one of those companies that claims they “do marketing” for filmmakers. And unless you’re somewhat of a marketing nerd like me, you might get excited when a distribution company touts their ability to do email blasts.

“We will email your movie to our list of 50,000 subscribers.”

Taken at face value, this sounds powerful. But smart filmmakers know better than to fall for these film distribution shenanigans. And in our short time together, I am going help you avoid the 5 movie marketing mistakes that make you look dumb.

movie-marketing-mistakes

5 Movie Marketing Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb

Even if you don’t consider yourself a promoter, it is important to know a thing or two about movie marketing so you can figure out who to work with. Here are 5 movie marketing mistakes that make you look dumb.

1. Buying or Renting Email Lists: It is never a good idea to buy or rent email lists. The people receiving your email don’t know you, don’t care about you and may not be interested in your movie. Additionally, you don’t know how those people got on the list in the first place. And unless they “opted in” to receive email communication, you could be violating spam laws.

2. Using a Stupid Display Name: In the email I referenced above, the display name in my inbox was from “marketing.” I don’t know anybody named “marketing” and neither do you. Like most people, when I see this in my inbox, I immediately think “marketing” is trying to sell something. So I delete!

3. Violating The Rule of WIIFM: Real marketing is a conversation that presents value. In the message referenced above, this distribution company violated the cardinal rule of marketing. Every bit of the content was about about “me, me, me.” And while I’m sure this company enjoyed talking about themselves, (as well as touting the fact they hired a new marketing manager – not kidding) the message provided absolutely NO value for me.

Always answer this question for your prospect: “What’s in it for me?”

4. Not Respecting Your Audience: Movie marketing is all about knowing your audience and communicating value. What does your audience want? For example someone who loves romantic comedy will probably not want to watch your horror movie. So why on earth would you think marketing to these people is a good idea?

5. Fail to Measure Results: This should be a no-brainier, but unless you measure your results, how do you know what’s working? Without getting too nerdy on you, a good movie marketing strategy should pay for itself and then provide profit. In the event you are not making (at least) your advertising dollars back, then you’re in the black hole. Make sure you measure.

I spend most days consulting with filmmakers and distribution companies about movie marketing. I help clients figure out how to avoid throwing money into a marketing black hole. If you’d like to find out more about my movie marketing tactics, check out my sell your movie system.

Make Your Own Online Movie Marketing Machine

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When I first got into filmmaking there was no talk of online movie marketing. After making a movie, every filmmaker I knew focused on one thing –  Landing a film distribution deal and then moving on to the next project.

“We are going to sell our movie, and use that money to make our next movie.”

Back then many filmmakers also learned a hard lesson. Just because you made a decent indie, doesn’t mean that a distribution deal was guaranteed. If you failed to land a distribution deal… You failed.

Fast forward to today. We have so many options for getting movies to market, that the mere idea of landing a traditional distribution deal has fundamentally changed.

What does it even mean to have your movie “picked up?”

Unless your distributor has access to foreign territories, the odds of getting a minimal guarantee are limited. And even if you do garner an MG, the amount will be less than you anticipated. Add the fact digital platforms are easily accessible, and you may find that instead of an upfront cash advance, many film distributors will simply grab the rights for your movie and throw it into the platforms to see what sticks.

“My distributor is going to put my movie on iTunes and said he may be able to get me special placement.”

That’s great. But what else? What is the plan for online marketing after the special placement ends?

“Ummmm… I think we will put the movie on Amazon?”

Here’s the thing. Getting your movie into popular marketplaces it not the problem! The real challenge is letting people know that your movie is available and getting them to buy now. This means you need an online movie marketing strategy.

online movie marketing

Make Your Own Online Movie Marketing Machine

You need to start thinking about your online movie marketing strategy today. The reason for this is simple. The world is changing. Audience viewing habits are evolving. The ways in which peopled watch movies is no longer limited to movie theaters or renting a video from a video store. In fact, if you think in terms of viewing habits, you’ll realize the following:

1. People watch stuff via digital platforms: More and more people are watching movies on internet platforms like iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Prime and a bunch of other platforms as well. We also know that most sales agents and traditional distributors are working to grab your rights so they can manage your digital distribution.

But did you know it is also possible to carve out and keep your digital distribution rights and enter the marketplace yourself? And the best part, you can get your movies seen and selling without signing a crazy distribution deal.

2. The internet offers a simple way to find your audience. While getting on these platforms is essential, it will not guarantee your movie will get seen. Think about it, there are millions of other movies competing for the same eyeballs. Your online movie marketing plan needs to focus on driving targeted visitors to your point of sale.

A lot of people (from all over the world) search the internet for movies. Here are examples I pulled from the free Google Keyword tool:

— Zombie Movies – Roughly 40,500
— Romantic Comedies – Roughly 60,500
— Action Movies – Roughly 90,500
— Horror Movies – 201,000
— Documentaries – 110,000

3. Make it easy for people to find your movie. If we know people are searching for these search terms, what are you doing to make sure that your movie comes up in the search results? One aspect of online movie marking is making sure you optimize your website for search results. This is called search engine optimization. There are both on-page methods and off-page methods.

Once your movie does come up in the search results, what are you doing to make sure that your site “funnels” people to the various marketplaces like iTunes, Hulu, Amazon and (the others…) In online movie marketing, we call this a conversion funnel. And optimizing your funnel to maximize sales needs to be the primary objective of your movie website.

If you’re interested, I put together a system specifically designed to put you in charge of your own distribution, so you can get your movie seen and selling around the world. The system is based on my years working in video on demand distribution. And it will provide you with real online movie marketing tips from the trenches. Go here: How To Sell Your Movie

How To Make People Line Up And Beg To Invest In Movies

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If you’re looking for people who invest in movies, you probably figured out that most high net worth individuals aren’t eager to hear unsolicited pitches from uninformed, inexperienced filmmakers. The reason for this should be obvious. But just in case you need some clarification, investing is a business.

People who invest in anything do so because they think the reward will far outweigh the risks. In other words, these people invest because your offering is more appealing than say, buying a stock mutual fund that grows on average 12% per year.

invest in movies

Do You Invest In Movies?

Finding people who actually invest in movies requires that you think about your project from the point of view of the investor. What’s in if for them? Why should they invest in movies over other investment opportunities?

But Jason – No more of this business talk. I just want to find investors the easy way!

That’s your problem. And I get it.

It is far easier to search the internet for people who invest in movies than to actually scour your network for people who may be able to offer you a personal introduction. A personal introduction that could lead to a face-to-face meeting, that could lead to the money.

If you’re serious about finding people who invest in movies, you must realize that business largely depends on trust. And trust is a result of personal relationships. And you usually don’t build strong personal relationships without occasionally picking up the phone.

As an example of what not to do, sometimes I get some wacky emails from people asking me to invest in movies.

Dear Jason,

This is my third and final eMail to you. I think it’s silly that you have a filmmaking website, but when it comes time to actually help people make movies, you just ignore them… So here it goes – again!

My name is [removed] from [another planet]. I think you should invest in movies I want to make because my ideas are totally awesome. My friends and I are going to do everything – so all we need from you is the money…

I am thinking our budget is going to be eighty-thousand dollars, but I am really not sure. But we think you should help us because you know all that stuff about film distribution. ( We don’t care much about that stuff, ha-ha!)

Assuming that you do invest in movies (you don’t want to miss out, right?) – We are prepared to give you all international rights. So again, just 80K will make you as a producer. Sound good?

You can send the check to my return address.

Sincerely,

Mr. [Name Removed]

P.S. If you pass at this opportunity, it’s your loss. But if you find other film financier for our project, we will still give you an associate producer credit.

P.P.S. What is your personal phone number? I’d like to call you with more details.

This note was modified and embellished to protect this unprofessional “filmmaker.”

Much of this probably seems funny. But these types of unprofessional solicitations are not rare. I get at least three emails like this per week. And here’s the thing, if you’re looking for people who invest in movies, it really starts with your network. It starts with a business plan and a clear plan for making your movie make sense to network your way to get movie money.

Film Distribution: New Rules For Selling Your Film

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If you know a filmmaker seeking film distribution, you’re in luck. We are going to share new rules for selling your movie. Before we talk about modern film distribution, a little context…

Do you remember the old days of film distribution?

I mean do you remember how it was just a few short years ago?

Back then film distribution was controlled by a bunch of companies that safeguarded access the marketplace.  As an independent filmmaker, if you were lucky enough to garner a distribution deal, odds were good the deal was less than satisfying.

This was my experience on my first feature. After receiving phone calls from would-be distributors full of empty promises, I started to dislike the predatory nature of traditional film distribution.

But what could you do?

Back then, the only alternative to this old film distribution model was self-distribution. And if you remember, the term itself was synonymous with loser.

If you couldn’t land a REAL distribution deal, then you weren’t a real filmmaker.

For this reason alone, many filmmakers signed away their rights for the mere validation of seeing their movie in the video stores. And every few months these same filmmakers would receive financial statements in the mail. The statement would show movie revenue minus marketing expenses.

And the bottom line? Zero monies paid to the filmmaker. And this was the indie film distribution paradigm accepted as a rite of passage.

At least my movie got on a shelf in the video store…

Thankfully, times have changed. As a result of internet film distribution (and the inevitable demise of DVD retail distribution) you can now reach a global marketplace!

film-distribution

Film Distribution: New Rules For Selling Your Movie

When we released our first feature on Amazon and started making sales, it was hard to believe we could do so without a traditional film distribution deal. At first we did not understand the power of modern self-distribution.

But then our phone started ringing.

As it turned out, a few of the distributors who previously rejected us started calling with better offers. It was at this point, I realized the paradigm was shifting in favor of the filmmaker.

Indie filmmakers now had access to the marketplace. That changed everything for me.

Since then, developments in inexpensive production technology coupled with access to the marketplace means that you can now make, market and sell your movie without permission.

But the problem is, you are not the only filmmaker that knows this. Each year thousands of movies enter the market, making it increasingly challenging to get your movie seen.

You now have the ability to release your movie globally without signing away your rights to an unscrupulous distributor. And even though many distributors would like to pretend otherwise, with a little ingenuity and a strong marketing plan, you can control your own independent movie business.

New rules for film distribution:

  1. My audience is my business.
  2. Without an audience I have no business.
  3. I am responsible for sourcing my own audience.

Let’s be honest…

Sourcing your own audience and executing your own marketing, sales and distribution plan is far less sexy than making a movie or filling your closet with filmmaking equipment.

Gear is tangible.

It’s something you can show your nerdy filmmaker friends.

But having gear is useless if you don’t use it.

Most filmmakers spend at least two years or longer working to get a movie made. But very few filmmakers focus on what to do once the movie is in the can. Making movies is pointless if you don’t create a plan for reaching your audience.

Whenever I give talks, I always ask the audience, what is your plan for marketing and distribution?

This is followed by:

Confused looks. Silence. Someone mutters: “I’ll get into Sundance and sell it.”

Why wouldn’t you dream BIG? Every filmmaker wants recognition – even if you refuse to admit it. But with over 5,000 backyard indies being made each year, I have to ask a tough question:

Why Should Someone Watch Your Film?

Most people decide which movies to watch based on recommendations from trusted friends. Movie studios spend millions to spark word of mouth. But for some reason, most indie filmmakers pretend marketing is not applicable to us.

I mean, we know that marketing is important.

But between procuring an awesome script, raising money and actually making the movie, we often cross our fingers and hope for a miracle.

And the problem is, marketing miracles rarely happen.

Aside from your mom and kid-sister, nobody knows about your movie. And while I am sure you went to many film festivals and traded post cards with other filmmakers (who in return, provided you their post cards), you probably quickly realized two facts:

  1. Film festivals are full of filmmakers.
  2. And other filmmakers are not your target audience.

The people who make up your movie’s target audience are trying to manage a busy life. These people have kids, jobs, worries, sleepless nights, gym memberships and car payments. So when they sit down to watch a movie, time is limited.

So the question you have to answer is why. . .

Why should someone watch YOUR film?

Only you can answer that question. But my suggestion is to do your homework before you take the next steps. If you want more info on how to sell your movie, check out the sell your movie system.

How To Get Film Funding

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Are you looking to find film funding? You’re not alone. One of the most challenging aspects of film funding is getting investors to take you seriously. The reason you’re having trouble finding film funding, is because the risk of funding your movie far outweighs the reward. You need to change that.

how to get film funding

How To Get Film Funding

Gone are the days where you merely make a movie and hand it off to the highest bidders. These days, you are expected to create a marketing, sales and distribution plan for your movie from day one. Without it, your project becomes very risky. And you don’t get investors.

Fortunately there are two developments that will help your film funding efforts.

1. Film Distribution is Accessible.

Through companies like Distribber (disclosure: Distribber advertises on this site) you now have the ability to get your movie into the marketplace. This allows you to create a business plan and marketing strategy with a fully accessible sales channel. This is huge!

2. Prove Concepts With Crowdfunding

Sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo allow you to crowdfund. With crowdfunding, you can test your concept with a small campaign long before you get into the marketplace. This will help you determine if your movie has a market – before you dive into your project both feet first.

If your small crowdfunding campaign is success, you can leverage this with a comprehensive film distribution plan, complete with a sales channel. This will make finding film funding will be much easier.