Step 1: Cast & Crew/Industry Screenings
The first thing we will want to do when we have finished our film, is to organize a cast & crew screening of the finished film.
Step 2: Prepare a Press & Publicity Kit
Before we start sending our short out to the industry, festivals, distributors etc you'll need to prepare your press & publicity materials. Such as press kit, stills & postcards, tapes, website, DVD show reel & prints.
Step 3: Press and Industry Promotion
Send your film to the right people and publications for PR / talent spotting e.g. TV and Commissioners, Advertising Agencies, production company Producers and Directors' reps.
Once we've sent our film to these people, call them to make sure they actually watch it and ask for their feedback or ‘advice’ on it.

Specialist or smaller festivals can be a great way of reaching the audience our film was intended for but if we're desperate to get our film into A-list festivals be careful about submitting to specialist festivals too early on, as some bigger festivals still require premieres.
Step 5: Get a Distributor, Agent or Self-distribute
A distributor can help market and generate sales for our film and a talent agent can help represent you as a filmmaker. Alternatively we may feel we'd like to retain all the rights to our film, in which case we may wish to go it alone and self-distribute our short.



Step 6: Cinema, TV, DVD, and Screenings & Online
New platforms for exposing and exhibiting our short are arising all the time Online/free screenings can be great for exposure, but if it is commercial profit that we are seeking, it might be best to go for sales first. Although nothing is set in stone in this area.


Step 7: Plan your next project
Industry contacts that we meet at film festivals and industry events will want to know what we next project is, so it's a good idea to start working on our next project whilst our marketing short.

Ripina Nguyen