Getting Played

[Anubis]

Let's say for a moment that you have a full length film that you would like to show the world. How does one go about getting their film viewed by a wide audience? Do you have to approach theater owners one by one? Is there a website that will let you find theaters that will play your films? Or is the only way to really get anyone to view your film to post it online and advertise the link a lot in certain places? And I'm trying to work this out for more than just selling it to distributors and what not, or played at festivals. How can one reach a wide audience in, say, a college town when there are no festivals going on, or reach people that don't normally go to festivals?

 

[knightly]

Those are all legitimate ways to get your film shown... As far as finding theaters, you'll kind of have to treat it like a band promotion where you book your hall in advance (cost involved), then promote using the local entertainment news resources, handbills, word of mouth, posters, etc. Then hopefully you play to a packed house and make your money back and perhaps part of the concessions if you schmooze correctly

You could also use an online resource like withoutabox if you're trying to get into festivals. Or shop it around to the independent distribution chains. A search here for distribution will find many conversations and questions about this very topic...and WELCOME!

 

[Justin Hayward]

And I'm trying to work this out for more than just selling it to distributors and what not, or played at festivals. QUOTE]

I don't know what other way there is to get a truly "wide" release
beyond making an actual studio film.

I guess you could go from town to town and rent a theater to screen your
movie, assuming you had the money and the theater's were locally owned, but it would
take quite a bit of promoting in each town just to sell enough tickets to cover the theater rental.

 

[knightly]

smaller bands do this all the time...I don't see why we can't apply this marketing strategy to films.

 

[Anodyneguitarist]

Put it online, make friends with managers at theatres, but most importantly hype the hell out of it

 

[MelonDome]

good advice Mr. Knightly, thanks!

 

[EmmaMc]

For free promotion, i usually just print out flyers and give them to my friends to pass out when they go to the bar... it works well, particularly if they are girls... hahhaa.