How to promote your films with Swag, T-shirts, buttons, and other things

[comedyfilmmaker]

I have some films coming up at ComicCon and I'm thinking with that and other film fests, since I don't have money to actually go to them, I'm thinking of sending fests some free promotional stuff (Swag I think is the term) like free t-shirts, buttons, flyers, and DVD samples to promote my films that I made.

I was looking into cafepress and zazzle but they are totally against t-shirts promoting stuff. Even though stuff like Disney and South Park promote their stuff through Zazzle, they are already famous so they don't need to say something like "Get the DVD at (website)" which is what I want to do just to get my art out there.

Anyone know how to do this?

I think doing this and submiting to film fests are probably the best way to get people to see my art and even if I'm lucky a trust worthy agent who respects art.

I've tried junk like facebook, myspace, google+, twitter and youtube and it didn't do anything for me, just a bunch of juvinille kids steeling my films and dubbing them and using them for bullying pranks and junk.
So I want to promote more professionally and more safe.

I'm currently using createspace, no sales yet because I think what's missing is promoting. I tried local news but they are so showbizy that they just don't give a crap about art, newspapers are a bit better but my local one didn't help.

I'm sort of on a $200 budget per month until I have a job that will give me employment and only then I could raise money.

Plus I've heard stuff about ways to fund money and grants and scholorships, but I just haven't meet the right people who would be interested in my satirical comedy / slapper slapstick cartoon puppet movies.

The only parent in my life is broke like me lol, my best friend is being careful with his money he's super creative and I'm trying to have him involve in my projects but it's really hard to get his attention because he's easily distracted, and that's my social life unfortunatly.

So any ideas on Promoting? I have DVDs on createspace but I'm trying to figure out how to promote them.

 

[comedyfilmmaker]

I figured making promo flyers was the way to go in a low budget or in this case no promo budget. As simple as making a photoshop flyer and wifi printing it at my local library for 50 cents for color 10 for blank and white.

Anyway if anyone else has any suggestions, feel free to post.

 

[directorik]

Promotion is a tricky thing, isn't it?

The big companies you mention have a lot of money to distribute
a lot of "swag". You don't. And you don't really have a product that
people are clamoring to get swag from. It's quite a "catch-22" Have
you ever been to ComicCom? There are 500 tables giving away
20,000 items. Sure, if your table has flyers a few people may pick
one up. If you give away t-shirts, buttons and DVD samples some
people might pick them up.

But will that generate interest in your films?

Without a table the convention workers will likely put your flyers
on a table in the lobby where 300 other people who are attending
the convention will quickly bury your stuff under theirs. I've seen
people stopping by the lobby every 15 minutes to reposition their
flyers to the top. Same with film festivals. There are always tables
in the lobbies with flyers and posters; people have to actively
maintain their "spot" on these tables. If you print 100 flyers ($50),
send them to the convention or festival and hope someone puts
them on one of the tables they will be covered in 5 minutes by the
hundreds of people who show up and place their flyers on the limited
space - and they will have 500 flyers.

 

[welsh_gambit]

i know you said you didnt have much luck online but id suggest giving it anothet crack. you could offer competitions on facebook/twitter for people to win goodie bags? Something like everyone who buys a dvd gets entered into a monthy draw or something. You could try facebook ads and ppl 'sharing' it on their newsfeed. Maybe even try and partner yourself with some competition websites then they'd share it on facebook for you too.

Another thing you could try but it would involve you having someone at comic con could be to promote online that your films will be there and anyone attending needs to go to a certain place, speak a password to the person you have there and they get free swag...you could even do like a cryptic viral video online a few weeks beforehand then have people collecting clues while there, all of which leads ti the showing of you film....anyway im going off on one now so ill stop there,
best of luck

 

[Boxt]

i know you said you didnt have much luck online but id suggest giving it anothet crack. you could offer competitions on facebook/twitter for people to win goodie bags? Something like everyone who buys a dvd gets entered into a monthy draw or something. You could try facebook ads and ppl 'sharing' it on their newsfeed. Maybe even try and partner yourself with some competition websites then they'd share it on facebook for you too.

Another thing you could try but it would involve you having someone at comic con could be to promote online that your films will be there and anyone attending needs to go to a certain place, speak a password to the person you have there and they get free swag...you could even do like a cryptic viral video online a few weeks beforehand then have people collecting clues while there, all of which leads ti the showing of you film....anyway im going off on one now so ill stop there,
best of luck

Very good ideas, Welsh. Interaction is the key to getting social networkers to become purchasers. It takes a lot if time to do that but if you allocate some time everyday, and maybe get a friend to be a page admin, they can interact when you can't. Competitions also work well. And talk to Comic Con social media fans, a lot.
There is a former sales agent called Stacey Parks on Facebook who has some good, solid tips for marketing on a meagre budget. I'll see if I have her marketing notes that I may be able to send you, ComedyFM.