How do we "market" our films?

[Atta Chui]

Another disadvantage to movie makers who make long films is that if all audience
can read from BIAFF's programme is:

Another Day by John Smith, Drama, 50 minutes

How many people would "take the risk" and watch the film?

I wonder if

(a) festival programmes should include more information,
(b) filmmakers should put posters up at the venue to "advertise" the films
(whether long or short, actually),
(c) filmmakers should talk about their films in FVM (for festival regulars/IAC
members) or on this website, IAC Online (for an even wider audience),
(d) build your own website, talk to local press, whatever...

Many filmmakers, including myself, stop to think about the film as soon as
it leaves the editing room (or the computer these days). However, publicising
and distributing the film are actually important issues...

Atta

[AnimatioN]

"Atta Chui" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

Another disadvantage to movie makers who make long films is that if all
audience
can read from BIAFF's programme is:

Another Day by John Smith, Drama, 50 minutes
How many people would "take the risk" and watch the film?


(a) festival programmes should include more information,
(b) filmmakers should put posters up at the venue to "advertise" the films
(whether long or short, actually),

Not long or short but more to the point,is the John Smith drama
boring or not?
I would sooner watch a none boring film lasting 50 minutes than a
shorter boring film.
All film makers are prepared to tell us how long their masterpieces
are, but never tell how boring we might find them!

(c) filmmakers should talk about their films in FVM (for festival regulars/IAC
members) or on this website, IAC Online (for an even wider audience),
(d) build your own website, talk to local press, whatever...

It isn't any good talking about them if they are not going to be seen.
So unless it's going to get an audience of some kind......
The amateur film maker has very limited chances of getting really big
audiences in the thousands and even if he wins awards the numbers
are but in the few hundreds.

The Internet, ah, now that is a very different story. From my own
recent experience in bandwidth usage indicates that over 500 screenings
of my own work has taken place in but two months, plus many views of
photographs too as a bonus.

So Atta's suggestion about building a web site is the new
and exciting outlet on offer to those willing to try it.
A new learning curve, it is true, but a curve, if climbed,
results in many more bums on seats for you!
Albert.
http://www.retinascope.co.uk/index.html

[Cinema For Thurso Group]

Hmm! Well 80 color posters in key locations throughout Thurso, 320 table-top
flyers, Press article with photo for the local paper (preferably appearing
in it's Friday edition), a number plugs on the local radio station, a stab
at regional tv news mention, inclusion in the Caithness Arts newsletter-
"What's On" section and on Caithness.org's "What's On" section on the wubble
you, wubble you, web. All this at least two weeks ahead of the screenings-
works a treat for us.
Maybe, just maybe, I might mention it here too!

[Michael Slowe]

"AnimatioN" <Animation@btinternet.com> wrote:

"Atta Chui" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

Another disadvantage to movie makers who make long films is that if all
audience
can read from BIAFF's programme is:

Another Day by John Smith, Drama, 50 minutes
How many people would "take the risk" and watch the film?


(a) festival programmes should include more information,
(b) filmmakers should put posters up at the venue to "advertise" the films
(whether long or short, actually),

Not long or short but more to the point,is the John Smith drama
boring or not?
I would sooner watch a none boring film lasting 50 minutes than a
shorter boring film.
All film makers are prepared to tell us how long their masterpieces
are, but never tell how boring we might find them!

(c) filmmakers should talk about their films in FVM (for festival regulars/IAC
members) or on this website, IAC Online (for an even wider audience),
(d) build your own website, talk to local press, whatever...

It isn't any good talking about them if they are not going to be seen.
So unless it's going to get an audience of some kind......
The amateur film maker has very limited chances of getting really big
audiences in the thousands and even if he wins awards the numbers
are but in the few hundreds.

The Internet, ah, now that is a very different story. From my own
recent experience in bandwidth usage indicates that over 500 screenings

of my own work has taken place in but two months, plus many views of
photographs too as a bonus.

So Atta's suggestion about building a web site is the new
and exciting outlet on offer to those willing to try it.
A new learning curve, it is true, but a curve, if climbed,
results in many more bums on seats for you!
Albert.
http://www.retinascope.co.uk/index.html

Albert, I still can't view films from your site in spite of all the advice
from Dave!
I had a boffin in to advise and even after downloading the software suggested
for my Mac it was no go. I am about to upgrade the operating system to see
if this does the trick. Many editors work on Macs and they will be one of
your key audience groups so let's hope it works. Any other Mac users having
this problem of viewing films on line?

[AnimatioN]

"Michael Slowe" <michael.slowe@btinternet.com> wrote:

Albert, I still can't view films from your site in spite of all the advice
from Dave!
I had a boffin in to advise and even after downloading the software suggested
for my Mac it was no go. I am about to upgrade the operating system to see
if this does the trick. Many editors work on Macs and they will be one of
your key audience groups so let's hope it works. Any other Mac users having
this problem of viewing films on line?

Oh dear Michael, I am sorry. If Dave cannot solve it then I certainly
do not have the know how to. maybe best buy a PC!!

But I am soon to change and embed all the films in curtains so that they

look more like a Cinema presentation....(one hits the "Fire Exit"
to return to the Cinema Foyer!! All part of trying to build up
Cinema magic on the Internet.)
Maybe you will have better luck then, altho'it's still wmp
supported at present.

I do wish you could see Geof's "Watch the Birdie" on my site
as it has encoded very well and the quality is very good.
I think if you saw it you might reconsider putting up your own
web site for your shorter films.
Your Pelican film would encode very well too I think as it has
simple backgrounds. Maybe one day, I will convince you to try?

The stand alone Windows Media Player which launches at present
for my films is a very ugly looking system so I wish to get
rid of it.
Also trying to teach myself (I'm a terrible pupil!) about
playerless presentations, but I feel I am treading a
technological tightrope!
Albert....off balance
http://www.retinascope.co.uk/index.html

[Cinema For Thurso Group]

At our cinema you'll find the films easy to see- just pay your ticket, come
in and sit down. We'll do the rest at the Picture House Cinema (Skinandis
Nightclub- our favourite venue)

[Dave Watterson]

"Atta Chui" <forums@theiac.org.uk> suggested:

(a) festival programmes should include more information,

Problems:
the time it would take an already overworked competition manager to write
them
the cost of the extra pages
outraged film makers complaining the summary does not do justice to their
film ...

There was a plan to have on the noticeboard at Chesterfield a summary of
the films but I did not spot it myself.

ME? I'd go for it! I love the idea and some other festivals manage it, so
why not us?

(b) filmmakers should put posters up at the venue to "advertise" the films

If you mean at the festival venue we could have a large pinboard for each
mini-cinema on which film makers could stick such posters. I'd have all those
boards in a central lobby area rather than outside the cinemas - though ideally
they would be in both places. Prize for best poster perhaps?

(c) filmmakers should talk about their films

YES!! IAC tried having interviews with the makers of the main award movies
but not all are articulate and not all are present! I think it might be
possible to get a couple of minutes of video comment with each winners filmed
eeks beforehand. These could be screened after their movie's award has been
handed over. I reckon that should be a job for one of the festival organisers
as opposed to the competition manager.

Atta makes an effort to get some notes about and by the winners on the website
and Garth tries to do so for the magazine. Grabbing interviews during festival
is not easy but it should be possible to twist arms and ask winners to write
or email you. [I know Garth has interviews with Anita Georgieska, Jean-Pierre
Hue and Olga Spatova on hand - watch the next few issues of FVM.]

Building a website to show your films is great if they are are suited to
that type of showing.

BUT how about just selling DVDs or tapes of your film on a cost and postage
only basis? You would have to sort out the rights for any material whose
copyright belonged to someone else. That probably means using original music
rather than pre-recorded stuff where the sales rights can be expensive.

Am I the only loony who would fork out for amateur movies? And I have done!
In Germany there is a scheme for producing collections of work by amateur
moviemakers on video-CD and DVD. At a cost of around 15 Euros I bought a
few.

Dave

[Michael Slowe]

"Dave Watterson" <david.filmsocs@virgin.net> wrote:

"Atta Chui" <forums@theiac.org.uk> suggested:

(a) festival programmes should include more information,

Problems:
the time it would take an already overworked competition manager to write
them
the cost of the extra pages
outraged film makers complaining the summary does not do justice to their
film ...

There was a plan to have on the noticeboard at Chesterfield a summary of
the films but I did not spot it myself.

ME? I'd go for it! I love the idea and some other festivals manage it, so
why not us?

(b) filmmakers should put posters up at the venue to "advertise" the films

If you mean at the festival venue we could have a large pinboard for each
mini-cinema on which film makers could stick such posters. I'd have all
those
boards in a central lobby area rather than outside the cinemas - though
ideally
they would be in both places. Prize for best poster perhaps?

(c) filmmakers should talk about their films

YES!! IAC tried having interviews with the makers of the main award movies
but not all are articulate and not all are present! I think it might be
possible to get a couple of minutes of video comment with each winners filmed
eeks beforehand. These could be screened after their movie's award has been
handed over. I reckon that should be a job for one of the festival organisers
as opposed to the competition manager.

Atta makes an effort to get some notes about and by the winners on the website
and Garth tries to do so for the magazine. Grabbing interviews during festival
is not easy but it should be possible to twist arms and ask winners to write
or email you. [I know Garth has interviews with Anita Georgieska, Jean-Pierre
Hue and Olga Spatova on hand - watch the next few issues of FVM.]

Building a website to show your films is great if they are are suited to
that type of showing.

BUT how about just selling DVDs or tapes of your film on a cost and postage
only basis? You would have to sort out the rights for any material whose
copyright belonged to someone else. That probably means using original music
rather than pre-recorded stuff where the sales rights can be expensive.

Am I the only loony who would fork out for amateur movies? And I have done!
In Germany there is a scheme for producing collections of work by amateur
moviemakers on video-CD and DVD. At a cost of around 15 Euros I bought a
few.

Dave

Dave I often get requests for copies of my films which I am glad to provide
at no cost. I don't regard that as a big deal and I am sure other fim makers
feel the same. I warn about public performance of copyright music and that
is one of the reasons that I now use either specially composed music and
sounds or library material.

[AnimatioN]

"Cinema For Thurso Group" <canuimagine@btopenworld.com> wrote:

At our cinema you'll find the films easy to see- just pay your ticket, come
in and sit down. We'll do the rest at the Picture House Cinema (Skinandis
Nightclub- our favourite venue)

As far as everyone here on this forum is concerened you might just
as well have your cinema on Mars!
OK, with the shuttle taking off today maybe we could all get aboard it to
Skinandis...is that a Martian crater by the way, or where you all
get a Skin full on a Saturday night? Me? I'm teetotal.

Albert....totting it all up.
http://www.retinascope.co.uk/index.html

[Dave Watterson]

"AnimatioN" <Animation@btinternet.com> wrote:
Me? I'm teetotal.

Ah - that explains it!

An occasional glass of single malt or its equivalent in other countries helps
bring peace and enlightenment. In the current heatwave, however, a tall
glass of beer is almost a necessity.

I love the fact that CforT works so hard to put on shows for his/her community.
I suspect that many others in our movement put on screenings for outside
groups, though seldom on such a scale. Nonetheless all those shows for Womens
Guilds, Boy Scouts, OAP luncheon clubs and so on all help spread the word
that some amateur movies are good.

With another hat on I am involved in the film society scene where public
shows are the heart of the matter. But then they show commercial product
so have the benefit of publicity generated for their cinema runs, or reviews
in the heavyweight press.

But Albert, what tipple does soothe the Noble throat? Are you a tea man?

Dave

[Cinema For Thurso Group]

Skinandis...is that a Martian crater by the way, or where you all
get a Skin full on a Saturday night?

Well some do (what town doesn't have that kind of person?-not me though)
but Caithness is very much part of mainland Britain and many have found it
worth the effort to get here in 4:3 or CinemaScope!

[Cinema For Thurso Group]

We take full advantage of poster publicity and find that it takes 75 posters
to cover our town centre adiquately. They are in color and we usually print
30 'coming soon' posters which are displayed 3 weeks prior to the main publicity
drive which is usually 14 days minimum ahead of the scheduled screening.
Additionally posters on A3 size are displayed at properties directly connect
to the main venue and the venue itslef gets the full size A1 poster.
Both Caithness.org and Caithness FM have sections for promoting local events
free of charge as long as they are club or charity related. It's always possible
to get 6 or 7 paragraghs and a photo somewhere in the local paper so all
the media angles are covered.
I've been doin a lot over our 20th anniversary year to restore the public
profile of Cinema For Thurso and the public have re-familiarised with what
we are about.

[AnimatioN]

"Dave Watterson" <david.filmsocs@virgin.net> wrote:

"AnimatioN" <Animation@btinternet.com> wrote:
Me? I'm teetotal.

Ah - that explains it!

Explains wot?

An occasional glass of single malt or its equivalent in other countries
helps
bring peace and enlightenment.

I prefer war and endarkenment!

In the current heatwave, however, a tall

glass of beer is almost a necessity.

Long live yer livers!

But Albert, what tipple does soothe the Noble throat?

Ginger beer.

Are you a tea man?

No, just a bleedin' mad man.
Albert...
PS...The irony of life......During WW2 my parents and I slept
down in the London Underground every night to escape Hitler's bombs.
How safe we all felt down there, even though the platforms made
for a very hard bed! Now, times have changed and
recently became unsafe to be down there.

[Willy Van der Linden]

"AnimatioN

PS...The irony of life......During WW2 my parents and I slept
down in the London Underground every night to escape Hitler's bombs.
How safe we all felt down there, even though the platforms made
for a very hard bed! Now, times have changed and
recently became unsafe to be down there.


Also in Belgium we stood in silence for two minutes. I feel for everyone

who is against terrorism, intolerance, hatred ... Peace will come !

[AnimatioN]

"Willy Van der Linden" <vanderlindenhig@telenet.be> wrote:

"AnimatioN
PS...The irony of life......During WW2 my parents and I slept
down in the London Underground every night to escape Hitler's bombs.
How safe we all felt down there, even though the platforms made
for a very hard bed! Now, times have changed and
recently became unsafe to be down there.


Also in Belgium we stood in silence for two minutes. I feel for everyone
who is against terrorism, intolerance, hatred ... Peace will come !

Not until the indoctrination of children by *all* religion ceases,
and children are brought up as free thinkers to ponder about life
and the Universe they find themselves in.

What this has to do with the IAC I know not, except
IAC = Indoctrination is Against Children!!

Albert....Independant Adult Critic .....
http://www.retinascope.co.uk/index.html