You have sent your movie(s) off to the IAC Competition and hope that at BIAFF in Chesterfield you will be collecting a notable award. Are you ready to capitalise on that?
Heck, no matter what grading your film gets, you can use the result to get some publicity for yourself, your club, BIAFF, the film's subject, the IAC and our hobby generally.
But you have to be ready with a press-pack. As soon as the letter comes revealing your result you should be able to type in the score and send out to all the local newspapers - including the free ones - the radio stations and local tv stations, local news websites, your (old) school, college, professional association and anyone else you can think of.
My first ideas are that it should be like this ...
The pack (whether paper in an envelope or an email and attachments) should include
a portrait photo of you
a few stills from the film
a couple of "making of" stills if possible.
Para 1: [Name] won a [nnn] award for his/her film ["ABC"] in the IAC International Film & Video Festival. The locally made movie deals with ["one line summary"] and features [person/place]. "I am thrilled with this recognition," says [name] "I'm so grateful to my friends at [XYZ Club] for their help and advice." The award will be presented during a weekend of screenings and celebrations at the Chesterfield Hotel, Chesterfield on 25-26th April 2009. [Only add that last sentence if you get one of the special awards!]
Para 2: Expand on the film, its making and the club.
Para 3: Background - what is IAC, how do people contact the club, the IAC and you.
[In a section marked "not for publication" give your name, address and phone numbers for use by the editors.]
What do you think? What else should be in there?
-Dave
Get your award-winner's Press Pack ready now !
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Dave Watterson
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Mike Shaw
Re: Get your award-winner's Press Pack ready now !
That is an excellent summation of what should go into - and how to prepare - a Press Release.
I was once told (by an editor) they quickly scan through the first paragraph and if that fails to attract interest or tell them what the 'news' is, its binned. If it provokes any interest - the rest of the release also gets a 'scanning'. Also, releases should be kept as brief as possible - never run to two pages of copy unless asked!
A snazzy heading can be useful as well - something that makes the editor want to read on. (Rather than 'Press Release from the Smalltown Video and Film Makers')
I'd only add, don't expect the information in the release to be printed accurately ... for some reason, there are always mistakes when a release makes it into print. (I've even seen innacuracies in Club and Regional magazines - It isn't just newspapers!). I think editors work on the basis that one shouldn't spoil a good story with the facts...
I was once told (by an editor) they quickly scan through the first paragraph and if that fails to attract interest or tell them what the 'news' is, its binned. If it provokes any interest - the rest of the release also gets a 'scanning'. Also, releases should be kept as brief as possible - never run to two pages of copy unless asked!
A snazzy heading can be useful as well - something that makes the editor want to read on. (Rather than 'Press Release from the Smalltown Video and Film Makers')
I'd only add, don't expect the information in the release to be printed accurately ... for some reason, there are always mistakes when a release makes it into print. (I've even seen innacuracies in Club and Regional magazines - It isn't just newspapers!). I think editors work on the basis that one shouldn't spoil a good story with the facts...