How did you attract/address your audience?
Q.5 requires you to think about marketing your product.
- You could use SlideShare or even create a mock-up of a website to promote your film with links to Facebook, Twitter, dates of release, key personnel etc.
- You could talk bout the unique selling point of your film (USP).
- Create a Facebook site with your opening title sequence on it and get feedback from your target audience.
- You could attach the BFFC website link and discuss film ratings.
BUILDING AN AUDIENCE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Anglia Ruskin University reviewed the UK Film Council's Digital Innovation award scheme as part of a wider research project on the Culture of Digital Economy and new business models within the Creative Industries. The findings are presented in a short film which features clips from the films and campaigns, and interviews with those people involved.
The work reported in this 15 minute film is essential viewing. The UK Film Council funded digital campaigns to build film audiences. This film gives the highlights of several case studies e.g. 15 million people followed the campaign for 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' thanks to a digital campaign pre-release.
CASE STUDY
Press coverage can snowball once a buzz has been started. The low-budget community funded Tortoise In Love (2011) launched at Cannes and touched a soft spot; soon all the major dailies were featuring it. The film distributors built on this buzz using their Facebook site and Twitter feeds.
CASE STUDY Create a FaceBook site and Twitter feed for your product and tweet progress, snippets etc to create a buzz, like Tortoise In Love. Then use these social media to create a dialogue with the press, audiences and the industry:
CASE STUDY 'The King's Speech' on Facebook: 71, 646 followers are addressed through social network sites which promise to 'help you connect and share with the people in your life.'
You should create a Facebook page for your product and explain your reasons for doing so: practical reasons (reaching consumers) and theory underpinning consumer behaviour (two-step flow audience model).
CASE STUDY Producer Harriet Rees, whose first feature-length film 'Chalet Girl' is a contemporary snowboarding film and teen comedy, believes that in the current climate, everyone is having to think more laterally and become more creative:
Pippa Cross, former head of film at Granada Media explains:"The ideas now being brought to the table - spin-off products like 'webisodes' designed to help build a film's success and feed demand for more from its audience - would have been unthinkable just a few years ago."
11 or so key brand partners - including sportswear giant Roxy/Quicksilver, Salomon, Nintendo and Red Bull - have so far come on board.
Roxy/Quicksilver's involvement as sponsor - supplying both products and riders to appear in a number of scenes - was secured a year or so ahead of the Chalet Girl going into production. Though the brand has not directly invested in the film's budget, it has collaborated closely with the producers to ensure the authenticity of snowboarding scenes, and it will promote its involvement across a diverse array of brand communication and point of sale which will go live ahead of the film's launch. "In a film like this where the story's setting is an environment that's full of branding, there is - in one sense - very little a brand might want that would 'cross the line'," Rees says.
Film marketing.
Complementing the distribution plan, every film has a detailed marketing plan. The marketing objective is to create visibility, raise awareness and engage interest, cutting through the blizzard of competing messages.
Distributors must compete for a significant share of voice not only against other distributors but also other leisure activities in and out of the home. They all aim to entice the same public, who have never had as much choice as there is today. However large or small the marketing budget, audiences must be reached in compelling ways and persuaded that this is an especially entertaining, must see film. Their interest should peak as it opens in cinemas.
Stuart Williams on word of mouth and its importance:
Play clip
Today, theatrical runs seldom exceed six weeks, even for big hits, and can last much less. But distributors' campaigns are generally effective as most cinemagoers know which film(s) they want to see before setting off for the cinema.
When constructing a campaign, distributors aim to reach as much of their target audience as possible, as frequently but cost-effectively as possible. They must bear in mind that different audiences react to advertising, and reach a decision to see a new film, in different ways. Older audiences may respond best having seen a film advertised on television or in the press, while for younger audiences it is more appropriate to promote the film online, on radio stations or bus shelter panels.In each case, a variety of complementary media and promotional options is considered
The main image distilling the appeal of the film - its stars, theme/genre, credits and often a tagline to whet audiences' appetites. With sometimes a dozen or more different posters on display in a cinema foyer at any one time, distributors and their designers must work hard to make each one stand out.
Film posters may be created by the studio or sales agent (as applicable) and rolled out internationally or adapted for use locally. Alternatively, they may be devised in the UK from scratch, depending on what approved materials are available and how the film is best presented to local audiences.
A poster is produced for every release, in quad format (the traditional UK size of 30"x 40", landscape orientation) or one-sheet format (the US equivalent with similar dimensions, portrait orientation).
Many months before release, an initial teaser poster may be created to announce that a film is coming and to whet the audience's appetite. Distributors also provide other display materials for cinema foyers - prime space for advertising current and future releases - such as cardboard standees, banners, window clings and mini-posters.
Sara Frain on how a distributor approaches a marketing plan: Play clip
Distributors usually have a range of audiovisual 'content' to work with as they prepare campaigns, including short and extended clips, approved by the producers; making-of material shot on set during production; and one or more trailers. Trailers are probably the single most cost-effective marketing technique, playing on the big screen to a captive audience of active cinemagoers.
Full trailers, screened shortly before a film opens, may be preceded by early teasers (30-90 seconds). Specialist agencies or production companies are briefed by local distributors to create a trailer from the available material. Naturally, in aiming to sell the film, they want to include a representative glimpse of the best bits but, early in the production, many sequences will not be finished. Trailer making is a filmmaking art in its own right.
Exhibitors, who programme their own screens, select trailers appropriate to the feature film before which they're played. Distributors fund the duplication, and often the production, of trailers; a wide release will often have 3,000 copies circulated to cinemas. Sometimes trailers for new theatrical releases are added to the front of suitably targeted DVDs, and of course play widely online.
Fizzing with networks of film fans, the internet plays a pivotal role in shaping many cinemagoers' perceptions of new releases. Most films have an official website (examples below) or perhaps a UK site hosted by a partner company, offering trailers, production information, galleries of stills and behind-the scenes footage, and more.
The internet helps distributors to start building awareness of a new film at a very early stage. Even before principal photography begins, they may release news snippets or teaser images online, seeding interest among fans. During shooting, they may gradually accelerate the dripfeed with video diaries and blogs posted from the set, aiming to engage the core audience more fully.
But of course the internet is a two-way street - with individuals in control of their own viewing. There is no hiding place: the moment a film is screened, reviews and feedback can be shared instantly and constantly around the world, as online communities swap opinions in a galaxy of chat rooms.
Film clips are among the web's most searched for content, available across very many sites, while ever more user-generated material, often including film or soundtrack grabs, draws comments from wider networks. Sometimes filmmakers and distributors invite ideas and bloggers' suggestions have been known to make it into finished films.
The cost of advertising placed on broadcast channels, outdoor sites and in the press is usually the largest expenditure item in a P&A budget.
Media costs rise and fall according to market conditions during the year. Terrestrial television is traditionally the most effective visual means of reaching a mass audience. But the cost of TV advertising, running into many hundreds of thousands of pounds or more for a package of spots in all regions, is prohibitive for most film releases given their potential returns. Event films/blockbusters with top stars need heavyweight advertising to support their wide releases.
Media proliferation and fragmentation have given all advertisers a multitude of options. The UK has approximately 250,000 poster sites at the roadside or by railway platforms, thousands of local media outlets and hundreds of digital TV channels where advertising and promotions may be placed.
With limited budgets, distributors always consider inventive ways to reach particular audiences film by film. They strive to create a dialogue with the audience, to gain an active not a passive response. People have grown accustomed to using media how, when and where they wish. Every week, for example, more than a billion text messages are sent in the UK alone, not counting communication via email and websites. So audiences can easily opt out of advertising that doesn't quickly spark their interest.
Folk heroes on both sides of the law have long been springboards for stories in print and on film.Notorious recounted the astonishing life and death of rap music star, Notorious BIG, played by Jamal Woolard. It opened strongly in UK cinemas, grossing £1.1m in its first weekend (February 2009). Released in July, Michael Mann's thriller Public Enemies starred Christian Bale as a dashing agent in the fledgling FBI locking horns with notorious '30s gangsters including John Dillinger (Johnny Depp, first left). Christian Bale starred in two 'tentpole' films in summer 2009, the other being Terminator: Salvation.
Publicity.
Editorial coverage of a film can be highly persuasive. The public often accepts independently-written news stories and features more readily than advertising. The space itself is not paid for, in the way that display advertising is paid for, but column inches and airtime are limited and the subject of heavy competition in their own right.
A distributor's publicity team, frequently supported by specialist agencies, arranges media interviews with available members of the film's cast, and chaperones artists visiting the UK for junkets or premieres. In today's media environment, many channels and outlets are interested in entertainment news and features. The more the film's talent is willing and able to support the worldwide publicity effort, the better!
Publicists compile press kits for journalists, containing cast and crew lists, biographies, notable facts about the production and a synopsis. It's very important to have a selection of fine images from the film, taken during production by a specially hired unit photographer and approved for publicity use. All these materials are disseminated via online pressrooms and distributors proactively devise 'hooks' or 'angles' for feature articles and media promotions.
Regal entertainment.
Scripted by Julian Fellowes, The Young Victoria was a deliciously intriguing romantic drama starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend as Victoria and Albert in the years before she became Queen. The distributor's advertising campaign was designed to look suitably sumptuous and seductive. Blunt's status as leading lady was reflected in her becoming the cover star of various glossy magazines as the film was released. She had a string of films due for release in the following months, including Sunshine Cleaning, The Wolf Man, Wild Target and Gulliver's Travels. |
Screenings for national critics are normally held on the Monday and Tuesday before a film opens to the public; those for national and regional writers with longer lead-times are scheduled further in advance. Although positive reviews are no guarantee of commercial success, critics' plaudits can still be important in helping to distinguish and champion certain films, and extracts are often included in advertising.
Set visits.
As with any product development, the film production process is conducted confidentially behind studio doors or on guarded locations. Film sets are normally strictly closed to the public. But distributors may have valuable opportunities to visit the set, especially of UK-based productions, along with key journalists, exhibitors or marketing partners. In making such visits, arrangements will be made with the unit publicists and producers.
Awards buzz: The build up to the major awards (see page 22) is an important time for publicists promoting the films vying for consideration. The season of mounting speculation lasts around five months leading up to the annual Academy Awards (Oscars®), and costly trade campaigns unfold to secure voters' attention to particular titles, performances and contributions. Shortlists of nominations are announced 3-4 weeks prior to the presentation ceremonies, which deliver global profile and prestige.
Depending on the film's theme and target audience, the distributor will endeavour to arrange promotional partnerships. Such tie-ins generate displays for the film in places where conventional advertising cannot reach such as shops, restaurants or on packs. They also enable customers to interact with the film characters by collecting premium items or entering a competition.
Importantly, too, tie-in advertising under license by a promotional partner or a third-party company with product placement in a film can add substantial weight to the distributor's own campaign.
Many releases, particularly family films, have merchandising programmes co-ordinated by the film company or an external consultancy. Manufacturers may be licensed to use approved logo devices, images or character likenesses on specific products, normally in exchange for an advance fee set against subsequent royalty payments.
Tie-in merchandise can embrace action figures, ringtones, clothing, screen savers, calendars, anything. Films regularly have official soundtracks, games and books, which can generate significant revenues in their own right.
Media promotions, placed on an appropriate channel or publication, can make effective use of film merchandise or location holidays as prizes. Such exposure helps to stretch the film campaign and create additional talking points.
Occasionally, a film becomes a ubiquitous event, saturating the media as well as appearing in advertising, partner campaigns and other outlets. It may develop into a popular cultural phenomenon and become an international news item. That audiences around the world can take a new set of characters to their hearts, often within a very short period of time, indicates how powerful and influential a storytelling medium the cinema can be.
Perceived as glamorous and exclusive, but painstaking and expensive to organise! Distributors' publicists organise premieres as an official launch for a film, giving or reflecting an event stature and providing a platform for photo opportunities and red carpet interviews. Star-studded premieres and after-show parties are covered by celebrity publications and news media, and often transmitted worldwide.
Sometimes a gala screening in aid of charity raises a substantial sum via ticket sales and donations, but from the distributor's professional perspective the main aim of a premiere is to give the film a high-profile, entertaining launch, boosting the all-important buzz factor. Some TV companies present half hour specials devoted to a big premiere. Most premieres in the UK - around 50 a year - take place in London's Leicester Square.
A useful way to fuel pre-release word of mouth among audience segments that the distributor wants to persuade to see the film. Preview screenings are targeted carefully, with tickets offered to readers of a particular print/online publication, or listeners of a radio programme, matching the film's core audience.
Sometimes a film is previewed widely to the public a few days before its official release date. This is a way to satisfy demand to see it as soon as possible and to boost the opening box office receipts.
There are dozens of busy film festivals in towns and cities worldwide, but the main annual events attended by thousands of international film buyers and sellers, and almost as many journalists, are presently at Sundance (Utah), Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto.
These festivals, each with their own personality, serve various functions:
- A market, where distributors seeking to acquire product may meet with sellers (agents, producers, studios);
- A competition, where new titles may be screened to juries of filmmakers and awarded prizes. Such accolades flashed on a film's poster can add prestige but may also characterise it as 'arty';
- A high-profile platform where films can be showcased prior to release.
Distributors sometimes choose to launch films at a suitable international festival, where critics and insiders may discover them and go on to champion them in early reviews. The eyes of the film world and the mass media are focused on the leading festivals, such as Cannes in May (below), which accommodates many premieres and junkets. Trade papers publish daily editions in print and online for industry members and journalists. Other important events in the industry calendar include the Edinburgh and London film festivals, the American Film Market and the Mercato International Film e Documentario (MIFED) in Milan.
Research companies working for the distributors may track levels of awareness among audiences as a release date approaches. With 4 or 5 weeks to go there may be low awareness: each campaign is effectively a new product launch, generally running in the media for a few intense weeks.
Every week, distributors hold marketing team meetings, reflecting on the films they have in current release and progressing plans for forthcoming titles. Some aspects of marketing, such as a major promotional partnership, can require a year's lead-time, while others, such as running extra advertising to capitalise on good reviews or awards nominations/wins, may be turned around at very short notice.
Many films are released each year with digital subtitles and audio description. New titles are made available to cinemas every week as a service to cinemagoers with less than perfect sight or hearing. Some film trailers are presented online in accessible formats too.
Whenever you see these symbols on a film advertisement, you'll know that subtitles and audio description tracks have been produced for its release:
The film industry reaches out to the next generation of filmmakers and audiences in various ways, for example by supporting in-school film clubs and filmmaking schemes for young people. Distributors may also commission a charity named Film Education to create a study resource themed by subject and key stage to a new release, which is then offered to appropriate segments of its database of primary and secondary teachers. Film Education also promotes educational use of local cinemas by arranging screenings for school parties, special events such as the annual National Schools Film Week, and teacher training seminars.
Film as a powerful educational tool.
Engaging, curriculum-based materials supplied to UK teachers in 2009 included an interactive guide to filmmaking for 14-19 year olds based on The Boat That Rocked; and Coming Soon? a generic resource exploring how copyright underpins creative enterprise, designed for key stage 2 literacy, citizenship and information & communications technology classes.
You will need to complete Section A of each task to achieve the basic 'E' grade criteria.
