3 Ways to Promote Your Independent Film on the Internet

Today's technology has made it more important than ever to give your independent film a voice in an overcrowded market place. With the plethora of independent films being produced every year it is important that producers and filmmakers understand alternative ways in which to promote their films. In the following article I will go over three ways in which to promote your film on the Internet and how they can benefit you.

1. Create a Website.

This cannot be said enough. Most independent filmmakers and producers already know that creating an identity for your film first starts with the film's official website but what they don't know is that most websites are barebones and rarely captures the essence of a film. Check out any of the "official" websites for any studio produced film and you'll see that they rarely include anything other than the standard technical info and possibly a trailer and/or clip from the film. As a filmmaker your film's website is its identity. It must include all of the above mentioned items but it must also include items that will get your audience interested in your film rather than the next film. It must include items that will keep them coming back for more from week to week until the film is finally released and even after it's on DVD. Some of the things that should be included in your website are contests, merchandise & store memorabilia, behind-the-scenes production films and video diaries, screening updates, and discussions with your audiences, to name a few. If you can get people to come back to your film's website from week to week then you build up awareness and word of mouth (which is always the best way to advertise). On the Southlan-Films production "Jack O'Lantern" and "Hell's End" a separate website was created for both (which was then linked to the Southlan-Films website). Each website had the standard info but I was responsible for contributing the production journal so that people would get a sense of how the production was going (especially since we didn't know when the films would find a distributor). For the Unique Productions film "Between Love & A Hard Place" I contributed production stills that would be released periodically each week so that both cast & crew and potential audience members would have a reason to visit the website each week.

2. Use Facebook/My Space/Twitter/Other Networking Sites.

Websites for promoting your film is essential but having pages on networking sites is also a must. So many of today's youth and culture revolves around networking sites in which friends and family members and people with like interests meet and discuss everything from day to day life to films to music to everything. We live in a very tech savvy world where the average person spends an untold amount of time every day on the computer mostly on networking sites (when of course they are not working). These networking sites allow them to communicate faster and more often with others like never before and with Twitter it's almost instantaneous. Tapping into these resources will help you promote your films in so many ways. With Twitter you can give your audience instant updates on filming, promoting, screenings, etc. and with Facebook you can upload video journals, trailers, production photos, and links to relevant other websites. My Space is also a good place to promote music and music groups that contribute to the film. Dark Forrest Philharmonic who contribute music to many Southlan-Films productions (the two previous mentioned films plus "Bad Land" and "The Seekers: Investigating Southern Haunts") and my own feature "House of Secrets" promote their music on My Space and Facebook (the later through Southlan-Films). I have a Facebook page for "House of Secrets" which I update every week adding new production stills and lobby cards as well as links to relevant other websites and I add new discussions periodically to get individuals talking and discussing the film and wanting to know more. On the Blank Stage Production "No Experience Necessary" we do the same thing but we also link other films to the Facebook page as part of a global networking and promoting endeavor.

3. Use You Tube/Vimeo/Other Viral Video Websites.

Whereas networking sites are a good place to place content and photos there is no larger audience than those on viral video websites such as You Tube and Vimeo where individuals go to look up video content of all kinds. On these sites you can place trailers, clips from the film, behind-the-scenes documentaries, video journals, interviews, and other video clips that will promote your film and with some of these sites you can reach a larger audience faster like never before. There are many filmmakers who use sites such as You Tube strictly to distribute their short films, web series & webisodes, and other video content. On the Southlan-Films fan films "The Man in the Lake" and "Return of the Sandman" we crafted video journals and various trailers to promote the online debut of the films. Because the films are fan films (which mean that they use copyrighted characters and we are unable to make a profit off the films) we have to distribute them for free but promoting them is key. In addition to the networking sites, the video journals and multiple trailers allowed individuals to see what type of film we were making and create awareness for the film prior to their release. Without this prior awareness the films could have never found their intended audience.

By using these three methods a filmmaker can promote their films using the Internet and hopefully create prior awareness not only during production but also during the distribution and release process. Big studios use these methods all the time but it is the indie films that excel at it. Such films as "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity" have taught us how it can work and guarantee a bigger audience like never before and turn little films into big films. Now these are not the only ways to promote your films on the Internet but they're a good start and the sooner you start the better.