Creative Ways to Market Low Budget Independent Films

As Hollywood braces for Golden Globes, People's Choice, and Oscar news, independent film makers are trying to stir interest in their work as well. While most people cannot afford press packets, megaplex trailers, and commercial campaigns, there are ways independents can market their shorts, features, and documentaries.

Festivals

Everyone has heard of Sundance, Cannes and Tribeca. These film festivals help unknowns get discovered, yet most people don't realize that there are thousands of film festivals offered each year for various types of films, from shorts to features to experimental work.

Local festivals are offered by various film communities and useful websites, such as Without A Box, which helps filmmakers locate festivals for which their films qualify. Through being selected or considered for festivals, a film producer's work gets recognized, marketed, viewed and sometimes rewarded.

Contests and Competitions

While some may think festivals a bit too sophisticated for their blood, there are other options for promoting films which include entries into contests or participation in competitions. Through video contests and competitions, filmmakers can submit or upload films that will be considered and viewed by others. Placement in a competition earns filmmakers several things. Winning may offer a monetary or material prize, and winners are generally listed on press packets, new articles, and press releases. This is a great way to market a film. A credential from a contest or competition also heightens awareness of the film and film makers' company.

Film Forums

Many film communities have avid film enthusiasts, who participate in and organize various film viewings and discussion forums. For example, in Richmond Virginia, film watchers and makers can participate in the James River Filmmakers' Forum, Project Resolution and/or Flickr. Each of these vehicles allows filmmakers to show excerpts of finish or pending projects as well as discuss issues, interesting facts or hopes for their films. These film forums are advertised on the Web and in print. In promoting the forum, organizers offer information on the film as well as the filmmaker.

YouTube

Many people have been discovered on YouTube. It cannot be overlooked as a means of marketing your film. Filmmakers can create a YouTube page as a central location for finished works or for trailers. Building a subscriber network, film producers can promote new projects and send messages and updates.

Social Networking

Social networking makes a great back story for films or a great way to promote films. While MySpace has seen its heyday, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other sites have become tools for filmmakers wanting to secure funding for film completion, such as the documentary "Sun Kissed," and for letting people know that projects are completed or in competitions. Through hundreds and hundreds of Facebook friends, which can include businesses, film groups, and investors, a producer can offer details about stories, deadlines for contest voting, and show trailers of their films.

Other Internet Options

The Internet as become a part of our culture, but it also has made global communication accessible to everyone, rich or poor. Through the Internet filmmakers can promote their films, projects and trailers in many ways. Emails can be sent to networks of friends and associates. Interviews on Internet radio forums are useful in spreading the word. Even cross links and banners placed on friends' websites and popular blogs are great ways for marketing films.

Film marketing has new traditions because of the advent of smartphones and other technology. While flyers, viewing, and print ads are some ways to market your films, there are so many other cost-free means of letting the public know about your current or up and coming movies and videos.