A lot of up and coming filmmakers make their own movies with
their own funding, so I wanted to look into how to cost effectively build a film audience for those projects in every step of the way.
Development Phase:
During this step you want to start getting the word out on
it. Even if it’s an idea in your head, if you know you’re going to proceed with
it and produce it, the time is now to start rallying people who might have
interest in watching your film. The greatest way to start doing that is to
create some free accounts on several social networking websites for the first level of exposure. A Facebook page with the working title of your project is a great way
to get the work out to the people you know, and to those who know them. Start a
Twitter account that updates the process of the film as you create it. Free
blogs are also an option to post up updates of the writing and production as
well as photos of the process. Taking the medium of the Internet a step
further, if you have the funds, you should purchase the domain name for your
film. Even if you don’t plan on having a website you can direct people to your
Facebook page from there. A website that offers free videos to talk more in depth about independent movies and social media promotion is called the Indie Film Social Explosion is another source to use to help get the word out about your film.
Pre-production Phase:
In this step you’ll be getting together a lot of what will
make up the film so it would be a great time to share that with some of the
followers you have gained and to gain new ones. After casting you can post who
will play your main character or your villain on any of your platforms. You
could also post locations that you’ve locked down for the shoot. Looking for
crew through your Facebook or Twitter are great ways to not only get crew but
also spread the one among other filmmakers and increasing your reach potential
audience members.
If your project allows it, you could let people vote on
certain aspects, like art, of your film to let them feel involved.
Production Phase:
After everything a good way to keep people tuned and looking
forward to your film is to release behind the scenes photos and videos
periodically. You could also display interviews with the cast and crew or of
yourself.
Post Production:
At this point you’re on the home stretch of your independent movie. You should release
several different trailers spaced apart leading up to your films release with
the first being a teaser and showing new content with each proceeding one. Post
and display any and all publicity your film may receive at film festivals or
otherwise. Let your actors and crew promote the film as well through their
networks. Post a song or the musician(s) who will be scoring your film.
These are some of the most inexpensive ways to advertise an independent movie and build a film audience without taking too much, if any, from the budget. Every step of the way
you should be thinking about exposure for your film.
Happy Filmmaking!
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