Guerilla Promotion Strategies for Independent Filmmakers

Although acceptance to a film festival is regarded by many filmmakers as the key to major exposure and recognition, this only marks the beginning of the most important phase for your independent film. Acceptance into a festival is only an opportunity for you to compete with dozens (or possibly hundreds) of other films for the attention of festival-goers, distribution agents, and other media. In other words, take this event not as the moment of arrival, but a starting point.

Film festivals are typically surrounded by a whirlwind of hype. Newspaper reporters and television cameras try to follow the buzz of the next big thing. The whole entertainment industry is on prominent display as well. Festival sponsors, distributors, and movie studios are trying to capture a share of the exposure in a film festival.

This intense competition might be overwhelming for an independent filmmaker who wants to promote his film. Here are a few guerilla marketing techniques of low budget productions you can use to make hip, effective, marketing campaigns.

Design and Materials

Consistency is the key as you develop your marketing materials. Make sure you develop consistent colors, themes, and designs. Don't be afraid to devote care and attention to your design. Clean, eye-catching designs are very important—when you have the choice between clutter and simplicity, always opt for simplicity. Use glossy color reproduction—do not cheap out and use black and white photocopied materials.

Handbills

Handbills and postcards are cheap to print in large quantities and easy to distribute. Hire a few volunteers to stand in the street and pass out bills and cards to passerby. Festival-goers will rarely refuse the handbill, which at least earns your film a brief glance. Always remember to include contact information, URL for your website, and other relevant information on the handbill.

Stickers

Stickers are another cheap way to market your film. However, stickers have the potential to be used by vandals on inappropriate places (stop signs, etc) and you could be hit with a vandalism charge if you're not careful. Consider the festival demographic carefully before deciding on stickers.

Posters

Putting up posters is probably one of the standard aspects of a movie marketing campaign. Posters measuring 8.5 by 11 are acceptable, considering the expense of printing anything larger. Try not to run with the herd; target other festival locations to distribute your posters. You will have the advantage of reaching your target audience (movie goers) while not competing with other movies at your film festival. This should be done in conjunction with advertising near or on-site as well. Be smart and use a combination of both. Be sure not to over-saturate sites with your posters. Covering up other posters will put you at a risk of being criticized and might add up to bad publicity for your film.