Professional Documents
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Good marketing of a short film will determine who sees the film when and
where, and whether there will be any financial or professional return,
immediate or long term. Marketing a short film is as much about the film
itself as it is about the team of filmmakers, and it’s a long game.
This guide will provide insight and guidance on maximising the reach of
your short film by providing festival, online and marketplace guidance.
The aim is to be an introduction only, rather than a comprehensive
manual.
Where to begin…
Film marketing is about persuading an audience
that your film is worth seeing. It starts the moment
you conceive the idea.
Find out everything you can about who your 24fps Export script to allow translation
audience is. Are they at a festival? Are they online? 24fps H264 file with timecode in picture
Where do they live? What are their hobbies? What
other films do they watch, and when, where and **These formats are the most common film
how do they watch them? For films funded by festival formats.
NZFC an international Film Festival release is a
primary audience. Full specs for a complete short film delivery
can be obtained from the Film Materials
Your strategy and audience should be prioritised Manager at the NZ Film Commission.
based on the professional development goals you
are seeking. The audience for your film may be
defined by the story, tone, genre, duration, cast,
crew or other aspects of your film, but these may
change over the course of production, and your
audience goals may adapt.
Choosing Festivals
The following websites are a good starting point for
festival research:
NZ Film Commission Festival List
Break down your script into the key German Films Festival Guide
story elements and marketing hooks. It Oscars List of Accredited Short Film Festivals
may be a pivotal scene, a dramatic
look, a funny moment, a clever line of FIAPF List of Festivals
dialogue. Based on that you will need:
Your film can have a festival life of approximately
Production stills (i.e. cast, on set) two years. It is a common strategy to aim for the
top festivals in the first year and then gradually start
Graded film stills (i.e. high res frame opening it up to more. Global to local.
grabs for online use) There are several online platforms for film festival
submissions that you should register with such as
Short on set clips for online marketing Reelport, Withoutabox and Short Film Depot.
Short excerpts from the final film (total Unless you have unlimited time and money you
need to strategize as you can’t submit to
max 1minute) everything. Many European festivals are free to
enter but festivals in North America and elsewhere
A trailer, poster and press kit often charge fees. Consider these costs when
creating your strategy and submitting your film.
A director headshot
Be calculated about your choices and realistic
A website (optional)* about your chances.
[Above] Zia Mandviwalla, Director of Night Shift (2012) at Cannes Main Competition
There are some general guidelines to consider These tools will allow you to make all festival
when considering a festival: submissions.
• Age – in general, the longer a festival Short Film Festivals with Markets
has been running the more prestigious it
can be. Festivals such as Berlin, For buyers, distributors and festival programmers
Cannes and Melbourne have been to see your film, you need to enter it into to a
running for over 60 years. festival that has a short film market attached.
Buyers will prioritise watching the films which are
• Exclusivity – most A list (or top tier) selected for competition at the festival but they may
festivals will require a premiere of also be looking for specific themes or genres.
some sort
and will also have a strict eligibility rule The most established market exclusive to short
regarding the age of your film films is attached to the Clermont-Ferrand
(generally within the last 12 months for International Short Film Festival in France. It has
the top tier festivals). a digital video library where buyers can watch
every short film submitted to the festival that can
• Screening formats – check the also be accessed online for several months after
accepted screening formats for a the festival. The festival/market is held in February
festival before submitting. A festival that each year and it requires no premiere status to
screens from DVD or H264 is likely to be enter so it is strongly recommended.
less prestigious than one that
requires DCP. Other festivals that have short film markets are:
Show Me Shorts
Show Me Shorts is a short film only festival that
screens annually in several cities throughout the
country. It is Academy Accredited and has many
great prizes and some excellent resources for
filmmakers. Entries close in July each year.
Some publishing houses licence short films to There are many different models emerging, such
accompany educational materials. Often these as revenue sharing of sales and/or advertising
films have a focus on youth and it is a good way to revenue sharing. Many VOD providers, such as
make your film accessible to another audience. Mubi and Realeyz, offer monthly subscription
Some examples are: models for their customers and share a percentage
of the revenues from that accordingly with the short
• Vista Higher Learning film licensors. Traditional methods of licensing for
• Katholisches Filmwerk sales are delineated territory by territory but this is
• VisLearn New Zealand not always possible online and an increasing
number of sites are seeking global non-exclusive
rights.
Sales to television stations often still require
exclusive rights in their territories. This is coupled
with the fact that most major international TV
stations which acquire shorts are insisting that
online/VOD and mobile rights be included in the
contracts for their particular territories. If you are in
a position to have an offer for TV and an online
deal make sure you synchronise the contracts, e.g.
asking the online platform to exclude certain
territories.
NZ On Screen
Vimeo On Demand
“My major takeaway as a producer was a true insight into “One of Michelle’s main goals was to reconnect with the
the ecosystem of the film business on a large scale…the people she had met the previous year, and to build her
most valuable thing you can do is make new relationship with the SXSW festival”
connections…I met and had email conversations with
several sales agents who were at Berlin” “Melissa’s first time at SXSW, her main goal was to seek
- Kate Prior out networks and connections with other producers in
order to grow her understanding of the international film
“The experience has had a huge impact on me industry”
professionally…the creative connections I made at the
festival will be ones I carry through to other collaborations” “SXSW is a whirlwind of inspiration, as well as a great
- Abigail Greenwood platform for showing, promoting, and discussing your film”
Whisker (2014)
Directed by Steven Saussey
Michelle Savill wins the Jury Award at SXSW for Ellen Is Leaving (2013)
Appendix
Cold Snap
https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/sites/default/files/2017-11/Cold_Snap_Press_Kit.pdf
Ellen is Leaving
http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/sites/nzfc/files/Ellen%20is%20Leaving%20Press%20Kit.pdf
43,000 Feet
http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/sites/nzfc/files/43000%20Feet%20Press%20Kit.pdf
Night Shift
http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/sites/nzfc/files/Night%20Shift%20Press%20Kit.pdf.pdf
Poppy
http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/sites/nzfc/files/Poppy%20presskit%20Jan%202011.pdf
4. NZFC REPORT: CLERMONT-FERRAND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL AND MARKET 2014
http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/sites/nzfc/files/2014%20Clermont-Ferrand%20Market%20Report%20-
%20FINAL_0.pdf
5. ADDITIONAL READING
5 Easy Rules for submitting a film a film to film festivals from programmers themselves
http://nofilmschool.com/2016/03/5-easy-rules-submitting-film-festival-programmers-
themselves