Short Film Marketing

There are many steps to undertake in order to market your short film production.
The first questions to ask yourself before deciding how to market your short (or low budget feature) are: who are your audience and what do you want to achieve with your film? You may have considered these questions at the early stages of development but even so, it's a good idea once you've made your film to ask them again as your objectives might have changed.

Step 1: Cast & Crew/Industry Screenings

The first thing you will want to do when you have finished your film, is to organise a cast & crew screening of the finished film. 

Step 2: Prepare a Press & Publicity Kit

Before you start sending your short out to the industry, festivals, distributors etc you'll need to prepare your press & publicity materials. Such as press kit, stills & postcards, tapes, website, DVD showreel & prints. 

Step 3: Press and Industry Promotion

Send your film to the right people and publications for PR / talent spotting e.g. TV and Commissioners, Advertising Agencies, production company Producers and Directors' reps.

Once you've sent your film to these people, call them to make sure they actually watch it and ask for their feedback or ‘advice' on it. Follow up emails are easier to ignore / forget, but email is a good back up if you can't get their number. NB - whilst it is good to ask for feedback, be careful not to pester.

Step 4: Festivals & Awards

If you're looking for accolade, submit your short to A-list festivals and awards.

Specialist or smaller festivals can be a great way of reaching the audience your film was intended for but if you're desperate to get your film into A-list festivals be careful about submitting to specialist festivals too early on, as some bigger festivals still require premieres. 
You may also want to take your film to a festival market e.g. Toronto Short film festival, Clermont Ferrand short film festival, and hand out DVD screeners of the film to short film buyers, to encourage buying interest and hype around your film.

Step 5: Get a Distributor, Agent or Self-distribute

A distributor can help market and generate sales for your film and a talent agent can help represent you as a filmmaker. Alternatively you may feel you'd like to retain all the rights to your film, in which case you may wish to go it alone and self-distribute your short.

Step 6: Cinema, TV, DVD, Screenings & Online

New platforms for exposing and exhibiting your short are arising all the time. If you're looking for television and DVD sales etc. then it's a good idea to discuss this with your sales agent/distributor first to work out a strategy. If you're self-distributing, then seek advice before signing any contracts and don't forget to negotiate. Online/free screenings can be great for exposure, but if it is commercial profit that you are seeking, it might be best to go for sales first. Although nothing is set in stone in this area. Many other areas you can put your short film about so people are aware of it is at screenings at local theater's. Also showing online for streaming for a certain time of the trailer. TV can help as well with quick trailer cuts to entice the audience.

Step 7: Plan your next project

Industry contacts that you meet at film festivals and industry events will want to know what your next project is, so it's a good idea to start working on your next project whilst your marketing your short.