After all the time, money, and energy you’ve invested into the production of your short film, you are ready to release it. With the advancement of modern technology, there are millions of talented individuals uploading short films every day. If you don’t want your short film to end up drowning in a sea of videos, you’ll need to develop an effective plan to promote it.
Start with a Website
Your short film needs a website to serve as the main reference point for your target audience. The website should include a summary of the film, short bios on the cast and crew members, images from the film, and information on when and where audiences can watch your short film. You can also incorporate social media buttons and sign-up forms for a mailing list to keep followers updated on the latest with your short film.
Engage Audiences on Social Media
If you haven’t done so already, you should create social media pages for your short film. These should be separate and independent of any other personal accounts you presently have. The idea is to have a platform where you can connect with your audience and get them more interested in the feature. You can create a countdown, post images from the film, upload interviews you or the cast may have done, promote and celebrate other talent in the film industry that appeals to you, and perhaps even host contests for cool prizes.
Create a Teaser or Trailer
What gets an audience more excited about seeing a film than a little sneak peak? A teaser or trailer is the best way to give your followers an inside look at what they can expect when you release your short film. The trick, however, is not to make the teaser or trailer too long or so detailed that it gives away the plot. Instead, you want to give them a quick glimpse that encourages them to want to see the film in full. After producing the teaser and/or trailer, upload these videos to your website and social media pages.
Get Some Opinions
Word of mouth continues to be one of the best forms of marketing. If you want to get the buzz going about your short film, you’ll need to get some opinions that your target audience trusts. Reach out to popular movie bloggers or professional movie reviewers to see if they’d be willing to watch your short film and write a review. If they have a decent following or are well-known in their industries, this could generate some serious traction for your film.
Print Materials
Though developing a strong online presence is important to the success of your short film, don’t forget about traditional mediums like print materials. Design and print flyers, postcards, and even stickers with your film’s name on it along with some contact information including your email address and social media accounts. You can ask local businesses to allow you to leave promotional materials for their customers to view, hang flyers in high-traffic areas, or hand them out to people walking by.
Film Festivals
From the Sundance Film Festival to the Cannes Film Festival there are always festivals going on from spring through the fall where you could promote your short film. You can submit your short film to have it considered for screening in front of a live audience. If you don’t get selected, however, you can still promote your film at the festival.
You could have pop up canopies for your business and set up a table filled with flyers, postcards, and stickers, posters, as well as customized t-shirts and hats to give away. You could also have a screen set up with your trailer playing in the background. Answer questions, take pictures with fans, and even mingle and network with other artists and creative teams.
The film industry is saturated with talented individuals. If you’re going to be among the few who are recognized for their great works, you have to be willing to go above and beyond to promote your short film. Using both online and offline marketing strategies such as those discussed above will get you in front of the right audiences to get your film (and your talents) the recognition it deserves.
