Categories
Truly Free Film

Should Movie Poster Tag Lines Be Transformed

“Earth.  It Was Fun While It Lasted.”  Armegeddon’s tag line sticks with me, because I instinctively substitute “Earth” for “Indie Film” when I read it.

In these days of RampantFilmBizChange,  everything is ripe for reconsideration.  MCN hipped me to AdWeek’s collection of “66 Great Movie Taglines“.  Sure the list gets a smile regularly from me, but I walk away deadened and jaded.  The sell is obvious.  The dominant clever factor feels like a child beauty pagents’ related icky. “Look at me!  Look at me!  Give me a trophy!  Now!!!”.  Get me outta there.

Can’t we do better?  Or at least do different?

Categories
Truly Free Film

Sundance Observation

To me, the filmmaking community (the artists, the business folk, the curators & promoters, the appreciators & fans) have to embrace that we are in a seismic shift to an artist-centric collaboration with the audience and away from the corporate controlled supply & attention. This requires a redefinition of cinema by its creators to embrace the discovery, engagement, presentation, promotion, & appreciation processes as much as we do development & production. We have to erase the lines between between art & commerce and content & marketing. We have to stop thinking of films as singular objects and refocus on how they are bridges for the ongoing conversation we have with audiences. Specifics like VOD numbers are important, but we miss the point if we don’t look first at the big picture.


Categories
Truly Free Film

Cheat Sheet #5: More TFF Publicity Advice

Today’s post is again brought to you courtesy of Jon Dieringer, and is part of continuing series of cheat sheets from prior TFF posts.

-A good publicist might still be worthwhile (http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/2008/10/film-festival-plan-still-need-to-hire.html)

-Postcards/business cards are good, can be cheaper than posters (http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/2008/10/film-festival-plan-posters-postcards.html)
(http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/2009/01/printing-posters-postcards.html)

-Target certain blogs and send DVDs of your film out in advance (http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/2008/10/film-festival-plan-getting-word-out.html)

-Tech/Social networking/Web marketing things explained
(http://bethkanter.wikispaces.com/Making+Media+Conference)
(http://mashable.com/2008/12/27/how-to-2008/)

-Link to article on web design trends:
(http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/02/09/movie-website-designs-examples-and-current-practices/)

Categories
Truly Free Film

Cheat Sheet #4:Jon Reiss’ Web Marketing List

Today’s post is again brought to you courtesy of Jon Dieringer, and is part of continuing series of cheat sheets from prior TFF posts.


Jon Reiss’ web marketing list:

1. Go to Godaddy.com and purchase a domain name. Get one that ends with .com. Get your movie title. If it is unavailable add “movie” or “themovie” or “film” to the end. (You don’t need to purchase any other services during check-out.)
2. Sign up for WordPress.com. Make your blog the title of your movie/ domain. Start posting press releases and other articles, such as reviews.
3. Sign up for Youtube.com. Make your username title of your movie/ domain. Post your trailer, or you can do a video “pitch”.
4. Sign-up for an account on Facebook.com.
5. Sign-up for Flickr. Get your username title of your movie/ domain.
6. Sign up for an account at del.icio.us. Bookmark your domain, facebook page, blog page and you tube page.
7. Sign up for a google account, to use their alerts, place connect with people who talk about you.
8. Sign up for Box Office Widget. Place this on your website and on your blog. Use it as your signature on forums.
8. Sign up for Spottt. Place this banner code on your myspace page, blog, and the thank you page from Box Office Widget.
10. Go to Yahoo! Groups and find all the groups that may have interest to your film and join. Participate in the group, rather than just spam the group.