PROMOTIONS IS A CRUEL MISTRESS
Today we had a test screening for 12 STEPS NOWHERE and all in all things went fine. The people there seemed to enjoy the movie and since it is still far from polished it didn't seem to diminish the impact I was hoping for. So now all that is left is keeping this promotional juggernaut or as it seems in my case very light breeze blowing. I have sent out several press releases, we have hooked up with The ONE Campaign and are donating money to charity, sent out numerous newsletters and promotional emails, and made phone calls.
See the thing is unless you have a "cause" or a "worthy" promotion, just releasing a indie film doesn't mean a whole lot and falls on more often than not on deaf ears. Case and point, I just sent out another press release touting the honorable intentions of our charitable contributions and the use of all local talent and businesses in our area to make this film. Now mind you our charitable donations are genuine and from the heart. We've done this at every premiere we've ever had and it would and is not any different this time around. Press or no press. But the thing is my fears of people, especially the local media not giving two shits about us, our cause or our our movie, are mounting.
Less than one minute after sending out the press release I got an instant message from a local promotions director of a big radio corporation telling, not asking me, to take him off our email list. I sent out 13 different invitations to screen our movie prior to the release and 2 showed up from the invitation and the rest we're friends we called in a pinch and they came through. But not one single member, I personally invited, of the media came to the preview. The reason why I get so worried up over such a thing is because this is our ONE SHOT! That's it. There's no marketing campaign, no commercials, no opening weekend. It's one night, one show, one chance to make a significant and lasting impression of who we are and what are movies are about.
It costs money to rent an 800 seat theater, then the local city government takes 5% of anything we make at the door or sell in the theater. NICE! So after the rent, the cost of making 200 DVD's that may or may not sell, and the government fucking us for their cut, we need at least 300 paying people to make even enough to give money to our charity.The best way to do that is to get the local media on our side and so far, except for a few friendly and helpful contacts, we have been literally shunned and ignored. For fuck's sake we live in a community of 250,000 people, this isn't New York, L.A. or shit even Louisville and I'll be lucky if the local "we're on your side" news media would even send their lowliest intern to at least see what this is all about.
I know this is a piss and moan rant but wouldn't you think that for an area in which we live when the big story of the day is a man is busted for riding a horse intoxicated (true story), or that on any nightly news program there is inevitably the one tooth wonder, in wife beater tee and a ball cap professing "She looked good last night," making statements like, "They was good people I reckon," that we might deserve at the very least a blurb of some kind? Maybe, maybe not. But I'll tell you this. Promoting your own movie is a bitch and one that will kick you as hard in the balls as she can and at every possible opportunity.
But this is all we have and you can't quit when everyone ignores you. All you can do is keep calling, keep emailing, and make as much noise as possible. Because it's a very good chance that we'll have a good crowd Thursday and those who missed or passed on the opportunity to cover it will hopefully kick themselves in the ass. But they probably won't. Cooter's cow farm has just lost his prize bull! Top story at 11.
For those who have helped us and you know who you are, Thank You. We appreciate all you do for us. Your efforts to spread the word has been extremely useful and thanks to you we can sit back enjoy the show and know we gave it our all!
On with the show!
See the thing is unless you have a "cause" or a "worthy" promotion, just releasing a indie film doesn't mean a whole lot and falls on more often than not on deaf ears. Case and point, I just sent out another press release touting the honorable intentions of our charitable contributions and the use of all local talent and businesses in our area to make this film. Now mind you our charitable donations are genuine and from the heart. We've done this at every premiere we've ever had and it would and is not any different this time around. Press or no press. But the thing is my fears of people, especially the local media not giving two shits about us, our cause or our our movie, are mounting.
Less than one minute after sending out the press release I got an instant message from a local promotions director of a big radio corporation telling, not asking me, to take him off our email list. I sent out 13 different invitations to screen our movie prior to the release and 2 showed up from the invitation and the rest we're friends we called in a pinch and they came through. But not one single member, I personally invited, of the media came to the preview. The reason why I get so worried up over such a thing is because this is our ONE SHOT! That's it. There's no marketing campaign, no commercials, no opening weekend. It's one night, one show, one chance to make a significant and lasting impression of who we are and what are movies are about.
It costs money to rent an 800 seat theater, then the local city government takes 5% of anything we make at the door or sell in the theater. NICE! So after the rent, the cost of making 200 DVD's that may or may not sell, and the government fucking us for their cut, we need at least 300 paying people to make even enough to give money to our charity.The best way to do that is to get the local media on our side and so far, except for a few friendly and helpful contacts, we have been literally shunned and ignored. For fuck's sake we live in a community of 250,000 people, this isn't New York, L.A. or shit even Louisville and I'll be lucky if the local "we're on your side" news media would even send their lowliest intern to at least see what this is all about.
I know this is a piss and moan rant but wouldn't you think that for an area in which we live when the big story of the day is a man is busted for riding a horse intoxicated (true story), or that on any nightly news program there is inevitably the one tooth wonder, in wife beater tee and a ball cap professing "She looked good last night," making statements like, "They was good people I reckon," that we might deserve at the very least a blurb of some kind? Maybe, maybe not. But I'll tell you this. Promoting your own movie is a bitch and one that will kick you as hard in the balls as she can and at every possible opportunity.
But this is all we have and you can't quit when everyone ignores you. All you can do is keep calling, keep emailing, and make as much noise as possible. Because it's a very good chance that we'll have a good crowd Thursday and those who missed or passed on the opportunity to cover it will hopefully kick themselves in the ass. But they probably won't. Cooter's cow farm has just lost his prize bull! Top story at 11.
For those who have helped us and you know who you are, Thank You. We appreciate all you do for us. Your efforts to spread the word has been extremely useful and thanks to you we can sit back enjoy the show and know we gave it our all!
On with the show!
