7. Create a jaw dropping trailer.

Release your trailer 1-2 weeks after you’ve released your head scratching teaser.  Everyone is seriously dying to know what your movie is about.  By this time, their curiosity has taken them to your movie blog to read up on the movie and you have captured their email addresses to give them updates about the movie and the release of this jaw dropping trailer. 

A few things on what not to do when creating your short film’s trailer include DO NOT make it longer than your film and DO NOT tell the whole story.  Again, you want to intrigue your audience and catch their attention.  

And of course, have your website posted at the end of the trailer so people know where to go. It’s all about bringing your audience to that “home base”.

If you want to fail your marketing campaign cut a bad trailer, post it online — and then don’t accept feedback. A bad trailer is worse than no trailer at all.

8. Submit to film festivals.

The best site for finding and submitting to Film Festivals is Withoutabox.com.  They have the largest listings for festivals all over the world with submission fees ranging from $0 – 75.

When you get accepted, find out what online movie bloggers, or print columnists are going to that particular festival.  Send them an email or press release with links to your movie blog/website letting them know that you and your film will be there.  Request a write up, interview that they can use on their blog and you can use as press.  

Be sure to email blast your new fan base (you did capture those email addresses on your site, right?)  If anyone is near the festival, it’s a great chance for them to finally see the film and for you to meet new people. 

9. Submit to online film sites.

Once you’ve hit the film festival circuit, do the same online.  Some will have your short film posted in their archives infinitely and some are only for a limited time.  Either way, this shows off your film to an even greater audience.  

Here’s a short list of great film sites: ShortOfTheWeek.com, Undergroundfilm.com, iFilm.com, AtomFilms.com, BrownFish.com.

The more places you can get your film seen or written about, the better.  Whether it is an amateur or professional movie blogger, or even something off radar like a fashion blogger writing about your movie, that increases your film’s visibility.  

10. Submit to tv and Cable Shows.

Yes!  There are some TV and Cable Shows that feature short films. For a listing, please visit http://sonnyboo.com/downloads/tv.htm. 

Again, be sure to have your film’s website listed at the end of the credits.  Also, when you get accepted, be sure to blast it to your online audience so they can catch it.

Like most things, thinking outside of the box gets results.  The unusual and unheard of gets noticed.  At the end of the day, after you have done all of these things, you will find that the audience you have been exposed to is greater than you could ever have imagined.  You have a body of work and a newfound fan base.  How much easier will it be for you to market your next short film and one day, your feature film?

Exercise 46. Find the following words and word combinations in the article and give their definition in English. Use the dictionary or browse the net if necessary.

1. to download cell-phone ringtones;

2. desktop wallpaper;

3. huge ads;

4. to place billboards all around;

5. to place full-page ads;

6. to run tons of teaser trailers on TV;

7. a trailer production house;

8. a prime spot for …;

9. a blooper;

10. a viral video;

11. a video-sharing site;

12. product tie-ins;

13. a home base;

14. IMDB;

15. Email sign-up;

16. hardcore fans;

17. to embed video;

18. SEO;

19. a high search engine hit;

20. an anchor;

21. opt-ins;

22. to capture email addresses;

23. to acknowledge the feedback;

24. a vlog;

25. sneak peeks;

26. a write up;

27. TV and cable shows;

28. to blast smth to smb;

29. to think outside (of the) box.

Exercise 47. Translate into Russian.

1. Starting up to a year before the release of a major studio movie, distributors run movie trailers that are meticulously edited and audience-tested.

2. The idea is to give moviegoers a taste of the laughs, special effects and plot twists of the studio’s upcoming releases, while leaving them wanting more.

3. As the release date of the film draws closer, movie marketers try to get early favorable press coverage in newspapers, magazines and on entertainment TV shows.

4. The idea is to bombard the public with so many images and promos for the movie that it becomes a “can’t miss” event.

5. Promoters can place rich, interactive ads on the Web sites most trafficked by their target audience.

6. People love being compelled by someone’s journey. 

7. Not only that, they are more likely to share it via social network or word of mouth to their friends. 

8. A lot of short film websites don’t keep up with updates and don’t give out “behind the scenes”. 

9. It keeps the audience in the know with what’s going on with your film, and your fan base is suddenly growing and traceable.

10. Do you want to decrease press interest and the size of your audience? Then include, but fail to utilize, your social links, let your blog or Facebook page lie dormant.

11. Don’t take your followers for granted. If you do venture into the realm of social media marketing, understand that your relationship with your followers goes both ways.

12. Still, a film set is a closed workplace, and a production office is the hub for private communication.

13. Obviously, audience will sign up for updates because they are so bewildered and intrigued.

14. Whether it is an amateur or professional movie blogger, or even something off radar like a fashion blogger writing about your movie, that increases your film’s visibility.  

15. At the end of the day, after you have done all of these things, you will find that the audience you have been exposed to is greater than you could ever have imagined. 

Exercise 48. Fill in the gaps with the words from the text, translate the expressions into

Russian and then use some of them in your own story.

1. to … disapproval

2. a head … teaser

3. a jaw … trailer

4. the … junket

5. the … blitz

6. the publicity …

7. attention …

8. to think outside …

9. … engine

10. to … billboards

11. to … email addresses

12. product …

13. to … the feedback

Exercise 49. a) Develop the following statements.

b) Do you agree with these statements? Why (not)?

c) Give as many arguments as you can to prove the ideas.

1. The theatrical trailer is often the first chance to promote a movie to its target audience.

2. Typical movie Web sites allow visitors to view multiple versions of the trailer, watch behind-the-scenes interviews and mini-documentaries, read plot synopses, download cell-phone ringtones and desktop wallpaper, play games, chat in forums and even pre-order tickets.

3. The Internet is proving to be a prime spot for the publicity blitzes.

4. To start promoting your film, there needs to be a “home base”.

5. People love being compelled by someone’s journey.

6. A great way of interacting with your network is by holding contests. 

7. Say positive or stay silent.

8. Cast and crew should be respectful of their colleagues by not leaking private information and production news on their personal social feeds. Casually leaked info can complicate deal closings, create negative impressions, or simply cause you to lose control of the narrative of your film.

SPEAKING

Exercise 50. Create your own promotional strategy for your latest short film.

1. Make a plan of your marketing campaign.

2. Check the list of points your movie website should have.

3. Design your process journal.

4. Think of materials for social networking.

5. Create a head-scratching teaser and a jaw-dropping trailer. Act the trailer out.

6. Get materials ready for holding a contest.

7. Browse the web and especially Withoutabox.com to select film festivals for your film submission.

8. Look for film sites to place your film.

9. Find TV and Cable Shows that feature short films.

10. Present your project to the audience.

READING AND

COMMUNICATION

Exercise 51. a) Discuss the following issues:

• Do you think it’s a good idea to convert all films to a digital format?

• In ten years’ time, there will be no one out there who can make movies on film.

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of digitisation?

• Human actors are better than digital characters.

b) Read the article to find out more about digital media.