Odds are the film you, if you’re an independent filmmaker or producer, submitted to the Sundance Film Festival did not get selected for either the in-competition or out-of-competition line-ups. Someone on Twitter pointed out that, based on the number submitted, only three percent were chosen for what’s widely considered the absolute pinnacle of the film festival circuit. You can argue that other fests have different levels of influence to different audiences, but in terms of mass exposure few can compare to Sundance.
So if you didn’t get in you’re probably going threw some variation of the levels of grief and ultimately wondering what your options are at this point. Luckily they’re pretty plentiful, and I’m just talking about the marketing side of things. Here are some ways you can overcome a lack of Sundance-generated buzz:
- Get on Twitter and Facebook right now: If no one is talking about your movie maybe it’s because you’re not giving them anything to talk about. So start talking. Connect with people on those platforms, both those you think will amplify your message as well as those who you see as just possibly interested in seeing it. Social media platforms allow you to achieve just as much reach as a trade-publication write-up, but you have to work hard for it.
- Make sure your official website is as easy to update as it is to read: The easiest way to do this is with blog software. WordPress or Blogger will both do nicely depending on which one works for you better. Making sure the site is easy to update allows you to respond to stories, make sure everyone knows what’s going on with the movie and easily share other content like a trailer or photos from the production.
- Do your social network research: There are a ton of movie-based social networks on the internet. Find one that seems to be frequently used by the audience you’re trying to reach and get involved in the conversation – not just in a promotional way but as a genuine part of the community. People will eventually figure out that you’re a movie maker and then you can look for ways to talk about your movie specifically.
There’s nothing revolutionary here, it’s all block-and-tackle social media promotion and publicity stuff. But it’s important for people who are doing their own thing to realize that even without the big stage of Sundance to premiere on there’s still a lot they can do on their own that can potentially be more effective since the message can be more finely attuned to a potential audience. That’s compared to the Sundance crowd, where there’s going to be a lot of folks who aren’t and won’t be interested, even if they do support the overall indie film scene.
After the marketing, of course, comes the distribution question but that’s a topic others such as Matt Dentler and guys like that can offer more clear advice on in terms of what options there are failing a festival pickup that comes with a deal for that.
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