This week I was on a call with the lead actress of our feature film ForeFans. The film’s still in the edit stage, but during the shoot last year Anastasia had expressed interest in helping with promo. Finally we made time to do a WhatsApp call and brainstorm ideas including possible festivals, conferences, and platforms for promotion.
It was a refreshing chat to have with an actor. Any indie filmmaker knows what a struggle finishing and releasing a movie is. You’re attempting to achieve the quality of big-budget productions but with much, much less resources. Everything from pre-production to post to release and beyond is an uphill battle.
So imagine that you worked hard, single handedly sent hundreds of emails, knocked on doors for months to secure investors for your film or worked extra hours at your day job to be able to afford to pay your cast and crew a wage, only to have radio silence after the film is wrapped. Imagine that you’re the only one posting online about your film on release day and spreading the word at networking events and festivals.
If everyone on the team gets involved in marketing, film promotion doesn’t have to feel like begging.
Most of us filmmakers don’t have to imagine; it’s often a sad reality that many actors and crew members don’t promote the films they helped make. They don’t think about the bigger picture beyond their own roles in the film. They don’t realize or they don’t believe that the marketing component of filmmaking should include them. Perhaps they don’t care, which is even worse, and we all know actors that fit into this category.
I’m confident that all filmmakers will agree that filmmaking is a collaborative process. Myself, as filmmaker and director who has crewed on other people’s films, it seems only fair to work together to get the film out there as best as possible.
So here are five reasons why all cast and crew should be proactive in promoting an indie film during all stages of production.
You Are More Likely to be Hired Again
Actively promoting an indie film and offering promotional ideas demonstrates a commitment to the project, whether from an actor or crew member. From experience we have found it’s actors who are more likely to get involved in marketing, and more so when they are the lead or they believe in the message of the film.
But whatever role you play on the film, if you help promote, both you and the production benefit from this collaborative spirit: the production gains support in promotion, and you build a positive reputation. It’s more likely that a producer and director will want to work with you again if you show initiative and leave a good professional impression. Not only that, the producer is more inclined to recommend you to other productions, leading to even more work for you.
The Film is More Likely to Succeed
A film making its money back and going into profit is not the norm; most films fail financially, even more so in the indie space. But we are not just talking about financial success here, we are talking about success in terms of visibility, viewership, platform reach and more.
A successful Kickstarter campaign for Cats of Malta required a team effort.
When the cast and crew are promoting it makes a difference. From our crowdfunding efforts with Cats of Malta during a pandemic, we learnt that it was the team effort that led to a successful campaign. Having team members apart from myself and Ivan direct message five friends telling them about this fun film they are working on, and asking them to share the trailer link (not to financially support) got more people outside of our first layer of contacts clicking the link, liking, and donating.
But why should cast and crew care if a film succeeds or not once they have wrapped on the production?
A successful film can enhance the profile of the cast and crew, making them more sought after in the industry. People prefer to associate with those who have a track record of success so why wouldn’t you do all you can to help a film you are part of succeed? It will only help you. For many in the film industry, their work serves as a portfolio for future opportunities and a successful film enhances this portfolio, showcasing their skills and contributions in the best light.
Additionally, depending on the contracts, sometimes the main cast and some crew members might earn residuals from the film’s earnings so helping a film succeed is simply smart business.
Being Part of a Film is a Personal Investment
Many cast and crew members invest emotionally and creatively in a project; filmmaking, after all, tends to be a bonding experience. It’s creative and collaborative and the best cast and crew can’t help but form a personal attachment to the projects they take part in.
Provided that the project was a positive experience (this isn’t always the case, I know), seeing it succeed provides validation for everyone’s hard work and dedication. Being part of a successful film is also a matter of pride. It's personally rewarding to see audiences appreciate and resonate with the work one has been a part of. Helping to promote, increases that appreciative audience.
Promote, Grow, Learn
Observing a film's reception can be a learning experience. Taking part in promotion that tries to influence that reception lets you see what works and what doesn’t. This allows cast and crew to refine their skills for future projects, again making you more valuable as a hire.
Somebody who knows how to market and can reach an engaged audience is always going to be a sought-after asset on any production. It’s not unusual for the size of an Instagram audience to be the deciding factor when a producer is trying to decide between two actors who both performed great auditions. So practice promoting with the films you are part of. Practice, learn, grow.
Enjoy the Perks
Sarah and Dinushi, the co-producer of Daughter, at the premiere of the film.
We never know where a film will take us. Exotic countries or fun experiences or sharing a film with the right audience to impact lives; we have experienced all this and cast and crew can also by showing that they want to be involved in getting a film out there.
We have travelled to Cannes with our co-producer for Daughter. We have had the stars of Machination and In Corpore be bombarded with interview requests from multiple press outlets as the face of these films. We have had cast and crew represent many of our films at festivals and handle Q&A from appreciative audiences.
These are all special, memorable experiences, the perks of the filmmaking life, the icing on the cake of success. And these are opportunities presented to only the people willing to get in there and promote.
So remember, indie filmmaking shouldn’t end at wrap for anyone; promotion is equally critical. The journey to success becomes smoother when the entire team champions the project and a successful project helps everyone. From enhancing career prospects to personal satisfaction, the reasons to promote are many, and every team member plays a pivotal role in a film's fortunes. So as we create, let's also unite in celebrating and promoting our work.
Written by Sarah Jayne