Stacey Parks and How to Market Your Film for Under $45 Million

When I decided to learn more about film distribution, I turned to Stacey Parks' Film Specific site.  Her books covered a great deal of ground, and I was able to read and absorb them in a very short time.

If you have decided to learn film distribution, her site is still a great place to start.

Here is an except from a recent promo e-mail from Stacey:

" . . . a marketing campaign for your film takes a whole lotta time. Take The Hunger Games for instance - Lionsgate spent an entire year stoking the fires, building up the buzz, and carefully and strategically planning for the launch of the film this weekend. They also had a budget of $45 million and a staff of 25 dedicated just to marketing this movie!  Money aside, you can't expect to achieve big number results without a staff...a team of dedicated individuals....and lots and lots of time.

Moral to the story: If you're planning to do your own release of your film, start stoking and planning a year in advance. Don't get lazy and cheap - hire a point person like a PMD (Producer Of Marketing & Distribution) or a marketing team. And take it seriously lest you be left out in the cold with a release that falls flat. (I see this happen with more clients than I care to mention! And all because there was no advance planning...)"

Let me add one more important detail.  Assuming that you have approached potential distributors, and some have shown interest in your film, who do you want negotiating on your behalf?  It is highly likely that you will be involving your attorney before you actually agree to any form of distribution deal.

That's why I set up my services the way I have:

Publicity builds awareness, and raises the financial value of your film.

I promote your film directly to selected distributors, but turn the inquiries over to you so you and your lawyer can decide how to proceed.

So if you don't have $45 million and a staff of twenty-five to promote your film, don't worry, neither do I.  But I can save you a great deal of time and money for now, and who knows where we'll be in the future?

Every producer's situation is different.  Maybe my methods suit you, maybe they don't.  But when they do, everybody wins.  You make progress in a very short length of time, at a relatively low cost, with no downstream percentages to pay.

Check out my Producer Marketing Services, and my new Fast Track Marketing Program and if you have any questions, you know where I am!

-- Steve Thompson / Thompson Communications

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