Publicists’ Pointers

Karen Larsen heads her own public relations firm specialized in publicizing independent films, documentaries and several Bay area film festivals. She is a consultant to the National Educational Media Network and has taught classes at Media Alliance, National Educational Media Network and the Film Arts Foundation.
I worked with Karen many times when opening features in the Bay area and found her to be among the best, especially for the indie film with limited resources. I spoke to her recently, and got these tips to pass on to you.

Start early. If funds are too low to hire a publicist while you are shooting, generate your own publicity. Is there an angle that would make an interesting article? Are you shooting in your hometown where very few films are made and everyone is pitching in to help? Is there anything about the subject or theme of your film that is newsworthy? Introduce yourself to the local editors. The smaller the paper, the greater your chances of getting coverage, but don’t be afraid to contact larger publications and magazines as well. Articles written about your film while you are in production may be very helpful later on. Rule #1 is: articles beget articles. Be able to provide the following to newspapers while you are in production: The title of your film, a short synopsis, biographies of the principle actors and filmmakers and at least one still photograph. Write a concise press release for any phase of the production you want press coverage on (such as casting, beginning of principle photography, end of principle photography, etc.).

Stills are essential. In the whirlwind of production it is an easy thing to put aside, but they are very important. If you don’t have the time or the money to keep a full-time photographer on the set to shoot stills of every scene, at the very least set up 10 or 12 still shots from your film. Shoot them in black and white for newspapers and color slides for magazines. Pictures should be composed so they can be used vertically or horizontally, or cropped that way. Make sure the principle cast is well represented. Two shots and three shots are very good, singles are used less often. Take some production stills of the director working with the actors as well. The more stills you have to choose from later, the better off you will be.

Press kits become essential when you begin screening your film for the press, prior to its release. If you’ve sought out press coverage during production, you already have a rough draft of what will be in your press kit. It should have the following: a concise synopsis, no longer than a page, 3 to 5 black and white photos with captions that identify the title and the actors (they’re usually 8x10, but Karen says send out 5x7s if you want to save money. And since the photos are the most expensive things in your press kit, don’t send them out to people you know won’t use them. A radio interview may be a great publicity outlet, but they don’t need stills!). Have color slides on hand for magazines and newspapers that can publish color, but don’t hand them out unless they are requested. Include biographies of the principle actors and key filmmakers and any articles that have been written about the film or favorable mentions in film festivals or other screenings. It’s a good idea to include “production notes,” where you can talk about the making of the film and tell what motivated you to tell this particular story. Keep a stack of press kits on hand at any given time. They’re useful for the press, but also to send out to distributors, fund raisers, film festivals and production companies you are trying to interest in your next project.

Every filmmaker should have a clipping file of at least one original of every newspaper or magazine article or review. Update your press kit with copies of favorable ones.

After your film is finished, a reel of clips is a must if you hope to get reviewed on television, or get any kind of TV coverage. Try to find three or four good ones, something funny and/or that works best visually. They should range from 20 seconds to around a minute and be transferred to Beta Cam, 3/4-inch or one-inch video tape.

Source: Exclusive to Indiefilms