Funds and Advertising
- michalawoodruff
- Apr 15, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: May 4, 2024
No matter how good a screenwriting may be or how great the performers are, two big things often stand in the way of filmmakers. This podcast will address funds and advertising for such productions.
Welcome to Productions Insight’s Podcast, where we aim to give you endless tips and free insight into the production world. I am Michala Woodruff and am so excited you’re tuning in today. Let’s get started, shall we?
First, funds are so important to movies because a top-notch, quality film needs money to pay for props, outfits, cameras, maintenance, and to pay your employees and so on. All good things, for sure, but . . . a lot of money. So, how do filmmakers do it? How do they raise money and budget it in a way that makes a quality film?
One-way filmmakers raise money—and it is becoming a more and more usual way—is crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is when filmmakers ask the crowd to fund the movie. Since the crowd is so generous, the filmmakers usually give them a gift.
When crowdfunding, it is vital that the filmmakers are honest and open about their project. This can lead to good advertising. People who give money to a cause will probably tell their friends.
They also like to see insight into the movie or show. Therefore, it is important that the filmmakers add suspense and energy to the crowd. Those who fund the production are most likely a good chunk of your audience.
To get you started, here are some good funding sites:
Another way filmmakers raise money is through grants, fellowships, and labs. Grants are simply money or equipment that is awarded at a film festival to make a production. On the other hand, fellowships are when people get together to all pitch in to make a production. Also, labs are classes (like a conference) for filmmakers. They open opportunities to go to film festivals and connect with others in the same business.
To get grants and so forth, you usually have to show something you made. Different grants and festival contests have different requirements so you will want to take a good look at those.
To name a few grant competitions:
Also, you can find a good list of film grants at https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/film-grants/.
So, we have talked about how people can get the finances to create amazing
productions. Let us continue to how people get their creation out into the world. Truth be told, someone can have a perfect movie or show or performance. But if they do not advertise, few will know about it.
Advertising is our next point here. For me, I got interested in making movies when I watched a behind-the-scenes clip. People like to see how movies are put together or get free bonuses that are related to the film or catch glimpses of the production. It keeps the anticipation up.
This advertising is usually done before the production is released. However, advertising after it is released is good too. Ads online, reviews, and testimonies are great for promoting the production.
Side tip: knowing your audience is so important when advertising. It will tell you where you need to put your focus and how you need to make the production available. Being involved and relatable to your audience makes a huge difference.
When it comes to advertising your production—whether it is released or coming soon, remember to be creative. Make a website and get involved in social media. Try interviews and behind-the-scenes. Post entertaining clips and teaser trailers. Invite people to participate and maybe even provide some of your own insight into making productions. The list of advertising ideas is endless. So, have fun with it!
I mentioned trailers. These are the clips that make the first impression on what the movie is going to be like. Obviously, trailers are extremely important if you want your movie to be watched.
How can we make fascinating, intriguing trailers?
A key point to remember is that the trailer is a story itself. It needs an attention-grabber, show the characters, and express the goal and stakes of the plot.
Everything—music, clips, effects, you name it; everything—inside a trailer should support and lift the production. There are some great examples. We all have probably experienced a good trailer that leaves us saying, “I have to watch this. I have to know what happens. This looks so good!” That is the purpose of trailers—to say, “Here is what this story is about and why you need to watch it.”
I, first, started making book trailers, basing the clips and music off a story from a book. This helped me learn how to work parts, build suspense, share the story without spoiling it, and more.
Wrapping this up, I highly encourage you to get involved with film contests and explore ways to advertise. Also, take some time to simply watch some impactful movie trailers such as Beyond the Mask, A Life of Music, and The Chosen. Also, Marvel and Disney put on some effective trailers too.
That is all for today. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I hope this was a help and encouragement in your journey of making productions.
This is Productions Insight’s Podcast with Michala Woodruff signing off. If you want any more information, you’re most welcome to jot me an email or subscribe for free at https://michalawoodruff.wixsite.com/production-insights. There you’ll also find links and examples of today’s topic. One more time, that’s all at https://michalawoodruff.wixsite.com/production-insights. Thank you again and have a great rest of your day!
