Marketing & Self Promotion

Marketing & Self Promotion

The film industry is very competitive and as a result, it can be hard to stand out. Fortunately, there are several techniques you can try to improve your chances of finding regular freelance work.

One of the main reasons why you might be struggling is a lack of marketing and self-promotion. Self-promotion is basically about letting potential clients know who you are and that you are available to hire. And don’t worry this process is not as scary as it sounds.

Below you will find practical advice on how to market yourself effectively as a filmmaker.

Know Your Job Role

Firstly, if you are going to advertise your services as a freelancer you need a defined job role. The biggest mistake filmmakers make is to list too many professions on their resume.

For example, telling people they are a writer, director, editor, and producer.

The problem here is that on professional film sets only one person is hired per job role. You need to decide what specific role you are going to be known for. That is to say when a producer reads your resume they know straight away what job you are applying for.

Although on independent sets and with some freelance roles such as videographer a mix of skills can be useful. But if you are pursuing film and television crew work, you will need to define your role and department.

Even more, as you progress in your career you will start to get hired through recommendations. And having a mix of job roles can make it difficult for people to endorse you. By defining your role and skill set you will make it easier for people to hire you.

Create A Film Resume

If you are applying to online film jobs you will be asked to include a resume in your application. Many people don’t have a film resume which dramatically reduces their chances of getting hired.

A film resume is a simple, one-page document outlining your experience. Most important your defined job role should be labeled at the top. If possible keep all credits and skills related to the one role you are applying for. However, if you are new to the industry you can include other work positions and student credits.

Polish Your Showreel

If you have a visual job in the film industry (e.g. Director Of Photography, Costume Designer, Production Designer) you might benefit from creating a showreel or portfolio. A showreel is a video compilation of your work. This can be done by editing together a series of clips to music, or by showing a selection of scenes. Portfolios are traditionally a collection of photographs but could also include embedded videos.

These days both showreels and portfolios are always presented online rather than in print or DVD. This could be in the form of a website or a single video uploaded on to Youtube or Vimeo. Even more nonvisual roles such as screenwriter, composer, editor, or grip could benefit from having a personal website for promotion.

Attend Networking Events

By far the most traditional way of self-promotion is through film networking. These days networking can be done both online and in person. Basically, introducing yourself to many people working within the industry will improve your chances of getting hired.

Online networking can be done through social media. It’s also worth attempting to follow on social media anyone who you particularly got along well with at an event. This keeps you in their mind for future projects.

If you are attending an in-person networking event you might wish to make business cards. In any case, it’s important that your card clearly labels your name and job role title.

Use Social Media

Freelance filmmakers are increasingly finding work through social media. This makes sense as many producers are now using the internet to find crew.

On the whole Facebook groups are the easiest way to chat and promote yourself online. Here is a list of FaceBook groups for filmmakers.

🇺🇸 USA🇬🇧 UK
Film Industry NetworkUK Film Jobs
Georgia Filmmakers NetworkCrew Me Now
San Francisco FilmmakersUK Film & TV Jobs
New York FilmmakersLast Minute Film & TV Jobs
Florida Independent FilmmakersFilm & TV Production Crew UK

An additional tip is to add any film crew you work with on social media. An independent film, for example, could introduce you to many filmmakers at once. Finally, what social media platform you use doesn’t matter, pick one for starters, and go from there.

Self-promotion does not have to be scary or take up a lot of your time. Many filmmakers don’t put in this extra effect, so why not try some of these techniques and stand out.

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