Short Films

If you have just finished your short film and are wondering what to do with it - read on.

If you are a buyer looking for short films please go to our Short Film Catalogue page.

MARKETING YOUR SHORT FILM

Before you do anything....

HAVE A GOAL!HAVE A BUDGET!

The second thing a short filmmaker should lock down is a budget for marketing the film. Dubbing costs, entry fees, designing and printing slick covers for screening tapes or dvds, freight and postal costs can add up very quickly. Work out how much money you are willing or able to spend and stick to it. Keep in mind marketing a $5000 film can cost just as much as marketing a $100,000 one. Your marketing budget is not usually a percentage of the production budget of the film, so draw the line at what you can realistically afford to spend and tailor a plan accordingly.



FILM FESTIVALS IN NEW ZEALAND THAT PROGRAMME SHORT FILMS

The most effective way to market your short film in terms of cost and exposure is to target film festivals, competitions and screenings in New Zealand. Listed are some of the festivals that are a regular in the New Zealand festival calendar. Other film festivals pop up from time to time in most major centres, so keep track of what high school and arts festivals are doing in your community. They may be looking for content and have access to screening equipment. Alternatively, you could team up with other short filmmakers or students and organise a screening for your films.

The most important thing to think about before you start to market your short film is: "What is my goal?" Do you want to market yourself as producer, writer or director? Do you want an entry level job in the film industry? Do you want your film to screen at Sundance or to attract international attention from distributors and agents? Do you want to win prize money or sell the film to airlines and television stations? All these are legitimate reasons to market your short film. There are literally as many reasons and ways to market your short as there are to produce one.