Marketing the Indies
My passion for movie marketing comes from not only being a movie fan but also 30 years in the entertainment business, half of which focused on working with filmmakers in promoting their movies through key art development, tv campaigns, trailers, social campaigns, mobile apps and distribution. I am a storyteller at heart and I want to tell your stories.Effective marketing can help independent films reach their target audience, generate buzz and interest, and ultimately drive box office success. It can also help the film get noticed by industry professionals and potentially lead to distribution deals or lead to more opportunities in the future.
Marketing is important for any film, but it can be especially important for independent films. Independent films often have smaller budgets and less access to traditional marketing channels, so they need to be creative and strategic in their marketing efforts.
Social marketing can help independent films widen their audience, generate buzz and interest. It can also help the film get noticed by industry professionals and potentially lead to distribution deals or lead to more opportunities in the future.
Independent film marketing is important because it helps to promote the film early and bring it to the attention of a wider audience.
Additionally, marketing can help to differentiate the film from other movies that are being released at the same time, and can help to position the film in a way that resonates.
I have helped quite a few independent films in recent years, starting with Shadowgram, a film by Augusto Contento. I was able to create the trailer, Key art, press kit, website and social media campaign as their collection of laurels from a number of prestigious festivals grew.
Shortly thereafter, I met two-time Oscar Nominee Glenn Silber at the Santa Fe International Film Festival where he was showcasing the 4K restoration of The War at Home, his award-winning feature documentary on the 1960s Antiwar Movement. We discussed ways to try to interest younger audiences in the film and developed a concept called “The War at Home: Then & Now” to bridge the generation gap and tie the ‘60s antiwar protests to what has happening in the streets of America today.
“Curt Doty is not only a master graphic and website designer he was constantly coming up with new ideas to advance the storytelling and the reach of The War at Home. Hundreds tuned in for a Zoom event featuring young activists discussing the “Then and Now” theme. We experimented with doing a podcast via our website about the making of the film and when we found a distributor to put the film on streaming platforms, Curt designed a series of 30-60 second promo clips using specific, powerful scenes from the film. My only regret is that I wish I’d met Curt earlier when we were initially designing our new distribution campaign. His ideas were transformative.”
I created the website for the documentary, press kit, social and content marketing campaign and eventually Glenn’s company, Catalyst Media Productions, also hired me to create the company’s new website.
After the success of The War at Home and a nice referral, I met Daniel Miller, another documentarian and educator. He was finishing his film, Fire in the Heartland: The Kent State Story. The website I designed and built became a new hub for the campaign, housing all the content marketing, press materials and credits for the film. A year later, I was able to work with Daniel and his producer Suzanne Clark on their latest film Citizen Blue: the James Blue Story, which involved key art, website and press kit. Subsequently, I designed their production company website for Fire River Pictures.
Fire in the Heartland: The Kent State Story
“We have had a memorable experience working with Curt Doty on several of our film projects. VERY soon after we contacted him to ask about developing a website for our film on Kent State, Fire in the Heartland, he sent us some ideas and materials requests and produced an exciting first draft. The experience of working with Curt is first of all, speed. He responds very quickly. HE GETS THE WORK DONE. Furthermore, he draws on an extensive range of experiences; his suggestions are expert and helpful—and creative. ”
Citizen Blue: The James Blue Story
Developing the image, key art, website and a social media campaign early on can provide indie filmmakers a strategic leg up to help finish their film, be it used as a strategic tool in getting completion funding; or once it’s finished, help it get into film festivals and can help sell the film to major media outlets.
Film Festivals are important to Independent Filmmakers. Marketing through the film festival circuit can help to create a sense of community around the film, building an audience by bringing together fans and supporters who have an affinity with the film.
Post-pandemic, some festivals have moved to hybrid festivals, partially in-person and partially virtual. This has expanded their reach and engagement. Recently, the Silicon International Film Festival celebrated their 7th annual fest, which was completely virtual, hosted on Filmocracy. For Filmmakers, this has reduced the cost of travel and enabled more one-on-one conversations with distributors and agents.
“Finding the right audience is as critical as in selecting the right image to personify your film. Curt Doty’s skillfulness and craftsmanship makes him one incredible valuable asset when assembling & executing your films marketing strategy.”
My involvement with the Santa Fe International Film Festival for the past 5 years has been extensive and very satisfying. Starting with the 10th anniversary film festival poster then creating their logotype and ultimately their website, the work has continued and grown since, including all of their advertising.
“It is a rewarding and enlightening experience working with CurtDoty.co. Curt, or The Dodester, as he is widely known, fosters a sense of creativity in every meeting and is closely aligned and professional when it comes to each detail. I can’t recommend his company enough for any person looking to take their marketing from acceptable, to professional chic.”
If you are in the early stages of finishing your film, which can be very stressful, social media can be a useful tool to create early awareness. Telling your backstory about "the making of…" your film’s story via social, can generate interest in getting your film into festivals and hitting your targeted audience. Distributors love a proactive approach to audience building. I am here to help.
ABOUT CURTDOTY.CO
Curt Doty is a former Universal Pictures creative executive and award-winning marketer. His cross-media discipline has led to a branding practice leveraging his 25 years of experience. As a creative entrepreneur, his sweet spot of innovation has been uniting the worlds of design, content and technology through the recently launched MediaSlam. Working with Microsoft, Toshiba and Apple, Curt created award-winning advanced content experiences for mobile, eBooks and advertising. He has bridged the gap between TV, Film and Technology while working with all the movie studios and dozens of TV networks. Curt’s Fortune 500 work includes content marketing and digital storytelling for brands like GM, US Army, Abbott, Dell, and Viacom. His consultancy CurtDoty.co continues to help the independent film industry. www.curtdoty.co