Over the last several weeks, I have referenced multiple PR components of the film industry. All of the mentioned components in my past posts are important to the ideas conveyed, but, with the exception of the news release, they are never the star of the post. This is why I wanted to dedicate this post to some of the various PR tactics of film. The following five tactics, each unique for different reasons, come into play throughout different time frames of a film’s evolution.
1. News Releases
One of the first roles of PR for a film is, of course, the news release. I have an entire blog post dedicated to the news release—what it is, its purpose, and how to craft a good one. In synthesis, the news release gets all the information to the media right when a film is announced, serving as a communication channel for news sources to get the word out. They are concise, efficient, and have been around for a long time. Again, you can read my post if you are interested more in the news release.
2. Trailers
Another PR element for films, my personal favorite, is the trailer. A trailer is typically in the two-minute range and gives us an inside look at what’s to come. A good trailer will tell us the same information that a news release tells us, such as who are the starring actors, who directed it, who produced it, and when to watch it in full. But all of this information is wrapped up into snippets of the film itself, *ideally* enticing us and exciting us for the release.
3. Interviews
Interviews are one of the longest-standing strategic communication methods. Most film interviews are casual conversations between an interview and a prominent figure of the film, whether that be people from the cast, director, producer, or a mix of them all. PR is, at its center, earned media, and what is a better way to get the word out to the public than from members of the film themselves? Interviews allow for direct communication with the public and make audiences feel as if they are getting insider information.
4. Events
Exclusive film screenings, photo-ops, award ceremonies, etc., are only a few events that give way to earned media opportunities. Different events provide spaces for individuals to talk about the film and give out information to release in other creative formats. Whether they get reshared in writing, photo, or video, events don’t go unseen if they are successful.
5. Social Media Coverage
Social media is FULL of PR opportunities, and one of its most notable features is that anyone can post about a film. And for better or worse, anyone can view posts about a film. Social media also allows for the further pushing of other PR elements. By that I mean an interview can be reshared to Twitter, trailers are posted to platforms such as Instagram, photographed events can be displayed across various platforms, and so on. Not only that, but makers and members of the film can display whatever content they aspire to on social media and get their target audiences excited without needing assistance through other media channels.
PR is powerful and inhabits many opportunities to reach target audiences through various formats. Understanding what this power looks like and utilizing it to its fullest potential is something all films should take advantage of from the very start of a film’s lifecycle.