By Kevin Lally
FJI contributor Doris Toumarkine reportson a recent New York City panel discussion on the marketing of independent films.
A Center for Communication (CFC) PR-themed panel in New York on Nov. 4, titled "From Sundance to Cult Classic," sure seemed promising and kind of delivered. After all, in this day and age of so much daze, how does a little indie that miraculously squeaks into Sundance evolve into a "cult classic" or at least something that reaches a respectable number of eyeballs and even (prayers needed here) make some money?
Yes, publicists are the ones who hold real answers, as the CFC blurb proclaimed (if you drink the Kool-Aid) that "the publicity campaign can make or break the success of an indie flick�" So the carrot that "publicity pros share the secrets of success" almost amounted to learning the secret of the Coca-Cola formula.
It wasn't CFC's fault that the panel discussion, held near Manhattan's Time Warner Center and co-presented with the New York Institute of Technology's Department of Communication, often left the rails. The frequent digressions had much to do with the panel having a lazy locomotive, in spite of a motor (mouth) engine.
Moderator Brian Rose, a Fordham University Media Studies professor, left the steering wheel and Entertainment Weekly film critic Owen Gleiberman made stops in reviewer-land, generously sharing his opinions of films he liked and didn't like (not particularly relevant here).
And, with occasional help from other panelists, he offered yet another capsule history of the last 20 years of independent film (the disappearance of specialty companies, the impact of technology, the fragmentation of audiences, the multiplicity of distribution outlets, new ways to "monetize," the sheer glut of so many films and festivals arising on every corner including yours, etc.).
But what about the topic at hand? What about the little indie miracles, like the attention that tiny films like Tiny Furniture can get, or the longevity in theatres Winter's Bone achieved? Or, those grosses flirting with one million dollars or more that other small indies manage, to say nothing (and no one did) of the many millions that those three Stieg Larsson Swedish-language winners managed? Sure, the Girl trilogy had those hugely popular books and great production values behind them, but what could possibly be the alchemy for today's more modest indie breakthroughs and how do PR honchos play a part? After all, the program boasted that in this discussion "publicity pros share the secrets of success."
Three such pros�busy New York indie publicists�rounded out the panel and tried to grapple with these questions: Scott Feinstein, senior associate at 42West; Arianne Ayers, publicity and marketing director at Magnolia Pictures; and Marian Koltai-Levine, executive VP at the film department of PMK*BNC.
When Gleiberman was not holding forth under worshipful gazes from certain panelists who fight daily for his blessings, the CFC event delivered some interesting nuggets, if not exactly eye-popping takeaways.
Koltai-Levine introduced the importance of exhibitor relations and how vital it is to try to get trailers on screens, posters into the theatres and the collections process running smoothly. She also cautioned that budgets must be kept low, as even a film as well-reviewed as Inside Job wasn't exactly a box-office star. Take that, blurbmeisters.
But marketing�actually paying for attention�can help small films, as did the considerable marketing budget for Waiting for Superman, which grossed around $4 million. Even awards season, noted Feinstein, is a marketing opportunity because it creates "conversation." Thus, said Koltai-Levine, as early as a film's money-raising stage, her company includes P&A in budgets.
Panelists concurred that in these challenging times a loaded soundtrack, unless it has music with a fan base, no longer helps sell a film. In the case of Anvil! The Story of Anvil�a rare success for a small doc�42West's Feinstein said that the fact that the band showed up at theatres and performed help "eventize" these shows and boosted them down the line in the ancillary market.
Another case of theatrical "absolutely moving" ancillaries was Valentino: The Last Emperor, which did over $2 million theatrically and gave DVD its "tremendous numbers."
Magnolia's Ayers characterized the current climate for indies as "exciting" because it is "experimental," a word obviously not scary for a distribution company like Magnolia that has both a chain of movie theatres and cable networks in the family.
Others noted that indie films too often have trouble getting reviews and just finding good movies that these days need to be "better than fine" is hard.
Embracing the evening's promised topic on several occasions, Koltai-Levine discussed how indie filmmakers in today's world can work with sponsors. While companies and brands rarely provide upfront cash or do much product placement anymore, they can be valuable down the line at the distribution end, where producers can tap into a brand's customers, assuming they're a good fit for the film and that the film is a good fit for the brand.
As for the film festival conundrum (panelists concurred there could be about 4,000 worldwide), it's same old, same old regarding the value of getting into the top six fests. Like several of the others, Sundance remains important for providing either a buying or marketing situation, depending on whether a film has already been acquired. Many festivals, in addition to the top six, provide excellent opportunities for press attention. And, hats off, New York's own Tribeca Fest was cited as "one of the world's largest local film festivals" among the 4,000 or so.
Koltai-Levine spoke about how the small film Bass Ackwards more than broke even. As one of the film's executive producers, she used Sundance as a launching platform, dedicated a budget of about $20,000 for marketing and paid attention to the marketing target (consumers rather than other marketers). Also key was to make sure Bass Ackwards was perceived from the get-go as a "theatrical film."
She also called for patience when going theatrical with films like Boynton Beach Club and the U.K.'s Is Anyone There? that target older filmgoers. As both films proved, slow rollouts to older demographics can pay off.
Another strategy for smaller indie releases applies when two medium-length films, each under 60 minutes, are programmed together for a theatrical show. A paper like The New York Times won't pay attention to a film under 60 minutes, but audiences will if they are bundled into what is perceived as an appealing package.
Regarding the theatrical release, panelists also noted that experiments on less frequent showtimes, meaning only 10 to 15 shows per week for a film, are promising as ways to achieve longer runs.
Koltai-Levine hailed major chains like AMC and Regal (with AMC Independent and Regal Cinematheque) that are paying special attention to indie films. All three publicists gave thumbs-up to theatre-going, agreeing it will be alive and well even ten years hence because people want the "experience." But, they added, the theatres have to keep improving.
Some bons mots came from both Koltai-Levine and Feinstein. Per the former, "The difference between a big and small indie film isn't size but talent." And Feinstein, capturing the times we're in, suggested that "everything is available but harder to find."
