Marketing Plan
Samantha Wong Entertainment Marketing & Promotion PRA-419-01
table of contents PHASE 1: OVERVIEW The Team Executive Summary The Basics Target Audience Marketing Opportunities Marketing Obstacles
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PHASE 2: FILM FESTIVAL STRATEGY Film Festivals Pitch Letter Press Release Key Art & Business Card DVD The Filmmakers Crew Cast Photography Marketing Activities
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PHASE 3: DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING STRATEGY Distribution Competitive Environment Market Research Creative Advertising Poster Billboard & Standee Bus Shelter & Side Magazine Trailer Publicity Promotions Online Marketing Social Media
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PHASE ONE overview
the team
JIMIN PARK Producer
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LOUCAS TSILAS Director
SAMANTHA WONG Marketer
executive summary This plan details the film festival, distribution, and marketing strategies of the independent drama, Ephemeral Eyes. The film explores the meaning of love and life and its relation to self-awareness through the eyes of Lia Monet, a young woman on the search for a new definition of love and life. The most prominent selling points of this film are its themes of coming-ofage, rebellion, and struggle to define love. Stories and their emotional impact are what sell movies, so the emotional aspect of the film will play a large part in the marketing. Although this is not a movie about skateboarding, the inclusion of the activity is unique and will attract audiences. The goal of this campaign is to spread awareness and encourage audiences to watch and share Ephemeral Eyes. The plan was created to be realistic recommendations given the current climate.
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the basics POSITIONING STATEMENT On a chase to discover a new definition of love, a free flowing 19-year-old decides she must conquer what paralyzed her lover.
GENRE Drama ANTICIPATED RATING PG-13 TAGLINE The point of no return is a blink away.
SYNOPSIS Lia Monet and Cole Banks are in love. Or at least they think they are. When Cole paralyzes himself in an attempt to prove his love, Lia embarks on a spiritual journey through flashbacks. Suffocated by her religious upbringing and idea of love, Lia discovers that she must rebel to define love and live for herself. By skating and landing the 12-stair gap that left Cole paralyzed, Lia realizes that she is ultimately in charge of her own life. 7
target audiences PRIMARY: Young women ages 18-25 • Themes of coming-of-age, rebellion, and selfrealization are relatable • Can empathize with first love
SECONDARY: Young adults ages 25-30 • May relate with themes of rebellion against religion and taking life into their own hands
TERTIARY: Indie film fans & skateboarders • Drawn to rebellion against religious upbringing and embracing of true self • May appreciate the skateboard motifs and Monet’s freedom and risk-taking
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marketing opportunities
• Lots of emotions and different story parts to include in promotional material • Relatable for those coming-of-age and/or rebelling • Conflict with main character’s self and between her and her lover 9
• Audience is an active participant and the audience has to make their own conclusions
marketing obstacles
• Complicated storyline • Audience is an active participant and the audience has to make their own conclusions • Main character’s conflicting thoughts and actions can be confusing at times
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PHASE TWO film festival strategy
film festivals Julien Dubuque International Film Festival • Regional festival in Iowa that typically has a low number of submissions (around 800) • Strong emphasis on discovering and encouraging new talent • Arranges print, online, TV, and radio interviews for participants • Films can be screened up to 4 times • Ephemeral Eyes would be a great addition to the festival’s diverse, open-minded line-up • Lots of support for filmmaker and incredible opportunity to land industry and media exposure
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National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY)
San Jose International Short Film Festival (SJSFF)
• Located in Seattle, Washington, the hometown of the director of Ephemeral Eyes, so it is easy to attend • Specializes in promoting and encouraging young filmmakers • Almost exclusively screens short films • Favorable to Chapman films • Good networking opportunities with similarly aged filmmakers • Ephemeral Eyes is a great fit for NFFTY’s creative youth audience
• Specializes in short films and offers a student category • Encourages networking between filmmakers and Silicon Valley notables who can fund future projects • Favorable towards Chapman films • Good industry exposure for Ephemeral Eyes • Networking opportunities to fund future projects
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pitch letter
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press release
KEY-ART & BUSINESS CARD
DVD
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the filmmakers
LOUCAS TSILAS
JIMIN PARK
Loucas Tsilas is an award-winning director hailing from Seattle. Tsilas, a recent graduate of Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, takes a stylistic approach to telling stories. His production studio, ALTO Visuals, specializes in branded storytelling. Ephemeral Eyes is Tsilas’s artistic short inspired by Mid90s, a coming-of-age drama.
As a kid, Jimin Park loved telling stories. His enthusiasm for film stemmed from watching films nominated at the Busan International Film Festival, his hometown festival in South Korea. Park later graduated with an emphasis in film production at Busan Arts College.
Director
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Producer
crew
HAILEY LANGLAND
RM KIM
SVEN THORGREN
Assistant Director
Director of Photography
1st Assitant Camera
COCO HO
VENEZIA CRUZ
MORTIZ THOENEN
Gaffer
Grip
Sound Recordist
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cast
LIZZIE ARMANTO
MARK MCMORRIS
AXEL CRUYSBERGHS
MARCUS KLEVELAND
as Lia Monet
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as Seth Platt
as Cole Banks
as Ross Giessa
photography
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marketing activities
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PROVE YOUR LOVE
FOR THE GRAM
Festival attendees, like Cole Banks, can prove their love to their partner by playing Ephemeral Eyes truth and dare. Each partner will choose either a truth or dare card, which will prompt them to answer a fun question or do a safe, but wacky dare.
Attendees will be able to pose and take pictures with a non-moving skateboard and a set of 12 stairs. These stairs will be the same stair gap that Lia and Cole attempt to conquer in the film. If the festival is virtual, there will be a free downloadable background photo available on the film’s website to be used on Zoom instead.
WHAT DOES LOVE MEAN TO YOU? There will be a sticky note wall where attendees can respond to questions like “What does love mean to you?” or “What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for love?”. Participants will be entered to win an exclusive Ephemeral Eyes skateboard deck. The winners will have their answers announced on the film’s social media.
PRINTABLE FUN Printable adult coloring sheets will be available for fans to color at virtual festivals. The coloring sheet will be an image of Lia and Cole skating through the city where the festival is held. For example, the coloring sheet for NFFTY would show the Space Needle in the background. Fans will be encouraged to post their completed sheets on social media to win Ephemeral Eyes apparel.
PHASE THREE distribution & marketing strategy
distribution Given the current climate and the uncertain future of movie theaters, Ephemeral Eyes would be best distributed on a streaming platform. This would allow the greatest number of viewers to watch the movie because online streaming is more accessible.
Independent entertainment company known for films with a “distinctive point of view”. • Ephemeral Eyes’s artistic take on rebellion, personal growth, and love would be a great match for the A24 lineup • Distributed in theaters and Amazon Prime Video
Subscription-based platform with the largest amount of movie streams and subscribers. • Film would be backed by a company with a strong reputation for quality content • Opportunity for lots of exposure for the film and its cast and crew
RELEASE DATE & PATTERN
On-demand platform available to all Amazon Prime subscribers. • Large selection of indie films, so Ephemeral Eyes would fit right in • Extremely accessible to anyone who subscribes to Amazon Prime
Ephemeral Eyes will be released October 15th so that it could premiere when the recommended festivals occur. The publicity from the festivals can be used to hype the release and spread word of mouth. If the film is released in theaters through A24, it will be a platform release in which the film is first run in cities where audiences are most likely to watch and share the film with others.
competitive environment The competitive environment is unpredictable due to the pandemic. There are only a few blockbuster movies scheduled to be released in October 2021, but they may be delayed or streamed instead. These releases are Halloween, horror, or action-themed movies, so they are not direct competitors. Competitors in the indie shorts category will include other dramas with themes of love, rebellion, and coming-of-age. Films in the same category at festivals will also be competitors.
OCTOBER 2021 RELEASES 29
market research
Market research to confirm an accurate target audience and marketing strategy will be conducted in four ways: 1. TEST SCREENINGS: Screenings will help solidify target audience demographics and psychographics. It will also help determine scenes that may need to be added to or cut from the film. 2. TRAILER TESTING: Trailer testing is important in ensuring that the released trailer attracts the target audience. 3. FOCUS GROUPS: Studies will determine how and where the target audience wants to be reached and what would convince them to watch Ephemeral Eyes. 4. ONLINE SURVEYS: Surveys will help add data that will influence the positioning of the film and final marketing strategies. 30
creative advertising The film’s most prominant icon is Lia Monet’s eyes because of the title. A skateboarder is included in the key art to hint at what the drama is about. The handwriting font emphasizes the young and rebellious vibe of the film while adding motion to the poster. All of the advertising materials feature Lia’s inquisitive and mysterious eyes and a skateboarder silhouette to grab the audience’s attention. This will create uniformity and repetition across platforms so that audiences are more likely to remember the film. These materials will promote the film before and after its release to spread awareness and encourage viewers to watch Ephemeral Eyes.
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POSTER
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BILLBOARD & STANDEE 33
BUS SHELTER & SIDE
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MAGAZINE
TRAILER
Trailer editor Cameron Mannen focused on the emotional and philosophical aspects of the film. The emotional themes of love and angst will attract the target audience who can relate to these feelings.
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publicity PRESS JUNKET Press located in Orange County and Seattle and entertainment journalists nationwide will be invited to a virtual press conference a week prior to the film’s release. Director Loucas Tsilas and actors Lizzie Armanto and Mark McMorris will be present to answer questions.
PREMIERE Ephemeral Eyes will ideally premiere at a film festival so that the hype from the festival could fuel excitement for the film. If it does not premiere at a festival, the premiere will be held virtually. A Q&A session with the director, producer, and key cast members will follow.
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ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT The EPK available on the film’s website will contain the poster, cast and crew bios, logline, synopsis, contact details, and credits. It will also include the trailer, behind-the-scenes photos, and links to social media.
LOCAL BUSINESSES Local skateboard shops will be asked to distribute Ephemeral Eyes skateboard stickers to customers. The businesses will also be asked if the film’s poster could be posted in the store.
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PUBLICITY APPEARANCES Pitch the release of the film to local and niche TV, radio, and podcast stations in Orange County and Seattle. Broadcasts like Chapman News and The Panther Pod are likely to cover the film and invite the director and actors for an interview because it’s created by a Chapman student/Seattle resident. Niche film and entertainment stations would cover it because it’s a new and intriguing independent short.
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Independent radio stations like NPR and KCRW also tend to feature independent films by interviewing directors and actors.
INTERNET & SOCIAL MEDIA
A majority of the publicity will come from word of mouth. Indie film blogs and film review websites will be sent pitches and the EPK for Ephemeral Eyes to encourage them to review the movie. The cast and crew and their friends will be encouraged to share the film on their social media accounts. Entertainment and film influencers and skateboarders will be invited to a virtual screening and encouraged to share Ephemeral Eyes with their followers. 40
promotions
CORPORATE TIE-INS & PARTNERSHIPS The film will partner with nice as heck, a lifestyle and clothing brand for all of the film’s apparel. The brand’s laidback, functional style fits the outdoorsy, streetwear fashion of the main characters. Ephemeral Eyes will also partner with Girl Skateboards to create 41 custom skateboard decks.
RADIO-PROMOTED SCREENINGS Local and independent radio stations like Chapman Radio, KCRW, and NPR would likely support and promote virtual screenings. All viewers from a station will be entered to win a custom skateboard deck after each screening.
CONSUMER PRODUCTS Since the film is partnered with nice as heck, all apparel shown in the film will be available for purchase from nice as heck. These products will include jackets, shirts, shorts, pants, hats, and sticker packs. Filmbranded shirts, hats, socks, and sticker packs will also be available. Custom skateboard decks will be available for purchase from Girl Skateboards. The film website will include novelty items like finger skateboards and sleep masks with Lia Monet’s eyes on it. 42
ONLINE MARKETING
There will be an official Ephemeral Eyes website that will include all of the film's information, trailer, poster, electronic press kit, screenings, and festival appearances. This website will be linked in all of the press releases, pitches, and film's social media accounts. There will be an email newsletter that fans can sign up for to receive the latest news on the film.
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Girl Skateboards and nice as heck will also have banners on their websites to promote the film. Since nice as heck has a blog, there will be a blog post written about the making of Ephemeral Eyes and why the brand is partnered with the film.
SOCIAL MEDIA The film will have dedicated Instagram and Twitter accounts that will be updated with behind-thescenes photos, the trailer, merchandise, and festival and screening news. Instagram and Twitter will cater to the film's three target audiences because a majority of users on both platforms match the film's audiences. A contest will be held after the film's release. Fans will be encouraged to post their best skateboard trick in response to the prompt, "What trick should Lia Monet have conquered instead?". Posts with the hashtag, #EphemeralTricks, will be entered to win a prize pack. The film will be promoted on nice as heck’s and Girl Skateboard's social media. There will be a giveaway on each brand's Instagram account for an Ephemeral Eyes shirt and custom skateboard deck.
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THE END