From National to International – developing a marketing strategy for your documentary film or series

May 5, 2020

Audiovisual Producers Finland – APFI and The Finnish Film Foundation are launching a joint initiative for documentary filmmakers that will focus on how to develop a solid marketing strategy for projects in the development stage. The initiative is open to all documentary features and documentary series with some level of financing in place.

Why?

Creating a marketing strategy for your documentary feature or series early on in development is crucial. The strategy should be part of the project’s DNA. Often marketing is left too late in the production process, but thinking about this and the international strategy early on helps to move the project in the right direction to maximize the impact at the premiere launch. How will your project grow from national to international? Why should an audience care about you and your storytelling? As long as this has been kept in mind early on, it can help form the basis of your marketing strategy.

What?

To tackle the tough task of mapping out a marketing strategy early on in the project, we are offering an online lecture and one-to-one online project consultations with film industry strategy and communications expert Freddy Neumann.

Freddy Neumann’s webinar lecture on Monday, June 8 at 11:00 AM-12:00 PM (EEST) will present a view on the international market and our challenges in meeting the audience today. The lecture will be followed by a short Q&A. The webinar is open to all industry professionals with prior registration.

To get hands-on with the marketing strategy of your documentary film or series, we offer one-to-one online consultations with Freddy Neumann for individual projects in development stage. A maximum of 6-8 projects will be selected for the sessions. In the sessions, the project’s director and producer may take part. The aim is to drill into the project and find the key elements for the marketing strategy from within.

Who?

Freddy Neumann is a PR Strategist and Publicist with 30 years of experience from the film industry in helping filmmakers with consulting, branding, PR and strategy. Neumann has worked with noted films such as the Academy Award nominated documentary The Cave, La La Land, The Post, A War and Land of Mine. He also works as a tutor at dok.incubator, an international documentary rough-cut workshop.

When?

Webinar on Monday, June 8 at 11:00 AM-12:00 PM (EEST)

The one-to-one consultations between the project and the consultant (60 mins each) will take place on June 8–10 online. The timetable for these will be coordinated by APFI.

The one-to-one consultations will have follow-up meetings with the consultant (15–20 mins with each project) during the early September.

How to apply

You can apply for the one-to-one consultations with a documentary film or -series in development via this link by Sunday, May 17.

Criteria for the selected projects for the one- to -one consultations:

A feature documentary film or documentary series in development phase with preferably some funding in place
The project can be in an early stage, but you will need to have a clear prospect of what you are going to make
Ambitions to make the project international, perhaps by bringing in an international co-producer, but at least by finding an international audience
The participants’ (director and producer) availability and commitment to participate in a one-hour online consultation at the allocated time (a slot during June 8–10)

Materials needed with the application:

Synopsis
A very clear description of the project (what, how, why)
Link to a company website or company profile
Short CV of participants (director and producer)
Link to any visuals, demo or clips (if available)

The projects will be selected in collaboration by APFI and The Finnish Film Foundation (by Anni Wessman and Suvi Railo). Priority will be given to APFI members for part of the projects selected.

The selected projects will be notified approximately within a week from the application deadline.

Further information:

Anni Wessman/ APFI: anni.wessman@apfi.fi, 050 520 7369

Suvi Railo/ The Finnish Film Foundation: suvi.railo@ses.fi, 09-6220 3021