Hi, everyone. I'm in pre-production on my first feature - a micro-budget romantic comedy/drama with no name actors - and I'm trying to think of strategies to build the audience for it.
I don't plan to crowd fund for production because it's going to be really cheap to shoot. (I own all the gear I need, and I wrote it to be filmed in my small town. I've produced several shorts and have worked in video production a long time, so I have a good idea of what I'm getting myself into expense-wise.) I may, however, decide to crowd fund for post costs later, and I want to build an audience as best I can for that and so there is some anticipation for the film when it's done. This, of course, will also benefit me on future projects. I'm definitely playing the long game here.
My first efforts are underway to get my home community excited about the project. A few weeks after I started this approach, I read RB's book on crowdsourcing which gave me encouragement that I had the right idea. I will be crowdsourcing a lot of the elements of the film locally, and there is already a little buzz starting about the project. But this is a small town in South Georgia with no real connection to the booming film industry in our state.
So, all that to get to this: one of the big audience-building strategies I've read about and heard about in podcasts is to look for elements in the story that tie in to existing communities. I'm doing that in my hometown just by virtue of the fact that I live there and will be filming there. But I'm not seeing obvious, easily-targeted audiences in the story itself. It's not about a big social issue. The characters aren't in careers that have natural larger communities online or elsewhere that I can tap into (as far as I can determine, anyway.)
Does anyone have any general suggestions of how to approach choosing audiences to target? Or any good resources on this topic I should explore? I think my mindset may just not be right for seeing those connections at the moment. I think of some potential things, but they feel like a stretch, and I don't want to be disingenuous in my reaching out to people.
Thanks for any guidance you may have for me!
So your logline:
"Two years after the death of his wife in a car accident, a frustrated producer of cheesy local television commercials finds an unexpected connection with a free-spirited artist. But can he confront his own grief and his deceased wife's controlling, alcoholic sister before he loses a second chance at love?"
Just brainstorming here:
https://www.georgianjournal.ge/arts-a-culture/32333-georgian-designers-w...
"Sopo Barnovi is the wife of a famous Georgian TV presenter and musician, Samory Balde, who, as Sopo says, supports her to prepare for the exhibition. "
So now you have:
(1) a rising female artist who want exposition (just like you do);
(2) a well known tv presenter, being her husband to promote her [and you?};
(3) an with a bit of luck free music
Can see act? Who nows.
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Thanks for the input, Rutger. I actually have my principal cast in place (all locals), and since I'm working at an extremely low budget, I won't be in a position to bring someone in from the outside.
I like the thought process, though!
I'm connecting with my local arts council, and there may be a larger community I can tap into in that realm. I have to find the right way in - and the best resource. "Art" is a huge category, of course.
Thanks, again!