Your Stage : Where Do You Send Your Press Releases? by Joe Becker

reddit is good. I was looking for specific places. of course, we go to film blogs for film, music blogs for music. the question is, what specific outlets do you recommend?

it appears that no one "gets" the question. I am not looking for help on a specific project. the idea is, let's share some knowledge. the question is simple - WHERE DO YOU SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASES. I have people who do PR and Marketing for me. but, that doesn't mean I don't do some of the work myself. or that there aren't people out there doing it all themselves. for those of you who send press releases, do you have some favorite places? some ezines, blogs, podcasts and more that you like to send to because they are open to receiving from indie filmmakers who don't have a PR team? this was supposed to be a fun, sharing moment. a time when we could share our knowledge, connections, expertise... with others. so, if you have a list, and want to share, this is the place. I have a long list of outlets, but they seem to be more interested in huge projects from studios, and not so interested in the indie market. it seems hard to get in. I'm looking for new and exciting outlets. I have a wonderful PR person helping me on my current project. if you're interested in hiring - http://www.stage32.com/profile/1083/lynette-carrington just wait til she's finished with my project

Joe, do you have a list that you want to share? I have a short list of outlets but I'm not sure if any of them would meet your, specific criteria. I tend to make violent horror movies so many of the places I send press releases are places that are interested in those kinds of movies. Since you have PR people (I don't) you may have more places than any of us here.

the list is not just for me. the idea is to share here so all can benefit. I can post some as well, but as I said, mine typically want info from big studios and not from small independents.

That's Good Kemberely but, we need as many outlets as we can get. Especially if we're independent without a huge budget for promotion. if you want to make money with your film, you need as many people to see it as possible. so, blogs, ezines, news outlets, podcasts... should all be part of the mix. if all you're doing is telling your friends, you'll never make it in this business. and it is a business. I'm in it to make a living, not as a hobby. I use several SN sites, like you say, probably more than most, including myspace. but I want the whole world to see my movie, or at least know about it, so I'll use every outlet I can find. besides, it's always better if someone hears about your film from someone else. tooting your own horn is encouraged in this business. but, you may be more inclined to listen to a respected blogger or news outlet than somebody telling you they have a great product. the unbiased view is more credible. here's a list of possible accomplices. - http://Deadline.com - http://CinemaBlend.com - http://RottenTomatoes.com - http://IMDB.com - http://BoxOfficeMojo.com - http://TotalFilm.com - http://Movies.com - http://MovieFone.com - http://HollywoodReporter.com - http://EmpireOnline.com - http://Hollywood.com - http://IndieWire.com - http://Variety.com - http://BoxOfficeMojo.com - http://HeroComplex.latimes.com - http://movies.nytimes.com - http://http://forbes.com/arts-entertainment - http://RogerEbert.suntimes.com - http://MovieCityNews.com - http://SlashFilm.com - http://TheWrap.com - http://Hollywood-elsewhere.com - http://creativecow.net - http://movieline.com - http://screendaily.com - http://screenjunkies.com - http://filmlinc.com/film-comment - http://moviemaker.com - http://ew.com - http://filmmakermagazine.com - http://joblo.com - http://fadeinonline.com - http://filmthreat.com - http://mania.com - http://boxoffice.com - http://aintitcool.com - http://nofilmschool.com - http://provideocoalition.com - http://makingof.com

Thanks for your list Willem

Like he says, where? But for what purpose? Are you announcing a project, a film, birth of your firstborn? Is it national, local? Who does or would it appeal to? I announced my project to local media. I scoured local media sites and people I know for contact info, compiled a list and sent a release. I also made a local blog at an online local paper, created a website and portal.

That's great if you're going local. I think the question was quite clear. first, I'm asking it on this page. second, I mention film specifically. it's supposed to be a helpful piece that gives filmmakers new outlets for film promotion. I've worked on many small, local films that are seen by a few hundred. but, that's not going to pay the bills. I was talking specifically about a FILM the you actually want to PROMOTE to the MASSES. I suppose some regional links would be cool, but I was thinking larger in scope. what helps someone in Chicago may not help someone in Toledo, even though they are relatively close. if you've got a list, or a favorite, please tell us

Now you're hitting on it. I think, IMHO, the question -wasn't - very clear. It was (they were) "Where do you send them?" and "...what are your favorite outlets that actually accept your press releases?" You mentioned about shying away a bit from the ones that only accept BIG film releases. If you're going all out, maybe it will go big. I'd say get it out to as many as you can. My film, so far, is only a project announcement and I can't really say much about it. If I told the world what it was about before it hit the promotional aspect, it would kill the prospects of the story being told, and other people would be at risk. My film is sort of -caught in the middle. All that's known locally is that there's a movie forthcoming.

I tend to spend time researching a little maybe too much for specific targeted places to send based on the film. Yes I send to the ones that always seem to promote big productions because you never know when something you have will connect with that person receiving the press release and truth is once the release is written everything from there is just finding the specific mailing or email address. One thing everyone might consider is checking out internet radio programs through Blogtalkradio.com as there are several that interview filmmakers, actors, writers and such. I co-host a weekly show on there called Arts Talk with the Johnson Brothers and we interview all creative people. Some of these shows don't have huge following but there are some that do. With Arts Talk, we promote the people we are going to interview heavily the week leading up to the interview, so we actually do some of the promotion for you. I can't say that all of those shows do that but it's just like anything else you are targeting you have to do a little research to see how legit they may be.

Duane, that's some good advice. I use ALL the outlets I can, including radio, print, TV... and I encourage radio interviews because you can do them over the phone so, you can hit many stations right from your home. Rick, my current project has a decent budget and a few names attached so, I think it will do fine. but, there are still many small projects going out every year, and the competition is fierce. what does the little guy do if he wants to reach a larger market? I still think it's a simple question, do you have a list of off-the-beaten-path outlets that like indies, underdogs, the little guy?

Hiring a publicist who already has the contacts and relationships would be ideal

maybe it was a stupid question. nobody has a list? I'm talking about independent films. not those backed by a studio. I'm talking about DIY marketing, which I know many do. maybe they just don't want to share their lists. whatever. I have good promotion people. Lynette Carrington is awesome. http://stage32.com/profile/1083/lynette-carrington and I have my own list. I just thought it would be beneficial to the indie filmmakers on stage32 if we shared some new, and maybe off-the-beaten-path outlets for promotion.

and what if you were a publicist? wouldn't you like to find new outlets? please, if you have something to share, share it. thanks

odd that no one has shared here in a year. I find that you can see who is covering other indie films and note the outlet. search "film blogs" and you may find some great ones

Thank you! I'm starting a new magazine here in Phoenix called AZ FILMMAKER Guess I'll have my own outlet I also have a publicist I can count on But, I will definitely take your advice I thought this would be a popular topic Maybe, people don't care about or understand promotion

Personally I would send them to every media outlet I could find big or small. Tweet it out, Facebook it out. Let the world know what you are doing.

There are many outlets and services available. I was hoping people would share specific outlets and their experiences.

I normally just send an email to the likes of backstage, local newspapers, local news stations, radio stations etc. I also tweet reporters, bloggers etc and put it on my own blog. I normally get good results. My thought is what's the worst they can do? they can ignore it or post it.

Joe, This is an old post, yet I just NW with you so it is coming up. I took a class on this and the important thing when writing a press release, is to have it read like a press release and NOT ad copy. I know this is an old post, but I am not sure if you found closure on this one. I am almost certain I used Ezine and had the Press Release written by a guy I know who is a pro writer for a living. It was reasonable and well written. PM me if you want me to dig and refer.

I was looking for outlets that support indie filmmakers. I was surprised at the lack of response. I have PR people who do my press releases, and they know where to send them. they have lots of contacts that they've built up over many years. but, it's always good to share information. we can all learn new things.