You Need a Trailer - Don't Try This at Home!
So, you thought the hard part was over. You potentially wrote your own script, gathered your crew, signed your locations, built your props, shot your film, edited, and got through sound design and color correction. Whew! Clear sailing now. Not so fast!
Understand that as an independent filmmaker producing a micro-budget film, the trailer you create will be your #1 selling tool. Everything you do to promote your film will be designed to drive a potential audience directly to your trailer. IT HAS TO BE GREAT!
When I set out to design my own trailer I ran into "writer's block." I read every article ever written on building a great movie trailer and watched as many YouTube videos as I could find. But it wasn't coming together. I kept getting stuck and would simply give up, shelf it, and come back later only to get frustrated again.
What I found out is that producing a trailer has its own set of rules. Like the structure of a screenplay, the design of a movie trailer follows very strict guidelines. It took me years to hone my skills writing scripts. I did not have the time to go through a similar process to produce my movie trailer. I needed help.
After putting the word out of social media, I was finally introduced to a guy in Denver who formerly produced teaser ads for Starz. I watched is reel and liked his work. He was starting his own production company and was eager to build a portfolio. I was able to work a deal with him at a fraction of the cost of normal trailer production. He watched my film, Army & Coop, and designed the trailer. After 3 or 4 iterations, I had a professional trailer that was funny (good for a comedy!). The cost? $500
The bottom line on a movie trailer is... either spend the substantial amount of time to become expert at producing a great movie trailer or leave it up to the pros. And, as always, find a way to get it done within the constraints of your micro-budget. Hard to do, but not impossible.
You can check out my new Make a Movie Now video series at www.makeamovienow.com where I step through each phase of how I made my first feature film with no film school, no experence, and no contacts. You can also watch my first film, Army & Coop, at www.armyandcoop.com.
Next time we'll discuss distribution. Watch out for the sales agents and distribution sharks! You can get eaten alive!