Blog Post #6: 4/2/21

As the documentary is wrapping up, we have been asking ourselves...what after? We'll obviously be presenting our film to a board and audience, but after that there's the possibility of submitting to a film festival. I found an article that serves as a guide to such festivals, a post by Danny Greer of Premium Beat. Such festivals can lead to monetary rewards and getting the film out there. There are few other ways to become known, but there are strategies you have to follow if you want to succeed. 

One of the tips is to make sure the film fits the festival you're researching. These festivals are not free; if you know you don't have a good shot at winning a festival you're wasting your money by entering. This means do your homework before choosing one: some are specific to very particular genres, and if yours fits one of these, it's probably a good idea to enter it. This way, at least yours will be seen in front of an audience and not get lost in a crowd of general films. For example, we might enter one for documentaries, and it would be foolish to enter a general film festival.

Another tip the article gives is budgeting correctly. This fits in well with the previous tip of researching. If you're just starting out, you want to know how high-profile the festival is. The article states some of these festivals can get really expensive depending on how big a deal they are. It also suggests submitting the film early, as not only will it often result in a discounted entry fee, but sometimes judges begin reviewing films before the deadline.

A final tip is to screen the film to audiences before submitting. Getting brutally honest feedback can often save a production from doom before the judges. Seeing if the film drags on too long is specifically important according the article, and audience's feedback can save that. It also mentions that good sound design is often more important than visuals, and to make sure the sound quality is...sound.