All posts filed under: filmmaking

What Motivates Your Audience?

Published by Magda Olchawska

Motivating an audience to stick with the story you have created is an art form. Creating a piece of art that will get your audience trapped in that piece, wanting more from the story, is something every writer aspires to. However, the question for many writers has always been what is this amazingly magical ingredient that could help writers motivate their audience to stick with the story. Below you will find a list of a few ingredients to consider while trying to reach your audience with your story: 1. The audience doesn’t want to be just a casual observer. Your audience wants to be engaged in the story so do everything you can to engage them. 2. The audience wants to be given clues to put the whole story together in their heads. 3. Surprise your audience with a reversal now and then. Surprise them with something they didn’t see coming. This turn of events will make their experience more exciting and satisfying. 4. Don’t create something that seems or feels too unbelievable for the …

7 Tips on How to Find and Work with Sales Agents in the Film & TV Industry.

Published by Magda Olchawska

1. The most common way of finding a sales agent is at film festivals. Film festivals screenings and premieres have been used to attract both: sales agents and distributors for years. 2. If you are not doing the film festival circle with your film, writing to sales agents and introducing your project is a good idea. Having substantial online following won’t hurt you while negotiating with the sales agent. In fact, it can be a big asset in your portfolio and the negotiating power towards you and your project. Of course, before you approach any agent, don’t forget to research their agency. Be sure the sales agent you are planning to contact, represent films in your genre. Otherwise, you are wasting everyone’s time and look quite unprofessional. 3. Asking around other filmmakers or your colleagues for recommendations is always a good idea to start; a personal connection can only help you build the initial rapport. 4. Before you sign a deal with a sales agent, make sure you fully understand what you are signing. If …

What Do Sales Agents Do In The Film Industry?

Published by Magda Olchawska

Sales agent’s in the film and TV industry main important task is to help you sell your project to distributors, TV networks, airlines, hotel chains, and any other outlets that screen films and shows. The sales agent is the middle man between the production and the people exhibiting the content and usually can get to places a filmmaker cannot get to or knows decision makers the filmmaker doesn’t know. You certainly don’t need a sales agent if you are taking the creative distribution path. With creative distribution, you can upload your film/content to all/any of the VOD platforms yourself without having someone charge you money for doing that. Sales agents usually take their films catalogues to various film markets around the world, where buyers gather and try to sell your film either in bulk (with other similar films), or as an independent product (depending on how strong your film performed at the festival circus, or whether you have any celebrities attached to your film). The sales agent is not going to help you promote your …

5 Tips on Telling Good Stories

Published by Magda Olchawska

1. The secret to good storytelling is knowing your audience. 2. If you are trying to capture your audience, start with something they already know and can easily relate to. 3. Tapping into shared experiences will help you capture your audience. (What are yours and your viewers common and shared experiences?) 4. Use those shared experiences to hook your audience. 5. Good storytelling keeps the audience engaged by twists, turns, and cliff hangers. This way you will keep the audience waiting for the story to evolve and wanting more of the story. Indie Filmmaking School

Marketing and Promoting A Film Is A Group Effort

Published by Magda Olchawska

Filmmaking is a collaborative art form and anyone, who has ever made a film knows this obvious truth. Of course, there are instances when one filmmaker makes the entire film on their own or with very limited help. But these are rather exceptions than a norm. In my opinion, doing everything or almost everything on your own, while making a film is an uphill endeavour that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone to experience; especially if you take into consideration that the beauty of this art form is in the collectiveness of ideas and talents, all trying to create one coherent vision. Marketing and promoting a film shouldn’t be any different. To make the final product successful, the whole team of people needs to come together to find the best ways to reach an audience and make them aware of the film in hope that they will pay to see that very film. In big-budget productions, there is a whole team of marketers, PR agencies and promoters pushing the product in front of the audience. Some …