The Importance of a Press Kit

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I think all film projects should have a press kit, even short films. Press kits make it easy for people to learn about the inner workings of your film and appreciate the little known aspects of what it took to form a successful collaborative project. Whether to quote key cast and crew, pull a line of dialog from the film or provide a list of screenings, a press kit makes it easy for others to know all that there is to know about your project.

I do believe having a press kit is what made it easy for The Huffington Post to feature my short, Out Smart, in four different sections of their web site. They quoted me, pulled a line of dialog from the film and used the synopsis that we provided in the press kit to describe it. It was extremely easy for the writer to access information about our film and post about it.

When I first made my press kit, I did a lot of research because I wanted it to look as professional as possible and help promote the team that gave so much of their time and talent. The following is what to include in your press kit and in what order:

  • Front Page – This includes the key crew and cast, the film format, contact information
  • Synopsis Page – Tag line, a medium and a long synopsis
  • Awards page – Descriptive listing of awards and accolades given to the film; when and where
  • Screenings Page – A list of all screenings, including non-festival screenings
  • Testimonials – Quotes from industry professionals, festival directors, fans and film buffs
  • Director’s Note – A professional yet personal account of why the director made the film
  • Production Notes – Let them know how and why it happened
  • Cast Bios – Biographies of cast and crew including interesting trivia or facts
  • Cast and Crew List – List everyone that is in your credits
  • Dialogue List – List the entire film’s dialogue (tedious yet necessary to quote film)

Here are a few tips when putting it together:

  • Never use color or graphics – make it easy to download and print out
  • Use plain, easy to read fonts – if you want to use a fancy font use it in your title only
  • Use page numbers – If they do print it out, this makes it easy for them to keep it in order
  • List your title on the top of every page – never let them forget your film’s name
  • Create a .pdf file of your press kit to send out – This keeps the format and fonts intacted
  • Post press kit on your website – Don’t make them ask for it, let it be out there, ready to use
  • Put 4 to 5 press photos on your site for download – If they need a photo, let them choose

It takes some work to put a press kit together. You are creating an attractive, organized, reliable source of information about your film project and it will be too simple for them not to use it. A press kit also gives you more control on how your film is presented and talked about in the press. Feel free to use the links below to view the press kit for Out Smart and see how it’s been used. Also feel free to use my press kit as a template for your own. Feel free to ask me any questions.

Out Smart press kit:
http://www.futureviewentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Out-Smart-Press-Kit-2013.pdf

And here is the article about Out Smart on HuffPost:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/20/teen-comes-out-as-smart_n_6015204.html

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