This week's assignment to find a target audience for our film was much more challenging than I originally expected. There is definitely a temptation to enthusiastically declare that your target audience is everyone, but that, as I have discovered, can lead to an inadequate marketing/distribution plan. The reality is that probably more than one audience will be coming to see the film, but the people you want to sell it to are the ones who will be most interested, and will therefore generate interest themselves in other people. It also helps to narrow down the large list of film festivals that we might apply to.
The other thing that thinking about marketing did was allow me to ask why someone would want to come watch the film in the first place. What does my film have that a similar film doesn't? And what would cause a person to sit down for the length of the film? It's a good reminder to focus on what specifically is unique about the film and also on the elements that bring energy to it. Establishing a target audience early on is a good way to bring clarity and direction to your filmmaking process.
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