COM 610 Research Paper
The Role of Social Media in Independent Film Promotion
A Research Paper
by
Gaelynn Petry
Buffalo State University
COM 610
Professor Fuerst
December 2024
Abstract
In this research paper I will look at the role social media plays in the promotion of independent films. Social media has become a vital element to any marketing campaign. Every industry utilizes it, including the film industry. Filmmakers utilize social media in hopes of bringing people to see their movie by targeting their desired audience. Social media can be a very powerful tool when used correctly. Content can reach a wide range of people and be shared among people offline as well, as a promoter it would be unwise not to leverage this type of access, but that does not mean it is an easy means of promotion. Running a social media campaign requires dedication, time and money to do it properly and effectively. This is the first research question: how can an independent filmmaker utilize social media to their advantage?
Secondly, I will also look at whether or not social media is worth the hype it receives. Is it the only means of promoting an independent film? Is it the best way to promote an independent film? These are secondary research questions I intend to answer.
Introduction:
Promoting a film, small or large, is a carefully crafted task that in many ways can make or break a film’s success. It takes a lot of time and money to accomplish and if it is done poorly the results can be disastrous. For a large studio movie with a multimillion-dollar marketing budget the possibilities are nearly endless for what the movie producers decide to do for their marketing campaign. For a smaller independent budget film, it becomes much harder to achieve the same level of marketing success. The definition of what constitutes as an “independent film” has changed over the years. At its basic definition, it is a film that does not have a major studio (Disney, Sony, Universal) funding, producing, or distributing it. However, there are now so-called “independent” film studios that will produce and distribute these films. These would be studios like A24, New Line Cinema, Lionsgate, or Netflix. There are also divisions within some of the major studios that specialize in independent films like Sony Classic Pictures or Searchlight Pictures (formerly part of 21st Century Fox, but now under Disney Studios). These types of subdivision studios shave the benefit of utilizing their parent company’s funding and distribution networks to make a picture but have more creative autonomy.
While there are many independent films that do successfully make it into a traditional theatrical setting, there are many that do not. Why is that? Part of that is due to the trajectory of the film industry as a whole becoming more reliant on streaming services rather than traditional theater settings. But that is another topic for another research paper. In this paper I will look at how independent films market their films, particularly the role social media plays in the marketing strategy. Is there a benefit to using social media at all? Secondly, if social media is not utilized in the marketing strategy, what methods are?
Literature Review
Before we can look at the specifics of an independent film’s marketing campaign, we must first understand the importance of independent films and why this topic matters. The act of making an independent film that is not associated with a major movie studio is primarily an act of rebellion against the system. The very first films made would be considered “independent’ films since they were an act of invention and creative exploration. In the United States the first permanent film studios were all formed in the early 1900s, including Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures in 1912, with Warner Bros and Disney coming in 1923. From the early days of the studio system, the owners of the studios worked to craft a particular image and reputation for their studios and they often had a large hand in the creative process of the films. They were also very territorial of their stars, put an actor or actress under a contract with that studio for a certain number of films or years. This would naturally lead to filmmakers that wanted to do something more creative that the studios would not support to branch out on their own and make the picture themselves (Eyman, 2021).
One early instance of this happening was in 1919 when D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin created United Artists to make their own independent films (Block, 1983). Creating their own entity would allow these filmmakers, and others they supported, full creative freedom to make a film the way they wanted to make it, which is important for anyone involved in a creative artform. Art is a means of creative expression and is a very individualized endeavor. There has long been a history of artists going against the grain and against the “norms” society places on them. For a filmmaker, they want to create something meaningful to them and that reflects them and their vision for whatever story it is they are trying to tell. Often times that means using techniques or filming styles that are more avant-garde or out of the norm and the major studios don’t want to take the risk with producing a movie that won’t guarantee them a profit. This is why the vast majority of mainstream movies will follow similar formats, structures, cinematography styles, and plot lines. As the expression goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
In current day, independent film making maintains that identity as being out of the norm. With the evolution of big blockbuster movies saturating the traditional theater space, the major movie studios have become less willing to invest in smaller, “riskier” movies that cannot guarantee returns on their investments. However, with the rise of smaller independent studios, like A24, founded in 2012, as well as the rise of streaming services producing in-house content like Netflix, there are now more opportunities than ever to get a movie made. The challenge remains though of promoting your movie to get an audience interested and wanting to watch it.
The most traditional and familiar way to promote a movie is by creating one or multiple trailers for it. With big blockbuster movies there may be multiple trailers for a movie being released as much as a year before the actual movie release. A big movie like Deadpool & Wolverine will release a teaser trailer to drum up anticipation before releasing a full length trailer a couple of months later (McClintock, 2024). But smaller independent movies won’t have the budget to create multiple trailers, instead they’ll create one trailer and then explore other ways of promoting a film. Social media is one of those other avenues a film is likely to use in the current day.
Social media has grown to be a linchpin in our society that has changed the landscape of many industries, including the film industry. It can expedite and cheapen outreach endeavors to marketers or businesses looking to bring in customers due to it’s wide reach for a relatively low cast. It can create a more intimate level of exposure for a brand, and you have the ability to reach customers outside of your main audience thanks to the ease of ability to share content offline (Predmore, 2013). In the film industry it can allow actors and filmmakers a closer look into their lives and allows for a variety of content to be posted than in turn can drum up interest in a project. A filmmaker can post behind the scenes content to show the making of the film, or an actor can create a day in the life type video while on set for a project. This type of content can be excellent for a marketing campaign.
The important thing to consider when building a social media campaign for a movie is to remain authentic to the movie. Leverage the story of the movie, the genre, the actors. One example of a well-done independent marketing campaign is the movie Fresh (2022). The movie is a horror movie about a young woman who gets kidnapped by a man she just started dating, but it turns out the man is a cannibal who eats the women he kidnaps. In the marketing for the movie, they truly lean into the horror aspects of the movie, but also pokes fun at the comedic element of the title being “Fresh” not “Flesh”. One of the posters released for the movie is an image of a severed hand in a typical Styrofoam grocery store meat package, with the price label containing information about the movie that’s typically found on a movie poster (@freshmovie, 2022, Feb 15). Other material really leans into the food aspect of the movie, which after you watch the movie you come to realize all the food is made from the humans the man has kidnapped.
It is important to recognize that no matter how successful a social media campaign is, that alone is not the only way to attract an audience to go see a film. In an interview with Professor Dorothea Braemer, she emphasized that social media is but one of the many tools to utilize when trying to promote an independent film. She goes on to explain that the act of going to see a film creates a community which she believes should be utilized more. The people who will go see a film, that is not a major blockbuster film, will go see it most likely because someone thye know is involved with it, or it is about something that touches them or that they can relate to on a personal level (Braemer, 2024).
This concept of community is something that small movie independent movie houses focus on when curating their programming. The Little Theater in Rochester, NY is one of the few remaining independent movie houses that opened in the early 1900s. In an interview on the podcast The Kodakery, Scott Pukos, the PR and Social Media Coordinator for The Little, talks about how they refer to the experience of coming to the theater as “The Little Experience”, because a large element of the draw for audience members is to attend a movie in this historical local landmark. He goes on to explain that The Little will often pair movies with an extra draw in, like a post movie discussion, or a costume contest tied to a movie (The Little Theater with Scott Pukos, 2019).
One of the key aspects of social media success is frequency. The more active an account is the more engagement it will get. A higher engagement rate means the number of people who have seen the content is higher. In relation to a film promotion this gives the film a higher probability of more people going to see a film. This is why it is crucial for any social media campaign to be very active. Posting once a day or even multiple times throughout the day, reading and responding to comments and messages. As Scott Pukos said, “The key to social media is always to respond” (The Little Theater with Scott Pukos, 2019). When done successfully, social media can have a great impact. But this does present a challenge. In order to remain active and engaged it takes a lot of time and work. Frequent posting requires ensuring that you have enough fresh content to post often. Creating this content takes time and money. Monitoring comments and messages should also be daily, which takes time, this may require having a single person solely dedicated to running the social media account (Predmore, 2013). Being able to dedicate the time and resources to a social media account may be seen as a luxury expense for a small budget film.
Along with the rise of social media use, the job of “influencer” has also expanded and shifted the use of social media. The role of an influencer emerged slowly as social media took hold in society’s everyday lives. Today every social media platform is saturated with influencer marketing ads and posts on a user’s feed. Influencers who have a large following can reach a very wide audience that may contain a range of demographics. With the wide range of influencers available this allows a marketing team to be strategic about who they choose to collaborate with. If all they want to do is reach their core audience in a different way they may choose certain influencers over others, the same can be done if they want to reach new demographics outside of their target audience. For a filmmaker this can be a unique way to utilize social media when promoting a film (Thierry, 2023).
Influencer marketing has become standard in the world of entertainment because there is such an abundance of influencers. There are often exclusive perks that influencers get to experience in exchange for their promotions. In the case of promoting films this can be access to early or private screenings of a movie, special promotional content or information, and invitation to the premiere of the movie or other promotional events surrounding the movie. When working with influencers it is important to be strategic and really research if a certain influencer is the right fit for the project. While you want to reach your target audience or expand your target audience it is also important to ensure that whoever you partner with, their brand fits the message of the film (Thierry, 2023; Unknown, 2023).
The interesting aspect of social media is that everyone has access to it, any demographic, any company, any size of budget marketing campaign. It has an unprecedented level of access that previous forms of marketing have never reached. While this has its benefits and pitfalls, in the world of film, it levels the playing field to a certain extent. No matter the size of the budget you can always post something to social media for free. The advantage that large budget studio films have is that there can be a heavier saturation of social media use if they choose to do so. Some filmmakers may choose not to utilize social media whether because maybe the content of the film does not lend itself well to social media or they simply prefer to use the traditional means of film promotion.
Conclusion
For smaller independent filmmakers there are a lot of benefits to using social media. There is wide access to their audience, and it can be easier to reach their audience as well as an expanded audience. Filmmakers also have opportunities to create unique promotional material that traditional methods of marketing do not allow for. That content can also reach a much wider audience than traditional methods thanks to the ability to share content offline and with people who may not be within the targeted demographic. One aspect of social media not explored in this paper is the use of algorithms in social media and how that may help or harm a marketing campaign, this would be an area of research worth exploring more as “the algorithm” now play such a large part in what type of content any given user may or may not see in their feed.
Social media can have a large impact on a film’s success, we have seen that with large blockbuster movies that create viral social media campaigns like Deadpool and Wolverine. It can have a positive impact on smaller independent films as well, but especially for smaller films social media is just one tool of many that a filmmaker can utilize to promote their work. Independent films tend to be much more story driven than spectacle driven, which means the story will be the prime promotional tool rather than showing off the CGI effects of fight scenes. Instead, if done prudently the filmmaker will reach audiences with the emotional intent the film has. That being said there is room for the independent filmmaker to be creative with their promotional material. It takes a lot to get people to actually leave their house and go see even a large blockbuster movie in a theater these days, let alone a smaller independent movie. That’s why the few remaining movie theaters that showcase independent films will entice their audiences by creating a community within their audience, so the experience of going to the theater itself is at times more of a draw than the movies themselves.
Appendix A: Annotated Bibliography
@freshmovie. (2022, February 15). It’s not for everyone 🥩@mimicave’s #FreshMovie starring @DaisyEdgarJones and @imsebastianstan. Streaming March 4 only on @hulu.. Retrieved from Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaABg5zLEL8/?hl=en
A poster example from the movie Fresh (2022).
Block, M. W. (1983). Independent Filmmaking in America. Journal of the Universtiy of Film and Video Association.
In this article by Mitchell Block, it looks at what elements make a film an “independent” vs a big Hollywood film. The category of “independent” films has such a broad definition; to break this down Block has created three sub-categories: Independent Film Artists, Regional Independent and Hollywood Independent. These subcategories serve as different levels of independent film making. The article goes through each stage of production and outline how each of these types of independent films approach each stage of the process.
Throughout the article Block highlights the differences and similarities between each of these subcategories as well as how they compare to big Hollywood studio films. While the article is from 1983 much of the information given remains relevant in today’s film industry. Block points out that much of what he observed while making this article is the same as what some of the original independent film makers (Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Fairbanks) experienced in 1919. That the same passions and desire for creative control that drives modern independent film makers is what drove them a century ago.
Braemer, P. D. (2024, October). (G. Petry, Interviewer)
Dorothea Braemer is a filmmaker and Communications professor at Buffalo State University. The interview via Zoom consisted of a conversation around her experience using social media to promote her film work. She has utilized social media to promote her work, however the bulk of her promotion around her work is largely word-of-mouth. She believes that building and utilizing her existing community is the best way to promote a film, that films themselves bring a sense of community to the audience that gathers to see the film. The conclusion that was reached was that yes social media can be a great benefit, but it is not the only way or even the best way to promote a film.
Eyman, S. (2021). 20th Century Fox: Darryl F. Zanunk and the Creation of the Modern Film Studio. New York: Hachette Book Group. Inc.
This book gives an in depth look at the formation the 20th Century Fox studios and it’s long and rich history as one of the major Hollywood movie studios in the 20th century as well as the eventual buy-out by the Disney studios in 2019.
McClintok, P. (2024, August 19). How Ryan Reynolds and Disney’s Marketing Spell Turned ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Into R-Rated Magic. Retrieved from Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/deadpool-wolverine-ryan-reynolds-marketing-2-1235977976/
This article takes a detailed look at how the marketing campaign for Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine movie was successful. What elements of the campaign resonated the best with fans. It also discusses what areas of the campaign were unique to it and whether they can be replicated again in the future or not.
Predmore, P. A. (2013). Social Media as a Strategic Tool: Going Beyond the Obvious. Emeral Group Publishing Limited.
This chapter provides an in-depth overview of social media and how it is utilized by brands or companies. It looks at how corporations have leveraged social media to their advantage as well as what the pitfalls of social media can be if not utilized properly. The article highlights how social media can be used to engage with customers as well as stakeholders to promote a company’s products or services.
The article does also highlight the limitations of social media, that it is not the only way to promote a brand or services, but when leveraged correctly can yield very favorable results. It also makes sure to mention the pitfalls a company can come across that are associated with social media. The main one being a negative impact can be just as damaging as a positive impact can be rewarding.
The Little Theater with Scott Pukos. (2019, October 5). The Kodakery. Rochester, New York: Kodak. Retrieved from https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/blog-post/scott-pukos/
The interview with Scott Pukos from The Kodakery podcast took place in 2019 during a convention. Scott Pukos is the PR and Social Media Coordinator for The Little Theater in Rochester, NY. In 2019 The Little theater in Rochester, NY was celebrating its 90th anniversary. In the interview Pukos and the hosts discuss the history of The Little and what has kept it open and thriving for as long as it has. Pukos discusses the ways he utilizes social media to connect with customers of The Little and the different ways the theater has innovatively kept audience members coming again and again. These include having special events tied to certain films, such as post showing discussions featuring industry experts as well as fun community events like a costume contest. He also explains that The Little still continues to show films on 35mm film, which is a rarity these days now that most all of film is show digitally. That in and of itself is a draw for audience members both locally and regionally. Pukos also points out that the theater itself is a draw for some audience members. In the same location since it’s opening, The Little is a historical landmark in Rochester and is remarkably preserved in it’s original style which is a draw for some people. This interview gives good insight into the distribution side of independent films and what is being done to bring people in to see these films at a theater level.
Thierry, G. (2023, February 3). Successful Film Marketing: An In-Depth Guide. Retrieved from Garrett-Thierry.com: https://www.garrett-thierry.com/post/successful-film-marketing-an-in-depth-guide
This blog article gives a breakdown of effective strategies for utilizing social media to market independent films. The blog’s author, Garrett Thierry, starts the article with taking a look at the success of independent t film studio A24 has had, and marking them as a benchmark for movie marketing campaigns, for both independent and major studio films. He goes on to break down the different elements of a marketing campaign and how to make them effective. These elements are movie trailers, social media, film festivals, influencer marketing, and other smaller efforts. Thierry provides several different examples for these different elements and looks at why these specific examples worked well.
This article is first and foremost an objective piece of writing, of which the sole purpose is to provide information to others. The examples given are used due to their statistical success, not personal preference. Additional to the examples provided, at the end of the blog there is a thorough dictionary of key marketing terms and their definitions, as well as a list of additional resources readers can utilize to further their research into this topic.
Unknown. (2023, June). Exploring the Power of Social Media Marketing in Promoting Movies: Transforming the Entertainment Industry. Retrieved from motionpicture.edu: https://motionpicture.edu/socialcinema/2023/06/16/exploring-the-power-of-social-media-marketing-in-promoting-movies/
This blog post gives an overview of the benefits, impacts and issues of utilizing social media for film promotion. The benefits include the wide reach social media has to expose your work to an expanded audience with the click of a button. The blog also mentions that the use of social media has created a level playing field, giving both independent and major studio films at the same advantages and disadvantages.
The blog also lays out the negative impacts that social media can have. These include negative commentary or feedback, information overload for consumers, as well as data and privacy concerns audience members may have. The article finishes with ways to mediate and resolve these issues and concerns regarding social media use.
Unknown. (2024, May 9). Clicks to Hits: Social Media Strategies for Independent Films. Retrieved from Media Services: https://www.mediaservices.com/blog/social-media-strategies-for-independent-films/
This website gives an overview of how to create a social media presence for a film, and how to utilize it to its fullest capabilities. It breaks down the different strategies for promoting a film through social media as well as a case study of a successful independent film social media campaign.
The site focuses heavily on the positive outcome using social media can have. The one element this website does not include is what to look out for in terms of the negative impact social media can have when utilized incorrectly.
Appendix B: Personal Reflection
The topic of film is something of great interest to me. For the last handful of years, I have made it a goal to work within the film industry in some capacity and there have been many road bumps along the way to achieving that goal. Film marketing has always been interesting to me, and while I may not want to work in that area of film specifically it is an area of film that I think is important to understand. It is easy to look at how the large studio blockbuster movies promote their films, because you see it all the time and there is a lot of it, but with smaller independent films the benchmark for success is very different and you just don’t see a lot of it unless you are either directly in that world or look for it specifically.
When you watch the Oscars, often you see films nominated that you’ve never even heard of but the films you have heard of aren’t anywhere on the nominations list except maybe for score or special effects. That’s because independent films are more story-driven than spectacle driven. The filmmakers are focused more on creating good characters and a good story than “how much money can we spend on CGI and special effects”. These smaller independent story-driven films are the ones you see nominated at award shows.
In terms of marketing, you often don’t see these films much, maybe you’ll come across one or two ads for them, but typically the marketing campaigns are not nearly as extensive as one for the latest Marvel movie is going to be. This is due to smaller budgets, but also simply the intent of the filmmaker. While they want people to go see their movie, they want to draw in the right crowd that will appreciate it. They’re not just selling seats for the sake of selling seats. They know going in to making the film that the odds of making a profit are slim to none let alone breaking even on the budget. They’ve made the film because they feel it’s a story worth telling and they want the people that see that movie to understand that and appreciate it.
With the role that social media has in society today and especially in any kind of marketing or promotional work, I think it’s important to understand and look at how social media is being used, what its benefits are, what the pitfalls are, and is it really the best way to promote something. I think people tend to assume that social media is the best way to promote something now because social media ads have saturated every social platform there is, and people make their entire career and lives solely about promoting products and selling their brand. Society as a whole have forgotten that sometimes life is not about selling something, it’s about experiencing things. And the experience of going into a theater to watch a movie with a crowd of people is an experience like no other. I personally love going to see movies in the theater and I wish I could go more often, but sadly, like many other things these days, it’s expensive to go see a movie in a theater. So, I get the desire to just stay home and watch it on streaming, but there is something that you miss not seeing it in a theater, and I think that’s an experience to be valued and one I hope doesn’t completely go away in my lifetime.