Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Best Media To Reach Film Industry Professionals

Posted by james on 5/4/2008 at 10:50 PM ET 25 Points
I have a press release the purpose of which is to reach possible production partners for my documentary film.

I am considering using a press release service (sendtopress.com) to distribute the release. Does anybody know anything about them or know of a better one?

Since I want to pay particular attention to industry media and entertainment editors, should I contact the editors of the specific media directly-in addition to or instead of reaching them directly through the distributed releases?

Finally,which of the two versions of the press release below is more likely to be successful?

Version 1


Documentary Film to Reveal Epidemic of Hidden Viagra Use

Viagra Monologues: Tales of Sex, Money and Medicine to explore the effect of Viagra on American sexual culture .

Field Glass Films, an independent production company, announced today that according to their recent online study, 78% per cent of all single male users do not always tell their partners that they are taking the erectile dysfunction (ED) drug Viagra® as a sexual enhancer.

The study sheds light on an important facet of the Viagra phenomenon ten years after the introduction in 1998: its increasing use as a recreational drug, rather than as a treatment for specific medical conditions. Interview results also show that for many, if not most men, the drug has become part of their sexual ritual-unrelated to any medical necessity.

“When shooting the first interviews for Viagra Monologues, we found that while men would openly discuss their use of Viagra in front of the camera, most said they would not tell their partners about their use of the drug,” said James Franklin, president of Field Glass Films and director of the film.

The interviews form the core of Field Glass Films’ upcoming documentary: Viagra Monologues, Tales of Sex, Money and Medicine, making it the first film to explore the impact of Viagra on the American society - sexually, financially and medically.

These initial interviews inspired Field Glass Films to conduct a survey to explore the reasons and full extent of this phenomenon. The results showed epidemic levels of hidden Viagra use-particularly among younger men, according to Franklin.

“Older men and those in long-term relationships, tend to be more open with their partners with their use of Viagra and similar drugs but others who use it recreationally are far more secretive….using it to allay performance anxiety and to make the user appear to be naturally super-virile.”

Viagra Monologues, Tales of Sex, Money and Medicine is currently in pre-production. Targeted release date is December 2008.

About Field Glass Films
Field Glass Films is a New-York based independent production company. The company specializes in producing feature films that document various societal phenomena. Its first feature documentary, Viagra Monologues, Tales of Sex, Money and Medicine, directed by James Franklin is currently in pre-production. A theatrical release is planned for fall 2008.
More information on Viagra in general and the documentary in particular can be found on the Field Glass Films’ website: www.fieldglassfilms.com.

Version 2

Survey Reveals Epidemic of Hidden Viagra Use
78% of single users do not tell their partners

Field Glass Films, an independent production company, announced today that according to their recent online study, 78% per cent of all single male users do not always tell their partners that they are taking the erectile dysfunction (ED) drug Viagra® as a sexual enhancer.

The study sheds light on an important facet of the Viagra phenomenon ten years after the introduction in 1998: its increasing use as a recreational drug, rather than as a treatment for specific medical conditions. Interview results also show that for many, if not most men, the drug has become part of their sexual ritual-unrelated to any medical necessity.

“When shooting the first interviews for Viagra Monologues, we found that while men would openly discuss their use of Viagra in front of the camera, most said they would not tell their partners about their use of the drug,” said James Franklin, president of Field Glass Films and director of the film.

The interviews form the core of Field Glass Films’ upcoming documentary: Viagra Monologues, Tales of Sex, Money and Medicine, the first film to explore the impact of Viagra on the American society - sexually, financially and medically.

These initial interviews inspired Field Glass Films to conduct a survey to explore the reasons and full extent of this phenomenon. The results showed epidemic levels of hidden Viagra use-particularly among younger men, according to Franklin.

“Older men and those in long-term relationships, tend to be more open with their partners with their use of Viagra and similar drugs but others who use it recreationally are far more secretive….using it to allay performance anxiety and to make the user appear to be naturally super-virile.”

Viagra Monologues, Tales of Sex, Money and Medicine is currently in pre-production. Targeted release date is December 2008.

About Field Glass Films
Field Glass Films is a New York based independent production company. The company specializes in producing feature films that document various societal phenomena. Its first feature documentary, Viagra Monologues, Tales of Sex, Money and Medicine, directed by James Franklin is currently in pre-production. A theatrical release is planned for fall 2008.

More information on Viagra in general and the documentary in particular can be found on the Field Glass Films’ website: www.fieldglassfilms.com.



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RESPONSES

  • Posted by matthewmnex on 5/7/2008 at 9:04 PM Accepted
    I agree with all of the above comments. Press release will get you nowhere when it comes to either raising funding or finding a co production partner.

    Some important questions to consider first to help you a.) focus on what is important and b). better help others understand exactly want you want to do.

    1. What is your proposed production budget (in other words, how much cash are you trying to raise?)
    2. Why do you need a co-prod partner is it because you need access to equipment and expertise? or because you ant someone to shoulder the budget? - in other words, if someone comes up with the budget, suddenly you don't need the co-prod partner?

    3. Distribution of the final product? How and where will it be shown? TV? are you planning to sell it to Discovery channel? PBS? or some obscure medical channel on cable? Will you sell it on DVD? Are you entering it into any festivals? the NY Telly awards for instance?

    before you go looking for money, you absolutely MUST have a marketing plan in place to show to investors how they will get back their investment. If this is for TV viewing, then the mature nature of the subject may limit its showing to after the 9pm watershed which means a more limited income potential. I can tell you that Discovery channel will pay anything from US$ 10 up 40K for the rights to a show like this for 2 to 3 years. NAT GEO is less. But then you can sell it to Australian TV, European TV, BBC etc.

    Does the docu focus only on the USA market? or users of the drug around the world? Will all the shooting and interviews be done in the USA?

    had you considered handling post pro outside the US where you can get top quality services for 1/10th the price.

    make sure that you have your production budget at least 95% worked out on paper the same for your post production budget and make sure you have a decent marketing proposal in place with income projections.

    Once you have gone through this exercise, then you will have a much clearer picture for yourself of exactly what your needs are and it will be easier for you then to either talk to investors or find a co-prod partner.

    feel free to talk to me after you have all of this ready, I may be able to introduce you to a couple of possible production companies who do docus.

    matthewanxa at gmail dotcom
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