How to make stand out your project on the online market at Filmarket Hub
by Marta Ávila
How do you make your project stand out amongst the hundreds of other projects you can find on the Filmarket Hub platform?
Here’s a simple guide on how to do it.
First of all, Filmarket Hub is an online market for film and TV projects, but above all, it’s a production market.
¿What does this mean?
It means that having a well thought out and developed script, is not enough to draw the attention of possible investors or production companies. The key here is to standout with your project as a whole, or as a “package”, within the online market, don’t rely solely on your story.
¿How?
Working on all the elements that conform a feature film project and its packaging. Here’s the list of how:
ONE PAGE
This is your presentation card for the rest of the industry professionals who will browse through your projects. It is the page that must invite the producer to want to know more about the story, more than any other story that he or she can find on the market.
- Poster: we can’t repeat enough the saying that “a picture paints a thousand words”. So, to start with, our poster is going to determine if we get that first click or not. This should be a simple, first design that “breaths” the main idea of the project: an image with the title and the tagline. In the online market at Filmarket Hub there should never be title credits of companies, nor references to the authors of the project; we want the projects to stand out for the story, making the market as democratic a place as it can be. For technical purposes, we recommend uploading the poster in an A4 version, jpg/jpeg file. Once you have uploaded it, the site will select the image to also transform it into a header image for your one page; don’t worry if it cuts off the title, the important is that the actual image of the poster is seen, as the title will be written underneath, in a caption.
- Tagline: another important concept is the tagline, your USP (unique selling point) sentence for your audience; it is the project’s slogan, therefore, it must be brief and punchy. You’ve got 100 characters to write yours on the One Page on the site.
- Film references: it is important, because it helps producers to establish, very quickly, what kind of story and project you are presenting to them. In other words, it is showing (in an approximate way) what mixture of films/ TV shows your film would be, if it were produced.
- Synopsis and Notes: you should take advantage of these and try to optimize them as much as possible. Synopsis, as you know, is for you to present the plot of the story. The notes section, it is a section for you to talk about the tone, visual elements, any prizes obtained with the script, the confirmed casting (if there is any), your selling strategy etc. in other words, it is a place for you to add any information that might attract the industry’s professionals attention, bringing a differentiating value to the project.
FILES & DOCUMENTS
Make relevant the documents you upload on your project page.
There might be production companies that after reading through your One Page, will ask permission to see your script and other documents uploaded. In this section, you can upload the documents you believe will complement and amplify the information written on the One Page.
Firstly, formatting; take into account that you will be able to only upload PDF documents of 20 MB. You can upload up to 8 documents (script, Intellectual Property registry, EPK and 5 other annexes).
- Having a good EPK or project dossier: Which are the most interesting or attractive points that make your script stand out? Knowing which elements are the ones that bring value to your story will help sell your idea better.
- Having a budget & finance plan for your project: the clearer idea you have of the cost of your film project, the easier will it be that it gets noticed. It shows that you have thought out and planned out what will cost to produce it, as well as how to get financing for it.
Secondly, you have to upload at least one version of the script, completed, that complies with all standards; meaning, has to have a cover, numbered pages and the adequate format. We recommend to use programmes such as Final Draft or Celtx.
Moreover, it is mandatory to add a registry of intellectual property, this can be local or online (for example, like Safe Creative). We also recommend to add an EPK (electronic press kit) if you have one. Take advantage of the rest of space to add additional information, such as letters of intent of actors, heads of department or distribution companies, all of which add value and credibility to your project. In the case of tv shows, you should upload the bible for the project.
We recommend you keep your documents simple and precise, making stand out the most relevant information for producers and possible investors.
PROFILE & CONTACT DETAILS
- Work on your profile: this is a key space to present yourself as a film professional. Users of the platform tend to dismiss this section, but it is as important as the project itself. Dedicate a few minutes to curate your profile; the more complete it is, more trust you will inspire with your project amongst industry professionals. Furthermore, you can take advantage of it by adding your most important projects in your portfolio (be it projects in development or in production), this will make you stand out in front of other screenwriters on the platform.
Lastly, it is paramount to revise your grammar! We cannot stress that enough, guys!
Remember, the important thing is to diferentiate yourself from the rest of creatives on the platform and to be clear about what you’re trying to sell with your story.
We hope this article has helped you maximize your visibility on the Filmarket Hub online market. We will be waiting for you and your projects at the access control spot to proceed to revising and approving it.
Good Luck!
