Packaging Your Film Project
What it gets down to and how to go about it
We all know how hard it is to finish writing a film or tv series script, which you have probably been working on for years. So, the day you decide to bring your project to light, show it to friends and family members, you get positive feedback, you feel hopeful…so you decide to upload it to our online market at Filmarket Hub. But once you do that, you realize the site asks of you a lot of details and pieces of information, which you maybe have thought about, but which you haven’t developed or haven’t worked out yet; I’m referring to preparing how to sell your project.
The fact that you achieved to write and complete a whole script it has already been a massive amount of work, and you consider it a success. You’re not a designer, nor a producer either, so you don’t know where to start, to plan the selling strategy for your project.
That is why we are here, so we give you some basic notions about what it means to prepare the pitch and sale of your feature film (or TV series) project. Don’t worry, it’s not about being a born salesman or saleswoman (though knowing to be persuasive helps), but about understand which elements are essential to show your project to investors, who will take you and your project seriously.
But, what is an EPK? Who do we make it for and give it to?
The EPK (electronic press kit) is a dossier or file which is given to any film industry professional that might be interested in your project. It is the tool that producers and sales agents will give out at film markets and film festivals; it is almost like an extended business card to what kind of project you’re trying to develop and what you are looking for.
Preparing the Sales Dossier or EPK
Most sales dossiers tend to have the same structure and type of information:
- Synopsis
- Director’s Notes
- Aesthetic and artistic treatment
- Casting proposal & character description
- Budget & Finance Plan
- Producers Notes (optional)
- Artistic and technical details
- Work Calendar (optional)
This is not the order to follow specifically, and many dossiers wont cover all this information, but it is a guide with which you can orientate yourself. Let’s go through each point:
- Synopsis
The essence of the project. A key part around which the rest of the project will build itself; it is paramount to write down a synopsis that will represent exactly the concepts and ideas we want to convey in our pitch. This definition will probably vary until the day we release our film, as filmmaking is a living thing; but in this phase of development and search of partners, we must write down a synopsis that will be attractive enough so to stand out to those potential investors. You can read more about the art of writing a good synopsis here.
2. Director’s Notes
This space is for the director and/or screenwriter to talk about what lead him to develop this project. Sometimes, the bio of the person will be added, making stand out the landmarks in his or her career in cinema: prizes, films or TV series, work in advertisement or any other related sector…but the really important bit here is the “Notes” section. In it, the director has carte blanche to talk about what compelled them to tell this story, what they are trying to tell through it or want to find out with it…the options are infinite. That’s why this is the place the director should take advantage of, to show their vision, but that at the same time make it attractive and doable for an investor. It shouldn’t read like some sort of artistic nonsense, but something that is the result of hard work and dedication, presenting the best way in which to realize this project.
3. Aesthetic treatment of the image
A quite important part of the project presentation is also the way the images will be treated, as it will determine the visual style of the film, it will probably also determine part of the budget. In this section, the director has a space to talk about how he or she imagines the film visually, what kind of spaces the story will be set in, etc. this will also help prospective investors who read this to get a better understanding of the type of film you are trying to make. In this section, it’s also good to use references from other films that might be similar in tone and style, so to give a more accurate idea. The usual thing in these cases tends to be to add from mood boards, with images of other films, to show the color palette, photos that might recall a certain feeling…the important thing is to leave a very clear impression on the type of story we want to tell, and how we want that world to be aesthetically.
4. Character description & Casting Proposal
This section is dedicated to describing each character of our story (the main and supporting characters); it’s a place to keep building the universe of our film, and so that the reader gets a better idea of the back story, motivations, frustrations and conflicts that will lead each character to live through the film’s story. It’s also a place to show who are our casting options, even though we might not have any confirmed name, it’s a way to show that we have already given thought to what type of actors we are thinking about for each part, and that we’ve put work into it. This information is not always included, but it will help us show a rounder more professional project. If you do have confirmation or interest of any actor or actress, mention it! It will always give more faith in your project if you show you have more people involved in it.
5. Budget & Finance Plan
A vital part to any film or TV project, is to have an approximate idea of how much our project will cost us to make. As we talked in previous articles, about, how to set up your finance plan, we wont get into detail on how to do that, but we will on the importance of having a certain idea of what type of project we’re dealing with, money wise. Having a knowledge of this will demonstrate that, again, we’re thinking of everything that’s essential to a film project, not only our script.
6. Producer’s Notes
Additionally, you can add the producers point of view on the project. This is especially relevant if it’s a notorious producer or production company, as it will give another validation point to eyes of possible investors, as well as will bring in the commercial edge that might be missing. It’s adding another point of view of someone that believes in the project, not only for its artistic value, but for its commercial potential, and it is the person that will normally justify this through its knowledge of the industry, of the project and its cost.
7. Cast & Crew
If we have heads of department confirmed or some of the cast, it’s always good to add it, as it shows that the project is close to becoming a reality, as more and more people sign up to work on it and become involved. Moreover, any confirmation in terms of the type of camera that will be used, the format in which will be shot, the type of sound, etc. it’s good to add it, all of this adds points to presenting our project in the most professional light.
8. Production Schedule
If you have covered most of your budget, and you have marked dates to start preproduction, production etc. it is good to add a timeline for that. It will only bring more solidity to the project: showing that it is closer to being made, giving investors more reasons and reassurance to invest in it.
This dossier, together with reference images, good design and if it’s possible to add, a teaser-trailer or mood-reel of the project will always be welcome and are standard practices without which your project will probably go unnoticed amongst the hundreds of other projects that go through Filmarket Hub’s market every day.
In the end, the most important thing is that you use the pages of your sales dossier to show what you want your project to be. It is a place where you should bring the story you want to tell, how you want to tell it and with whom you want to tell it, in the end making an enticing and doable project.
So, if you haven’t started yet preparing your sales dossier, I encourage you to start already!
