Using PR from development to distribution
Early development of a feature film can mean organising logistical aspects, timelines and budgets – but do you know how to use PR so that it can support this strategy from the beginning?
Press and communication about a film doesn’t have to start on premiere day. Thoughtful, tactical PR placement can raise visibility, help secure financing and begin building an audience way before the camera rolls or the curtain goes up.
Whether you are looking to attract co-producers, distributors, finance or top-tier talent, here are some ways PR can support the development of your film from the very beginning.
Communicating Milestones
Press doesn’t have to start when a film is complete. Press releases can be used to announce key milestones such as announcing a coproduction partnership, securing investment, attaching a director, casting lead talent or optioning significant IP. These early progress announcements put the project on the industry’s radar.
Highlighting the vision and ambition behind a film allows it to stand out as an opportunity for partners from the start. With the right timing, it can be the difference between a cold pitch about a semi-warm project with no visibility, to a project visible all over the world with real momentum and legitimacy.
Strategic partnerships and distribution opportunities
Industry coverage helps attract distributors, sales agents, festival programmers, and coproducers who see potential not only in your film but also in your company. It can also attract talent and talent agents that want to see some form of certainty that a project will hap pen, and will be commercially or artistically the right choice for them.
Every announcement, interview, or article is a chance to position your film or series within a broader international conversation (and over saturated marketplace).
Market positioning
PR can be part of a festival strategy, built to spotlight a film before it premieres and help position the project in front of the right people. Press in advance of festival submissions can help coax juries to see the purpose and power behind your feature.
A well-timed piece of coverage landing ahead of a key market, whether that’s an announcement, feature, or interview, can act as a powerful calling card in conversations with potential partners.
Territory-specific positioning
You may be looking for talent in Portugal or location scouting in Delhi – or you’re open to finding partners outside of your domestic market to help internationalise your project.
PR can tailor messaging to specific regions, highlighting cast relevance in one territory, genre appeal in another, or co-production potential elsewhere. Leveraging global vs. regional press to reach new international partners ensures the project resonates with specific markets.
Assets and exclusives
Think of each asset as a PR opportunity; new cast headshots, first look images, teasers, trailers, BTS footage – all of these can become significant PR moments that help build momentum and a visual narrative about the film.
These moments give journalists, partners and stakeholders something tangible to engage with and remember.
Premieres and consumer press
PR isn’t restricted to industry trade magazines, consumer press plays a crucial role in building awareness and demand for your film. Securing coverage in mainstream media, lifestyle outlets and culturally relevant platforms helps introduce your project to audiences early.
Distributors, platforms and exhibitors pay close attention to audience interest and cultural traction, so building that visibility early can strengthen your film’s commercial appeal.
PR is important throughout the entire lifecycle of your film, series and wider slate. Remember these all point back to you and your company, team, and personal profile. Looking for PR strategy that gets the most potential possible from all of these moving parts?
Get in touch today
Contact Percy & Warren today
Get in touch with us at Percy & Warren to talk about how to meet international partners, explore global co-pros, and use PR to position your company and content on an international level – no matter the language, format or stage.