How To Sell A Short Film?

Do you know how to sell a short film? If you don’t know, don’t worry. Just let me explain in detail for you.

Let’s go to dive into the main article to know the details.

Short films are becoming more and more popular in Hollywood. It is an artistically challenging form of filmmaking that allows for creative freedom when dealing with characters, style, and plot.

A short film can be made on any topic without the need for fitting into one or two genres like most feature films have to do. They don’t require stars, intricate sets, or expensive effects. So within limited resources can be produced for relatively little money.

What is Film Festival?

Film festivals or film fests place short films in the spotlight and allow them to play out for an extended amount of time. This allows people to come to watch a varying array of works about anything other than celebrities spewing meaningless anecdotes across living rooms on reality television channels (yes I’m still bitter).

Moreover, film festivals allow the audience to see the work of filmmakers who are trying to get their works out there. If you want to be a filmmaker, it is best to get your work out there so that people can view it and provide feedback.

How To Sell Short Film in Festival Film?

Festival is the best way place. But it can be done with time and effort so follow these simple guidelines to succeed in short film festivals:

1. Has the script been properly thought out?
2. What does the audience get from the characters of your story?
3. Does this theme open itself up for dialogue or do you want them to shut their mouths during certain parts of your screen?
4. They need to be relatable – what you put on-screen has nothing if people aren’t emotionally connected (and yes, sometimes they are uncomfortable).
5. Is there anything confusing about my movie’s financing timeline?

Moreover, your film needs to be entertaining and engaging for the audience. If it is not, they will stop watching and will move on to another film.

How To Sell Short Film in Vimeo, Youtube, Sundance?

Vimeo, Youtube, and Sundance are social platforms. You can sell short films on these platforms easily. To start your channel follow these steps:

Create a Vimeo account and fill in the profile. Create branded YouTube Channel and fill in the info there too. Click on the ‘add a video’ button choose different popular social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or Google plus as options for uploading short films to promote social media channels. Then re-upload short film videos with subtle improvements by adding titles (YouTube name) at beginning of each clip or editing them further before uploading save them into the Youtube channel (you can upload 1s-6sm variants).

Make sure you set a description box to describe your vids which is 1000 characters max. Finally share your film link to the social platform with hashtags like #vimeo or #youtube etc which leads to more clicks on vids and the best part is the video placement for increased views, you can also hire Youtube Stars to promote your movie. If you are unable to upload these 3-5 minute videos choose options 2 &3 YouTube producers who will help create custom YouTube Monetization Channels.

7 Powerful Steps To Sell Your Short Film Easily

Here are seven tips to help you focus in the right direction as you explore how to sell your short film easily:

Step#01 – Find Your Purpose

Before anything else you need to ask yourself a question: “What is the purpose of my film?”

If your answer is “to be famous,” then your plan of action will not sell your short film easily. Instead, you’ll probably have to change careers or become an amateur at best. If instead, you are looking to create something great that serves the world, then it doesn’t matter how big or small the audience is for your movie.

Step#02 – Find your Audience

Who is your audience? Your first step to selling a short film is to find the people who will buy it.

If you have a universal story, one that everyone can enjoy, then you’ve already got more than halfway there! But for the sake of convenience, we’ll break it down into two separate categories: niche or universal stories.

Universal stories are movies with themes and characters that appeal to everyone. For example, a story about the value and importance of family in life would be considered a universal theme because pretty much everybody has some kind of family. This type of film also requires creativity so that when people watch your movie they feel like something new happened to them.

Step#03 – Do A Budget Estimate

Once you’ve determined who your audience is, the next step in how to sell a short film easily is knowing how much it will DVD cost to make the film.

This part may sound tricky especially since short films are generally made within limited resources. However, don’t be discouraged because this doesn’t mean that making a good movie with financial constraints is impossible! It just means that if your budget consists of only $100 and you want to make something artistic, then you’ll have to discipline yourself about what’s truly important for each scene. In other words, there should be no room for fluff and unnecessary material.

Step#04 – Build your Audience

Now that you have a solid reason to make your short film, and know how much it will cost, the next step is to build an audience for this project.

Remember: You don’t need an audience as soon as you start making your film, but rather before actually finishing it. The easiest way to do this is by building a list of people who are interested in what you’re doing. Maybe they’ve heard about it from someone else or maybe they found out about it on social media.

The point is that once these people have expressed interest in your project (by joining your mailing list or following you), then they become your first group of fans! They’ll help spread the word about what you’re doing because hopefully, they like what they’re seeing so far. You can even invite them to be a part of your team and have their own specific contribution to the movie, like being a producer or an actor! This will make them feel like they’re participating in the process rather than just watching it unfold.

Step#05 – Create the Buzz

Once you’ve built an audience and have a rough estimate of what the film will cost, it’s time to make some money!

Immediately you don’t need to actually sell your short film. What you’re doing now is creating buzz about your project so that people will want to give you money to help fund it. Some ways that you can create buzz are: writing articles online, posting about the movie on social media sites, blogging, filming teasers for the movie (even if they’re just visual sketches), etc.

Basically, anything that gets people talking. People will then start asking questions like: “When will the short film be done?” or “I really want to see this movie! How do I make it happen?” Your answer: “Here’s how much money I will need to buy my own cameras and film them. Will you help me?”

Step#06 – You Try Network with Producers, Managers, etc

If you want to make a short film then Reach out to a fellow short filmmaker. Networking is very important for short filmmakers. You don’t have to be an expert on networking or know exactly what want them to do for you! “Filmmakers are really talented,” They are very helpful.”

That’s all it takes to get someone’s attention because they’ll feel good knowing that other people think positively of them too! In actuality, their involvement may not necessarily mean getting money for your movie but instead just giving advice and even moral support!

Step#07 – Showcase Your Film & Get Noticed

It is a hard task to showcase the films at the festivals. The content should be strong and original so that it can attract the audience’s attention. There are many ways by which you can showcase your films on various platforms, but if you have got a chance to participate in any festival then don’t miss this opportunity! It will help you get recognition from people all over the world for your creative works.

What is Email Newsletter?

Subscribers to your local, regional, or national email newsletter. Don’t forget about it! It will bring you news on upcoming events and festivals near you!!! If you are active in the film community then there are so many ways by which social media can be utilized effectively for the promotion of short films.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions to know to get sell a short film.

Q: How can I make money from my short film?

A: Generally, there are a few ways to earn money from your short film. The first option is to make the film and sell it yourself. If you’re not experienced with filmmaking, you could consider hiring a professional editor or producer to help you. If you’re unable to sell your film yourself, then consider entering it into film festivals that allow submissions from filmmakers.

Q: How do I sell my short film on Netflix?

A: Netflix is the world’s leading platform for watching and streaming TV shows and movies. If you want to sell your short film on Netflix, you need to contact them through their website. They will notify you and let you know whether they would be interested in your work.

But, your film is not critical or can be critical then don’t include it on Netflix.

Q: Can my Film Ever Be Bought By VOD Services?

A: No. Short films are not permitted for licensing to retailers / VOD services.

Q: What is the minimum length for your short films?

A: There are no specific requirements, but generally an average of 30 minutes will give you enough time to reveal its charm. Also, don’t forget that it should have a good quality sound recording and music score that would be able to set the right mood or tone of the film keeping in mind audience reaction.

Conclusion

Selling a short film is possible in the film industry or Vimeo, Youtube, etc. platform!

However, it can be difficult if you don’t have an audience built up already. The thing is, you’re not selling the whole movie yet. You’re just selling what will make people want to see and pay for the finished product! Personally, I reached out to friends and family who had shown interest in buying my short film for just about $200.

What amazing results that were! But, don’t forget that it won’t go as smoothly if we’re talking about selling a feature-length film.