INDUSTRY ALERT: Screen Australia presents Shop the Doc

Friday 23 July 2010

Screen Australia invites you to attend Shop the Doc – a one-day forum to be held in Sydney and Melbourne on marketing Australian documentaries.

Following on from the successful Working the X-Factor seminar held earlier this year, Shop the Doc is designed to assist documentary makers to maximise the audience for their films. The forum will include practical information, examples, tips and strategies from leading industry professionals. It is designed for emerging through to experienced documentary makers and production personnel.

Topics covered include pitching techniques, creating strong marketing materials, developing clear publicity messages, working with a sales team and making a splash online.

“The myriad of decisions you make in marketing your documentary – from its title sequence through to key art, the music on your trailer and positioning your film through social media all add up to creating a ‘brand’ for your film,” says Kathleen Drumm, Screen Australia’s Head of Marketing. “We want our documentaries to have the best chance possible of local and international success.”

Topics on the day

  • What makes a great documentary pitch and what are you really selling?
  • Keeping your marketing campaign on track and bringing the elements together
  • The art of publicity in the modern media landscape
  • Sales and distribution unpacked: just who’s buying our documentaries?
  • The power of the internet: Web 2.0/3.0 and beyond

Guest speakers so far include

  • Anne Vierhout, former coordinator, IDFA Forum
  • James Franklin, Creative Director, Pixeco (UK & NZ)
  • Leon Coningham, General Manager Sales & Distribution, ABC Commercial
  • Kym Druitt, General Manager & Publicity Director, eckfactor
  • Jackson Pellow, Marketing Executive, Screen Australia

Kathleen Drumm, Screen Australia’s Head of Marketing, will moderate the sessions

Where and when

  • Melbourne – Tuesday 24 August at ACMI
  • Sydney – Thursday 26 August at AFTRS

How to register