Promoting Your Film with a Titillating Title

Whenever I begin writing a script, the title becomes very important to me. I can't seem to get my thoughts down on the screen without it. Maybe it helps focus me, but I also believe that a great title gets you excited about the final result. Once in place, the rest just flows out.

In pondering an idea for my 80 page screenplay and how to market the final film, I have been wondering about a few things. Since I plan on releasing my movie free for all to see, I need a really great name to grab them and make them want to watch. Some, if not all, movie titles that fall into this requirement are exploitation-type names. Psycho, Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill!, Dawn of the Dead, and the recent Snakes on a Plane are all examples of this. Extra credit if you use exclamation points.

My plan is to create an outstanding button or a banner with the title, complete with cool graphic and the words "go see it for free!". I then post the button/banner on this blog, the movie website, myspace page, etc., as well as the embeddable code for that button. I encourage everyone who likes the movie (or who wishes to mention it on their site) to snag the code and post the button with the code. This is similar to filmmaker Lance Weiler's "embed and spread" philosophy that he used for "Head Trauma Radio".

Hopefully this will create a viral effect that will replicate all over the place, driving eyes to the freebie preceded by a DVD commercial. I sell the DVD cheap ($9.99) and become a self-supported movie dude.

While it is very important to have some kind of business model in place before you do anything, you want what people end up seeing to be very good. This is especially true if you have a great title that promises an interesting time. I already have a few in my head, but am guarding them with my life. Coming soon to an easily-distributable button near you.