n la P g in t e k r a M
By Kevin Vera
“Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” - Adolf Hitler
A Film By Alexander Edep
Based on a True Story
FORGET ME NOT PRA - 419
Entertainment Marketing & Promotion
Kevin Vera
TABLE OF CONTENTS PHASE I
PAGES
PHASE II
PAGES
Executive Summary
6
Festival Strategy
16
Genre
7
Target Festivals
17-18
Positioning Statement
8
Festival Marketing
19
Tagline & Rating
8
Festival Kit
20
Synopsis
9
One Sheet
21
Target Audience
10
Key Art
22
Marketing Opportunities
11
Pitch & Press Release
23
Marketing Obstacles
12
Media Outreach Strategy
24
The Crew
13-14
CONT’D...
PHASE III Distribution Strategy
PAGES 26
Release Strategy
27-28
Competitive Landscape
29-30
Trailer
31
Market Research
32
Marketing Calendar
33-34
Publicity
35
Media Strategy
36
Outdoor Creative
37-38
Promotions
39
Partnerships
40
Radio Promoted Screenings
41
Consumer Products
42
Social Media
43-44
Digital Creative
45
Budget
46
Remembering
47
Phase One OVERVIEW
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “Forget Me Not” is a film inspired by the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide and this marketing plan is designed to raise public awareness by educating audiences around the world. Backed by a comprehensive digital approach and a holistic advertising campaign, we will seek to organically grow audience interest over seven months of marketing strategy and continue engaging our followers well beyond the release. While the horror genre may be considered a niche audience, we’ve unearthed opportunities that will enable us to expand our reach. From forming strategic partnerships to carefully planning social outreach, we believe that our film will be positioned to grow from the underdog indie to an unexpected cinderella story on opening weekend. Unlike many films of its genre, “Forget Me Not” builds the intricacies of its plotline on a cultural foundation marred by its clouded past. Our mission is to convey a blend of cinematic thrill, with a historically significant occurrence that we are now excited to be sharing with you. 6
GENRE
Horror/Thriller 7
Positioning STatement A young college student discovers the untold story of his family lineage marred by the atrocities of the Armenian genocide in this thriller directed by Alexander Edep.
Tagline
The Past Never Dies Rating
8
SYNOPSIS Joe Megerdichian is restless. Between work hours and graduation quickly approaching sleepless nights turn into visions of ‘the girl.’ A mysterious visitor that appears in his canvas paintings, the shadow in his living room, the whisper that reverberates through the night. Upon discovering his grandmother’s (Lelo) old painting of a girl surrounded by fire, Joe, begins piecing it all together. His grandmother had survived the Armenian genocide in the early 1900’s and left behind clues for her family to one day come face to face with their dark past. Joe enlists the help of his mother (Anna) as they explore the meaning behind Lelo’s painting and the mystery of the girl with the burn scars.
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TARGET AUDIENCE Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Young college women
Young men & Young professionals Ages 18-29
Older white men
Ages 18-22
Ages 50+
We identified young women as the ideal audience, with research establishing young girls as the likeliest gender to favor horrors over other genre’s. It’s also within the realm of possibility that young men might be very interested in the film seeing as how research shows that roughly 82% of young adults prefer mystery/thriller films over their competitors. In order to appease these target audiences it is important to emphasize the thrill over the educational aspect of the film. 10
MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES Visual Direction I believe this storyline has a high ceiling if the director is able to deliver on the flashback scenes that take us from the living room to 1900’s Armenia. Proper execution could land the director further accolades. Unique Plot Not much is known about the Armenian genocide so this film can serve as the bridge between familiarization and curiosity for its audience. In this thriller horror elements meets historical precedent. Directorial Accolades Director Alexander Edep, has several young filmmaker awards so he is easily marketable and a huge asset to the project. His 2020 short film My House was the preliminary dark mood experience he needed before shooting Forget Me Not.
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MARKETING OBSTACLES Misleading Title The title sounds closer to a romance written by Nicholas Sparks than a thriller/mystery so the poster and alternative marketing elements will have to convey that to avoid confusion At a glance the consumer will be unable to decipher the genre behind the idea. Identity Crisis The dark undertones and horror elements combined with a wholesome family moral to the story is clashing so it can at times lean further into drama than thriller. Once the screenplay sorts out its flaws we can move forward with a clear direction. Cult Fanbase? As historical pieces go, unless curiosity is immediately elicited it’ll be a tough sell if it dips less into its thriller/horror roots and more into its historical and educational significance.
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THE CREW
Kevin Vera Marketer HOMETOWN Burlingame, CA
Alexander Edep Director HOMETOWN
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Boca Raton, FL
Samantha Kurtz Producer HOMETOWN Los Angeles, CA
THE CREW
Bianca ROth
Aleia Jacobs
ROLE Associate Producer
ROLE
HOMETOWN Lafayette, CA
Zane Viera ROLE
Editor HOMETOWN Sherwood, OR
Director of Photography HOMETOWN Visalia, CA 14
Phase Two FESTIVAL MARKETING
FESTIVAL STRATEGY With post-production wrapping up in spring 2021, our goal is to amplify film buzz by competing in festivals with the highest probability of earning recognition and coverage. Based on the number of total entries and the film genre’s at these select festivals, “Forget Me Not� qualifies as the perfect candidate across several categories. Furthermore, while these festivals are small in attendance, they are also very reputable and will open opportunities for the film to earn distributor attention.
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Target Festivals Dates: Sept. 18-27 Location: Long Beach, California Established in 2011, the Catalina Film Festival has seen close to 10 years of rapid success and even in light of the covid situation have pivoted to offer films virtually for its viewing public. They have a track record of favoring Chapman films, so this seems like a safe bet, especially considering the depth of ‘Forget Me Not.’ A local venue also takes away from having to worry about travel expenses for the crew. The festival takes both long features as well as shorts that are up to 20 minutes I length, so we fit right in. Submissions are currently closed, but usually require a film poster, trailer, and copy of the film. The Catalina Film Festival also has a grant application for filmmakers ranging in prizes between $1,000 to $20,000 to 10 proposed projects, which is worth taking a look at.
Dates: Nov. 12-22 Location: Los Angeles, California Launched in 1997 by Sylvia Minassian, a prominent figure in the local Armenian community, the festival has long established itself as a place dedicated to cultivating cultural understanding and global empathy by creating a dynamic forum for international cinema. In 2015 they interviewed a Chapman University filmmaker whose film revolved around the Armenian genocide, so there is a track record of Chapman submissions. This is an opportunity for ‘Forget Me Not,’ because of the Armenian theme of the film, but also because the film aligns with the values of the film festival in looking educate the public from a cultural perspective. Submission requirements include film poster, trailer link, print material and a copy of the film.
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Target Festivals Dates: Sept. 17 – Oct. 4 Location: Breckenridge, Colorado Established in 1981, the Breckenridge Film Festival has evolved its approach from a small weekend celebration of film to connecting filmmakers with audiences year-round, thus rebranding to a shorter name ‘Breck Film Fest’. The festival offers a wide range of film genres ranging from documentaries to premiers. USA Today ranks them in the top 20 film festivals in the country and Filmfreeway ranks them in the top 100 reviewed fests. Breck Film target personas includes millennials, families and the retired. Their primary geographic range is regional with 79% of attendees in the state of CO. In 2019 Chapman University had one filmmaker (Matthew Suppes) in attendance with their film, “A Lonely Death.” I believe this would be a perfect opportunity for ‘Forget Me Not,’ because of its history with Chapman film students but also because of the diversity in audience demographic. This range in audience members will provide insight for the director to see how impactful it is across different age groups, and also because his thriller/drama provides an edge that many films may not have. Submission requirements include an application, fee and a physical and digital copy of the film for consideration.
Dates: Sept. 25 - 26 Location: Chicago, Illinois Now running for 22 years, the Chicago Horror Film Festival is as niche as it gets in the festival space. Not only do they accept feature horrors but also shorts, which works perfect for the film. The festival is one of very few which has a dedicated staff of reporters that review every film. Their website states that egardless of being accepted to the festival or not, the film is written about in a column piece and featured in their festival newsletter. The folks at Chicago Horror always make sure they go the extra mile for their up and comers ensuring recognition and promotion. 18
FESTIVAL MARKETING Preparing for each festival will take months of preparation and with most of them occuring in September, we will be hard pressed to spend our summer wisely. By August we’ll have kickstarted all press outreach initiatives and slowly transition into our collateral development stage. Allocating two months for the prodction of all festival materials gives us ample time to cost-effectively manage overhead costs and simultaneously manufacture everything we’ll need. Our festival kit will be comprised of the following items: Promotional posters A movie-themed organizational folder Flyer invitations to future screenings, folded inside vintage envelopes A “Forget Me Not” tote bag that will be on full display at every festival A USB containing behind the scenes footage, a word from the director and b-roll All festivals will come with kits for attendees, press material, sponsorship merchandise and partnership infromation. Our focus will be to leverage the festival kit to drive traffic to our modified screenings and work up a momentum as we near the wide release. 19
Festival Kit Includes 10 x 12 “Forget Me Not Folder 8.5 x 11 “Forget Me Not” Poster 8.5 x 11 Future Festival Invitation 6 x 9 Vintage Letter w/wax seal “Forget Me Not” USB Flash Drive Limited Edition Cotton Tote
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ONE SHEET The film’s one sheet illustrates the significance of the painting within the context of the plot. Without revealing too much, the subtlety of the brush stroke provides a glimpse of an art piece which elicits curiosity. What does that flower mean?
Based on a True Story
Forget Me Not
21
The forget-me-not flower and title colors symbolize both the Armenian flag and pay homage to the Armenian genocide. The overall feeling here is ominous, we believe that by instilling a sense of mystery surrounding the content we can amplify the suspense. There is an inherent antique value to paintings and the cracking of the canvas symbolizes the horrors that transpired during the genocide. This poster is built on symbolism and these elements are important to keep in mind when watching the film.
KEY ART
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23
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MEDIA OUTREACH STRATEGY We’ll be constructing a press release scheduled to be published at the beginning of Q2, signaling an end to post-production in order to build anticipation. With the release slated for October 8, 2021 it is imperative we reach out to the appropriate local and national syndicates to substantiate the film’s overall awareness. Local coverage includes Long Beach Press and the LA Times, national platforms include Insider, IndieWire and Entertainment Weekly. We anticipate initial coverage to come from blogs and smaller publishers, however, it’s important to capitalize on our momentum as we particpate in several film festivals. We intend to ramp up our media approach by targeting larger publications such as Variety and The Village Voice.
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Phase Three CONSUMER STRATEGY
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY We’re running with the ‘indie’ designation and as such we’ll align ourselves with the appropriate distributors, among them are as follows:
Since 2001 Magnolia Pictures have specialized in independent films, many of which have made it onto platforms like Netflix and Hulu. By leveraging the film’s momentum, partnering with Magnolia Pictures would yield favorable results. Moreover, distributing through Magnolia provides an opportunity to reach a niche digital subscriber base who support unique short films. It’s by winning over these smaller more specialized audiences that we’ll be able to build an almost cult-like hype for the film as we near the release.
For over 20 years IFC has established themselves as one of the leading independent film distributors in the world. IFC Midnight is the company’s horror genre label that has overseen some of the most modern successes such as ‘Human Centipede’ and ‘The Babadook.’ Building on the success of these films, we believe that slotting “Forget Me Not” into that lineup provides us not just with yet another niche audience, but also an illlustrious platform which only substantiates the film’s credibility.
Founded in 2012, A24 has been operating at a very high level racking up multiple hits. Among their most notable films includes, Uncut Gems, Lady Bird, The Witch and Moonlight. Many of these films have accrued multiple accolades and we believe that “Forget Me Not” fits A24’s culture. The distributor is also known for harboring and nourishing the careers of many of theri filmmakers so by partnering and distributing through them we would be setting ourselves well for any future projects.
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RELEASE STRATEGY Modified Release 09 - 03 - 2021
Wide Release 10 - 08 - 2021
The ideal release would fall on the anniversary of the Armenian genocide in April, but with films like ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Fast 9’ around the corner we found it near impossible to find success on launch given the congested blockbuster schedule. Our solution was to position the film for a modified release following our festival attendance. The idea is to generate buzz across select cities before going for a huge release the month after. Our marketing strategy for the release is specifically targeting horror fans, hence the primary audience being composed of young girls. We do however, intend to place a certain amount of emphasis on our secondary and tertiary audiences so as to not neglect aspects of the film that might satisfy the audience beyond just horror. At launch we will be providing digital auction invitations to entice fans to engage well beyond the film parameters. The auction will sell off props in the movie and allow fans to own a piece of cinematic history. 27
RELEASE TIMELINE 23 March
Post-production, film is nearing completion and teaser trailers will begin circulating. Festival entries will have been sent out by now.
Select cities and film festivals will air the film. Tv trailers will launch on AMC, Syfy and FX. Modified release will continue into October as we await the wide release
03 September
30 April
Film is ready for distribution, we will now publish official trailers and begin production of festival kits and merchandise.
Summer 2021
All promotional items wil be live including, bus stop posters, bus wrappings and billboards. Press release will be published and pitch letters will be sent to Insider, The Village Voice and Variety reporters.
08 October
Breckenridge Film Sept 17 Catalina Film Fest Sept 18 Chicago Film Fest Sept 25
ARPA Film Fest Nov 12 28
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE When considering our competition, we wanted to first position the film for a succesful opening weekend while maximizing the educational impact of the film. That being said, we found an opportune window in September that coincides with the festivals we plan to attend and in October with minimal competition. What we found was that October’s big release is ‘Dune,’ an action adventure remake with not much of a following. We’re looking to open a week after their release and before ‘Halloween Kills,’ so we don’t clash with trying to attract the same audience.
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THE COMPETITION
Title: Dune
Title: Halloween Kills
Title: Clifford
Release Date: Oct. 1
Release Date: Oct. 15
Release Date: Nov. 5
Starring: Timothee Chalamet
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis,
Starring: Horatio Sanz,
Analysis: Opening one
Analysis: Opens one week
Analysis: This film opens
Zendaya, Jason Momoa.
week prior to our wide release. Equipped with an all-star cast, the genre attracts a completely different audience so there’s minimal threat, but worth keeping an eye on.
Judy Greer.
after our wide release. The only direct competition we have, given we may share the same audience. Our best approach is to beat them to opening and bank on the modified release paying off on opening weekend.
Darby Camp, Rosie Perez.
two weeks after our wide release. Clifford attracts the polar opposite audiences we do, so opening in close proximity to the big red dog won’t hurt our numbers. 30
TRAILER
The trailer is constructed to elicit fear, without revealing much of the plot, we’re able to successfully drive the genre with nit just the audio but nearly every scene. The plan is to inform the audience of the type of film they’re in for, but surprise them with the historic elements of the film because we want that to be the most memorable aspect of the experience. 31
MARKET RESEARCH To best gauge the anticipated reception and the efficiency of our marketing materials we’ve identified three methods of research that will provide insight prior to the wide release.
Close Feedback
An inexpensive method of testing the film is to have candid conversation with those closest to us about the quality of the movie and whether or not they’d be willing to watch it.
Test Screening
In conjunction with the modified screening, we will be conducting test screenings and survey feedback in order to make any necessary changes to our film. All test screenings will be conducted before any festival appearances.
Competitive Analysis
Learning from previous October releases and other horror festival submissions is pivotal in our approach. Performing a thorough analysis of what works and what hasn’t will be important information to have before launching advertisement campaigns and television spots. 32
MARKETING Marketing Festival Collateral Promotional Materials Film Prop Auction
Public Relations Media Pitches
Sponsorships Press Releases
Social Media Twitter Facebook Instagram
Online
Blog
Website Mobile App Mobile Alerts
Advertising
Digital Print Outdoor Radio
Television
Market Research Test Screenings Competitive Analysis
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CALENDAR
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PUBLICITY The Armenian American Museum aims to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experience. Construction of their new Glendale site began in 2020 and could be completde by 2021. This provides an opportunity to instill a demand for the film by creating a temporary exhibit. The exhbit will be alongside the Armenian Genocide exhibit and will feature art from the film, the trailer and include a synopsis of the film. We will have an RSVP section on our website for fans and also provide exclsuive early access to the press. Lastly, we’ll hold an auction for the art on display and we’ll donate money raised to the Nor Serount Cultural Association.
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MEDIA STRATEGY Our media strategy heavily emphasizes a digital approach from paid ads to paid social, we want to be the first choice for horror lovers and casual moviegoers alike. To establish an initial digital footprint, we’ll begin by implementing a thorough SEO approach that positions us at the forefront of searches like ‘horror movies 2021,’ or ‘movies to watch.’ The next step is social media, and in order for us to succeed we have to target different demographics per platform. For example, Instagram has a predominantly younger user base than Facebook, thus encouraging us to target our primary audience using Instagram and Facebook to hook the older audience. Ads will be split bewteen streaming platforms like Hulu and traditional mediums such as television featuring 15 and 30 second commercials. Radio and magazines will take a backseat with only bi-monthly ad allocations.
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OUTDOOR
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Metropolitan Billboards
CREATIVE
Urban Areas
OUTDOOR
STRATEGY With our promotions and partnerships being more demographic-specific we will be taking a wider approach to our outdoor advertising. Our plan consists of marketing the film in some of the most populated cities including, but not limited to, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Printed posters will decorate transportation stops, shopping carts, shopping centers and bus wraps. In order to guarantee maximum exposure we allocated the months of August thru October to put all our advertising efforts on outdoor and print ads. Unlike our digital approach we won’t be rolling out the outdoor ads until we get closer to the release date, the reasoning is cost since we’ll be allocating more towards digital ads, seo and social media.
Bus Wraps
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PROMOTIONS SAMVEL SAGHATELIAN
One of the most prominent Armenian artists, his work has a dark and almost eerie tone that aligns perfectly with the mood of the film. The idea is to collaborate with him and create a series of paintings to be utilized on set. Once post-production has concluded, we can put the paintings up for auction along with the rest of the movie props up for sale. Samvel provides not just an artistic fit, but is also a member of a community this movie is paying homage to so his support is invaluable.
ARMENIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVAL
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Glendale, CA is home to the annual Armenian festival, providing an excellent opportunity to conduct surveys, promote the film, pass out merchandise and screen the film for those in attendance. As the official film of the festival we will also host a family paint-along, instructing participants on how they too can recreate our flower logo.
PARTNERSHIPS Partnering with the flower distributor, Dose of Roses, provides access to our primary audience in younger women and our secondary audience in working professsionals. All fulfilled orders will come with an invitation to join our events ranging from the museum exhbit to festival appearances. There will also be a limited “Forget Me Not” glass globe on sale on their site.
With Ancestry, our goal is to sponsor their services and include digital ads throughout their page. Using enabled location services we will generate coupon code FORGETMENOT on all testing kits. In addition, family tree building will be powered by Forget Me Not and be an official partner on their site. In return we intend to give Ancestry a spot on our partners page on the website and provide promo codes on our festival flyers.
One of the premiere DNA testing sites in the world has a worldwide audience and a culturally diverse one at that. All testing kits will come with a “Forget Me Not” package promoting the film’s wide release in October. As an added bonus we will include a discount with the purchase of ticket to the show. 40
RADIO PROMOTED SCREENINGS
We previously stated that we will be conducting a modified release and this is how we supplement it. two festivals considered are local and as such we can knock down two birds with one stone. The Long Beach and LA audiences can be reached via the airwaves. Stations such as ‘Power 106,’ and ‘ALT 98.7,’ whom both attract younger audiences will be heavily considered. To further entice local audiences, we’ll offer them a chance to win movie merchandise and we’re even bringing an Armenian food truck. Between giveaways and a new cultural taste, screenings will be easier to market for and in return we aim to receive positive feedback.
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CONSUMER PRODUCTS All consumer products will be available online at shop.forgetmenot.com on April 4, 2021. Original soundtrack records are limited edition, wristbands and t-shirts made to order. Product giveaways will also take place on social media platforms to encourage engagement.
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SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY We plan to implement a multifaceted cross-platform strategy working in conjunction with our print and outdoor ads. Using social media management software like Hootsuite we can preemptively schedule posts for Instagram and Facebook months in advance as we prepare for live engagement with our audience. To generate live engagement we’ll host Q&A sessions on Facebook live and put up surveys and weekly Snapchat and Instagram stories. Our content will range from festival coverage to movie teasers, while our Twitter account will be exclusively used for event reminders.
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CREATIVE SOCIAL PLATFORMS Instagram Posts Facebook Live Teaser Snapchat Sponsored Stories Dedicated YouTube Channel
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CREATIVE DIGITAL ABOUT THE FILM
FORGET
TRAILER
ME
OCTOBER 2021
1915
NOT
FESTIVAL TOUR
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BEHIND THE SCENES
Our digital approach is heavily dependant on SEO strategy, one which allows us to extract information from platforms like SEMrush and utilize the most efficient keywords across all copy material. For us it’s not about prioritizing keyword volume, rather identifying and utilizing integral copy. We will be creating digital banners, pdf posters, screensavers and of the course launch the website as mocked in this image, prior to the completion of the film. It is imperative we begin digital promotion early and often and throughout the entire year.
TOTAL EXPENDITURES TOTAL BUDGET $1,250,000
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REMEMBERING THE FORGOTTEN On April 1915 the Ottoman government embarked upon the systematic decimation of its civilian Armenian population. The persecutions continued with varying intensity until 1923 when the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist and was replaced by the Republic of Turkey. The Armenian population of the Ottoman state was reported at about two million in 1915. An estimated one million had perished by 1918, while hundreds of thousands had become homeless and stateless refugees. By 1923 virtually the entire Armenian population of Anatolian Turkey had disappeared. This film’s main purpose is to incite a conversation about an, often forgotten, ill-fated tragedy that transpired only a century ago. Today we pay our respects to the fallen victims, their families and all descendants of Armenian heritage, you will not be forgotten.
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A SPECIAL
THANKS TO JIM FREDRICK ALEXANDER EDEP SAMANTHA KURTZ JUSTINE CHILDS
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