Mountain Stream - Plans Book

MOUNTAIN STREAM MARKETING PLAN

BOOK BY ETHAN HAUSSER

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. OVERVIEW About . . . . . 6, 7 Marketing Outlook . . . . . 8, 9

II. FILM FESTIVALS List of Festivals . . . . . 12, 13 Festival PR . . . . . 14 One-Sheet . . . . . 15 Pitch Letter . . . . . 16 Press Release . . . . . 17 Cast & Crew . . . . . 18-20 Set Photos . . . . . 21

III. DISTRIBUTORS Distributor Strategy . . . . . 24 List of Distributors . . . . . 25 Official Stills . . . . . 26, 27

IV. CONSUMERS Release Strategy . . . . . 30 Publicity Strategy . . . . . 31 PR Activities . . . . . 32 Pitch Letter . . . . . 33 Media Strategy . . . . . 34, 35 Online/Social Media . . . . . 36, 37

I

OV ERV I E W

ABOUT THE FILM

WRITER/DIRECTOR Mengxue Xiao

PRODUCER Cramer England

GENRE Drama

ANTICIPATED RATING PG

BIG IDEA You can leave home, but it will never leave you

TAGLINE Find your way home.

SYNOPSIS Kevin, a Chinese man raised by an American family, heads to Los Angeles to meet his birth mother for the first time. Upon arrival, however, he is greeted by news of her death, and his dementia-stricken birth father, Kang, is placed in his care. As the two men struggle to connect across cultures and a gulf of lost memories, Kevin begins to gain an understanding of the parents who gave him up and the Chinese culture he never fully knew.

MARKETING OUTLOOK

PRIMARY AUDIENCE Males 25+

SECONDARY AUDIENCE Females 25+

TERTIARY AUDIENCE Asian-Americans (primarily Chinese) “Serious” film-goers, cinephiles

OPPORTUNITIES - Bilingual script brings different audience, helps film stand out - Has built-in niche with Asian audiences and festivals - Relatable emotional story at the core of the film

MARKETING OBSTACLES - Small, emotional dramas are hard to sell to a wide audience - Needs to find critical support in order to be successful - Only two major characters puts more pressure on actors

POSITIONING STATEMENT This emotional family drama examines the nature of culture and identity through a man’s struggle to connect with his Chinese birth father.

II

F E S T I VA L S

FILM FESTIVALS PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 11 - 27, 2016 The Pacific Northwest has a very large Asian population, and though Portland has fewer Chinese-Americans than other cities like Seattle, this festival is still a good venue for targeting that demographic. The bilingual script will also play well at an international event.

CAAMFEST MARCH 10 - 20, 2016 Formerly the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, CAAMFest is the largest exhibition of new Asian-American films, last year showcasing 130 films and drawing over 27,000 people. Getting into this festival is key.

LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL APRIL 21 - 28, 2016 One of the premiere Asian-American festivals, the LAAPFF brings a combination of prestige, topicality, and locality to the table unmatched by any other festival in consideration.

LOS ANGELES LIFT-OFF FILM FESTIVAL AUGUST 29 - 31, 2016 This event is part of the Lift-Off network of film festivals, whose stated aim is to launch professional film careers. Winning films receive an industry spotlight, international screenings, and more.

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL OCTOBER 6 - 16, 2016 One of the highest-profile non-competitive festivals, Mill Valley lets Mountain Stream capitalize on buzz it has built up in front of notable guests, in a place with a large Chinese-American presence.

SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL JANUARY 23 - 29, 2017 Slamdance focuses on emerging filmmakers with low budgets and is a compelling alternative to Sundace, with which it is held concurrently.

Slamdance was named one of Moviemaker Magazine’s “Festivals Worth the Entrance Fee” and carries name recognition.

FILM FESTIVAL PR PRESS INTERACTION Interviews and articles about the filmmakers and/or the film in publications (both print and online) related to the given festival or based where the festival is taking place will be used to build name recognition for Mountain Stream and draw people to the screening.

AUDIENCE Q&A After the film is screened, audiences will have a chance to participate in a question and answer session with the filmmakers, who will discuss the creative process, background on the film, the transition from film school to the real world, and more. This will enhance audience engagement with the film, improve recall, and give people something to talk about, helping the film’s word of mouth.

PROMOTIONAL SWAG All seats in the theater will have branded red envelopes of the sort used for Chinese New Year. The envelopes will contain various prizes, such as vouchers for free Mountain Stream shirts and water bottles or gift certificates to local restaurants. This is to further increase the chances of people talking about the film after they see it, driving word-of-mouth.

ONE-SHEET

PITCH LETTER Dear [Insert Name]: I am writing to ask you to consider the short film Mountain Stream for entry into this year’s CAAMFest. The debut from writer/director Mengxue Xiao, a graduate student at the prestigious Dodge College at Chapman University, Mountain Stream explores themes of culture, family, and identity through the lens of the Asian-American experience.

The emotional drama tells the story of Kevin, a Chinese man raised by American parents, attempting to connect with his birth father, Kang, in the wake of his birth mother’s death.

As he tries to relate to and care for the mysterious, ailing Kang, Kevin begins to learn about the parents who left him at birth, and the culture he never knew.

We believe Mountain Stream is a fantastic match for CAAMFest for several reasons.

Clearly, the story lends itself to an Asian-American audience, who will find much to relate to in Kevin’s story. Additionally, your festival will get the opportunity to help kick-start the career of a young, female Asian filmmaker and bring her unique voice to a wide audience.

Mountain Stream’s powerful, poignant examination of identity and belonging amidst the struggles of cultural confusion will resonate with your audience and inspire the sort of thought and conversation this festival was created for. Thank you for your consideration.

Yours, Ethan Hausser

PRESS RELEASE FILMMAKER MAKES DEBUT AT FESTIVAL SAN FRANCISCO – Mountain Stream, the debut film from writer/director Mengxue Xiao, will have its premiere this weekend at the Center for Asian American Media’s annual CAAMFest, the country’s largest Asian film festival.

The film, developed while Xiao was at the prestigious Chapman University in Orange, California, tells the story of an American man trying to reconnect with his ailing Chinese birth father after the death of his birth mother. Chapman was recently ranked as a top-seven film school in the Hollywood Reporter’s annual list.

Xiao, who both wrote and directed the picture, says parts of the story were inspired by her experience as a Chinese immigrant to America.

Following its premiere, Mountain Stream will continue on the festival circuit, culminating in an appearance at Slamdance in Park City, Utah.

-For tickets, visit the CAAMFest website at caamfest.com or by emailing boxoffice@caamedia.org. For more information about the film, contact Ethan Hausser at hauss101@mail.chapman.edu.

CAST

ANTHONY MA

BAOTONG XU

“KEVIN”

“KANG”

Anthony Ma is a Taiwanese American actor, writer and filmmaker. While growing up in Arcadia, California, he chose to focus on producing and writing his own films instead of on his studies, and to this day is still terrible at algebra. As an actor he’s appeared in numerous projects for film, television and the internet.

Baotong Xu is a Chinese film and television actor. Though he is known for smaller roles, Baotong’s popularity has been growing back home, thanks to a booming Chinese entertainment industry.

KEN GAMBLE

CATHERINE HEALY

“LARRY JOHNSON”

“POLICEWOMAN”

Ken is an actor, screenwriter and producer of films and content for theatrical, television, and all digital media platforms. He is best known for his work on Beholden (2008), United 300 (2007), and Leo’s Oscar (2003).

Cat originally hails from Florida and now calls Los Angeles home. She found success with supporting roles in prime-time television, including JAG, MTV, NBC’s Saved by the BellCollege Years and California Dreams. She now performs in various capacities such as fire dancing, burlesque, vaudeville, clowning, variety shows, and cirque arts productions.

CREW

MENGXUE XIAO

CRAMER ENGLAND

WRITER / DIRECTOR

PRODUCER

Originally from China, Mengxue Xiao now attends graduate school at Chapman University’s prestigious Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where she is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production.

Hailing from Utah, Cramer England currently lives in Orange County with his family as he pursues his MFA in Film and Television Producing at Chapman University. He has previously worked as a producer, writer, and director on a variety of projects.

SET PHOTOS

The crew prepares for a shot on Day 1

Anthony Ma (“Kevin”) between takes

The crew films Kang finishing the coffin

A brilliant sunset ends Day 2

Xiao directs the actors for the final scene

The crew prepares Kang’s apartment

III

D I S T R I B U TO R

STRATEGY

DISTRIBUTOR SELECTION The distribution companies best-suited for releasing this film will be smaller and focus primarily on independent and/or foreign films. It is also important for the company to have at least a decent track record and a modicum of clout in the industry if Mountain Stream is going to compete in awards season.

POSITIONING STRATEGY The film will be sold to distributors as a prestige piece with awards ambitions, with the added benefit of appealing to the hard-to-reach Asian-American community. Even though Mountain Stream lacks real mainstream appeal and will likely not become a true commercial hit, the combination of its low price point and artistic merit should make it reasonably easy to get a good return on their investment.

TARGET DISTRIBUTORS A24 Since its founding in 2012, A24 has become one of the premiere independent studios in the industry, filling their library with critical hits like The Spectacular Now, The End of the Tour, and most recently, Room.

Their preference for smaller “festival darlings” makes them a good match for Mountain Stream, and their reputation would be a huge asset.

IFC FILMS Another well-regarded indie distributor, IFC seems to be a good fit for the film thanks to its interest in challenging, complex stories like Blue is the Warmest Color and Camp X-Ray. An additional benefit of IFC is that they are owned by AMC, a popular channel among our target audience.

FOCUS FEATURES Focus Features is primarily a production company, but they also do some distribution. As the arthouse subsidiary of Universal, they have the budget and clout to promote Mountain Stream heavily. Their recent distribution hits, Dallas Buyer’s Club and Moonrise Kingdom, were both nominated for Best Picture, demonstrating their prestige.

OFFICIAL STILLS

©2015 MOUNTAIN STREAM

©2015 MOUNTAIN STREAM

IV

CONSUMER

RELEASE STRATEGY RELEASE PATTERN Limited platform

RELEASE DATE December 22, 2016 (Initial Run) | January 14, 2016 (Full Expansion)

RELEASE PLAN The film will utilize a staggered roll-out, starting on four screens (two in Los Angeles, one apiece in San Francisco and New York) before gradually expanding in early/mid-January to roughly 1,000 screens nationwide, with emphasis placed on arthouse and smaller theaters. If the film is successful or is nominated for awards, it will expand further.

COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT Conventional thinking dictates that films with awards ambitions should open at the end of the year, and this is especially true for films like Mountain Stream that lack broad appeal outside of the critical realm. As this time of year is very crowded, the film will use the December release to qualify for awards but wait until early/mid-January to really expand, mitigating the impact the crowded December slate will have.

PUBLICITY PUBLICITY OBJECTIVES The objective of the publicity campaign will be twofold: to position Mountain Stream as a potential awards contender, and to sell writer/ director Mengxue Xiao as a rising star, focusing on her unique voice as an Asian woman in an industry without many women or minorities.

STRATEGY The biggest obstacle facing Mountain Stream is its lack of mainstream appeal, making it a difficult film to generate interest in. For that reason, this campaign will instead place the focus on Xiao, positioning her as an up-and-coming filmmaker who, as an Asian woman in an industry dominated by white men, has a perspective that is sorely missing from the American cinematic tradition. By making her a voice in the ongoing discussion about race and gender in film (and in society as a whole), Xiao and Mountain Stream become a topic of conversation, creating awareness and interest in the film regardless of its broader marketability.

Rather than distracting from the film, this will drive grassroots support and help Mountain Stream stand out in the public consciousness. Unless the film is positioned as a potential award candidate, however, the stakes will be too low to hold public interest.

PR ACTIVITIES TALK SHOWS The writer/director will make the talk show rounds, stopping everywhere from Good Morning America to Conan in order to gain exposure to the widest possible audience and discuss the film and her experience in the industry. The actors will also occasionally appear on talk shows in order to add variety and prevent audience fatigue.

SCREENING & AUCTION There will be a free screening of the film on Chinese New Year (January 28, 2017) in Los Angeles’ Chinatown district, where the film is set. Those in attendance will receive promotional merchandise and have the chance to participate in a Q&A with the director. After the screening, film memorabilia, costumes, and various other prizes will be auctioned off, with all proceeds being donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

PRESS JUNKET The actors, director, and producer will participate in a press junket to be held near the mid-January theatrical expansion. The event will showcase the filmmaking process and promotional materials produced for the film in order to increase publicity ahead of its national roll-out.

PITCH LETTER Dear [insert name]: I think you and your readers will be interested in Mengxue Xiao, the writer and director of the upcoming film Mountain Stream, who is quickly becoming one of the year’s most talked-about young filmmakers.

As one of the few Asian woman in a field dominated by white men, Mengxue’s work offers a perspective that is sorely lacking in American film. Her experience as an immigrant helped inspire Mountain Stream, an exploration of identity, culture, and family that sees a man struggle to connect with his ailing Chinese birth father, and her journey from cultural outsider to potential award contender is sure to resonate with your readership.

I have attached the trailer for the film for your convenience. I hope you’ll agree that Mengxue, her story, and her experience as a female minority trying to make it in the film industry would make a compelling subject for an article.

Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours truly, Ethan Hausser

MEDIA PLAN STRATEGIC OVERVIEW The media campaign for Mountain Stream will be focused on two separate objectives. The first is building strong buzz and word of mouth within the film community, both in the industry and among “cinephiles,” while the second is bringing the Chinese-American community to the theater en masse. This will be accomplished through a diverse media mix, including television spots, website takeovers, and targeted ads, with the primary attention placed on the film community in the early stages to create anticipation and on the Chinese community late to drive spontaneous viewing.

MEDIA MIX TELEVISION: 40%

ONLINE: 30%

PRINT : 20%

OUT OF HOME : 10%

FOCUS FILM COMMUNITY: Trades, film blogs, cable and “highbrow” shows CHINESE-AMERICAN: Chinese-language newspapers and magazines, high-index shows, targeted online ads

MEDIA SCHEDULE A teaser trailer will debut in June, attached to a film from the same distributor, and a second trailer will be released in October, which will be promoted on various film sites. In December, the marketing starts warming up, beginning with smaller OOH placements in areas with a high Chinese population and print ads in the cities getting December screenings. Online advertising increases through the month and into January, at which point OOH increases and the first TV spots begin to air on prestige dramas. As the nationwide expansion approaches, placements increase across the board, and more emphasis is placed on the Chinese community in the days surrounding the expansion to drive audience awareness. Advertising continue through the end of the month.

PARTNERSHIPS & PROMOTIONS After purchasing extensive ad space on IMDB.com, including a full-page takeover, Mountain Stream will continue a partnership with the site by being featured in their monthly “Editor’s Choice” list of upcoming films, as well as their “Indie Focus” spotlight. A similar relationship will be forged with popular review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, who will place an above-the-fold feature with the filmmaker in January.

ONLINE / SOCIAL MEDIA

FILM BLOGS Getting interviews, features, and mentions on film blogs like SlashFilm and IndieWire will go a long way to giving Mountain Stream the support in the film community that it will need in order to convincingly position itself as an award hopeful and draw the target audience of “serious filmgoers” to the theater.

REDDIT The filmmaker will hold an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on the popular website Reddit, which essentially functions as a crowdsourced interview, allowing users to post questions and get personal responses from the subject. Xiao’s AMA would cover both the filmmaking process and the broader subject of women and minorities in film. This provides easy, free publicity and could get the massive Reddit user base supporting the film and filmmaker, which would be a huge asset in generating more widespread interest.

“NEW HERE� CAMPAIGN A Twitter and Instagram campaign will be run with the hashtag #newhere, encouraging immigrants and the families of immigrants to share their stories of being new in a country and the challenges they faced adjusting to life in a foreign culture.

CHINESE NEW YEAR SPONSORED STORY Chinese New Year will be on January 28, 2017, meaning parades and festivities nationwide. To capitalize on this opportunity, which occurs around the same time the film expands to its widest point, Mountain Stream will sponsor the Chinese New Year Snapchat story, bringing together moments from parades in LA, SF, and NY while including a short teaser for the film and optional Mountain Stream geotags.

FILMMAKER TUMBLR The director will keep a (carefully curated) Tumblr blog documenting her experience making and releasing the film, breaking into the industry, and various personal anecdotes. The blog will be promoted across other social media and be mentioned in interviews, helping her to define her public voice while making her more relatable.

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