Independent Film Marketing Los Angeles
Festival programmers and distributors want to know whether anyone is already watching. A film that arrives with a following, a trailer, and a press kit has a better conversation than one that arrives with a screener link. We build that, starting on set if you let us.
Quick answer
Clouds Agency helps Los Angeles independent filmmakers build the materials a festival, distributor or streamer asks for. A real person on our team shoots behind-the-scenes on set, cuts the trailer and sizzle reel, puts the press kit together and plans the social posts, starting in production when the schedule allows or at picture lock when it does not.
Why small films stay unseen
- 01
You cannot match studio ad spend
Studios buy ads. You have a trailer, stills, and a cast. We build the campaign from what the production already creates.
- 02
Nobody has seen the film yet
Early audiences follow people and moments. Set photos, short cast clips, and behind-the-scenes posts give them a reason to care before release.
- 03
A laurel does not sell the film alone
After a screening, buyers and viewers still look for clips, a trailer, and a press page. Plan those before the festival, not after.
How We Help
What we build for independent films
Social campaign from production to release
A posting plan that starts during the shoot and runs through your premiere, with content built from the film itself.
EPK and press kit
Synopsis, cast and crew bios, stills, and a trailer link in one place a journalist or programmer can use.
Festival run assets
Posters, social graphics, and clips sized for each festival announcement, plus a plan for the days around your screenings.
Pitch content for streaming platforms
A sizzle reel and one-sheet that give a platform exec the quick version of the film.
Before You Sign
What to ask when you hire for independent film marketing
Questions a producer or director can put to any agency, with what a good answer sounds like. Festival rules change by event, so check each festival directly.
Premiere status
How do you protect our premiere status when we post a trailer or clips?
Festivals define premieres differently. SXSW, for example, treats a film released online before the festival as ineligible, while other festivals care little about online availability. A good answer: the agency gets your target festivals' rules first and holds public clips and links until the submissions strategy is clear.
Music
What music is in the trailer, and is it cleared for what we need?
A temp track that worked in the edit may not be licensed for a public trailer, and a trailer license differs from a license for the film. A good answer: original, library or properly licensed music, a written license stating where the trailer can run, and an early flag if a favorite track will not clear.
Set content
How are cast, crew and location permissions handled for behind-the-scenes content?
Performer and union agreements, location releases and a sensitive plot can all limit what goes public. A good answer: a shared list of what can post and when, approvals from the producer before anything goes live, and nothing on social that reveals a location or plot point you have not cleared.
Deliverables
What do our festival and distributor deliverables lists ask for, and who builds each item?
Programmers and buyers commonly ask for a logline and synopsis, stills, a poster, a trailer, bios and a director statement, and each has its own specs. A good answer: the agency asks for the actual list, assigns each item to someone with a date, and does not invent requirements.
Captions
How are captions and subtitles handled for the trailer and screeners?
Many festivals, platforms and buyers need subtitles or captions, and social viewers often watch with sound off. A good answer: a timed caption file kept for each cut, a decision on burned-in text versus a separate file, and spelling of names checked against the credits.
Expectations
What exactly do you promise, and what do you not?
No one controls festival selections, reviews or deals. Be cautious of anyone who guarantees acceptance or sales. A good answer: a written list of what the agency delivers and by when, the number of review rounds, and what you are responsible for, such as footage, stills and approvals.
Questions people ask
When should we start?
As early as production, if you can. Set content is hard to recreate later. If the film is already finished, we start with the trailer and press kit.
Can you shoot behind-the-scenes on our set?
Yes, if the production allows it. We work with your schedule and any union or location rules, and we agree on what can be shared before anything goes public.
Can you get our film into festivals or onto a platform?
No one can promise that. We build the materials and the audience that make a submission or a pitch easier to say yes to.
What do you need from us?
Stills, footage you are able to share, your release timeline, and a list of festivals or platforms you are targeting.
Who owns the trailer and the press materials?
The film does. Music in a trailer has to be licensed or original, and we raise that early so it does not slow a festival submission.
What is premiere status at film festivals?
It describes how new a film is to audiences, usually as world, international, North American, US or regional premiere. Definitions differ by festival, and some count online availability, press screenings or public ticketed events. Read each festival's rules before you submit or post a screener, and ask the programmers if the rules are unclear.
What goes in a film press kit?
Usually a logline and synopsis, cast and crew bios, a director statement, production stills, the poster, the trailer link, key credits, screening information and a contact. Keep it in one place, and update it when festival selections or release dates change. We build it as a press page and a downloadable file.
Do I need a trailer and poster before submitting to festivals?
Often not at submission, though programmers commonly ask for stills and sometimes a trailer or poster after selection. Requirements vary by festival and by whether you submit a short or a feature. Check each festival's submission page, and plan the materials early so you are ready when the request arrives.
What affects the cost of marketing an independent film?
The main factors are how many days we shoot on set, whether you need a trailer and sizzle reel, how big the press kit and festival asset list is, how long social posting runs, and whether paid ads are part of the plan. Ad spend is separate. We quote once we know your timeline.
Related
What to have ready before you submit to film festivals: screener link, subtitles, stills, press kit and a plan for DCP and caption versions if you are accepted.
An EPK is often the first thing a booker, distributor, journalist, or venue sees. A practical breakdown of what belongs in a great electronic press kit and the mistakes that make good projects look amateur.
The deliverables list for a trailer social campaign: aspect ratios, lengths, captions, safe areas and per-platform checks for Reels, TikTok, Shorts and feed.
Property walkthroughs, agent films
Music videos, lyric videos, EPKs
Brand films, testimonials, events