This is the second part in a series of film financing blog posts. Like I wrote in the first part, I want to outline the more or less obvious sources outside of the traditional broadcaster/filmfund/distributor triangle, that a film or TV producer could tap into.
This week’s film financing source: Sponsorship
The idea: The sponsor gives you cash or in-kind products or services, in exchange for the right to display his brand in association with your project. The goal is for your film to give a positive image to the sponsor’s products, and for the sponsor’s message to reach a wider audience.
What’s in it for you: As with product placement it can be cash, depending on your audience profile and size. Often some kind of bartering is involved, where for example a media sponsor gives your production free advertising time in exchange for the benefits, or your production gets to borrow items or locations for free.
The catch: Similar to product placement, you need a defined audience that matches the sponsor’s goals and targets. Sponsoring is not as intrusive towards an audience, as the sponsor’s message is not embedded in the story itself.
How do you do it: There are lots of companies that specialise in building sponsorship relations between brands and sponsorable entities. But as they do a middleman’s job they will also charge a fee for their services. The other way is to pitch the same CMO’s and advertising agencies that you keep in regular contact with regarding your product placement opportunities.
Examples: Many television programmes are “brought to you by” a certain brand. Lot’s of films are also marketed “in co-operation with” a media company. These vary a lot from one territory to another, even for the exact same film.
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