The Special Interest Video Marketing Action Plan

It is not uncommon for a special-interest video producer to spends tens of thousands of dollars on making a program. Right about the time that the first payment on the second mortgage comes due, that producer discovers an alarming fact: it is far easier to thread an obese camel through the eye of a needle than it is to place a non-theatrical video in a video store. What the studios would think of as ancillary markets--consumers, libraries, and other organizations--become the primary markets for special-interest video producers and it takes more than a little elbow grease and know how to turn a good profit. A complementary video to Special EFX's Producing Your Own Special Interest Videos: From Concept to Cash (VL-9/92), this program shifts the focus from production to marketing, exploring the avenues of test marketing your concept before production, display advertising and direct mail strategies, getting review copies into the hands of reviewers ("send your video to the attention of the reviewer who consistently gives the highest ratings"), the pluses and minuses of working with distributors, using newsgroups online to gage interest and generate sales, and how to approach the library market (a segment featuring former VRG editor Beth Blenz-Clucas). As is often the case in Special EFX productions, there is a mix of cheerleading style hype and specific, really useful suggestions and ideas. A leaner version without all the built-in cast outtakes, rah-rah, and annoying overhead camera shots, would have been better. But....make no mistake, there's nothing similar on video available out there, and special-interest video producers will be extremely grateful to find this program in their library. Strongly recommended. (R. Pitman)