Marketing Your Indie Film Before It Releases: A 90-Day Playbook
Most filmmakers start thinking about marketing after the film is done. The ones who build audiences before release day are the ones who see real streaming numbers.
The 90 days before your film's release window are the most important marketing period you have. By the time your film is live on a platform, the algorithm is already watching — and early view velocity matters enormously for how widely the platform promotes your title.
Start with a trailer cut at the 90-day mark. Not a full theatrical trailer — a 60-to-90-second social cut optimized for vertical viewing on Instagram and TikTok. This is your primary awareness tool.
At 60 days out, launch a press kit and begin outreach to film blogs, podcast hosts, and community publications relevant to your film's subject matter. For a veteran narrative like The Weight, that means military community outlets, veteran advocacy organizations, and film critics who cover independent drama.
At 30 days, shift to conversion. Run targeted social ads to audiences who follow similar films and directors. Build an email list from everyone who engages with your trailer. On release day, you want a warm audience ready to watch — not a cold one you're meeting for the first time.
ClydeVision's Marketing & Audience Development service covers all of this, including press kit creation, social campaign management, and coordination with platform editorial teams for potential feature placement.
Written by
ClydeVision Films
Veteran-Owned Film Distribution — Est. 2012
