Kindling Kit: Press Production Notes

Production Notes: What ARE they?

Production notes are the one document you want someone to open before they open your film.

They tell reporters, festival programmers, and potential partners the who, what, when, where and why — fast, clean, done well.

If your film is fire… then your production notes are your eco-friendly combustible fuel.

🎥 The First Time I Met “Production Notes”

It wasn’t too long ago when I started doing press junkets.

My first ever junket was for 1917. It was extravagant. I was flown out to Chicago, put up in a hotel, had a lovely chicken dinner, and holed myself up in the room watching Penny Dreadful.

I stayed up late scouring the internet for information on director Sam Mendes, writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, and stars Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay. I watched what past work I could find, which led me to a binge session of Dreadful that was anything but.

I’d encountered planes, hotels, celebrities, even drool-on-sight-delicious roast chicken. But what I had never encountered were press production notes.

Some were sent with the confirmation of my voyage and I read through them. Though they were clearly BTS about the movie, I had no clue what they were, what they were for or how to use them.

🛋️ Learning in the Living Room

The next three years were a part of the COVID era, and I got to cut my teeth as an interviewer on dozens of virtual junkets where I interviewed admired celebs like Kevin Bacon, Judd Apatow, John Cleese, and for all the streamers’ shows — including my all-time favorite, Ted Lasso.

And right from the comfort of my living room.

During that time, I didn’t receive any other press notes for the many virtual junkets. And I didn’t know to ask for them. So for years, prior to every interview, I’d spend days researching — watching previous work of everyone I’d interview, watching old interviews to see their style or to learn how to pronounce names, teaching myself any references I didn’t understand about things like the history or mythology related to the project.

But once the world knew its new shape, theaters opened and streamers had officially solidified their dominance in entertainment distribution, things fell back into an easy rhythm.

TV and cinema PR reps could tailor their representation of these properties and fully infuse their creativity once more.

And more and more — especially for in-person junkets — they were sending production notes for our convenience.

And convenience for working journalists is a premium tier necessity.

⚡ Convenience: The Real Magic of the Production Notes

Convenience. Access. Ease.

These are the things studios provide to journalists that often talented but newer indie filmmakers don’t know how to deliver or may not have the resources for.

One of the ways access and ease are offered is with production notes.

📚 Again, What Are These Production Notes?

Cindi Rogers, Founder of By George PR Firm says,

“Film publicity production notes are essential components of a film’s press kit, providing a comprehensive overview of the film’s production.

 

These notes typically include:

 

• Synopsis: A brief description of the film’s plot and themes.
• Production Notes: Detailed information about the film’s production process, including the director, cast, crew, and any special considerations.
• Cast and Crew Credits: A list of the main cast and crew members, including their roles and contributions.
• Biographies: Biographical information about the cast and crew, including their backgrounds and experiences.
• Stills: High-quality still images from the film.

 

These production notes are crucial for journalists and media outlets as they help them understand the film’s context, cast, and crew, and can influence their coverage and reporting. They also serve as a valuable resource for potential audiences, providing them with a deeper understanding of the film’s production and the talent involved. Publicity production notes are made available at no cost to journalists/media outlets.”

 

Yes, we just have to ask for them — and away they come.

Production notes vary in length, in extent of design, and in the information presented in them.

I’ve received press notes that are 10 pages. I’ve received some that are 40 pages. I’ve received some that are simple and look not too different from a high school paper… and I’ve received some super fancy ones that are clearly designed by the kind of artist whose painting will be stolen on shows like Leverage a hundred years from now.

🎬 Why Production Notes Work Better Than Trailers

Others might want the trailer. I typically do not recommend offering the trailer first.

For me, the trailer is so risky for the filmmaker. You’ve squished the amount of runway you have to impress the journalist to the first few seconds of your trailer.

Whereas with press notes, you get to tell him or her (or me) about your narrative, about your production experience, about your family of makers — over the course of a page or forty, if those notes are compelling.

You have more time to get the journalist invested and willing to take the next step.

And often, journalists will pull quotes or background straight from those notes into their coverage. What creative power.

🔥 Freebie: The Kindling Kit

Attached you’ll find a checklist for immediate utility to get you started in creating your production notes.

I recommend filling it out during the production process, not after. After, you’ll want to synthesize all your notes into an interesting narrative that hooks the journalist while making their job easier. And you’ll want them ready for your Marketing/Distribution timeline.

“Film publicity production notes are crucial in the distribution and film marketing process as they provide essential information that helps in creating a marketing strategy. These notes include details about the film’s genre, target audience, unique selling propositions, and market potential. By understanding these elements, filmmakers can tailor their marketing efforts to reach the most interested audiences and maximize the film’s visibility and profitability.”

 

— Cindi Rogers

Your most interested audience includes the festivals and journalists you plan to approach about film display and coverage.

Production notes for a movie are essentially a comprehensive reference packet prepared during production and distributed to journalists, press outlets, film festivals, and sometimes investors.

Their main purpose is to provide context and background material so that others can write about the film accurately without needing to chase down every detail.

They’re essentially a hybrid between a press kit and a historical record of the production. Journalists use them when writing reviews or articles; festivals use them for programs; publicists use them to pitch stories.

🪄 The Bottom Line

Publicists pitch your story.

Production notes prepare your story.

For indie filmmakers, notes aren’t optional.

Start early, keep them updated, and you’ll always have something professional to hand over when the journalists start to say yes.

✨ Make it easy for the journalist to discover your production story, and they’ll guide the world to listen to it.

👉🏾 Click the Button Below to Download the Production Notes Checklist PDF