Social networking for film promotion

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Much before the launch of Mahesh Bhatt’s upcoming film Jism 2, the world is talking about it, thanks to the publicity stunts on his Facebook (FB) page. From updating his fans about the music, to posting pictures of the shoot on FB, Bhatt is making the best use of the online media.

Interestingly, just before the promo of the first song was officially made public, the minutest details about the song were splashed on the social network. The promotion makes one wonder if leaking too much information before the final release, or such online experiments manage to trigger interest.
“It’s an excellent promotional technique, it builds suspense. Facebook and Twitter are quick ways to get into the psyche of your supporters and fans, and then it helps in multiplying the fan circle that brings people to your film, which results in revenue generation,” says Gattu’s director Rajan Khosa.
How you promote a movie online also depends on the genre of the film. Quoting an example, Abhinay Deo, director, Delhi Belly says, “For instance, if you’re making a thriller, you can keep the audience guessing as you keep them posted about the progress the movie is making so they’ll look forward to it. This makes the film more interesting for the audience. But in other genres like romantic comedies, I don’t think there’s too much to say about the shoot as you want the film to surprise fans.”
Director Rahul Dholakia who is busy casting for his next film, which is based on college-level gangsters says, “Advertising too much kills the product. People start looking away unless you have something new and interesting to share. FB/Twitter are great for teasers. I am not sure they can be used for full-fledged promotions. I think they are effective tools of advertising because more people read updates on FB than an editorial in a newspaper so the social media can and must be used.”
But having said that, Dholakia adds that he wouldn’t reveal everything, “I want the audience just to know enough to create some curiosity.”