I have screened films at Raindance twice. The first time I sold out two shows. The second time I sold out three shows. According to Elliot Grove, I am the only person in History to sell out three screenings at Raindance. Even Quentin Tarantino didn’t do that with Pulp Fiction. So I can definitely brag about that forever.
There are a few good ways to get butts in seats at your screening. Today, I will tell you the most basic one. In this article you will learn the cheapest way to sell out your screening by far. It just takes a little guts and being a cheapskate, like me, helps.
Filmmakers think it is the festival’s duty to promote the films and get people to come see your film. And they do promote, but they are screening 200 films! They can’t give your film the care that only you can!
Think about it. You struggle to make your film, save your money to come to Raindance, pay for airfare, hotel, and then when your film screens, you have only a few dozen people in a theater that holds 100 ~ 200 people.
I think that is a disaster.
When I found out I had been selected for Raindance, I called my “sensei” and asked him what I should do. Since sensei has won more awards than my mom has Tupperware, and has been to many festivals, I figured he’d have a tip or two. He did! He was the one who told me “It was the duty of the filmmakers to sell tickets!”
In front of the Vue Theater at Raindance Film Festival Sept. 21, 2017, London, England. (Photo by Vertic Arts Gallery)
I was determined to do whatever I could to sell out my screenings. And you should take this advice to heart. You worked and suffered to make your film, now you just have to work a bit more to sell out your screenings! What good is your art if no one sees it?
I left Japan, I kissed the wife, kid and dog goodbye then packed my bags and was on a jet airliner, on my way to England, the land of many giants of world history: Churchill, Cromwell, Isambard Kingdom Brunel… Eric Idle.
I arrived at the theater in London hoping to promote my film by pasting posters all over the place. I had been in a punk band in the late seventies so I was used to ripping down other bands posters and putting up my own. I figured I’d do the same thing at Raindance. But, it wasn’t 1977 anymore. The theater had those new-fangled electronic posters on the walls; they didn’t use paper posters anymore. Paper posters were forbidden.
I had arrived a few days early to promote and then was told I can’t promote as I had planned… Dejected, I hung around the festival and tried to get free food and drinks. While I was floating around the venue, I made several good new friends. They were there for the festival with their films too. I asked them how they were promoting and they all told me that they weren’t, not at all. I thought this was crazy.
I thought about it and decided that since we couldn’t hang posters, I’d take my biggest poster (make sure you have a good poster!) and make a sandwich sign. Then I’d stand in front of the theater wearing the sign every day and make some sort of racket with maracas. I went to an art shop and bought the supplies for making the sandwich sign. I then went back to the hotel and constructed it with loving care.
The next morning, I went back to the theater with my sign and put it on and I stood there; in the heat and the sun… I hadn’t decided how long I was going to stand there in my sandwich sign, but across the way, I noticed another guy hawking tickets for a discount ticket store. This guy was standing there like a statue with the tickets in one hand-held way above his head. I tried that for a while with my sign, but after just a few minutes, my arm was exhausted.
I would stand in front of the theater with my sign for five or six hours every day at the start, but I got up to eight hours a day.
There were several things I learned from being a sandwich sign man; first off, we are faceless and considered a curiosity by most passersby. There is really nothing to be embarrassed about. There is nothing to be self-conscious of.
Also, and this is the best part, if you have a good costume, then tourists and people will ask to take their photo with you and then they will post that photo on social media! For my second movie, I’d say perhaps 100 people came up to me and asked me if they could take their photo with me. You know they posted it on Facebook or wherever. You couldn’t buy great promotion like that! (If you wear a mask, do like Disneyland does, and keep up the air of mystery and do not speak to anyone while wearing your mask!)
With Kosia Sawicka. (Photo by Hendrik Frentrup.)
I was, though, a curiosity to the other people at the film festival. Some said sandwich sign man inspired them, some laughed; others ridiculed me (really). One time two young filmmakers walked past me, pointed at me, and one said, “That’s what we should be doing. I wonder how much that costs?” Being an old punk from the late 1970s early days of punk, I thought, “It doesn’t cost anything. It’s free. Have you guys never heard of D.I.Y.?”
Even Joe Strummer of the Clash never forgot his D.I.Y. roots and often made the pin badges and items for the band by hand – even after they were really famous.
On the day that I was informed that the World Premiere of my movie, “Ghostroads – a Japanese Rock n Roll Ghost Story” was sold out. I felt so happy. Ours was one of the few that sold out. In fact, both our regular screenings were doing so well (thanks to sandwich man?) that a third screening was added.
I was told that the third screening being added was only the sixth time that’s happened in the 25 year history of the Raindance Film Festival. Maybe Sandwich sign man is an embarrassing job. Maybe it is low class… But there also is an old saying, “He who laughs last, laughs best.”
When I found out we sold out opening night, I had a hearty last laugh.
The next year, our second film, Matsuchiyo – Life of a Geisha” was selected, and this time, I knew what was going on, so I spent a little money. I got a mask and a cheap Japanese jacket and sold out three screenings!
Hiyotoko – The God of Fire (mask cost $10, jacket cost $18) This is the costume I wore and nearly 100 people came up to me and asked if they could take their photo with me. Of course!
I have a film submitted now, it’s called, “Yoko’s Grapefruit” and I hope I get selected. Because if I do get selected, I’m going for 3 (4?) more sold out screenings. I think that’ll put me in the record books for Raindance!
“Grapefruit”. Starring Natsuki Belleza & Hiroshi Matsumoto.
Yoko’s “Grapefruit” will screen at the biggest and most famous Beatles Festivals in the World!
*San Diego International Beatles festival on June 2, 2023.
*Liverpool International Beatles Festival On Convention Day, Sunday 27th August, 2023
*Mexico City International Beatles Festival in December 2023.
It would make me so happy, and the Raindance folks ecstatic, if there were at least a few people outside their theater as sandwich sign man and getting butts into seats.
Do, you have the guts to do this? Do you have the guts to sell out your screenings? Do you really want to become a success in this film industry? Will you do whatever it takes to “Make it?”
Trust me, if you do, then at the nighttime parties, you will be the Toast of the Town. And you will be set up for future Raindance screenings. Think about it. What do you have to lose?
I was a sandwich sign man in London’s Leicester Square…. And it was a fabulous experience I will never forget as long as I live!
PS: Oh and I did get an All-Japan and Canada Theatrical release. DVD and Blu-ray release and my film is online at Amazon Prime AND I won an award at Raindance! You can do that too!
Mike Rogers [aka Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers] is a director, producer, and a radio host.
He was also known as “Nigel Nitro”, former lead singer of the Los Angeles punk band, The Rotters (who had the monster hit, “Sit on My Face, Stevie Nix” in the late 1970s.
Currently, he hosts the Mike Rogers Show on InterFM in Tokyo and on Radio Neo in Nagoya, Japan.
He is also the writer, producer and co-director of the 2017 feature film, “Ghostroads – A Japanese Rock n Roll Ghost Story” which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival 2017.
He is a founding member of the JIFF – Japan Indies Film Festival and JIMA – Japan Indes Music Awards.
