From Self-Promotion to Resilience: Trump-Inspired Skills for Indie Filmmakers

God! I hope Donald Trump and his band of ass-kissers get thumped in the election tomorrow. But I must admit, I am fascinated by his success. His main skill for indie filmmakers to consider is his self-promotion talent. Trump is the text-book self promotional expert. He has also been able to fashion and monetise his Trump brand. Trump’s business skills should be questioned, Trump having survived numerous bankruptcies. But he is still able to raise money, although not at the same magnitude as his rivals. Which leads me to his core value to independent filmmakers: he knows how to achieve a big bang with a small budget where tight budgets and high visibility are essential.

Let’s put aside our repulsion of Trump, the man, and take a closer look into how his skills could be useful to independent filmmakers:

1.?Self-Promotion and Branding

Trump’s career has featured a remarkable ability for self-promotion. The Trump brand is highly visible and internationally recognised.

Branding is one of the most important skills for indie filmmakers. And here’s why: today’s media is oversaturated. So many different types of information are competing with each other to be seen. Getting your film noticed depends on your ability to create a distinct, memorable brand around your project or yourself. And like Trump, you can harness social media. The successful filmmakers today create innovative marketing strategies. They combine public festival appearances with online talk shows and interviews. Trump, you see, knows the value of creating a buzz.

Example: Self-branding and promoting one’s unique vision can create an audience even before a release. For example, The Blair Witch Project (1999), which got its European premiere at Raindance, and Paranormal Activity (2007) became box office hits through innovative marketing. Both films used a whispering campaign to leverage mystery to create intrigue. People flocked in droves to the cinema with a minimal ad spend. The trick is to create good word-of-mouth. Trump does this too, by focusing on a compelling (and hateful) narrative in his marketing materials. Like Trump, you need to emphasise what makes your story unique or culturally relevant. The Blair Witch Project set new standards for horror films. It was made for less than the price of a suburban family car.

Case Study: Mark Christopher Lee’s The King of UFOs (2024) is an example of a film project magicked from nothing. He has used the tool of branding to get noticed all over the world. His film has basically hi-jacked the brand created by the British royals. He then mashed their brand up with UFOs and the paranormal. When Lee’s promotional campaign started getting interest from newspapers around the world, his self-distributed film started getting seen. His film was even mentioned in the prestigious Tatler Magazine. Mark achieved all this branding for less than a year’s London bus pass.

Branding in Practice: You don’t need big brand or studio money behind you to get noticed. Take a page from Spike Lee. He branded his debut micro-budget feature She’s Gotta Have It (1986) as part of a movement or cultural moment. He successfully branded himself as a new voice in Black cinema.

2.?Networking and Deal-Making

Not everyone should follow Trump’s so-called networking. He’s known for barging into the middle of a deal and getting what he wants and then disappearing before the proverbial hits the fan. But the lesson learned here is: ‘It’s not what you know, it’s whom’. Now the thing is, you can network like mad with a very limited budget. Here’s who you need to know: investors and financiers, sales agents and distributors, film programmers and, most importantly, other filmmakers. With likeminded filmmakers you can share war stories and also compare notes. All of these connections can help you elevate your work and enhance your personal brand.

Negotiation Skills: In my life at Raindance I am always negotiating. It could be for a better deal at the cinema. A better deal for a festival screening of a film. Or even a better deal with an equipment rental house for a film I might be producing. And what I like about Trump is that he pushes so hard for a deal. It’s not my personal style. I hate confrontation. But the successful filmmakers I know seem to be very good at pushing hard for what they need, as well as for what they want. And that can keep budgets down and results up.

Tip: How to negotiate a better day rate for yourself

Networking for Opportunities: Sometimes it’s all about being seen in the right place at the right time. It might seem chancy, but getting out and meeting and connecting with producers, industry influencers, or festivals willing to support your work is key.

Take Adam Morse. He’s an actor, writer and filmmaker. He rose to fame by directing the Google advert for the 2024 Super Bowl. His short film played at Raindance, and I found out today that a documentary about him, Blind Ambition, has just been greenlit. Adam is blind. And he has overcome his condition.

3.?Resilience and Adaptability

Few have had more roadblocks and obstacles set in their way than Donald Trump. And the potholes he’s hit would sink most. But somehow he bounces back. Like him or not, he shows??resilience and adaptability.

Look at the pitfalls fikmmakers face. Finance falling through, locations suddenly unavailable, cast and crew changing their availability. The more you look at all the things that could go wrong, you marvel how any film, at any budget level, gets made. Learn from Trump! A positive mental attitude and flexibility will usually allow you to bring your project home.

Creative Problem-Solving: Get really good at thinking outside the box. For instance, Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi (1992) started out with just $7,000 and made a film that launched his career. He used the resources he had available, and did not rely on resources he didn’t control. This film launched him straight to Hollywood. And he wroite ‘Rebel Without A Crew‘ where he detailed the resourcefulness he used to make it all happen.

Navigating Setbacks: Setbacks don’t need to sink you. A problem or setback is simply an exciting creative challenge. Exercise your creativity. There are always different ways to get your film made. Need inspiration? Look at the tenacity Trump has faced with the many obstacles in his ventures. Like Trump, stay committed to your vision.

4.?Effective Use of Media and Public Attention

I am sure that future media studies will use Trump’s media skills. No matter what hits the proverbial fan, he always managaes a comeback, often by leveraging controversial or unexpected statements. I don’t advise controversial statements for the sake of creating a firestorm. But you can take a page from Trump’s book and learn how to capture and hold media attention. Plan your poster images and film titles carefully – they should be strong visually and capture attention. Your trailers should be impactful. And join industry panels and events where you can keep abreast of breaking trends.

The trailer for the Raindance Raw Talent’s ‘Deadly Virtues’ (2014) got lots of people in several countries talking about domestic violence towards women long before the #MeToo movement.

Building Publicity: Don’t skip on marketing and publicity. Add in some budget to hire a good PR person. They can help you create press opportunities. You can also host Q&A screenings, and you can submit to niche film festivals. You can also engage with communities relevant to their film’s subject. For example, Greta Gerwig’s ‘Lady Bird’ (2017) found publicity through word-of-mouth at festivals, creating a buzz that reached larger audiences.

Mastering Social Media: How times have changed since I started Raindance in 1992. Back then you had to buy expensive ads on TV, radio and in newspapers. Now you can do an awful lot on social media for the price of a sandwich. And you can follow Trump’s lead by getting other people to talk about you. And don’t forget the power of niche audiences – in the same way that both Trump and Kamala are courting specific demographics in their presidential campaigns.

5.?Financial Resourcefulness

Trump was born wealthy. And his investments into high risk ventures haven’t always panned out. But we as filmmakers can learn from his mistakes by understanding financial risk. There are always alternative funding sources. Crowdfunding, grants, and tax incentives can provide the budget needed to launch a project. Keep costs firmly under control and allocate your resources smartly.

Crowdfunding and Audience Investment: Crowdfunding campaigns are hard work. But they can pay off. Using a platform like Kickstarter or Indiegogo lets you go straight to your fans. Veronica Mars (2014) used crowdfunding to raise over $5m. But then they had sizeable audiences on their social media.

Tax Incentives and Grants: There are loads of regional funds, and grants available. You just need to get your head down and do the research. Both the UK and USA have special tax incentives for private investors as well. If you can spare a fiver (free if you are a Raindance member), you can check out our eBook: 13 Film Finance Models to see which strategy fits your plan.

Fade Out

Like Trump, independent filmmakers need to be skilled at self-promotion, branding, networking, resilience, media savvy, and resourcefulness. Unlike Trump, you can also be a useful, likeable and loveable human being.

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