In an earlier post I suggested that behind the scenes material on the DVD isn't the best way to use those stories. Stories from the making of the film are valuable. Not so much for pure entertainment value, but more as a film marketing tool. Though these stories can be compelling content, they are best used as a way to interest media in your movie. With media interest comes more exposure and fans still get the peak behind the scenes many of them crave.

There are so many things that happen during the making of a movie that it can be difficult to know what's good and what's just inside jokes.

Writing Of The Script

One of the things that was mentioned ad nauseum about "Juno" was the facts surrounding the writing of the script. Not only was it interesting that the writer was an ex-stripper but also the fact that it was written in a Starbucks in a Target somewhere in Minnesota. These are things that media love to repeat even if another outlet has already broken the news. Think on the writing of your script. Consider anything unique about it or whether you can introduce something unique to it if it hasn't been written yet.

How The Cast Met The Filmmakers

To this day people still talk about how Lana Turner was discovered, though the movie she first appeared in has largely been forgotten. She was at a cafe cutting class, a man noticed her, introduced her to a producer, and soon she was in pictures. At the time this was exciting, though now it's become a bit of a cliche. The way your actors are found can still become an interesting anecdote that will help people remember your movie and have media want to tell others about you.

How Money Was Raised

The Coen Brothers' first feature film "Blood Simple" was funded by getting a lot of small investments from Mid West dentists and doctors. At a time when independent film wasn't a household phrase, these filmmakers took a unique approach to making their movie and it paid off with media attention. Having your movie dependent on an inordinate amount of money is counterproductive, but an interesting story of how funding was gained can help you spread the word when the media turn out to want to tell your story for you.

Unusual Film Inspiration

Sleep Dealer, a sci-fi film screened at Sundance 2008 got a write up in Wired. The movie was purported to be inspired by a Wired Magazine article and I can't help but believe this helped them get this media coverage. You needn't have your movie be inspired by a particular publication, but you should definitely consider what the inspiration was and if there is any story that can be told arising from it.

Cast Bio Tid Bits

Novelist Aleida Rodriguez was once introduced as having been "born on a kitchen table in Cuba". This is something I never forgot and it can help people remember your work as well. If you have an interesting personal bit you can include in your communication with media it can help you stick out. A company I read about was formed by two "former Israeli fighter pilots", this too I remembered. What is in your casts' bios that you can use to help people remember you better and want to pass along the news to their friends, even.

Story Behind Name Of Film

Some people just title their film with whatever first comes to them. A name with a story will help you better get the word out. Not a movie but a company named Miramax was christened thus in honor of the parents of the brothers who founded and ran the company until recently; Miriam and Maxwell. If you can come up with a story around the name of your movie or put a little more thought into it that develops into an interesting anecdote, it can help you garner media attention.

Where Edited

I never expected the editing of a movie to ever loom large in the media stories of a movie. A recent movie "Son of Rambow" was edited on a barge and has been mentioned a lot in any media stories about the film. So it goes to show that any unorthodox aspect of the movie making can play a part in helping spread the word about the movie if given a chance.

The goal isn't to fabricate ridiculous, tacked-on, fantastical stories or copy what these people have done. The idea is to give a lot of attention to what stories you already have waiting to be uncovered. Pay a little attention to making the normal goings on of the filmmaking and see if it can be made more interesting with a little effort.