What is a Press Release?

A press release (sometimes called a “news release”) is a written document intended for the news media. Its purpose is to generate interest around a company, event, product, film, etc. In the public relations world, press releases are used to obtain interest from the media and receive publicity.

How to Write and Format a Press Release

A press release provides the essential information to a journalist: who, what, where, when, and why. Review these example press releases to build your own:

• Blank Press Release
• Wesley Willis Press Release
• Analog Days Press Release
• Florida Film Festival Press Release
• SXSW Press Release
• Telluride Press Release
• Tribeca Press Release

Heading

The content of a press release should be typed in a clear basic font such as Times New Roman, Arial, etc. The type should be double spaced.

The key information that is included in this area:

• Contact name. This can be a participant’s or a filmmaker’s contact. If a participant is initiating the media contact, it may be best to include his/her contact to expedite communication between the media. This should be addressed with the filmmakers early on.

• Contact phone number and/or e-mail. Note that in some press release formats, all the contact information is placed at the end.

• Release date. If a press release is for immediate release put, “IMMEDIATE RELEASE”. If the release is embargoed put “EMBARGOED UNTIL”. This is then followed by the date the release is being sent or the embargoed date.

Title

The title or headline is the next essential element of a press release. The title should be be short and grab the attention of the journalist and entice them to continue reading. The title should describe the content of a press release, such as this title for the 2008 Florida Film Festival documentary feature Wesley Willis’s Joyrides, “WESLEY WILLIS JOYRIDES INTO 2008 FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL”. It is helpful to construct the title from keywords within the body of your press release.

Titles are written in bold and often in all caps, although some formats vary with the capitalization. When not placing in all caps, proper nouns should be capitalized. Titles are typically larger than the body of a press release and should utilize the present-tense, excluding “a” and “the”. If needed, a subtitle can be included below the main title. The subtitle should utilize both lower and upper case lettering.

Dateline

This should be the city your press release is issued from and the date you are e-mailing the release. Some press release formats have the date placed beneath the release date and others after the name of the city of origin.

Body

First Paragraph/Lead

The body begins with the date and city, followed by a dash, from which a press release is originating. The body includes the essential information about the screening of the film: who, what, where, when, and why:

Note the first paragraph mentions the screening is an “East Coast Premiere”. This is an example of an element that can help set your film apart from others. The 2007 Florida Film Festival opened with the independent film The TV Set, starring David Duchovny and Sigourney Weaver. A press release to promote that film may have looked like:

Second Paragraph/Body

The second paragraph focuses on aspects of the film including the plot, setting, notable elements, etc. Journalists are looking for a hook – something that will allow them to justify to themselves, their editor, and an audience that your film is worth writing about (and viewing). This is a good place to use parts of the pitch, synopsis, and/or history of your film.

or

Company Boilerplate 

Press releases often end with a short paragraph that describes your organization, company, or service.

Contact

Participants should decide with their filmmakers on what contact information to include. Here are several key elements to include:

• Contact name. This can be a participant’s or a filmmaker’s contact. If a participant is initiating the media contact, it may be best to include his/her contact to expedite communication between the media. This should be addressed with the filmmakers early on.

• Film name. The name of the film can be included instead of, or in addition to, a contact name.

• Contact phone number and/or e-mail.

• Web address.

• Mailing address.

End

Press releases are often kept to one page in length. This makes a press release easier to read and will increase your chances of being noticed by a busy journalist. However, if you have a large amount of content you can continue past one page.

The standard for signifying the end of a press release is three pound signs (###) centered below the last line. If a press release is more than one page, replace ### with “more…” The second page should include “Page Two” in the upper right hand corner.

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Licensed by Randy Finch and Nick Martinolich under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. This license allows you to copy, distribute, and transmit this work as well as create derivative works. Any copies or derivative works may not be used for commercial purposes, must be distributed under a same or similar license, and in addition must contain the following language: “The Film Fest Marketing Project was developed by Randy Finch, Nick Martinolich, Sam Torres, Alex Bowser, Morgan English, Masha Murakhovsky, Jeph Alexander, and the faculty and students of the University of Central Florida’s Film Department, working with the Florida Film Festival, and with the support of the Sarasota Film Institute.”