05 – Public relations
Public relations risks begin when you begin, so they should be considered through all phases of filmmaking — from development to distribution.
Assess
Controversial or newsworthy documentaries or those involving high-profile subjects or filmmakers may attract attention when someone becomes aware they're in development.
Inadequate participant care — including preparing participants for the impact of public exposure on their careers, relationships, and safety — is another example of a public relations crisis for which film teams should be prepared.
Who might come out against your film or your team and why? What could they use to try and discredit you and your work? You may want to brush aside this thinking, but it's better to be prepared if it does happen.
Monitoring mainstream and social media is necessary as soon as there is any public awareness of your film, likely in the development or pre-production phase of filmmaking. Set up alerts for the director’s name, participants' names, the film’s title, and other terms that may help draw your attention to issues that arise.
Mitigate
Being prepared is the key to successful public relations crisis management. This includes having a team in place who will be responsible for the crisis response and empowered to make decisions, a plan to control and minimize crises before they happen, and prepared materials, statements, and established relationships with allies who can be relied upon in a crisis.
Draft and continue to revise — at the start of each new phase of filmmaking — concise language about the content of your film and the issues it raises. Share this language with those who may speak about the project to ensure consistency, while simultaneously limiting those who can speak about the project, particularly to the media.
In the unusual circumstance when your film is embroiled in a public relations crisis, you may need the expertise of external crisis management.