In the world of theatrical film exhibition, a pressbook was a promotional tool created and distributed by

film distributor A film distributor is a person responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company may be the same as, or different from, the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film. The distributor may set ...

s in order to market their films. Sometimes called "campaign manuals," most pressbooks took the form of large, multi-page brochures that were mailed to movie theaters in the interest of helping theaters attract an audience. A typical pressbook contained images of the various advertising "accessories" available to promote a movie, including images of the available

film poster A film poster is a poster used to promote and advertise a film primarily to persuade paying customers into a theater to see it. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. The ...

s, lobby cards, and 8 x 10

film still A film still (sometimes called a publicity still or a production still) is a photograph, taken on or off the set of a Film, movie or television program during Film production, production. These photographs are also taken in formal studio settings ...

s. They also contained the various newspaper advertisements exhibitor could employ in local newspaper advertising as well as short, feature pieces that could be planted in local

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

s, usually without cost. During

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...

, pressbooks also contained various ideas for so-called exploitation campaigns, including

souvenir A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...

-style give-aways,

tie-in A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, website, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original proper ...

s and contests, as well as live promotional stunts. Most pressbooks also contained a list of the film's cast and crew credits (probably to assist local film critics.) A movie pressbook should be distinguished from a press book, which is a collection of works and communications used to represent an individual, group of individuals, service, company or product. Such press books are usually associated with professionals in the graphic arts, etc. but are used by people in many other professions as well.

References

*
'No war, no hate, no propaganda': promoting films about European war and fascism during the period of American isolationism
,

Alan Rostron Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Kurdish surname *Alan (given name), an English given name **List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' *Al ...

, ''

Journal of Popular Film and Television A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of personal secretive thoughts and as open book to personal therapy or used to feel connected to onesel ...

'', Summer 2002.

External link

Example Pressbook for ''Allotment Wives'' (1945)
Promotion and marketing communications {{Marketing-stub