Getting products into movies and on television is a great way to generate publicity for your invention and yourself. There are several ways to accomplish this goal.
One route is to contact the large movie and TV prop houses in Hollywood. Anyone can do this with their product. Prop houses are always in need of the newest and best of all types of products. Don't expect to get paid for your product, or to get any screen credits for its inclusion in a movie or TV show. It is up to you to make the most of the publicity that is generated by such exposure, if it happens.
I contacted a major prop house, Ellis Merchantile, about my product, the POWER STAF. I explained what I had and offered to let them have several working and nonfunctional models to keep on hand. I flew over to their location (at my expense) and introduced them to the product concept. Within a short period of time, they had made arrangements with a movie prop coordinator to use the product in a movie. That turned out to be the science-fiction movie, The Running Man, starring Arnold Schwartzenegger. Although most of the scenes where the product was used ended up on the cutting room floor, the product still appeared in the movie and I still got the chance to spend a day on a movie set with the prop and stunt men, getting them acquainted with the product. I also got to meet the stars of the film.
The same prop houses supply equipment for most major TV shows, so products at these locations have an equal chance for exposure in both mediums.
Your chances of getting on TV and radio are even better on the talk show circuit. One way to get onto radio and television talk shows, as well as be sought out by news and feature publications is to be listed in the Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons. This is published by Mitchell Davis through his company Broadcast Interview Source, 2233 Wisconsin Ave. N.W., #406, Washington, DC 20007-4104. This publication reaches over 90 percent of the major media sources in this country. They also sell the most comprehensive listing (in hard copy and computer disk) of the top media contacts for radio, TV and print media. This list can be your ticket to getting your promotional materials in front of the big names in the media.
Yet another way to advertise your expertise in any particular topic for the purpose of media attention is to take out an ad in one of the several magazines that specialize in promoting talk show guests. One major magazine is Radio TV Interview Report . This bi-weekly all ads magazine is sent free of charge to over 5,000 radio and TV stations across the country. It is, in my opinion, a little expensive, but it works! I put a one quarter page ad into six issues (3 months) a few years back. I was promoting my new book (Ideas Equal Income). I received over twenty-five calls from stations around the country which resulted in fifteen radio appearances.
Or you can start your own magazine, I DID. At one point in my career I created a magazine called Talk Out, which reached over 1,000 radio and TV talk-show hosts, producers, and program directors. This was a reliable and inexpensive method I created to get my face and story in front of the people who were in a position to give me free air time to promote my invention or expertise. I started TalkOut in order to get the maximum publicity at the minimum cost. In fact the business took off and had a life of its own which not only gave me free book publicity each month, but eventually came to interfere with my other inventing activities.
NOTE: A word of caution to anyone seeking media publicity via these methods.
Know your topic! The easiest way to ruin your media career is to overexpose yourself when you are not prepared for the attention. If you come across as a bumbling amateur who is just trying to get in print or on the airwaves, it may be your last time in the spotlight. Don't try to use the fact that you're an inventor as your hook to get interviews. Use your invention or expertise in a subject, instead. The reason for this is simple: inventors are seen as a dime a dozen, and worse, they already have a fairly poor public image. Everyone feels that their own ideas are great, but inventors have the responsibility of proving it via working products. Without the proof, why will you be any more interesting to put on the air than anyone else who says they're an inventor with an idea?
