Articles

To use the younger cast (particularly those known on TV: Jimi Mistry, Chris Bisson, Ian Aspinall and Emma Rydall) to promote the film to the style, teen & music press as well as TV and radio. Special photoshoot was done with Frank Spooner Agency in July.
To use Linda Bassett in the mid-range papers eg Daily Mail and on daytime TV eg GMTV.
To use Om Puri, Damien O Donnell and Ayub Khan Din in the upmarket, broadsheet press and arts electronic media.

To concentrate heavily on the tabloid press, drip feeding stories about the attachment of soap stars to the film, building towards interviews with Jimi Mistry (Eastenders) and Chris Bisson (Coronation Street)

Newspapers and magazines will receive a press pack, often in electronic form (electronic press pack, epk), that gives journalists a lot of material to use should they wish. This material includes plot summaries, character portraits, actors' biographies and quotes from - in the case of East is East - the producer and director. Extracts and photographs are included and interviews with stars on videotape. Much of this material is often included on the DVD as extras.

The East is East press pack included five selected clips of self-contained sequences and 'edited film clips', which consist of parts of the film that run well together, for example Abdul drinking in a pub is followed by the scene he meets his prospective bride. These can be used on television film programmes just as can the epk's B-roll (which simply consists of sequences that show the film being made) that can be used to fill screen time while the presenter talks about the film. Interviews (called 'selected soundbites') with Om Puri (George), Linda Bassett (Ella) and other actors plus two trailers complete the pack.


  1. How do you think the 'younger' members of the cast were presented in teen magazines?
  2. Why was Linda Bassett (Ella) ideal for generating editorial in the middle market newspapers such as the Daily Mail?
  3. Similarly, why was Om Puri, the scriptwriter and director more suitable for the broadsheets?
  4. Why were the soap stars best used with the 'red tops' (for example The Sun)
  5. And why were the stories 'drip fed'?

Ideas suggested, by the distributors, for articles

Features on soap stars moving into and making it in cinema.
The best old-fashioned chippers in the U.K.
How do you get on with your Mum and Dad?
Hip Asian culture.
Why the British make such good comedies.
Damien O Donnell as a talented new director


All of the above will generate potentially positive coverage of the film. Assess how each suggestion can be used to promote East is East.

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Crossing Over : Promotion : Articles