A press junket is a block of back-to-back interviews, usually over a day or two, where the cast and filmmakers talk to journalist after journalist to promote a film or series before it comes out. The studio, network or distributor's publicity team runs it, and your job is to be prepared, on message and easy to interview. Here's how it works, from Kym's press masterclass and the publicity experts in our library.
On this page
It's a publicity event built for efficiency. Instead of the cast doing interviews one at a time over months, the publicity team brings the talent and the press together in one place, usually a hotel or a studio, and runs interviews in tight time slots.
Junkets are mostly for the people the press wants to talk to: the leads, the director, sometimes a writer or producer. Supporting cast join when there's a story in them. More and more junkets also happen over video, so you might do a full day from a room with a ring light and a laptop.
Most junkets mix a few formats:
Expect the same questions dozens of times. Answer the twentieth with the energy of the first, because for that outlet it is the first.
The project's publicity team: the studio or network's publicity department, or a publicity firm hired by the distributor. They choose the outlets, set the schedule and brief the talent.
If you have your own publicist, they work alongside the project's team, not over the top of it. In her press and publicity masterclass, Kym explains that bigger projects have their own publicists, so you need a conversation early about who your press runs through. On a series, being tenth on the cast list often means the press isn't focused on you, which is when your own publicity matters. Forbes Riley adds that a publicist can only pitch you well if you're clear on what the story is.
It depends on your contract. Forbes Riley's answer to this exact question was blunt: read your contract yourself, every word, rather than assuming your agent, manager or lawyer has. If you were paid to promote, you promote.
Promotion clauses are spreading to indies too. In Journey 9B, written for actors who produce, Kym suggests filmmakers spell out social posts in the cast contract, such as collaborator posts on the teaser and trailer and a set number of story shares. So check what yours says before release week, not during it. This is general information; for your own deal, ask your agent or an entertainment lawyer.
Start with the publicity team's brief: what the project is about in one line, what's off limits, and which stories they'd love you to tell. Then build your own three or four talking points: why you said yes, something true from the shoot, what you hope audiences feel.
Kym's filter from Journey 8A is useful here. Decide who the curated, best version of you is in public, what you value and what you want to be known for, and run every answer through that before you open your mouth. And know your social handles: Kym recommends the same handle on every platform, because in a spoken interview you'll be asked where people can find you.
The publicity team will tell you what you can't reveal. Plot twists, cameos and casting news are often embargoed until a set date, and some projects run on strict non-disclosure agreements. Breaking one can cost you far more than the job.
Ben Whitehair's advice on set photos: take them, but don't post until the project is out or production has said yes, and if in doubt email production and ask. Kym's tip for big bookings under NDA is to share the excitement, not the details: tell casting you've booked something you can't talk about yet, then follow up when it airs.
Be present with each person. Forbes Riley's rule for a press line is to make the interviewer feel like the only person in the room, eyes on them, not scanning for the next camera. Bring the answer back to something people care about: why the story matters, why you took the role, what you stand for.
Don't assume the interviewer knows who you are or who you play. Give them the story. And if a publicist books you somewhere that clashes with your values, Forbes is clear: your publicist works for you, so listen to your gut.
Expect the studio to ask for posts around release: the trailer, the poster, behind-the-scenes clips once approved. Post what they send, when they say, and tag the project's accounts.
Kym's ask to filmmakers in Journey 9B shows what helps from the other side: a shared drive with the poster and full-resolution trailers, so cast can share quality versions without hunting for them. If yours doesn't exist, ask the publicity team for the assets rather than screen-recording a trailer from Instagram.
Most actors aren't, especially in supporting roles or on indies without a publicity budget. That doesn't mean no press. In her video on promoting releases, Kym suggests treating a big booking the way you treated your first one: tell your industry contacts, let casting know the release date, and consider a publicist for the few months before release. On smaller projects, she suggests offering to help the filmmakers with festival submissions and reaching niche blogs and podcasts that cover the film's subject. Our page on whether actors need a publicist goes deeper on pitching yourself.
They can, on family and teen projects. A parent or guardian travels with them, and Karen Workman told us that a busy manager often won't travel to every publicity day; many send a trusted representative instead. Ask early who will be with your teen and what the schedule looks like.
A press junket is a block of back-to-back interviews, usually over a day or two, where the cast and filmmakers talk to many journalists to promote a film or series before release.
The project pays. The studio, network or distributor runs it through its publicity team or a hired publicity firm.
Often only a few minutes for TV and video one-on-ones, with a publicist keeping time. Round tables with print journalists usually run a little longer.
It depends on the contract. Promotion may already be part of what you agreed to, so read your contract and ask your agent or an entertainment lawyer.
No. The publicity team will tell you what is embargoed, and some projects run on strict non-disclosure agreements, so stick to the approved talking points.
Sometimes, but junkets mostly feature the leads and filmmakers. Supporting actors usually promote the release through their own network, social media and press.
A junket is the busiest week your social media will ever have. Grab Your Free Instagram Guide before release week arrives.
Kym's free class: the ten steps, in order, from first class to first booking. Free, just pop in your email.
Get the free classKym's free class for actors who've been at it a while and want things moving again. Free, just pop in your email.
Get the free classWant the whole library? Start your 7-day free trial and watch every answer on this page.