Publicists Guild (IATSE Local 818)

Overview

The Publicists Guild, operating as IATSE Local 818, is the union representing unit publicists, studio publicists, and related publicity professionals working in motion pictures and television in the United States. Founded in 1952, Local 818 covers the publicity professionals who manage media coverage, press access, and public communications for film and television productions from principal photography through release.

The unit publicist -- the primary Local 818 role on a film production -- works on set throughout principal photography and manages all press access to the production. This includes facilitating set visits for journalists, coordinating interviews with cast and crew, producing behind-the-scenes photography and video content, writing press kits and production notes, and managing the information released about the production to maintain controlled publicity momentum toward the film's release.

Unit Publicist Role

The unit publicist sits at the intersection of the production and the outside world. During filming, they are often the primary point of contact for journalists seeking access to the production and for photographers and videographers creating electronic press kit (EPK) content. They manage the tension between production security -- protecting plot details, casting surprises, and visual effects that should not be revealed before release -- and the publicity needs of generating advance media coverage that drives audience awareness.

Experienced unit publicists have extensive media relationships built over careers on major productions. These relationships are commercially valuable: a publicist who can call in editorial favors with major entertainment journalists, secure cover placements for talent, and generate sustained press coverage across the trajectory from production through release creates real commercial value for the film.

Studio Publicity

Beyond unit publicity, Local 818 covers studio publicists who work within studio and distributor marketing departments on the campaign for individual films. Studio publicists manage the media relationships and press activities during the marketing campaign period leading to release, coordinating with the unit publicist's set-based work to create a continuous publicity narrative from production announcement through opening weekend.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For independent productions, the unit publicist is a cost that is sometimes cut from tight budgets -- a decision that typically limits press coverage and reduces the film's visibility during production. The behind-the-scenes content, production notes, and media relationships built by a professional unit publicist create the raw material for the marketing campaign that follows completion.

For productions accessing the press junket model -- where journalists are brought to screenings and given cast interviews at a central location before release -- the publicist coordinates the logistics and manages media relationships that determine which journalists attend and what coverage results.

See Also

For the marketing and distribution context in which publicists work, see Distribution Deals Explained. For the broader IATSE structure, see IATSE in this directory.