The Guest Spot: Beau Leland talks The Facebook, The Twitter, The Filmmaking and The Internet
This is the first entry in a conversation we’re having with filmmakers on filmCENTRAL about the role of the internet in filmmaking. Today’s post is written by a good friend of the festival, filmmaker Beau Leland. Beau co-directed Rainbow Around the Sun with our programming director Kevin Ely. You can read more of Beau’s thoughts over at his own blog, http://invisibleartsonline.com/
When I was younger with aspirations of becoming a filmmaker, I knew it meant a lot of things. I knew it meant I needed to man up on my film history, the craft itself, the newest trends, etc. But what I never expected to have to master was this business we call “the internet.” I’m not sure any of us knew we would. But today making a great film is only half the battle. Today you must become one with “the internet” in order to create an audience for your film (this may not be the case for well-established filmmakers, but it certainly is for less-seasoned ones). Sure, marketing has always been a part of filmmaking, but in today’s indie world and today’s indie lack-of-money disorder that plagues so many of us, the use of DIY internet marketing has become a crucial survival tool. And guess what. This can be very difficult for someone who, for lack of a better term, LOATHES the brainless droning that social networking can be. Maybe loathe is a strong word, because I can’t stop checking my facebook or twitter every minute or so. But it seems that this week, I’ve had an epiphany. Social networking doesn’t have to be used for dim-witted darkness, it can be used for the powers of good. But it’s still a jungle out there, and I have a lot to learn.
I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to establish the online life for my wife Stefanie’s film Where Did the Horny Toad Go? and I think I finally may be starting to grasp the wonder of social networking. It may be a tiny grasp, but it’s been interesting nonetheless. With Rainbow Around the Sun,” my partner in crime, Kevin Ely, handled all of that stuff, and still continues to do so. But one thing we always struggled with as filmmakers is exactly how much of our film we wanted to make accessible online. How soon do we put our trailer up? SHOULD we put our trailer up? On how many platforms should we create a presence? Myspace? Facebook? Twitter? Virb? Our own site? If we show too much online, will we risk losing screening opportunities or festival runs? What’s the answer?
Strategy. If filmmaking is what you’re good at, then approach your online presence like you would your film. At least this is what I have gathered. Plan a strategy like you would in pre-production of your film, or when deciding what festivals you want to approach once your film is finished. No matter how many social platforms you decide to run with, proper planning and consistency among them is key. My friend Chris Sharpe’s first language actually may be social networking. His attention to detail and continuity when promoting his film “Sex Machine” was impeccable, and the strategy he had in place for his second film was like a finely crafted Swiss time piece. His style was consistent among each platform, and his online fan base grew everyday. Not necessarily by putting more of his film online, but by keeping the fans engaged with the pages themselves. Whether he knows it or not, Chris has kind of been my unofficial mentor in the social networking realm (though I don’t know he’d claim me as a grasshopper).
So, the “Where Did the Horny Toad Go?,” “Rainbow Around the Sun,” Chris Sharpe. What are they telling me? They’re telling me I need to get the ball rolling, and keep it rolling. If I don’t do it, nobody is going to come along and do it for me. It’s time that I brush aside my unjust distaste for sites like Twitter and Facebook, and harness their power for good. I need to beef up on my blogging skills, and dare I say it, HTML skills. I need to focus more on online trends. I need to look at films that I enjoy, and learn what THEY did when promoting themselves. Wait, how long have I ben typing? I need to check my Facebook…