Social Media craze

[dlevanchuk]

Social media drives me insane! I'm trying to follow the advice that I keep seeing about how filmmakers need to be more engaged in social media to gain audience and this just feels like a terrible circle of death!

1. Create your own facebook/twitter/instagram/tumblr. Update it regularly with interesting things to say for your network. Pay close attention to what you post and don't make it boring.

2. Create your production company facebook/twitter/instagram/tumblr. Update in regularly with interesting and unique sh*t to say.

3. Create facebook/twitter/instagram/tubmlr for your movie. Update it regularly with interesting news.

Are you freaking kidding me?? By the time I'll figure out how to update all of there 12 different social media outlets - I will run out of time to be making movies


What is your opinion about social media and filmmaking?
Do you think it benefits you or does more damage?

 

[rayw]

What is your opinion about social media and filmmaking?
Do you think it benefits you or does more damage?

I think effective and engaging social media campaign is a full time creative job.
It's WORK!

Just like being the director is work.
Just like being an actor is work.
Just like being the PSM is work.
Being an effective and engaging social media manager (SMM) is work.

The benefit is there - but only if the SMM is actively working, which means hours and hours each day monitoring each outlet (irregardless of activity/inactivity levels), constantly researching what's going on the the peer-sphere, and integrating new information and approaches into a "package".

Clocking in for thirty minutes a day after the film is done to leave charming social media responses IS NOT going to provide any meaningful benefit.
You're just wasting time at that point.
Too much "tip". Not enough "all in!" (Yes. That's a double entendre. )



And to be truly effective the work begins as the whole project is coalescing from an idea stage, continues through development, script writing, casting & crew auditions, location scouting, props/costumes/set design, shooting, post production, festival campaign, and (God willing) festival showing or online debut.
Whomever is in charge of marketing and promoting your film product will heavily be involved with or as the film's SSM.

If no one actively markets your film or it has little to no interest when "done" and "in the can" it's pretty much DOA.
And if you wait until the film is "done" and "in the can" to BEGIN marketing and promotion it's still almost DOA.
You gotta start M&P early in the filmmaking process, no not let up throughout pre production, production, and post production, and even past the festival circuit.

It's work.

You could spend more time on this than on producing your film.

Easily.

 

[Morris]

There are some people who do this for film. The problem is that most small indies don't have the funds to hire someone like this. Occasionally, some may be part of production teams. You could spend more time on this than on producing your film.

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

Are you freaking kidding me?? By the time I'll figure out how to update all of there 12 different social media outlets - I will run out of time to be making movies


What is your opinion about social media and filmmaking?
Do you think it benefits you or does more damage?

Lets see, I post contents on 7 to 8 social media sites 4 or 5 times a week in order to keep sales of my feature film's DVD rolling along. Money in the bank? I like. Heck you can get your own copy here --> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963781332

How about your film? What is it doing?

 

[dlevanchuk]

Lets see, I post contents on 7 to 8 social media sites 4 or 5 times a week in order to keep sales of my feature film's DVD rolling along. Money in the bank? I like. Heck you can get your own copy here --> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963781332

How about your film? What is it doing?

Damn man! You're all over the web with Lexie Cannes! Great job!
We're still in film festival death loop haha Maybe I should pick up a few pointers from you.

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

An easy way to handle social media is to create content on a blog and from there, SHARE to the other sites -- indeed, some sharing can be automatic. Wordpress will automatically share to FB, twitter, and linkedin.

Instagram is difficult to work with from a blog, but I've an uptick of sales just from adding that site recently.

And finally, your blog doesn't have to be about your film, but rather, the genre or anything related to it. Likewise you don't ever want to do a hard sell -- just put plenty of links to buy your product on your blog and at the end of each articles.

You don't have to be the one writing the contents either, but whoever does has to be seriously committed.

Good luck.

 

[Cracker Funk]

I hate film festivals! (except for the ones that are awesome)

I hate social media! (at least for promotional purposes, just cuz I'm clueless with it)

They make me feel like this:

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

My advice for film festivals is to submit and forget. If you're in, it'll be a surprise.

Life is too short to rant about each festivals shortcomings, the selection process, the $$$ they took and the waiting. Just submit and forget. You'll live longer.

 

[ItDonnedOnMe]

1. Create your own facebook/twitter/instagram/tumblr. Update it regularly with interesting things to say for your network. Pay close attention to what you post and don't make it boring.

2. Create your production company facebook/twitter/instagram/tumblr. Update in regularly with interesting and unique sh*t to say.

3. Create facebook/twitter/instagram/tubmlr for your movie. Update it regularly with interesting news.

If you're doing this yourself I don't think you can afford to break it down like this. You just end up diluting your efforts. Better to focus on creating a single brand and make everything a part of that. And definitely use something like hootsuite to manage all of your social networks from one place rather than posting to each of them individually.

 

[WalterB]

Indeed: keep your own facebook for friends and create a single 'brand' to promote your movies.
But yes: it will cost time you can't use anymore to make a movie.

 

[VictorSW1974]

You also need to stand out from the 67 million other filmmakers hustling via social media.

And there is a backlash brewing against excessive postings and absurd hype in some FB movie groups. Indie filmmakers who come in without making friends first or at least introducing themselves will get flamed and ridiculed.