Sell your screenplay on Filmarket Hub — Part Six
Engage your audience through social media
It’s no secret that right now, nothing works without help from social media. Every industry has been revolutionized by online technology, and entertainment is no exception. Here’s an example: recently, some actors have complained that casting decisions were being made based on their amount of followers on social media. Whether you agree or not with such an aggressive online policy, it’s important to use social media to your advantage.
The biggest change brought by online communication is that the audience is no longer remote, quiet and mysterious. Through social media, you can connect with your future audience long before your film is released, sometimes even before you begin shooting. You can know what they’d like to see in your film, and turn the creative process into a shared experience. The biggest advantage here, in addition to the positive effects of constructive feedback, is that you’ll be creating a loyal community of followers, even in early stages of development. And as you can imagine, there’s nothing a producer loves more than a script that already comes with its own guaranteed audience.
A screenwriter’s community-building tools
Crowdfunding campaigns, while quite limited in terms of actually financing an entire film, will also help you connect with your audience and build a community that believes in your project. Film production has become a two-way, open dialogue, and that’s a great opportunity for creators such as yourself.
Here’s a few questions you should be asking yourself when you design your social media campaign: are you going to have a mobile app for your project? Or perhaps a transmedia strategy? Can you connect yourself to a topic of interest in social media? If you’re making a film or TV show for children, will you be making an interactive game as well?
As you can see, it’s all about trying to think like your audience, right from the start. Know what target you’re writing for, and define your strategy based on that. Open your creative process to the world, and build a loyal community!
