Film, Social Media & The Future
Why You Need to Get Better at Sharing
I'm endlessly confused by the fact that the independent film industry doesn't seem to be capitalising on the opportunities offered by social media. For a number of reasons which are commonly batted about, film-makers are faced with new obstacles in reaching their audience. As one answer to narrowing traditional distribution avenues, social media offers a unique way to directly talk to, and engage an audience and foster an ongoing relationship. Plus establishing yourself on these sites is for the most part, free.
Cut to my version of the future film world, where social media enjoys a lot of influence. Faced with the choice of two (very similarly experienced, of course) writers or actors or heads of department, a producer planning to self or hybrid distribute the finished film would be a smart to go with the person with more followers, more fans, greater reach.
I am not looking to make the film-making process sound simplistic, or to minimise the huge amount of work that goes into a film. But I do want to talk about the great tragedy of a film that nobody sees- and how I think this can be prevented.
No film-maker can ever go into a project thinking this is going to happen to them. You need a huge amount of momentum- quashing any niggling doubt is necessary to move forward and make things happen. But films do often disappear off into the ether, unseen. Maybe they play at a couple of festivals. Maybe they spring up on a VOD platform. But they never really have an audience.
An audience cares about a film enough to go and see it in a theatre, to tell their friends about it and to share links and content that are provided to them. They have an interest in the film-making team and care about what else they might be working on.
These people don’t turn into a mobilised audience overnight. Even the most loyal of friends and family can lose interest in a project. And there’s not always a tangible ‘thing’ that turns someone into a supporter. It’s not that simple.
But there are simple tenets that can be followed. Communicate early, communicate often. Involve people when you don’t have to. Let people know what’s happening, what you’re thinking, what’s troubling, what’s amazing. Give people a rounder idea of your process, of the wider process and where they can, let them help. It will make your life easier.
There is an amount of effort that goes into communicating in a consistent and thoughtful fashion with your audience. Chances are this isn't yet a formal part of your job. Involving people in a creative process needs to be approached strategically. In my future world it’s a real job, with real responsibilities, skills and a budget. It’s a recognition that the internet is there all the time, not just when the urge to crowd-fund strikes.
