How to Make a Snapchat Film!
I’m producing this content based on information I gathered from the Tribeca Film Festival. If you’re in the film industry, chances are that you’re familiar with Tribeca. The Tribeca Film Festival in New York brings together visionaries across industries and diverse audiences to celebrate the power of storytelling. It reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities.
Tribeca Snapchat Shorts
Tribeca recently released to the public the screenings for this year’s Snapchat Shorts. Really? The announcement was made today by Tribeca and Snap Inc. executives during the 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival during a celebration and screening of the work. Wait, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world is considering Snapchat shorts as an official segmented part of its celebration of art? Yes, they are.
How exciting is that? The Tribeca Snapchat Shorts was created in an effort to discover visionary artists in the mobile space. We continue to see new technology being introduced to the film industry in a way that opens door to new creatives! Now, you might be wondering how that’s even possible…i’ll show you.
What does a Snapchat Film Look Like?
Robust social media platforms, like Snapchat, offer an exciting means to tell new kinds of stories and engage a new audience. It’s exciting to not only be able to show the filmmaking community what’s possible, but also to share with ambitious independent filmmakers with a history of breaking new ground. You might be one of those filmmakers and this should help you get a better idea of how to start.
I’m linking this article to some of the finalist projects at this year’s Tribeca Snapchat Shorts because in watching them you will notice that they look like any other Snapchat video. The filmmakers did not shoot their shorts on a special camera or went out of their way to produce in a complex matter. They used Snapchat as it’s intended. The Shorts were all shot with their mobile devices, they used emojis, Snap filters and all the other fun features of the app.
The reason why this is important is because Snapchat short films should look native to the platform. There is a reason why content that is native to a specific social media platform thrives. Native content on Snapchat is simply the experience that follows the natural form and function of the user experience on the platform.
My Opinion About Snapchat
I should be transparent here and mention that Snapchat is not my favorite platform at the moment. Currently, the majority of my content lives on Youtube and Instagram. This is mostly because I like the discoverability options and the user experience. With that said, almost 160 million people are using Snapchat every day so I know there is an opportunity for filmmakers who favor this platform more than others. Recent studies by Business Insider say that most users spend a daily 20–30 minutes on Snapchat. That is more than enough time to watch a short film. If you’re a filmmaker and your favorite platform is Snapchat, you could become one of the first filmmakers to produce amazing films on the platform.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time filmmakers have experimented with Snapchat. In 2016, writer/director Hannah Macpherson borrowed the Snapchat account of YouTube star Andrea Russett to create a five-day, real-time horror film in the style of The Blair Witch Project. As social media becomes increasingly ingrained in our day-to-day lives, it seems likely that there will be more and more experiments like this.
The digital world has democratised the ways we produce and consume content. I would encourage all filmmakers to try and experiment.
That’s it! I hope this content gives you a little more clarity and even inspires you to create your first Snapchat film. If not, it should encourage you to try something new as a filmmaker. That’s what learning about the new Tribeca Snapchat Short screening did for me. I’m starting new projects that people have not tried before and I’m excited to share with you soon. Is Snapchat your favorite media platform at the moment? If not, which one? Let me know in the comments below!
