Creating Web Content for TV

I would like to pose a question: If you could find the same type of content on the web versus television, then why would you ever view it on the web?  The web gives filmmakers a limitless amount of creative freedom.  Do not waste this freedom by creating your web project as a stepping stone to an alternate platform, ie: TV and film.  Put yourself in the viewers’ position and recognize that they are not seeking to replicate the experience they have with television and movie theaters. Utilize the web to express your vision with the uninhibited freedom that you intend your story to be told. Yes, the web currently lacks a model for monetary compensation to compete on a scale with traditional platforms.  However, the web provides the most cost effective distribution and widest reach, enabling filmmakers to find their audience.  Focus on developing relationships with your core audience, using the web to directly connect to them.  Leverage these relationships and the reputation that you build to create opportunities outside of the web on traditional platforms.  I am not saying that you cannot generate income from the web – that would be completely false.  I am saying that it is neccessary for filmmakers to recognize that the web’s greatest benefit is broad and inexpensive distribution, allowing you to find and connect to your audience.

Film Investing: The Outperfoming Sector

The Film Industry has historically been recession resistant, and it is apparent that this economic downturn is no different. As evidenced by two hedge funds, Grosvenor Park and Aramid Capital, the film sector does not necessarily correlate with what is going on in the overall markets.  Grosvenor Park and Aramid Capital are among the few hedge funds that are not experiencing investor redemptions during a time when many will go under. Since 2005, hedge funds have invested about $15 billion in the motion picture industry.  Tax credits and foreign presale distribution deals have not only guaranteed that investors recover their principal, they have proven that generating double digit returns from financing independent films is not an unrealistic expectation.  Our thanks to Julia Boorstin at CNBC for pointing this out in her article Hollywood’s Un-Risky Business. Visit CNBC to watch Julia’s coverage on The Call.

Cate Lombardo : Marketing

Cate Lombardo’s background is in the world of entertainment PR, specializing in technology, film and interactive gaming. Cate’s experience with high profile clients such as Codemasters, Konami and RedOctane, has garnered press in publications such as Wired Magazine, Time, Rollingstone, and Business Week. Cate assisted in the launch of successful titles such as Guitar Hero III, and Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80’s. In addition to traditional gaming, Cate has expanded her expertise to include social networks, mobile gaming, episodic gaming, virtual worlds and film.

Cate Lombardo began her marketing career in Chicago at Midway Games. There she worked in public relations, writing press materials and managing media coverage. Cate provided support for numerous Midway titles including Stranglehold, Blacksite: Area 51, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and Unreal tournament III.

Cate Lombardo graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in
Marketing Communications, and a concentration in Public Relations.

The CEO Filmmaker

One of your primary objectives as a filmmaker is to raise money.  Without funding, you have no film.  Filmmakers by nature are creative people, who are good at putting themselves in others’ shoes.  Yet, for some reason they often struggle with putting themselves in the investors’ shoes.  In order to be successful at financing independent films, the filmmaker must be able to do this. Sixty percent of independent films are funded by individual investors – you need to start thinking like them. Break investors down as you would a character in your script.  Determine what motivates them – what is the film investors’ objective?  I will give you a hint… it’s green.

Knowing why your film needs to be made and why you are the only one to make it is not enough. You need to know how and why it will make money. Filmmakers need to have a firm grasp on business of show business, understanding that ROI is king.  This allows you to better communicate your film’s value proposition to the film investor, ultimately allowing you to achieve your creative vision.

Expose yourself to the same material that Investors do.  Here is a few books to get you started:

Film Distribution & The Industry of Innovation

It is an exciting time in the film industry, a time of immense change. Never before have filmmakers been able to expose and capture audiences with the speed and scale that the web enables. Internet film distribution is shifting the concentration of power toward the many individuals who create content.  This shift empowers filmmakers, providing a distinct advantage to those willing to learn and adopt the tools that the web provides.  However, this broad change is in its infancy, and though it is off adverse interest for Sceneclips to recommend that filmmakers spread their content among many internet film distribution platforms, it is in the filmmakers’ best interest to do so.  As the web continues to develop industry leaders will emerge, providing filmmakers a clear answer of how to best capitalize on the web’s power.  Our advice to the filmmaker is to align yourself with respectable companies that project the image that you as the filmmaker wish to project.  Doing so will help you to find your audience, and ultimately be of the most benefit to you.  As a film industry network serving filmmakers and investors, Sceneclips will do our absolute best to continuously innovate, keeping an open dialogue with our members to address changing market needs.  Our goal is to be that leader.

The Drive-By Post

Sceneclips has been getting some traffic from the Filmmaker Magazine forums lately, which initially started with a kind reference given to us from a forum user going by the name of C8PR. A couple days and a few dozen hits after the post, I went and replied to C8PR, thanking them for the acknowledgment. While there, I poked around contributing to a post or two, and have gone back a few times since. What is amazing to me is how many drive-by posts there are. Some of them are so ridiculous that I am not sure weather I want to laugh or vomit – take a look at this one:

HEY EVERYONE…STUMBLED UPON A NEW WEBSITE THAT SCREENS INDEPENDANT FILMS. I GUESS ITS KIND OF LIKE AN ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL. THE SITE IS CALLED XYZ. ADDRESS IS WWW.XYZ.NET. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS COOL BECAUSE I HAD NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE. THEY HAVE ABOUT 10 MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM ( ALL ORIGINAL INDIES ). THEY ALSO HAVE INDEPENDANT MUSICIANS, I HAVE NOT LISTENED TO ANY YET. I DID WATCH A COUPLE OF THE FILMS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND CALLBACK: THE UNMAKING OF BLOODSTAIN. VERY PULP FICTION LIKE BUT NOT AS VIOLENT. I ALSO WATCHED COMMIT, WHICH I DID ENJOY, VERY GOOD PREMISE. THEY HAVE SOME COOL TRIVIA GAMES AND BLOGS AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS …VERY COOL STUFF. DEFINITELY WORTH CHECKING OUT.

…To answer your questions, no I didn’t modify it (except for the company name), yes it was in all caps, and yes I agree, it stinks of self-promotion. Now I understand the thought behind businesses posting in forums, they are made up of concentrated groups of highly involved consumers. Forums allow a business to target their market as directly as it gets. However, I am quite positive that the drive-by company poster thinks their consumer has a mental deficiency. Otherwise, I don’t see how it is possible to be so stupid as to represent a company with that level of ignorance. Businesses take note, forums are for discussion and consumers can smell bullshit a mile away – don’t do drive-bys.

Walk The Walk

I find it quite amazing how many crappy companies there are in this industry claiming to provide a valuable service to their members.  I HATE the term member.  Maybe it has to do with my non-conforming personality, maybe.  But I am fairly certain it has far more to do with the fact that the majority of these companies suck, and every time I hear about their memberships I think great, which way are they trying to screw me now?  I loathe the fact that Sceneclips uses the word member.  I am trying to think of another phrase or way of marketing it.  Sceneclips is not the average film industry network.  I will absolutely not stand for anything that compromises the integrity of our brand.  Thoughts? – post a comment or shoot me an email.

The Future Of New Media

Last night I attended a new media panel discussion hosted at the SAG headquarters. The panel was entirely composed of SAG members who are diving head first in to new media, creating businesses and launching web series. It is exciting to see content emerging on the web with such high production value – as was displayed at the discussion. Innovative content creators recognize the benefits of internet film distribution, making it easier for them to find their audiences. Take a look at a couple of the webisodes that screened at the event, Horrible People and Let’s Get Laid. For more information about professionally created web content check out Tubefilter.

Horrible People

Let’s Get Laid