Optimizing Your Film’s Website Part 3: Social Media
July 25, 2009
Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing that exists and never before has it been as scalable as it is today. Social media is the best tool to spread word of mouth and build your audience, period.
Listen. Respond. Engage.
Though I question the viability of many social media companies as businesses, one thing is certain, social media has completely changed marketing. No longer do businesses have complete control over their brands. They are now at the mercy of public opinion. If your product sucks, advertising dollars will not solve the problem. Social media provides no control over how wide or how fast word spreads. Bottom line, focus on content. Your content is what your can control. Just as the script is the foundation of your film, compelling content is the foundation of your website.
Film websites and social media strategies should be integrated from the start. Unfortunately, social media is one of the most misused tools by filmmakers. The mistakes center around the misunderstandings of what social media is about. Social media is about:
Listening
Listen and understand what people are looking for and use it to create content on your film’s website. If you do not listen you will just become part of the noise. Take time to listen.
Personal Relationships
No one cares about your independent film on Twitter. After it gets released, the relationship will seize to exist. They care about you. They care about your story. Focus on building your brand, not your film’s.
Authenticity
Be real. Be you.
Gary Vaynerchuk Talks About Business & Life
July 23, 2009
Gary Vaynerchuk @ Big Omaha 2009 from Big Omaha on Vimeo.
I watched an inspirational video last night of Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary speaks about business in a broad sense, but also about life – and isn’t that just what film is about. Great films make you examine life. Great films inspire you. That is just what Gary Vaynerchuck does in this video.
Part 3 of Optimizing Your Film’s Website will be posted tomorrow – enjoy the video!
Optimizing Your Film’s Website Part 2: Management
July 22, 2009
Manage Your Film’s Content Effectively
From adding trailers to reviews, a film website requires you to make constant updates. The most efficient way to do this is through a content management system (CMS). A content management system allows you and others to easily create, publish and manage content for your website. The two basic types of content management systems are closed source and open source. Closed source refers to a system where the code is locked, thus requiring modifications to be made by the vendor. Open source refers to a system where the code is open to modification by the public (think Linux vs. Windows). As a filmmaker, I advise you to choose an open source CMS for a few reasons:
- Open Sources Is Cheaper
Notice I do not say free – while you will incur no licensing fee, it is likely that you will incur some cost of development. - Broad Support Community
If you have a question you can harness the collective knowledge of all the CMS’s users through many different forums and blogs. - Premium Templates & Add-ons
Because designs and add-ons are produced in bulk, you get website customization at a fraction of the cost.
Once you make the decision to employ an open source CMS, the next step is deciding which one to use. I would focus on two systems, WordPress and Joomla. Though (many will gripe) WordPress is not a full-scale CMS, it is more than adequate for a film website and it’s ease of use provides a key advantage over Joomla. Although, along with Joomla’s steeper learning curve comes more functionality. Since every film website has different requirements, it is important that filmmakers weigh the pros and cons between the two. This article is a good place to start.
Bottom line: You need to make it as easy as possible to create content, because great content engages users and engaged users spread your content. This means more viewers for your film and more money for your pockets.
Optimizing Your Film’s Website Part 1: Content
July 15, 2009
Websites are the independent filmmakers’ marketing foundation. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing advice on building a successful film website for your production.
Focus On The Right Content
Film hype is not earned, it is created. Think of your film’s website as the online press kit. Focus on delivering valuable content across your website that will actively build and engage your audience.
Trailer
The trailer is your film’s primary marketing and sales tool. Decisions are often based off your trailer. You know the importance, make it awesome!
Synopsis
Sum up your film’s storyline in no more than three quarters of a page – your film’s synopsis should fit on the back of a DVD/Blu-ray jacket. You may also link to a short, medium and long synopsis to make it easier for journalist syndication.
Recognition
Viewers trust people they know (or feel like they know). Reviews and third party endorsements provide viewers with opinions from trusted sources. Include newspaper/magazine articles, press releases and links to online reviews. List the journalist, publication and excerpt, along with a link on the homepage.
FAQ’s
Every journalist asks filmmakers the same ten questions about their film’s production. Create an FAQ section on your film’s website to provide answers to the most common questions.
Production Stills
Hire a professional photographer. Stills will be used throughout your film’s marketing, from t-shirts to cover art. If you are running a tight budget, hire a photographer on the day(s) that you are shooting the most action.
Filmmaker Interviews
Everyone loves to get inside the mind of a storyteller. During the shoot, hire a documentary filmmaker to shoot the making of your film and interviews with the cast & crew.
Filmmaker Bios
List each of the filmmakers’ credits and link to the other websites/coverage of productions that the filmmakers have been involved with. Make them short and make them interesting.
Connect
Just as a car with no gas is useless, so too is a website with no way to connect – they may be nice to look at, but that’s about it. A film production’s website needs to make it as easy as possible for viewers keep in contact and stay up to date. Use tools like RSS, email newsletters, direct contact and leverage the power of social media (more on this in a later post).
Can TV Survive Long-Term?
July 8, 2009
I believe it can. However, the current TV business model requires progressive change.
PricewaterhouseCoopers recently released their 2009 -2013 Global Entertainment and Media Outlook. The report shows no signs of the shift to digital advertising as slowing, yet PWC estimates that overall ad spending in 2013 will be lower than 2008. How can this possibly happen when the the amount of advertising channels continues to increase at an alarming rate?
Here is why:
- Fragmentation leads to more supply
- More supply and volume results in lower ad-rates
- Up until 2008, the trend was masked by strong markets
The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook report stresses that the shift to digital is not a new trend. It has simply become more apparent during tough economic times. Traditional media suffers from a lack of accountability.
“More than 77% of traditional advertising agencies are increasing the amount of digital in their budgets by 1% to 29%. And over 10% are upping online budgets by 30% or more.” -eMarketer
“The economic crisis will accelerate the shift of focus and importance from traditional media to digital media.” -SoDA
“The combination of accountability, convergence and the infusion of digital media into every facet of life makes the future look bright for marketers making the move to digital.” -Ad Media Partners
As the demand for traditional advertising declines, CPM rates drop and television becomes less profitable. Will the Web save TV? Great insights on the subject from a recent Bloomberg article – Loyal ‘Simpsons’ Fans Fetch Higher Ad Rates on Web. From the article:
“Marketers, who are now considering commitments for the 2009-2010 TV season, are willing to pay more because TV.com and Hulu.com, owned by investors including News Corp., NBC and Walt Disney Co., provide committed viewers who actively seek out shows. There are fewer commercials, and consumers are twice as likely to recall Web ads.”
Technical Tips For Online Movie Production
July 6, 2009
Shoot progressive not interlaced
Online productions should always be shot in progressive mode to deliver to best viewing experience over the Web. Though most filmmakers do this already, it is worth noting. Since streaming video is delivered progressively, productions should be shot in progressive mode to maintain the best image quality.
Minimize the background
Complex backgrounds make it difficult for encoders to achieve optimal image quality during file compression. The effect of complex backgrounds (high contrast, textures and moving objects) is often artifacts that result in a loss of detail around the focal point of the frame. The human eye can perceive an enormous degree of complexity, Web encoders cannot.
Lighting is critical
Filmmakers know the importance of lighting for film. However, keep in mind that the more elaborate your lighting, the more difficult it is to compress your film for streaming purposes. When creating Web specific video for your film production (interviews, extras, etc.) try to make the lighting as simple as possible.
Test, Test, Test
The video that you release on the Web reflects the quality of your film. Before you publish, test!
Streaming Production: Improving Your Video Quality was delivered at 2009’s Streaming Media East conference and provides an in-depth guide on producing the highest quality online video.
