SWAMP Salon : Social Media & Web 2.0 for Independent Filmmakers

Filed under Branding, How To, Social Media, Workshops |

I love film, both as an audience member and as a participant. (One of AYN Brand’s recent clients was “Owl and the Sparrow,” which premiered at AMC theaters in Houston last weekend.)  So when Michelle Mower of SWAMP (SouthWest Alternate Media Project) asked me to teach a free workshop on Social Media for Filmmakers at the Rice University VADA Theater (Media Center), I  jumped at the opportunity to support independent filmmakers by helping them learn:

• What are Web 2.0 and Social Media?
• How can I use them to brand my company and myself and establish an online presence?
• How can I use them to develop projects and distribute content?
• How can I use them to engage audiences and create a loyal fan base?

Through research for the workshop, I found a few excellent examples at PowertothePixel and Variety on how other indie filmmakers were tapping into the Long Tail for their fans’ financial support. These innovators used social media tools like IndieGoGo and ChipIn to crowdsource funding for their projects. They used social networks like Facebook and Twitter to connect with audiences and build interest and buzz for their films from concept to script to production to release … building communities online that led to loyal fans who later purchased tickets and DVDs.

I posted links to all the great online tools I discovered that filmmakers (and other artists, professionals, and organizations) can use to develop their online presence and promote themselves and their work at the AYN Brand page on 43marks.com – http://43marks.com/aynbrand. (Feel free to comment to this post with any more resources you think I should add!) As promised to all the incredibly engaged attendees of the workshop, I’ve posted the full presentation online and below. If you’d like me to send you the presentation, please contact me at grace@aynbrand.com with your info. And please: Enjoy…Create…Share…Repeat. Thanks!