I'd like to know the same as well.

I have not tried to market myself or my work yet on Facebook. Sadly the only friends I have are, my real friends. But I have some thoughts about using it as a platform.

When it comes time to use Facebook for marketing, I am going to focus on my friends who really dig movies. Luckily I have a number of friends in the industry, so I hope these people will be good contacts. But I have 3-4 times more friends who are movie buffs. There are movie buff applications for facebook.

As far as connections go, I find that it is a lot easier to manage contacts that you already have via facebook rather than finding new contacts, but that may be more a function of my network than Facebook as a platform.

http://mitchmclachlan.blogspot.com/

I'm so glad to see this post. A week ago I started an organized program of making contacts. I'm using Myspace Facebook Twitter Wordpress and Livejournal in conjunction with my website. So far its been a lot of work. I'd be interested to see what your experiences are. I could see it taking up a lot of the time I have available for film making. But on the other hand without marketing and promotion I'm just making films for myself. http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1200506707 Please be my friend.

It works great for me. I have my whole network of pre, prod and post prod contacts added. It overall seems much for professional than Myspace. I was also able to use Facebook to then book my meetings with those contacts who are working on my projects, setup groups to post and send out general production information and it all works from my blackberry and iPhone as well!

So far so good!

David Schatanoff
D Studios Productions

I like Facebook because you can easily post your work and check out the work of your peers

I've only used Facebook for keeping in contact with friends, and slight networking.
Have not yet organised a company page, never thought it was worth it.

I agree with David that it appears more professional than MySpace.

Award winning sound design and post production audio: www.radium-audio.com

rc444 the best way I've met contacts is the old-fashioned way by working with them. If I ever needed additional help, I always put out an ad on craigslist but I usually stuck with the people I am comfortable with.

Nothing fancy, just honesty.

Facebook seems to work pretty well for keeping in touch with people. Prior to that, I had some success with Myspace in the promotion of an actual movie. Haven't tried that aspect on facebook just yet.

Go here: www.filmmakingstuff.com

Don't try MySpace- it's a blackhole of creative compromise and ignorance. And pedophiles ?zing!?.
I assume FaceBook would be better. considering it's a college site mostly, so there would be more people willing to look at a page that's serious.

Any tree can drop an apple. I'll drop the freaking Moon!

Most of my work comes from word-of-mouth recommendations in REAL life. I do have many "friends" on Facebook (and a LOT on Myspace) but for real work, I don't ever count on it or expect to make new viable connections. If anything, I am able to keep in touch a little easier with Producers and other crew I already know, but there aren't a lot of new connections being made that turn into real work.

I have put up a Facebook GROUP site for What I Really Want to Do that is currently building with a list of actual working professionals in So. Cal. instead of the normal "wannabees" who populate other Groups and forums. That group has current industry news that actually effects working professionals instead of the usual "look at my short film and give me a job" posts that clutter other places. There's a time to "dream" and there's a time to be realistic and get to work. I and others like me genuinely try to help in order to "give back." That's what a place like Facebook and this forum should be about...helping others in any way we can. I'm glad filmmaking.com exists and that platforms like Facebook let professionals and aspiring filmmakers come together in ways that were unheard of even ten years ago.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com