A true artiste may argue that in the end it does not matter how successful a film is, so long as the story is told. But if the true purpose of filmmaking is to tell a story, is it really a story if no one is watching?
With that in mind, filmmakers of the 21st century are left pondering the age-old question that suffocates the starving artist: what does it take to make my story heard? No doubt there now are a slew of technological luxuries at our fingertips – cheaper equipment and easy-to-use software – to make films with. But once the film is made, what does it take to get the buzz out?
That question was discussed this past Friday, April 23 at the kickoff event for the Meet the Filmmakers series being held at the Apple Store in SoHo throughout the duration of the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. Producers Karin Chien, Lisa Cortes (Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire), Mynette Louie, Jason Kliot, Jay Van Hoy and MaryJane Skalski were the featured panelists at the kickoff event.
Enter the catchphrase du jour: Social Media. Can Facebook and Twitter level the playing field for independent filmmakers? More and more often production crews are hiring social media specialists to help spread the gospel of a film. And it may seem, at first, that social media is the golden ticket, but not so fast, says those in the business
“The people we’re trying to reach aren’t affected by social media,” Kliot said. “Unfortunately when it’s more about auteurism it doesn’t tend to help us. I think that’s a problem … a disconnect between a truly artistic film and social media.”
Read the rest of this article at the Film Slate Magazine web site.
