What Can We Learn From Black Dynamite and Social Media

Here's a brilliant article on what the film Black Dynamite can teach us about social media. Take notes kids, you may think this stuff doesn't apply to you, but it does. If you want to get people to notice your work, social media is going to have to be in your to-do list.

Go here for more details.

Weekend Rewind: July 10th, 2010

 

Here are a few things you may have missed last week: 

A Historical and Modern Look at Forced Perspective http://lostinschlock.blogspot.com/2010/07/historical-and-modern-look-at-forced.html

Learn How to Build a Web Audience
http://lostinschlock.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-build-web-audience.html

How to Make Blood Sponges
http://lostinschlock.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-make-blood-sponges.html

Lost in Schlock is now on Facebook

How to Build a Web Audience

It's a tragedy when so much time and money is spent on a movie or a web series and after its release there is nary a mention of it.  No audience, no word of mouth, nothing. 

What is the point of making a movie or web content if you forget that an audience must be built, lured, and even loved, to get your project noticed and taken to a higher level.

Filmmaker Chris Sharpe has taken the skills that he has gained from producing and directing the cooking web series, Hilah Cooking, and is sharing what he has learned on how they built an audience for the show.  It's highly recommend read.  Go here to learn more.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BAD CONTROVERSY

Here is a quick and dirty trick for all of us filmmakers out there. First check this out and then come back. Okay, good you're back. Yeah, I know. Crazy, isn't? Now here comes the trick; first say to yourself there is no such thing as a bad controversy. All controversy is a good thing, especially to those who are in the independent scene. Having a film that has suddenly been noticed by the news media and the public at large for something controversial is just as good as a free billboard space.

Now secondly, you take whatever statements or slurs have been hurled at your film and somehow integrate that into your own ad campaign. So for example in the case of the gentleman and his film being pulled off a film festival's schedule he can now say on the DVD cover art, posters, and what not, that his film was "Banned" from the such and such fest.

So now when some Schlockhead walks into a video store and sees that on the cover of a DVD the chances of that film being rented or bought have increased, all because of that statement. Because after all that customer may wonder why the film was banned and what makes the film so controversial. Curiosity will get the best of him and he will watch it and tell his friends and the word of mouth will spread thus helping this flick get some free notice.

Now remember that whenever you have a film that was banned from a festival or some sort of controversy has arisen of your project. It's all good in the end.

LOVE THE FANS AND THEY WILL REWARD YOU A THOUSAND TIMES

Here is a brilliant article that should crib notes off of (Boing Boing):

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans...

Assume conservatively that your True Fans will each spend one day's wages per year in support of what you do. That "one-day-wage" is an average, because of course your truest fans will spend a lot more than that. Let's peg that per diem each True Fan spends at $100 per year. If you have 1,000 fans that sums up to $100,000 per year, which minus some modest expenses, is a living for most folks.

One thousand is a feasible number. You could count to 1,000. If you added one fan a day, it would take only three years. True Fanship is doable. Pleasing a True Fan is pleasurable, and invigorating. It rewards the artist to remain true, to focus on the unique aspects of their work, the qualities that True Fans appreciate.

Read the full thing here.