2009 was a great year for connecting with a lot of great people online. Especially via Twiitter and Facebook. I have certainly found some potential collaborators for the future, so on that basis alone, it has been great. The audience for my film is different. I have been building a database of military sites I have been partnering with, which fully kicks into gear from this month.
CASES STUDIES, INDUSTRY NEWS
Twitter has also been great because it’s a great space for sharing. It really has a community sharing spirit. As well as learning from my own mistakes, I have learned a lot from case studies of people who have been doing their own production and distribution. I have also learned a lot about new services, technology, trends, industry changes. I have been taking it all i like a sponge, and I now have a clear plan what I need to do for this current project, and the next projects.
DOING, SHARING, TRANSPARENCY
I think what is really important is “doing & sharing” How can we have strong opinions about what is right and wrong for us individually, if we are not constantly doing it. We can’t just listen to advice from laptop gurus! I listen to people if they have tried to climb the mountain, and they report all the hazzards they encountered.
I dont listen to those who try to predict what could go wrong on that climb. Too many people think they have the future all sussed after reading articles we all pass around. One minute we all think we theatrical is dead, it’s alive again, free is the way, free is not the way etc.
GUT INSTINCTS
Its a business where you have to be so single minded with your career path, almost to the point of arrogance. Why? If you advance to the big time, and you are pitching to suits for money, they will ALL think they know better than you. If you dont have a seriously single minded spirit, you wont have a career. A film or two maybe, but not a career.
So my point is, all this sharing experience is great. But some of the stuff that is also been shared is not experience, its asumptions, predictions. It’s positive one day, negative the next. I would like to see more of us that are making films and distributing, share all the ups and downs. We need to be confident enough to get out there, make our OWN mistakes, and learn fast from them.
I found the www.diydays.com a great resource, (and many other sites I will blog about this month) simply because you are getting transparent case studies from people who are doing it. I think we all need to be doing and blogging a lot more to help each other. I intend to be much more transparent this year with the film community.
GLOBAL TOUR OF “DEATH MOVIE” www.deathmovie.co.uk
At this minute, I am not qualified to say that a global tour of a new film is the way to go. I can only confirm that after I have done it, and weighed up all the ups and downs myself. I go with my instincts after I have researched as much as I can. I LOVE making mistakes myself, it’s the only way to really learn what works and what does not. Doing! Not talking! Too much talking in the world.
Like I said, we all need less “predicting” and more “Action”. Thats my objective for 2010 If I fall on my ass spectacularly, you will also see that. Why show failure? My definition of failure is different from most of societys. I know I will probably have to kick a door 1000 times before I can bust it open. So 999 kicks were not failing.
However, todays society expects overnight success without very little effort. Thats really the pursuit of “celebrity”, not a passion for what you do. If you get that, prepared to be controlled, and expect to fade away quicker than a fart in a wind tunnel! I have zero desire to be a “celebrity” I would kill myself first!
I look forward to following everybody in 2010 Big Thanks to my long term followers, and welcome to the new people. The vast majority of people I have found via social media are great, so long may it continue. And I really appreciate all the support that people have gave me in 2009.
cheers
David
Twitter: @indiemoviemaker
