Official Blog
It’s all about practice
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Welcome to the final post in Howcast’s Modern 101 for Emerging Digital Filmmakers. On Friday, October 1, we kicked off our series with
Embracing exploration: being a filmmaker today
and today we’re wrapping up with a video co-produced with
Tribeca Flashpoint Academy
,
How has the web changed film school
?
Over the course of our series, we
shared breakfast with
our
Howcast Emerging Filmmakers
and learned instant gratification is a huge benefit to being a web filmmaker; we offered up a
digital roadmap
for filmmakers;
sat in
on
Shooting People’s
Ingrid Kopp’s Digital Bootcamp; talked with some producers about
how the web is changing film festivals
; and
outlined
one filmmaker’s plan of attack for distributing and promoting his short documentary. (Plus,
lots
more!)
We felt it was fitting to end up at the beginning of a film career -- talking to current film students and professors about how the web complements a formal film education and how web filmmaking will fit into students’ careers after graduation.
As the students at Tribeca Flashpoint Academy explain in their video, they watch hundreds of hours of web video each week and they upload regularly. The web is giving them a chance to learn how audiences respond to their ideas and their professors see it as a viable venue for quality work. This is exciting news for filmmakers everywhere. Whether you’re in school or not, the web’s vast network of videos, collaborators, and viewers is reachable within minutes.
There has always been one thing about film school that can’t really be summed up in a course catalogue and a filmmaker can’t get working in a vacuum, and that’s the chance to fine tune your craft amongst other young creators and veteran professionals. Create, share, get feedback, create again. It’s all about practice. This chance to practice was really only previously available to a small few with the resources to access equipment and education. Thanks to technology, today a filmmaker anywhere -- in film school, in high school, or even a hobbyist -- can see an innovative video, be inspired to make their own, upload, and get insight from a worldwide community of filmmakers. To me, that’s been the most important lesson we shared in our blog series.
Happy holidays and happy shooting!
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched “
I Hope This Gets To You
”.
Case Study: Building a campaign for a short documentary using YouTube, Facebook and other sites
Friday, December 17, 2010
Last week in our ongoing Howcast series on filmmaking in the digital age we talked about
how the web is changing the traditional path toward film festivals
. This week, we bring you an interview with filmmaker
Sam Kauffmann
whose films have screened at festivals all over the world and who is using the web to distribute his latest short documentary,
ACT out against SAT
.
I ran into Sam at the
United Film and Video Association
conference this summer. He was one of my professors at
Boston University
about 15 years ago, a time when we didn’t even shoot on video let alone consider “uploading” anything to the web. It was really exciting to talk with him about how our careers had evolved in this digital age.
How is the project different from your previous work as a documentary filmmaker?
ACT out against SAT
is the first documentary I’ve ever made that uses an on-camera reporter to anchor the film. In all my previous documentaries I’ve purposely avoided using any on-camera talent, because to me the “talent” always gets between the audience and the subject. What’s different about this project is that I collaborated with my daughter Allie, who is 17 and a high school student. Not only does she have a really good camera presence, but she’s also going through the college admissions process and taking the grueling standardized tests.
What are your goals for this project?
Our goal is simple: we want people to reevaluate the use of these standardized tests for both scholarships and college admissions. We’re not saying all standardized tests are wrong, but that these are. Any tests that are so coach-able — meaning you can teach someone tricks — are inherently flawed. What happens is that people with money can buy the best coaches and get the best results. The results are based on economic class rather than merit. Seems sort of un-American, right? So we hope that people will see the
film
, study the material on our
website
and sign the
petition
to change the way colleges use these tests.
You’ve decided to use the web as your main distribution outlet—what is your plan of attack? Can you explain your model?
This is above all a campaign and the film is one part of it. The film is only nine minutes long for a reason; we wanted something that worked well on the web. In the past, I might have created a stand-alone documentary of 30-60 minutes to handle this topic. Now I think it’s better to make a much shorter film and combine it with a really informative website. We actually have four elements to the campaign: the film, the
website
, a
Facebook page
, and a
petition
. The hope is that the film will attract attention to the website; the website will provide lots of information and links to other sites; and the Facebook page will help us attract a much larger audience to both the film, the website, and the petition. This project will become bigger and more powerful when people add their stories and experiences to the campaign.
Can you tell us why you you’ve decided to approach distribution this way?
In 2007, I made a short film called
Massacre at Murambi
. It screened at over 30 film festivals all over the world, including Seattle and Slamdance. It was aired nationally on PBS. But its biggest audience has been, and still is, YouTube. More than 870,000 people have watched this serious film about a serious topic. Clearly if you want an audience for your short film, YouTube is the way to go. To try to make real change you need a good website, the power of social media and YouTube.
As a filmmaker who is experimenting with this model for the first time, do you have any advice for other filmmakers who are looking to use the web to distribute, promote, engage and launch careers?
I think it’s important to put together a small but dedicated group of people to help you do this. There is too much work involved to do all this by yourself. There are other people much better at some things than I am. My team includes my daughter, and current and former students, including some talented folks at
Push Partners
. If you don’t have money to pay, barter your producing, directing, shooting or editing skills in exchange for their skills. Stay together, stay loyal to each other, and as your careers advance, you’ll all benefit from each other’s success.
Next week, Howcast will conclude its semester-long series, a Modern 101 for Emerging Digital Filmmakers, with a video produced in conjunction with
Tribeca Flashpoint Academy
students and professors -- How is the web changing film school and the career paths of young filmmakers? Stay tuned!
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched “
Cat Diaries: The first ever movie filmed by cats
”.
Chief Household Officer: Using new media know-how to run your family
Friday, December 3, 2010
Ask any working parent and they’ll tell you they have two jobs; the day-job, and the one that takes up all the other hours of the day - that of “Chief Household Officer.” Today's multi-tasking CHOs are full-blown owner/operators of their households, employing all the same methods as corporations—from programming the daily calendar to Tweeting the kids home for dinner, from running weekly budget meetings to implementing long-term financial strategies.
“Chief Household Officer”
is a new series, produced by Howcast and brought to the web by HP, that takes you inside the real-life households of these remarkable working parents and focuses on the cutting-edge techniques and innovative technologies they use to keep their families running.
New videos will be updated weekly, so be sure to check in each week for useful how-to information from decisive CHOs who have made taking charge of their families and homes truly a 'growth industry.'
Karen Cahn, Head of Sales, YouTube Partners, recently watched Gary ""
Baba Booey" Dell'Abate Pitch on Jimmy Kimmel Live
".
Uploading 101 with Professor Compressor
Sunday, November 28, 2010
This week in Howcast’s ‘Modern 101 for emerging digital filmmakers’ we’re pleased to welcome guest lecturer, Professor Compressor. Professor Compressor is one of the most revered thinkers in web video and is renowned for his ability to compress and upload videos using the proper codecs, in the correct aspect ratios, and at the precise data rate, so that they look, as he would say, ‘wunderful!’ Professor Compressor comes to us through the magic of video all the way from an Indian archipelago via Eastern Russia to share his expertise on uploading great-looking web video.
Thank you for watching Professor Compressor’s compression video! Here you can find all the pertinent notes from today’s lecture:
What is a codec?
A codec is the format in which you compress your video. It could be a variety of different formats, but the most modern, powerful, and commonly used codecs are H.264 and MPEG-4.
Why H.264 and MP4 (MPEG-4)?
H.264 and MP4 are wunderful codecs! They allow you to have a tremendous quality video at a fraction of the file size. Lets look at a theoretical example:
You’ve finished editing and have made a beautiful 1920x1080 master file. But it is in the Apple Pro Res format, and is over 2GB. This file won’t work for the web. The video codec is too large and the file size is too big. Inevitably you will end up with a low quality video, because the master file is not designed and optimized for the web.
Take that file and transcode it into an H.264. Since web players are designed to work seamlessly with H.264, you won’t have to worry about choppy or corrupted playback. And H.264 encodes your video in such a way that you won’t see a noticeable drop in image quality. What you will see is your 2GB master file shrink to less than 500MB -- perfect for the web!
Help, my footage looks stretched or squished and there are black bars bordering the footage!
This is a common problem that results from uploading an incorrect frame size. When uploading, you need to make sure the video is in the correct frame size for the player. This could be a variety of different frame sizes, varying from SD to HD, so check your website’s FAQ on uploading for instructions. The most common frame sizes are: 640x360, 640x480, 720x480, 1280x720, and 1920x1080.
This problem could also result from an incorrect Pixel Aspect Ratio. Pixel Aspect Ratio (or PAR) can be a little confusing, but the simple way to think of it is that this setting tells your program what aspect ratio to encode your video, at the pixel level. It determines how the digital information is presented and viewed onscreen. I recommend square pixels for HD, PAL for PAL, and NTSC for NTSC, though this can vary.. The best option is to play around with this setting when exporting until you get your video looking pristine.
Help, my video looks muddy and detail is lost. My text looks almost pixelated and the video is generally very low quality.
Low image quality is usually due to a low data rate when exporting your video. When exporting your video, you’re given many options; one of these is data rate. Setting the data rate to automatic will usually result in the best image. It is also highly recommended to do a multi-pass encode. It will take longer than a single-pass encode, but it will result in a much smoother video with higher image quality.
Well, that was a lot of information! Digest it, experiment, and start uploading those WUNDERFUL videos!
Nardeep Khurmi, Howcast’s Post Production Specialist (a.k.a Professor Compressor) recently watched "
Pygmy Jerboa
".
YouTube Holiday Solutions Center to the rescue
Sunday, November 21, 2010
With Thanksgiving around the corner, another holiday season moves into full swing. Every year at this time, we see searches for cooking videos and turkey recipes surge on the site, and it’s one reason we’ve aggregated many great culinary videos on a single channel, the
YouTube Holiday Solutions Center
, which is back for its third year.
For 2010, we’ve spiced up this holiday destination with even more recipes and how-to tips, including:
This tasty and easy-to-follow stuffing recipe from Howcast...
Ideas to decorate your home for the holidays from Real Simple Network...
A guide to building a gingerbread house with the family from Epicurious.com...
We’ll be updating the channel daily, so make sure to check back regularly. We might just have that solution you’re looking for.
The YouTube Holiday Solutions program is brought to you by Target.
Lee Hadlow, Marketing Programs Manager, recently watched “
How to Carve a Turkey
.”
How producing for the web can fit into a filmmaking career
Friday, November 19, 2010
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, is writing weekly guest posts for the YouTube blog on filmmaking in the digital age. You can catch up on previous posts
here
.
After a
little break last week
, we’re back today to share a post I’ve been really excited about. When we first began planning this blog series I knew I wanted to interview an established filmmaker who could share their experience producing videos for the web versus other more traditional venues like television. Someone who has worked professionally across platforms definitely has some insight into what makes producing for the web unique and how it fits into a filmmaking career. This week, I’m happy to introduce Clayton Long, producer for the
Bajillionaires Club
, which has worked on television and web projects for companies like Cisco, Kodak, Travel Channel and made over 30 shorts for
Howcast
. Clayton grew up in Dallas and currently lives in Los Angeles.
1) Tell us what you do and you how you got started.
The
Bajillionaires Club
approaches each project differently. Some days I'm wearing the development hat; other days it's post-production, and others it's coordinating resources and communicating with clients. The guys I work with (Tom Campbell, John Erdman and Bryan Madole) are all brilliant creatives, so that makes my job easy. I surround myself with brilliant people and hope some of it rubs off.
We've been collaborating since grade school, making short videos for fun. In high school, we started making videos for our English classes. We modernized Hamlet and set it in a bowling alley. We made a redneck version of The Canterbury Tales. They were big hits and gave us the confidence to keep going. Everyone scattered for college -- I attended UCLA's Film, TV, and Digital Media Program -- then came back together.
A trailer for a film the
Bajillionaires Club
will be shooting in 2011.
2) When did you start making videos for the web and why?
Our first video was made when we were all living in an apartment together in Hollywood. One weekend we had a 35 MM camera package sitting around our apartment (which is, by the way, not a prerequisite for making a successful web video), so we decided to make a
few commercials for Folgers coffee
in the style of those old ads from the ’70s. They were very unique, and when we uploaded them on websites like YouTube, they attracted some attention. We built relationships with companies like Howcast, which led to other web-content related jobs. The rest is history. So yeah. Just for fun. But we definitely had an angle we were going for.
3) Are there things that work on the web that simply do not work in other venues?
Randomness works incredibly well on the web. Audiences are young, and they're interested in something new, different and weird. Spoof works really well on the web, though it can survive elsewhere. But why shell out the money to see Vampires Suck when you can laugh at that same one-note joke on the web done in two minutes?
4) Are there things that work for TV or film that don’t work for the web?
Sure. TV and film projects take more time to develop. They're much more polished, and a lot fewer of them get made. In short, there are a lot more rules. You must develop your characters with a certain timing, revealing bits and pieces as you go.
5) Describe your crew and equipment list for web video. How is it different from your crew and equipment selection for other projects?
Depending on the budget, we might use a 5D, 7D, T2i, or an HVX. Sometimes we just use a Flip or another low-cost HD consumer camera.
The budgets for web projects are smaller, so the equipment list is smaller and the crew is leaner. Crews can be anywhere from three people to 10, depending on the project. But we always light, and we often use dollies, cranes and other traditional means of making shots stand out, even if the camera we're using is the size of a cell phone.
6) What's your favorite web video?
Too hard to pick a favorite. “
Muto
,” “
Cows & Cows & Cows
” and “
Independence Day
” are great animated pieces. “
Who Needs a Movie
?” is still one of the best. I also recently saw a
really weird video
about horses by this band called L.A.Zerz. Can't find anything about these guys, but I dig their style.
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched “
Abandoned Six Flags New Orleans Tour
.”
Howcast vlogger wanted!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Howcast is changing it up this week, and Heather Menicucci’s weekly series on
filmmaking in the digital age
will resume next Friday.
Help Howcast find our first video blogger!
We're looking for someone to produce, edit and host our new video blog taking a look inside Howcast and the world of how-to. This is a real, paid part-time gig in our NYC office in SoHo.
Want to show us what you can do? Tell us why you should be the face of our new series by submitting a video response on YouTube. Be as creative as you want as long as you highlight Howcast's how-to content.
Be sure to check out the full requirements below, which include a dynamic onscreen presence, availability to work in our New York office, and serious video shooting and editing skills. Entries will be judged on originality, charisma, technical prowess and YouTube user comments.
Sound like you? Maybe your best friend? Your cat? OK, maybe not your cat, but you get the point. Anyone could be harboring dreams of online video stardom, so spread the word!
And if you think you've got what it takes, submit your audition now:
Here's how to enter:
Visit
YouTube.com/Howcast
to watch the casting call video.
Review the job requirements* and make sure you qualify.
Create a vlog entry highlighting both Howcast’s how-to content (
sample videos
) and your own individuality. Don't forget to wow us with your shooting and editing skills!
Upload the vlog entry as a video response on YouTube to this video
here
by Nov. 30.
Send us the link to your video response and full contact information (name, phone number, e-mail, mailing address) to
vlog+casting@howcast.com
.
If you’ve got questions, e-mail
vlog+casting@howcast.com
.
Katy Zack, Communications Manager, Howcast, recently watched “
Trash Machine.
”
* Requirements:
Fun, dynamic personality
Great on-camera presence
Availability to work in Howcast's NYC office at least 2 days each week
Minimum one year commitment
Video shooting and editing expertise, experience with Final Cut Pro or comparable editing software
Bonus: After Effects experience
Great videos on a budget: how to fake a zombie attack
Friday, November 5, 2010
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, is writing weekly guest posts for the YouTube blog on filmmaking in the digital age. You can catch up on previous posts
here
.
Last week
, we made some arguments for why quality matters in web video, and we heard from Howcast filmmaker
Luke Neumann
, who said that it matters “because you never know who’s watching.” Duh! Watching Luke’s videos, you can tell he’s motivated by much more than that, but as we said last week, it’s a good starting point.
Luke’s been making Howcast videos for about a year now and he’s got more than 50 under his belt. From the beginning, he impressed us with videos like “
How To Yodel
,” where he showed he could build a story around a simple script, work in some cool camera angles, and make us laugh. Last week we featured one of his newest spots, “
How To Survive a Zombie Attack
.” If we thought Yodel was pretty darn good when it came in a year ago, you can imagine "Zombie Attack" knocked our socks clean off.
Luke clearly strives for the best every time he uploads. The web offers free access to audiences like no medium ever has. As filmmakers, we’re tasked with not squandering this access. Every upload should be better than the last to keep this audience coming back for more and to refine our skills for the day when perhaps we are handed that huge check to make something.
We asked Luke to let us in on how he does it. How did he make this gorgeous zombie video on a budget that would barely cover the average wedding video? How did he create that apocalyptic feeling, complete with fiery explosion? And, how did he make his
zombies look like they’re decomposing before our very eyes
?
Here’s Luke’s first “Behind the Scenes” video for Howcast. This is the first part of a new series where we’ll be letting you come behind the scenes to see how our filmmakers make the most creative how-to videos on a DIY budget.
Step 1: Cover yourself in plain old dirt to look like you’ve been to hell and back.
The
Walking Dead
producers could learn something from Luke!
Want to learn more about how Luke created Zombie Attack? Visit his
blog
where he posted in-depth tutorials, photos and a cool trailer.
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched “
Howcast: Vlogger Wanted!
”
Should quality matter in web video?
Friday, October 29, 2010
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, is writing weekly guest posts for the YouTube blog on filmmaking in the digital age. You can catch up on previous posts
here
.
Since I started working in web video, the most common misconception I face is, web video equals low quality video. This week we asked “What do you think the differences are between making videos for the web versus other venues like film festivals or TV?” on
YouTube's Facebook fan page
. Though there were a lot of positive voices talking about the immediacy, democracy and audience engagement of web video, some of the comments unsurprisingly echoed this idea.
Quality, quality and um.... quality!
Quality, length, content, plot.
The web accepts anything.
Sure, one of the most exciting things about the web is that anyone can upload. Of course, that means that not all the videos we see are going to reflect even our most basic standards for quality video -- a steady camera, clean images, good lighting, clear sound. On the other hand, right alongside the
cat videos
(which I admit, I do get a kick out of),
works of video art
can happily coexist.
We've spent the
first "section"
of our “Modern 101 for Emerging Digital Filmmakers" providing an overview of web video -- talking to filmmakers about why they make web video, sharing websites every filmmaker should know, and offering tips on taking your first digital steps as a filmmaker. We're about to move into our production section where we'll interview filmmakers on the equipment they use, go behind the scenes to hear how they make their videos, and demystify uploading, codecs and metadata.
Before we enter this nuts and bolts section of the series, I wanted to tackle this last misconception regarding quality. Quality concerns are some of the most common reasons I hear filmmakers saying they aren’t interested in uploading their work, and there are a couple counterpoints I’d like to offer:
Player, length and file sizes are increasing because viewers actually want to watch high resolution, great-looking video on their computers and even TV, as devices like Google TV come on the market.
Filmmakers, like the
Neistat Brothers
who recently landed an
HBO series
, but also like our very own filmmakers who use their
Howcast
spots to woo clients, are getting jobs based on the videos they upload to the web. Make sure every spot you upload is one you’re proud to put your name on because web videos = calling cards.
60% of internet users watch videos online
and that number is up 33% in 2.5 years. In other words, the audience is here and growing. And as more and more television viewers migrate to the web or simply plug their televisions into their computers, they will come to expect and want higher and higher quality video from the web.
Click around. Don’t just watch the videos that appear in your Facebook feed. Sure, I got that video with those
poor fainting kittens
emailed to me yesterday too, but I also spent 15 minutes watching this beautiful, quiet short, “
Mei Ling
,” which I discovered on the
Futureshorts channel.
I asked
Luke Neumann
, a filmmaker who constantly impresses us with his stellar Howcast videos, why he puts so much effort into his web videos and he said, “Because you never know who could stumble across them." When you watch his videos, I think you can see he’s driven by much more than that -- for this spot alone he rented a crane and “moved” a building in After Effects:
Still, access to potential fans, funders and future employees is at least one simple, solid argument for filmmakers who are skeptical about quality work having a place on the web.
Next Friday, we’ll learn Neumann’s tricks for making great video like this on a budget while he walks us through how he shot “
Zombie Attack
.”
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched “
Mei Ling
.”
Digital bootcamp with Ingrid Kopp
Friday, October 22, 2010
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, is writing weekly guest posts for the YouTube blog on filmmaking in the digital age. You can catch up on previous posts
here
.
Today being a filmmaker is more and more about using tools other than cameras and editing software – social media, mobile platforms, websites, and even augmented reality technology – to bolster the work, attract and engage audiences, and make money. Many filmmakers are being dragged into this new world kicking and screaming or simply overwhelmed by the options.
Enter Ingrid Kopp, Director, U.S. Office at
Shooting People
, and her
Digital Bootcamp
, which I got a chance to attend at
DCTV
in New York on Monday night. "The technology should serve you and your creative practices" -- that was one of the first things Ingrid said to the audience of about 20 filmmakers. She went on to explain that all these new technologies are like a painter's palette. If you choose all of them, you'll end up with gray. They are there for you to pick and choose what works for you and your film.
This is excellent advice but questions still remain: Which one should I use? How do I use it? And do I really have to? As filmmakers raised their hands to ask questions it became clear that tailoring a web, mobile or other technology campaign for a film is a very personal decision and should be informed by the project and the filmmaker's goals. Are they happy simply with people seeing their work? Do they need to recoup some investment? Are they trying to invoke social change? Ingrid talked about a new production title, coined by John Reese, Producer of Marketing and Distribution (PMD), which a filmmaker could hire to create and execute a digital campaign, taking all this into consideration. She compared this to hiring a cinematographer. You could opt to shoot yourself, but if you have the money, why not hire someone with experience and skill.
That said, you don't need to hire a PMD. You don't even need to build a website, post your trailer on Facebook, or send even one tweet. But, if you're ready to dive in, Ingrid offered up fantastic insights and tips, some of which I'm going to share right here:
If you do one thing, create a home for your film online -- a website, a blog, a Facebook fan page, or a YouTube channel (of course) -- so that audiences know where to go to get information about you and your project. All your other online presences should link back to this main place.
Collect email addresses and zip codes from your audience. Remember that Facebook and Twitter could shut down your profile any time. In order to retain contact with your audience, ask for their email addresses. And, while you're at it, their zip codes too. Want to plan a screening? You'll know where to start based on where your audiences live.
Put your trailer online and allow people to embed the video. Embed and spread!
Much of the really creative stuff happening on the web is being launched by brands. Filmmakers can learn a lot from their unique uses of new technologies. Here are two excellent examples Ingrid screened:
The Last Exorcism Chatroulette campaign
and the
choose-your-own-adventure campaign
on YouTube for Tipp-Ex.
If you’re going to start a fundraising campaign on a site like
Kickstarter
, create ancillary content around the campaign to promote it and get people excited to pitch in. Be creative with your
rewards
to really entice donors. Embed a video on the campaign page too -- campaigns with videos earn more.
Think about creating video clips other than your trailer that you can release strategically throughout the entire production process.
Don't do anything halfway. If you start a Twitter account for your film and only send one tweet, your project will look "dusty" as Ingrid put it -- a perfect adjective.
It's never too early to start building an audience with any kind of digital campaign. You can leverage your audience to solve problems with your film (anyone know a shooter in Dallas?), share their own footage, help with fundraising, write about your project, coordinate screenings, buy DVDs, and tell all their friends how great your film was.
In her brief but jam-packed session, Ingrid shared numerous sites, best practices, recommend reading, and noteworthy examples. Rather than link to them all here, here's a link to her
Digital Bootcamp wiki
where you can view the full presentation and check out tons of other resources. Ingrid called herself a bit of a "technological Utopian" and you can see that in her Creative Commons wiki where readers are also free to edit and share their own ideas.
I’m pretty sure I’m in that camp too, but I had to play devil's advocate and ask: “What do you say to filmmakers whose response to all this is, ‘I don't want to. I care about making films and not all this other superfluous, unrelated media?’ “ Ingrid simply said, “Then you don't have to. If this other stuff is distracting from your film or what’s in the frame then you shouldn’t be doing this. This should never compromise your film. My hope is that filmmakers will see these tools as another creative outlet. If we’re not embracing this technology, we, as filmmakers, could be left out of something amazing.”
I couldn't agree more. Thank you, Ingrid, for a great evening and all the information you share through your wiki,
Twitter feed
and
Shooting People
.
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched “
The Rent Is Too Damn High Party's Jimmy McMillan at the NY Governor Debate
.” Come back next Friday for another session of our “Modern 101 for Emerging Digital Filmmakers."
A digital filmmaker’s map to the web
Friday, October 15, 2010
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program,
is writing weekly guest posts for the YouTube blog on filmmaking in the digital age. This is her third post.
Every time I talk to a filmmaker, I learn about a new (often, just new-to-me) website for filmmakers I should check out. I email and text myself the links. Intent on eventually spending some time on the sites, I keep multiple tabs open on my browser. Needless to say, it’s hard to keep track of them all. I thought consolidating a list of the sites I’ve come across through recommendations, articles, and conferences would be helpful to me, and hopefully you, too. So, here I go, with one disclaimer: this list is not exhaustive. I tried to stick to key categories but if I wanted to cover everything cool going on on the web for filmmakers, I’d have to quit my day job. Got another recommendation? Share it in the comments below!
Sites to help you....be in the know
Filmmaker magazine
Simply put, if you’re an independent film and video creator, and you’re not reading Filmmaker Magazine, or, dare I say a member of the
Independent Feature Project
, you are seriously missing out. Period.
IndieWire
IndieWire is all the indie industry news -- big to small. Want to get some
costume ideas
based on movies of the year? Interested in the
hoopla over NC-17 ratings
and when they began? They’ve got a network of bloggers and you’ll soon find your favorites.
WorkBook Project
Founded by Lance Weiler, WorkBook Project is not just articles and blog posts. It’s an open collaborative network that covers the most exciting creative work happening on the web. You can explore case studies, hear thought-provoking interviews, attend workshops, and pick up the tools you need to launch your own web or multi-platform project.
Cinematech
Of all the things you can read of Scott Kirsner’s, I actually suggest his books, which you can download off his blog, linked
here
. Scott is out there talking with filmmakers about new technology and sharing all his knowledge along the way at festivals (I heard him at SXSW), conferences (he started
The Conversation
), and in his books, of which my favorite is
Fans, Friends And Followers: Building An Audience And A Creative Career In The Digital Age
.
....distribute
YouTube Rentals
Obviously, you know about YouTube or you wouldn’t be here. But, are you familiar with YouTube rentals? I got to sit in on a talk about the feature at SXSW this year and I think it’s a really intriguing option for filmmakers looking to share short films and longer work and make some money on screening. It’s one way the web is putting distribution and monetization in the hands of creators by letting them control who watches and set the prices for their work.
Snagfilms
Snagfilms distributes documentaries from longtime masters as well as emerging filmmakers. Viewers can watch free, and documentarians, who have historically had a difficult time getting wide distribution, can tap into a growing viewer network.
OpenIndie
Started by Arin Crumley, OpenIndie, which is still in beta, aims to be a way for filmmakers to coordinate and launch their own theatrical screenings by connecting them with audiences and exhibitors directly. The exciting idea is based on the Crumley’s own
distribution model
for
Four Eyed Monsters
, which he co-directed.
...connect
ShootingPeople
Want to know what projects others filmmakers are up to? Take a workshop? Find someone to animate your open sequence? Get a new gig? ShootingPeople is the place to network with other filmmakers online (and in person -- lots of cities host nights out for “shooters”).
Ning
Hopefully you use Facebook and Twitter for things other than planning poker night. Both are excellent platforms for connecting with audiences and potential collaborators. You may not know about Ning though. With Ning you can create your own social network around your film, the topic of your film, or filmmaking in general. It’s a very turnkey solution for engaging with an audience and I think it offers a more dynamic experience for your fans and audiences than a blog alone.
....learn new tricks
CreativeCow
When a filmmaker writes in with an editing question our Post team can’t solve we head to the CreativeCow forums. There is an unbelievable amount of expertise you can easily tap into.
Videomaker
When a filmmaker writes in with a question about a camera or software, we head to Videomaker. They’ve also got a really nice stable of nuts and bolts tutorials on things like lighting and green screen.
NYVS
I just learned about New York Video School and I think it’s going to be a really easy way to pick up new or polish up old skills. They’re building a comprehensive suite of “courses” that include videos on things like choosing a hard drive and uploading to YouTube.
...make some money
Kickstarter
If you haven’t heard about Kickstarter yet, you may be spending too much time in the edit room. It seems like every week I see a new project being funded on Kickstarter in my Facebook feed...and I contribute. Kickstarter makes fundraising painless (compared to calling Mom and Dad or going to door-to-door) for the filmmaker and fun for the fans to take part in a project.
IndieGoGo
IndieGoGo offers filmmakers another digital fundraising option and, now, through, access to some distribution platforms like iTunes and Netflex.
Howcast Emerging Filmmakers Program
Hey, if I didn’t think we offer filmmakers an excellent way to get experience and pick up some extra cash, I wouldn’t be here. Many of our filmmakers call Howcast videos their “fun work.” If you’re familiar with
our videos
, you know we give filmmakers a ton of creative freedom -- it’s great for their reels and their pocketbooks. Also worth checking out:,
TurnHere
,
Demand
, and
StudioNow
who offer programs for freelancers with different projects, requirements, and rates.
....compete
OnlineVideoContests
Though I’ve entered plenty and never won, I’ve always been a sucker for video contests. OVC is the place to find out who’s giving away $500 for a :30-spot and who’s doling out $10,000 for a 3-minute music video.
Withoutabox
Long gone are the days of mailing VHS tapes in manila envelopes. Withoutabox has brought film festival application into the digital age. Apply, apply, apply way!
Filmaka
Filmaka hosts monthly competitions that boast jury members like Wim Wenders and Werner Herzog -- a pretty unique chance for exposure among industry leaders.
Poptent
Poptent works with some major brands to bring commercial work to filmmakers all over the world. Download the requirements and upload your video. If your work is selected by that brand you could be looking at a new client and a paycheck.
Overwhelmed by all the new information? Subscribe to these sites’ newsletters and YouTube channels, follow them on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook -- let their news comes to you.
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched
“Flower Warfare: Behind the Scenes
." Come back next Friday for another session of our “Modern 101 for Emerging Digital Filmmakers."
Fill bowl with cereal, add milk, turn on camera
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program,
is writing weekly guest posts for the YouTube blog on filmmaking in the digital age. This is her second post. Her first was “
Embracing exploration: being a filmmaker today
.”
Partly motivated by wanting to hear why our filmmakers produce
Howcast
spots or upload to YouTube, and partly curious about what they eat for breakfast, we decided to interview them about web video last Friday morning. Since our filmmakers are all over the world, we had to conduct the interviews remotely and ask them to send in their footage.
It turns out they like to eat cereal, drink juice, and sip coffee. Puzzling creatures. It also turns out they have a lot to say about why they started uploading to the web, what’s great about web video, and what’s not so great. We received over 100 minutes of footage and in the end, produced a five minute video.
From Craig Staggs explaining that he started putting videos on the web, well, because there was nowhere else to put them, to Oriana Syed talking about the pressures of having to produce more quickly (and possibly skimp on her work) to William Reed’s idea that his web projects offer a taste of what he could do with a real budget, all 11 of our filmmakers shared honest valuable insights.
Open a box of your favorite sugary treat, add milk, and watch. Get to know them a little better by checking out some of my favorite Howcast spots they created in the links below. Then, please, send them (and us) your questions by posting them in as comments below or as comments to the video. (But please note: comments are moderated due to spam.) These guys have a lot to say and I’m sure they’d be happy to share more of their experiences producing for the web.
So, without further adieu, we present some of our awesomest filmmakers:
Craig Staggs
,
Dimitri LaBarge
,
Michael Sanchez
,
Luke Neumann
,
Morgan Crossley
,
Andrew Quinn
,
Oriana Syed
,
Barry Michael
,
William Reed
,
Mark and Lisa Morrison.
Come back next week for another session of our "Modern 101 for Emerging Digital Filmmakers." Next Friday: our list of websites every filmmaker should know.
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched “
ChatRoulette
.”
Embracing exploration: being a filmmaker today
Friday, October 1, 2010
Digital filmmaking has evolved quite a bit since the first affordable “prosumer” mini DV cameras were introduced in the early ’90s. Not only have options, opportunities, practices, and standards for filmmakers changed, they continue to expand almost every day. Welcome to a Modern 101 for Emerging Digital Filmmakers: a semester’s worth of tips and tricks for today’s video creators navigating these changes.
Starting today and wrapping up on December 17, we -- the producers and filmmakers from
Howcast’s Emerging Filmmakers Program
-- will be sharing our experiences, advice, and ideas right here with YouTube's creative community. We’ve got some unique insights that come from a blend of traditional filmmaking backgrounds with lots of experience producing, distributing, and promoting web video. And after three years working with filmmakers from all over the world, we’ve learned a lot about their concerns and questions.
It seems that just when you have a handle on what works, something new pops up. What format of HD should you shoot on? What’s the best way to export for the web? What’s a codec? What are other filmmakers doing to build a community of viewers and collaborators online? And where are trusted sources for information? Is it possible to find success as a filmmaker in this changing landscape? How do you know if you’ve hit your target, when that target seems to be always be moving?
In April 2005, the
first video
was uploaded to YouTube and in July 2010, the first
short film
was shot and edited entirely on an iPhone. When I went to film school in 1993 we shot on 16mm and edited on
Steenbecks
. Today I get to work with lots of film students and recent grads and I occasionally catch myself envying them. Every short I made back then cost at least $1,500. I could never set up a Steenbeck in my dorm the way filmmakers are running iMovie or Final Cut on their laptops. And, if I wanted anyone to see my film, my options were pretty much limited by the festivals I was accepted by. Sure, many filmmakers bemoan the poor picture quality of popular pocket cameras or the lack of certainty around earning money from online video, but, at the same time, it’s never been cheaper to create your own work or easier to find an audience.
You can make a new video almost every day and get feedback on your work practically instantaneously by hitting “Upload.” Filmmaking is no longer for the privileged few and access to audiences is not guarded by select gatekeepers. It’s really become more of a practice, in the way that playing an instrument can be. What does that really mean for us?
We have easier access to the tools we need to refine our skills.
We get to know more about what’s working because we can see audiences responding to our work immediately.
We can find collaborators with common interests because we have instant access to other filmmakers.
We have more chances to learn from each other because we can watch filmmakers’ videos or even tutorials from all over the world.
Your definition of success should depend on the stage of your career, your project, and what you’re looking to get out of it. For me, just out of school, success was getting my shorts into festivals. Today, success might be garnering 100,000 views on YouTube or raising $15,000 on
Kickstarter
. One of our filmmakers recently
blogged
about how she tweeted and posted her way to over 1,500 views in just 4 days and coverage in a local paper for her Howcast video. I’d call that -- and the fact that she discovered how to use the web to launch her first marketing campaign -- a new kind of success.
Of course, most filmmakers know launching a successful filmmaking career, no matter how it’s defined, is and always will be risky. On top of that, today’s seemingly endless possibilities, although exciting and empowering, are naturally, a little bewildering. So, stay tuned for some of our insight, tips and tricks for your journey. We want to hear from you -- send us your biggest fears and burning questions about being a filmmaker in the digital age. Articles, videos, and live events will be posted every Friday and every couple weeks, we’ll schedule a session to answer your questions.
Heather Menicucci, Director,
Howcast Filmmakers Program
, recently watched "
Dot. The world's smallest stop-motion animation character shot on a Nokia N8
."
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