independent filmmaker's guide to website branding & social media

Career Planning & Professional Branding

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Professional Website & Social Media Guide


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Introduction

A filmmaker’s website and social media activity are increasingly vital in achieving long-term success within the film industry. The website allows you to communicate who you are and what you are capable of achieving in a way that a simple resume and credit list could never accomplish. In combination with your social media activity, your website can differentiate you from competing filmmakers while assisting in the distribution of marketing and promotional materials and facilitating communications with other filmmakers and fans.

Personal Website Together with your IMDb profile, nothing is more important to your digital marketing & promotion efforts than your personal website. Your website will need to serve a multitude of purposes and potential visitors, including future employers, investors, distributors, agents, managers, cast, crew, friends, family and fans. The website will act as the central hub of all your marketing & promotional activity. Everything you publish should direct people to your website for more information on you and your projects. Your website address should be prominently displayed on your film posters, promotional post cards, key art, trailers, business cards, letterhead, IMDb profile, social media accounts, professional biography, resume, and anything else associated with you or your films. Ideally, if you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to get a URL in the same name you use for your IMDb profile. And, importantly, you’ll want to get a “.com” whenever possible. If someone already has the URL of your name, try adding a middle-initial or other appropriate pre or postfix, if applicable. If these are also unavailable (or don’t appeal to you), only then should you use the name of your production company. Remember, the URL is going to be on essentially all of your marketing materials (as well as your Email address) – be certain that the URL is the best you can possibly obtain. [To search URL availability and purchase your URL, I highly recommend Bluehost.com] Website Design Considerations Having secured your URL, the next step is to obtain hosting ($5-10/month) and then purchase and download WordPress (www.wordpress.org) to your site. You can obtain hosting and purchase and install WordPress to your website quite easily and inexpensively using Bluehost.com. If you have another service that you prefer, by all means use that service. There are many inexpensive and high-quality providers, Bluehost.com just happens to be the one I use.


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Next you’ll want to purchase a WordPress theme or template. I use templatemonster.com. You might be tempted to purchase a portfolio-style template specifically designed for filmmakers and/or other artists. By all means, look them over and see if any appeal to you. However, keep in mind that all the templates are highly customizable (at little to no cost), so there’s no reason to lock yourself into just one category of theme. Almost any element that appeals to you from one of the many portfolio-style themes can be applied to other themes or templates. The same goes for colors, fonts and other aspects of a given theme. All these can be customized to your preference for relatively little money. In addition to your choice of theme or template, two other important considerations will be the design of your logo and web banner. I have developed a habit of conducting Google Image searches whenever I am working on visual-related projects. Typically, I’ll enter associated key words (such as “filmmaker logo”) and will copy the jpegs and png files of 20 or so designs that appeal to me. I’ll then send these samples to my designer as inspiration and partial guidance for the type of design I’d like completed. I’ll further instruct my designer to provide me with half a dozen or more samples from which to choose. In my case, I have a designer I’ve worked with for several years who is familiar with my “eye” for design. However, if you aren’t a designer yourself and/or don’t have a designer of your own, I have another recommendation: hire 3-4 designers from fiverr.com (keep in mind, each designer will only charge you $5.00) and send each the samples you collected from your Google Image search and ask each designer to provide you with 2-4 comps each. Then select the best designs and elements from each comp to include in your final design. By approaching your design in this manner, you’ll get the input of several designers and maximize your chances of getting the strongest possible design. Similarly, I’d suggest you follow the same tactic when designing the web banner for your website. Keep in mind that you can either (i) use the same web banner for each of your site pages or you can (ii) have unique banners designed for each page. While the use of unique banners for each page provides a good opportunity to differentiate each page and reinforce each page’s particular message visually, you may want to start with one consistent banner design for use throughout the site and then update individual page banners later when you have more time and financial resources. An additional consideration is whether or not you want to use a tagline along with your logo. I really don’t have a strong opinion on the use of taglines. On the one hand, taglines allow you to clearly and succinctly communicate your USP and brand message. Virtually all your website visitors will read your tagline and will leave your site with a clearer understanding of who you are and what you do (assuming the tagline is well-written.) On the other hand, it impresses me as a challenge to write one that reads well and doesn’t sound arrogant – particularly from an aspiring filmmaker. My final concern with regard to taglines is that as you and your career evolve so might your USPs and brand message. While a tagline might not be permanent, they do strike me as enduring.


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But, once again, the strength of a clearly written tagline in communicating your USP and brand message is indisputable. To assist in the design of your logo, web banners, website customization, and website management, the I would be pleased to recommend specific professionals from oDesk.com who charge, on average, ~$5-7 USD per hour. Website as Business Plan

While the primary focus of your website should be as a marketing and promotional channel, the website should also serve as a “quasi” business plan. Consider the contents of a business plan and the questions the plan is designed to answer. With the possible exception of financing, the majority of the content of the business plan should be contained within your website.

▪ Who are you and what are you working toward? Introduce yourself as a filmmaker, share your past projects, and explain your career and filmmaking goals and objectives.

▪ What is your niche and USP as a filmmaker? Again, what makes you and your films unique from other filmmakers.

▪ What filmmaking, marketing and/or distribution practices make you uniquely suited to the niche and reinforce your USP as a filmmaker? Provide the evidence that your niche and USP exist AND ARE IMPORTANT.

▪ Who do you view as your peer (or competitors) group and in what ways will you be similar and different from them? Having identified you USP and explained why that USP is different, you should place the USP in context relative to your perceived peers. Be conscious to (i) identify the most highly-‐respected and visible members of your peer group and (ii) always speak admiringly and respectively of your peers while, at the same time, describing how you compare and contrast with them.

▪ Who are your core and secondary markets and how will you market, promote and communicate with that market? Visitors should immediately discover you and your website are meant for them or not. And be sure to post on your website all the social media, online forums, and real world events where they can expect to find and interact with you as well as your contact information.

▪ What are the risks and threats confronting your goals and objectives as a filmmaker, and what will you do to mitigate them? If we were writing a script about our prospective filmmaking career, the risks and threats we face would be an important part of our “Hero’s Journey.” Be candid about the risks and threats facing today’s films and filmmakers and then demonstrate a list of methods and practices you will pursue to overcome those threats.


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REMEMBER: When creating and authoring the editorial content for your website, these questions and considerations should remain in the forefront of your thinking. Website Pages & Content Unless you have a staff of employees (which is doubtful at this point in your career), you’ll have limited time to manage your website and social media accounts. As a result, I recommend that your website largely remain “static” (meaning that new content is added relatively infrequently.) Here are the five pages that I recommend for your website: 1. Home Page: The single most viewed, and most important, page is the home page.

The home page is the page that most visitors will initially land on during their first visit. The impression the first page makes on the visitor will largely determine if the visitor will continue to explore the remainder of your site or not. In some respects, the required content of the home page will be determined by the website design you select. However, regardless of design, a successful home page will have the following pieces of content: (i) a website title, logo, and, often, a tagline; (ii) an interesting and attention-getting banner; (iii) one or more prominent pictures of you (preferably on-set with a film camera rig); (iv) engaging editorial content that explains who you are as well as the website’s and any benefits visitors can expect to derive; and (iv) a call-to-action inviting visitors to both explore the website and to contact you directly.

2. About Page: The second most highly viewed page on most filmmakers’ websites are

the “About” pages. The principle editorial content of the “About” page is that same biography that you prepared earlier for your IMDb profile. Essentially, the about page should reflect your personality and explain the who, what, why, where and how of your career as a filmmaker. In addition to distilling your unique selling proposition and brand message, the biography should convince readers that you are a talented professional and someone they’d enjoy working alongside. In addition to the main editorial content, the About page should contain a few pictures of you as well as a few downloadable documents, including your credit list, resume, and professional biography. You may also want to post a short video such as an interview with you explaining your passion for filmmaking, a demo reel with clips of past projects, trailers, or other related videos. NOTE: The “About Page” is the ideal page in which the business plan considerations described previously should be addressed/answered. However, do not answer those questions in a literal Q&A format. Instead, we simply want to make certain that the


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“About Page” (and as many other pages as possible) answer those questions/concerns.

3. Film Projects Page: This page presents key art and brief summaries of your past

short and feature films you’ve completed. You can also add projects that are in development or preproduction. In addition to key art and film summaries, you may also want to share (i) details on your role and responsibilities on the movie; (i) list awards or media coverage particular films may have received; (iii) quotes or testimonials from cast, crew or audience members; or (iv) short flips and/or trailers produced for each film. When describing your film projects and your role and responsibilities on these projects, make sure that they clearly communicate and/or support your USP and brand message.

4. Media Center Page: This is the page where your Electronic Press Kit (EPK) will

reside. In addition to inviting members of the media to contact you directly, the Media Center page (and EPK) should contain elements such as:

a) Biographies of the filmmaker and of key cast and crew; b) Film summary(ies) c) Credit list; d) List of awards; e) Portraits; f) Behind-the-scenes stills; g) Film clips; h) Movie trailers; i) Behind-the-scenes footage; j) Reviews, quotes and/or testimonials; k) Key art; l) FAQ page; m) Video interview(s) with the filmmaker answering the FAQ questions; n) Copies of past media coverage (print and/or broadcast); o) Archive of press releases; p) Forthcoming films

5. Contact Page: The “Contact” page should include a message above your contact

information and contact form that reads something like the following: “As you can probably tell, I’m passionate about filmmaking. In fact, I’m always looking for new and exciting projects. If you’re working on a quality short or feature-length film, let me know. If my schedule permits and I think I can be of any value, I’d be happy to work with you and your crew. On the other hand, if I’m busy with other projects, I’d still be pleased to point you to some of my many other friends in the film industry who may be able to help.


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Finally, to any and all of you who share my interests in [specialty], I’d really enjoy hearing from you. Just…. [instructions] and let me know… [describe specific information or questions you’d like to receive].

By the way: I try to respond to everyone’s message within a day or so. But, if I’m busy on a film project, please accept my apologies ahead of time if it takes a little longer to get back to you. “

Having shared your passion for filmmaking and encouraged the visitor to contact you, your “Contact” page should list whichever methods of contact you prefer as well as a contact form (dozens of WordPress contact form plugins are available for free.) A note about contact forms: Research has proven that the more information you request in your form, the fewer people will actually complete the form. So take care to limit the information you require to the minimum necessary (name and email address only perhaps).

Every webpage should have a link to the filmmaker’s IMDb profile, social media pages and other relevant sites as well as 2-3 links throughout the page to “Contact Me”. For more ideas and inspiration, check out some of the following filmmakers’ websites:

Michael Bay (www.michaelbay.com) Alan Parker (www.alanparker.com) D.B. Sweeney (www.dbsweeney.com) Gary Fleder (www.garyfleder.com) Roger Deakins (www.rogerdeakins.com)

The websites above represent a broad spectrum in terms of quality and purpose. Some will set a benchmark to which you might hope to aspire. Others should provide considerable motivation given that it should be relatively easy for you to create a higher quality design and content. As suggested earlier, spend considerable time looking at the themes available on templatemonster.com and samples from various filmmaker and portfolio sites via Google searches. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Sheet A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet should be produced that can be posted throughout your website (“About” and “Media” pages in particular) and other marketing channels. The FAQ sheet provides you an opportunity to create ready-made quotes for


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the Internet, print and broadcast media while answering questions that have inherent appeal to your audience and fans (as well as potential investors, distributors, agents, managers, employers and cast and crew members.) Here are five questions that should appear on every filmmaker’s FAQ sheet:

1. What inspired you to become an independent filmmaker? 2. Your current film is entitled, [Insert Title]. Give us a little background on the

story and how you became interested in the project. 3. We’ve heard some interesting stories about the production. Could you share one

or two? 4. As an independent filmmaker, I would imagine that there are unique challenges

and opportunities in the production of a film like [Insert Title]… challenges and opportunities that might differ had the film been produced by a major studio. Would you agree?

5. What’s next for you? What can fans look forward to?

Below each question you should provide your answer/response, in quotations, within 2-3 brief paragraphs (each paragraph should be no more than 4-5 sentences each.) Please try to write your responses in your own voice. And, whenever possible/appropriate, reference personal stories and interesting events that have occurred over the course of your life and filmmaking career. In addition to the many other benefits, the FAQ sheet allows members of the media to easily quote you. In fact, you may want to hire someone to interview you using the FAQ questions and record your responses on video. Members of the broadcast media can then use the video interview as recorded, or they can replace the interviewer with a recording of their host or newscaster asking the same questions… essentially showing them conducting their own interview of you. Website Meta Titles, Descriptions, & Tags

Each page of your website should include meta titles and meta descriptions. These meta titles and descriptions are the page titles and the brief descriptions that appear on Google and other search engines when people conduct a search for particular terms or phrases. Your page titles and descriptions are imperative in successfully driving traffic to your site. So its important that you do all that you can to make certain that titles and descriptions are well written, contain key words, and prompt readers to click on your search link. When using WordPress, your site will have an administration area that runs in the background. Once you’ve logged onto the administration section of your WordPress site, you simply visit each webpage and the area for meta titles, descriptions and tags will be easily located. For the meta title, Google only displays 70 characters while the


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description will show no more than 160 characters. Keep these in mind while crafting your titles and descriptions. While not as critical, you may also want to include a list of meta tags. These are key words which describe the content of your site and each specific page. While Google doesn’t use meta tags for its search and ranking algorithm, other search engines do. So its worth a couple of minutes to populate the meta tag section of each page as well. Metatags should include your name and words and phrases such as “filmmaker”, “independent filmmaker”, “director of photography”, “Cinematographer”, “film making”, or any other words that reflect the topic of a given page and the terms that best reflect you and your career aspirations. Film Demo Reel In addition to the importance of your website, your film reel is clearly one of the most critical aspects of, not only your website, but your entire marketing & promotional campaign. Given this fact, you may want to add a dedicated webpage entitled “Film Reel”. Otherwise, I’d suggest you consider adding your film reel to several website pages, including the “Home”, “About”, “Film Projects” and “Media” pages. Your film reel should also be posted to your IMDb profile as well as to both YouTube and Vimeo. Face it: Most demo reels are boring. But they really don’t have to be. Two suggestions. (1) First, create two demo reels. One of no more than 45 seconds in length and a second longer version of no more than 90 seconds. (2) Secondly, visit reelroulette.net, vimeo.com/groups/demoreels, or vimeo.com/groups/showreelsdemoreels for inspiration. Here are some really cool reels (not all are film reels) worth checking out:

http://www.reelroulette.net/nicolasdomerego http://vimeo.com/9931080 http://vimeo.com/9470878 http://vimeo.com/32028232

Here’s one that’s definitely for adults-only. I’m not sure I would recommend it, but, on the other hand, it’s a fantastic example of someone who knows his market quite well and has gotten quite creative: Take a look here: http://vimeo.com/6054507 (and, if that wasn’t offbeat enough, here is his follow up demo reel: http://vimeo.com/84173402.) Also, be sure to check out this informative two-part video that offers some great tips and insights on creating an amazing demo reel: http://fstoppers.com/tips-for-making-a-better-video-demo-reel-which-can-get-you-new-clients-part-1


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http://fstoppers.com/tips-for-making-a-better-video-demo-reel-which-can-get-you-new-clients-part-2 Pay particular attention to the use of titles, motion graphics, music (very important), and the choice of film clips and edits. Make certain that each reel begins and ends with your title card complete with contact details. Although not common, consider including a montage of you behind-the-scenes, voice over commentary, or a few quick clips of you speaking directly to the viewer. Social Media At the beginning of a filmmaker’s career, social media is particularly useful in reaching out and forming relationships with other professionals. As a filmmaker’s career expands and forms a fan-base, social media becomes a greater source for inbound marketing & promotion to an audience and specific target markets. Initially, the filmmaker should begin to post (i) demo reels, (ii) film clips, (iii) behind-the-scenes videos, (iv) trailers, and other work to video sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. These files can then be embedded within your website and other social media accounts. In addition to YouTube and Vimeo, the other two social media powerhouses are Facebook and Twitter. With regard to Twitter, I’d set up an account in your own name or the name of your studio only. However, for Facebook, in addition to your own account (or that of your production studio), I’d also suggest establishing fan pages for each of your short and feature film projects. As I’ve mentioned previously, as an individual at the beginning of your career, you’re likely to be constrained for time. As a result, you need to be careful how you allocate your time. Facebook pages can remain relatively static with occasional updates. However, to be effective, Twitter requires a regular stream of new posts. One helpful suggestion is to prepare Facebook and Twitter posts in bulk and then schedule the release of individual posts over an extended period of time using a service such as Hootsuite.com. If you aren’t sure of what topics to post, here is a list I prepared of 55 social media post topics: 55 Social Media Post Topics In no particular order, here are 55 topic ideas for your blog, tweets, and/or Facebook posts: 1. Share details on film festivals attended


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2. Share details on film you recently watched 3. Share details on film equipment you recently purchased 4. Ask for suggestions on film equipment 5. Request opinions/reviews about a specific brand and model of equipment 6. Recommend a recent filmmaking book you’ve read 7. Crowdsource opinions on a movie title or key art 8. Share discussion you had with a fellow filmmaker 9. Share your excitement with regard to new film project on which you are working 10. Share progress with regard to a current film project 11. Forward link to an interesting film short 12. Forward link to helpful filmmaking instructions (video, PDF, etc.) 13. Ask for references to any necessary cast or crew 14. Request opinions about specific shooting locations 15. Request opinions about city to which you might be relocating 16. Request opinions for what to do at a city you are planning to visit 17. Ask for suggestions on (i) who you should get together while visiting a particular

city or (ii) activities you should do while visiting 18. Ask if anyone else share’s your disappointment/frustration with regard to a specific

film or career-related issue 19. Ask opinions with regard to a festival or institute you are considering attending 20. Share an interesting experience with a member of your cast or crew 21. Share information on discounts or sales on filmmaking gear 22. Share a new piece of film business or industry news 23. Share websites or web-groups that you recommend 24. Let everyone know you just posted something new of interest on your website 25. Share a picture or video of yourself meeting a celebrity filmmaker or attending a

film festival, awards program or other film-related event 26. Share behind-the-scenes pictures or videos of you on set 27. Share an event that recently reminded you why you love filmmaking 28. Share a surprising statistic about the film industry or business 29. Share an interesting piece of trivia about a filmmaker, star, movie or other film-

related personality or institution 30. Let everyone know about the deadlines for an interesting film festival, contest or

award 31. Share an interesting filmmaking “trick” you just learned 32. Admit that you think you may have made a mistake (nothing too serious) and ask for

advice from others on how to make it right 33. Ask for opinions regarding your website or other digital marketing and promotional

material 34. Share excitement for forthcoming graduation from Full Sail University 35. Share career progress since graduation from Full Sail University 36. Thank someone for commenting on one of your social media posts and provide

additional information or more detailed comments 37. Share a powerful quote that is meaningful to you as a filmmaker 38. Let people know you have some downtime and ask for suggestions on things you

should do or projects you should complete


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39. Share a film business or industry-related joke or funny story 40. Talk up someone in the industry who you know and really like (ideally someone you

personally know and consider a friend) 41. Ask for support for some activity, such as an Indiegogo or Kickstarter campaign or

to vote for you for a particular award or contest 42. Ask people about their experiences with a particular business or service 43. Let people know you are having a get-together with fellow filmmakers and invite

them to join you 44. Ask if anyone can introduce you to someone you’d like to meet 45. Share the story of a filmmaking opportunity that you had but that you either didn’t

follow up on or simply slipped away 46. Comment on someone from the film community (producer, director, actor, crew, etc)

who recently passed away and share what their work meant to you 47. Share a list of your favorite online tools and resources 48. Share a list of your favorite music that you listen to when you need to crank out

various projects or work 49. Ask people for advice or instruction on how best to achieve a particular film effect 50. Congratulate a friend and fellow filmmaker who recently accomplished something of

importance 51. Publicly thank individuals who recently agreed to join one of your film projects (cast

or crew) 52. Invite people to the premier or a public showing of your most recent film project 53. Discuss in what ways you’ve evolved as a filmmaker and a person 54. Share a list of your favorite local and internet-based stores and/or sources for film

equipment, wardrobe, props and other filmmaking items 55. Share an important goal and ask for advice/help in achieving it Note: Most social media platforms allow you to customize your page. Work with a designer to have layouts prepared for each of your social media accounts so that they reflect a consistent design across platforms and, in particular, with your website. In addition to popular sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Twitter, you should also identify online forums that will allow you to connect with your fellow filmmakers and potential audience members. Conclusion

You will be required to complete a considerable amount of work to develop, launch and maintain your website(s) and social media accounts. Once completed, its imperative that each of us monitor our digital media & promotional sites to confirm that they are having performing adequately. Here are some of the key website performance metrics available from Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics/.):


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! Total Number of Visits ! Percentage of New Visitors (aka “unique visitors”) ! Bounce Rate ! Pages Per Visit ! Average Visit Duration ! Landing and Exit Pages ! Traffic Sources

In addition to Google Analytics, you should also test the performance of your internet marketing efforts using Hubspot’s Marketing Grader (www.marketing.grader.com) and sign up to get your Klout score at (www.klout.com.) Hubspot’s Marketing Grader analyzes your website and social media activity before assigning you a grade on a scale from 0 to 100. By using the marketing grader, you can benchmark your performance against the performance of other filmmakers. Marketing Grader also offers specific suggestions to improve your marketing. Your Klout score, on the other hand, is a measure of your online reputation, influence and “reach.” Like Hubspot’s Marketing Grader, the Klout Score is based on a scale from 0 to 100 (the President of the United States’ Klout Score is 99.) By the way, the use of Google Analytics, Hubspot’s Marketing Grader, and the Klout Score are all entirely free. And while numbers are great, keep in mind that you only need a handful of the “right” people to see your digital marketing and promotional efforts. Consider the impact if Steven Spielberg, Harvey Weinstein, or Megan Ellison where the only one to ever read your website and social media accounts… and became incredibly impressed with you as a filmmaker?! In this case, it might only take that one visitor to cement your entire filmmaking. Again, numbers are great… but concentrate on the impact of your efforts on your career and filmmaking. Note: As you may have noticed, your marketing & promotional efforts will require a considerable amount of written material. However, not all filmmakers are going to feel comfortable with the quality of their writing or copy-editing. This is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. In this case, I highly advise you to work with professionals from fiverr.com and/or oDesk to help you write, refine and edit your marketing & promotional materials. Fair or unfair, carelessly written website and marketing copy will reflect badly on you as a filmmaker and industry professional… potentially costing you several career-making opportunities.


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Recommended Resources The following is a list of services and sites recommended within this guide (this list doesn’t include links to any sample websites, demo reels or similar sites or content): Bluehost.com

Wordpress.org Templatemonster.com

Fiverr.com oDesk.com

YouTube.com Vimeo.com

Twitter.com Facebook.com

Hootsuite.com Google.com/analytics/

Marketing.Grader.com Klout.com

independent filmmaker's guide to website branding & social media

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