Final Major Project - What are our platforms?

After my tutorial with Simon, it was agreed that as producer I need to be the one who is focusing on where this film is going to be seen, and that is is my responsibility to make sure it meets the criteria for each platform.

I have identified three areas where I want to showcase our film and will be doing more detailed research into them.

Festivals:

Sheffield Doc/Fest: 
The UK's largest documentary film festival. The film festival would fit our time schedule, as the documentary needs to be made after June 2013 and be submitted by Feb 2014. The film festival will be June 2014. 

 It costs £25 to submit, and it is preferred to be submitted from a Vimeo link. 

There are three categories that we could enter either  Short Films: Less than 30 mins with credits. Medium Length which is 31-59 mins with credits. There is also the Cross Platform, which could be great, this is for "films created for exhibition on multiple online platforms, or in non traditional media spaces. Any duration acceptable". 

Films that are unsuccessful may be place on their "Videotheque" which is an online video library. 

This is an extremely established and prestigious festival that I want to aim highly for

Toronto Online Film Festival:
More and more festivals are appearing online, although they may not have gained prestigious fame, they are a lot more accessible and offer a much greater audience. 

Their aim:
"To honour the top creators in the digital arts world as voted by members of the online community worldwide. Especially undiscovered gems that yearn for an international audience. "

This film festival has been born out of the hub of filmmakers in the toronto district, where digital media has boomed in the last five years. 

There is no submission fee, and there is a simple application process with the need for a Vimeo link that is live and viewable until the Awards announcement. 

Videos are voted for by worldwide selected viewers. 

Once a Week Online Film Festival
Another online festival, but winners are chosen every week of the year. 

This film festival is very popular with online platforms. Films can be submitted throughout the year. 

"Once a Week Online Film Festival is a weekly showcase of short indie films under 30 minutes.  All films showcased come directly from submissions. Every Wednesday at 9pm eastern time the highest rated film from our judges will be given the distinction of an Official Selection.   Each Official Selection will be shown on the homepage for an entire week. 

Audience Award: 
Submitted films will compete for the distinction of the Audience Award.  All submitted films will receive their own page. The film with the most social media shares in any given week will win the Audience Award and will be shown on the homepage along side the Official Selection for the week.  

All winning films will be archived under Official Selections and Audience Awards on the Watch The Films page.  All other films will remain in categories under their respective genres. "

There are no submission fees, but each film must be under 30 mins total duration time. Can be submitted through a youtube or Vimeo link, which must be kept live for the duration of the festival. 

Online Streaming and Platforms:

Vimeo
Vimeo is the filmmakers youtube. The quality of films are higher and their appeal is higher in the film industry. Most if not all film festivals will require you to have the film uploaded to youtube and be readily available to view. 

Vimeo also has far reaching categories, and their own festivals and groups, to help your film reach the right audience through the right platform.

We will be setting up an account for "Finding Serenity" shortly. 

Films For Action
Is the perfect platform for finding serenity. 

It takes films from Vimeo and gives them the platform they really need, to be seen by other audiences, filmmakers, producers, and distributors. 

There only criterias? That it already has a URL (Vimeo) and it's a film that want's to help change something or make the world a better place. 

"At an International Level:

Films For Action uses the power of film to raise awareness of important social, environmental, and media-related issues not covered by the mainstream news. Our goal is to provide citizens with the information and perspectives essential to creating a more just, sustainable, and democratic society.

Our website has cataloged over 1500 of the best films and videos that can be watched free online.

At the Local Level:
On the ground, our City Chapters are working to create alternative media channels that will inform, connect, and inspire action at a community level.

Our city chapters screen documentaries at independent theaters and other venues regularly throughout the year. With most films we launch an accompanying educational and action-oriented campaign to address the issues presented by the films. Some of our chapters air films on their local public Access TV channel. And all the films we buy we make available for people to borrow from us for free, either to watch themselves or to screen in their own neighborhoods.

Our local city chapter sub-sites offer several tools to connect and inform people through our website, including a calendar of local activist events, a directory of local progressive and radical groups, and a blog for writers to contribute local news and perspectives.

All in all, through the screenings, public access TV, this website, and our Lending Library, our City Chapters aim to provide an information and resource network that will reduce its city's dependence on corporate media, providing more meaningful and reliable ways to stay informed on the issues that matter.

"Films for Action is outstanding! Thanks so much for creating this incredible tool!" - Elisa Beck. Transitionpgh.org

"I love how different people from all over the world are coming here to watch amazing films, write and discuss. Greetings from Lithuania!" - Danny Crowe

I just discovered this terrific resource. Try it! - Jo Sippie-Gora

Films for Action has made me more informed and more effective in my activism. I don't think I could live without it. - Terry Knepp "

Filmbinder
Filmbinder is an alternative to itunes and netflix. It means you don't have to have a distributor to have a platform where people can rent or download your film. It costs $14 a month to upload a film(s), and for every 24 click you should receive $1. Sounds good! It would be a good indicator to see the potential for our film. There is no cancellation fee or contract, so we could see how well we do for just a month or two? 

 

Websites:

Our own Website
We have set up our own website, which we will use to promote the film. It will feature a vimeo link. Audience reach is low, but it will enable us to have a central location for the film to begin with. 


Bipolar Uk 
This at the moment is a tricky area. Simon feels that he isn't sure whether we are making the film for them or not, which of course impacts what we do. Currently we are making a film for film festival and online release, Bipolar UK will have the opportunity to use our film if they wish. 

Our film will be 30mins in length, this will not be altered should bipolar UK want something different. We would how ever make them a revised version for their website if they couldn't feature the film in it's entirety. This can be seen in all distribution situations, including blockbuster films that are "edited for TV" i.e. sex and violence toned down. 

Although we are not making a film that it is confined to Bipolar UK's expectations, I have emailed them to request what they could feature and what they couldn't. (This has been discussed over the phone and in the meeting, but I feel it is important to have a clear idea in writing from them). 

Their website is not our primarily target platform, they would probably feature it from our Vimeo etc. This could be likened to Netflix. Films aren't made to feature on Netflix, they are made with the cinema in mind ( I know this is changing), but they would hope Netflix would want to feature it. They wouldn't change the production to suit Netflix criteria, as their main aim is a cinema release. If Netflix after the cinema release wanted to platform the film, edits may be made etc. 

Therefore it would be a bonus if Bipolar UK accepted our film (They recieve 10,000 hits a day, but as a creative producer I will not let this effect the artistic creation of the film or dictate what is/ isn't included. I want to make the best film I can.