Getting social: The best social media platforms for networking filmmakers
Being a filmmaking genius can be a lonely life ladies & gents, but it really needn’t be. With more social media sites than ever before, there are plenty of platforms to help you connect to new audiences, job opportunities, and other filmmakers.
In light of this, get ready to fill up your bookmarks and rethink your relationship with existing platforms, because these are the best networking social media sites that you need to start using immediately.
Shooting People
Connecting thousands of film industry professionals such as filmmakers, actors, crew, and technologists, Shooting People is a networking dream for anyone who needs an extra helping hand to get their movies made and seen.
Featuring a thriving community section where indie filmmakers can solicit and offer advice – and discuss just about anything and everything concerning the filmmaking process – Shooting People also highlights key opportunities for funding, competitions, and training.
The social network isn’t just a caustic terrain for you to spy on people you secretly hate – it’s also a great place to network. Who knew?! There are a fair few industry-specific Facebook groups that can help connect you to potential collaborators or film festivals worth submitting your latest opus to.
These groups are also a great place to learn from a supportive filmmaking community, or even to offer your own advice. Just don’t count on using the site to promote your own professional pages, as Facebook seems eager to make you pay for top coverage on the site.
Movidiam
This creative network application has connected filmmakers to job opportunities in over 170 countries. Listing posts from high-end agencies, production companies, and creative freelancers, the site enables brands and creative teams to connect and collaborate.
Featuring a bustling community with members from the BBC and Discovery Channel, Movidam is a social networking site with a clearcut and incredibly helpful purpose.
Kickstarter
You may not automatically think of Kickstarter as a social networking site, but its user-friendly set up definitely lends itself to a community spirit. Providing a platform for filmmakers to both find funding and promote their project, Kickstarter is not to be underestimated.
Mandy
Empowering professionals to find work within the entertainment industry, Mandy is the world’s largest creative community of actors, extras, dancers, musicians, and other various film & TV crew. The site helps connect filmmaking professionals to one another with a wide variety of opportunities posted on the site.
The networking giant is a great place to showcase your work and to chat to fellow industry professionals. Beyond that, Twitter is also home to accounts such as The Call Sheet and The Unit List, which serve as handy job boards updating followers on industry opportunities as and when they become available.
Vimeo
As YouTube’s cooler younger sibling (who won’t steal your lunch money), Vimeo is the video uploading site of choice for creatives. As well as harboring a notably more supportive community vibe, Vimeo also offers ad-free videos along with an unintrusive opportunity for artists to monetize their work with the “Tip Jar”.
The site might be smaller than YouTube and not attract millions of daily users, but it’s an indispensable networking tool filmmakers should get a lot out of.
IndieGoGo
So many filmmakers have successfully used IndieGoGo to help fund their project that the company has actually released a handbook to help that happen for others. With initiatives like The Crowdfunding Network and collaborative platforms with Berlinale Talent, the site supports efforts to raise funds for budding filmmakers.
Storyhunter
Connecting freelancers with brands, Storyhunter is the world’s largest network of professional video creators. In the past, filmmakers who have found work on the site have gone on to win Sundance, Peabody, and Cannes Lion awards, so it’s definitely not to be sniffed at.
Stage 32
Dubbed by Forbes as being like “Lynda meets LinkedIn for film, television, and theater creatives”, Stage 32 is a burgeoning community of over 500,000 industry figures from around the world. Offering over 1,000 hours of online education, Stage 32 also provides the network with an active job board and pitch sessions.
Not only does the image-based social media site offer great functionality for the uploading of short videos, it also offers the Instagram Stories feature which is a great way for filmmakers to show off their flair behind the camera. With the opportunity for self-promotion, it’s also perfect for filmmakers looking to establish their voice.
