Websites and Social Media

[frankaudio]

How many of you have a website and/or use social media for your business. Has it been effective in getting you work?

[Ze Frias]

My website has been quite effective at answering basic questions to producers, as well as sparking interest and inquisition. Producers would usually call me inquiring further regarding my previous work, etc... It's a great tool, but it still does not surpass a good recommendation from a colleague or another producer.

 

Haven't used social media for the purpose of promoting my service, etc., as I don't think it helps due to the scale of my business (1 person, me). I own a Facebook and Twitter account, but used them more for personal use. I have heard of producers who like to check on common friends or connections on social media pages, maybe so that they can ask the common contact about you.

 

Either way, I think that having some form of online presence should be a must. It works as your business card, but on the net, and it is able to reach a wider audience (the entire world!) than you could ever reach physically on your own.

[VASI]

http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/news/columns/how-freelancers-can-succeed/2012/apr/115646-making-facebook-count

[Ju Griz]

It can be helpful for content destined for YouTube. Anything web-based. The people you work with on those types of projects are more likely to rely on social media for business purposes. 

 

However, I find it EXTREMELY annoying when someone thinks that Facebook can be a replacement for proper, professional business communication. When I see the neophyte filmmaker trying to send out callsheets in group chat, making Facebook groups for dept./production, using messages and posts to disseminate production info.... I take it as a very bad sign. It's a stupidly faulty system and the bane of many small time productions.

Of course, I still use it to keep in touch with people I've worked with before. Simply as a way of keeping a presence so I'm less likely to be forgotten when someone is hiring. After a production, I'll go through the crew roster and search people that I got along with and were professional.

 

As far as personal websites go:

If you're going to have one, get a pro to design it for you. As with nearly everything in our industry, you get what you pay for. I die a little inside when I'm subjected to a poorly designed site that looks/feels like it was made in 2001.

Also, not a bad idea to make the site easily accessible via mobile. 

[RJBerto]

 

 

[sNIP]...However, I find it EXTREMELY annoying when someone thinks that Facebook can be a replacement for proper, professional business communication. When I see the neophyte filmmaker trying to send out callsheets in group chat, making Facebook groups for dept./production, using messages and posts to disseminate production info.... I take it as a very bad sign. It's a stupidly faulty system and the bane of many small time productions[sNIP].

 

 

I've literally never seen this happen. 

[Ju Griz]

I've literally never seen this happen. 

Then consider yourself blessed. 

It's what happens when you're dealing with people who have never worked a union show before in their life. They're the ones who make the CL posts from hell. I'm still trying to shake those types of "filmmakers" off... ecgh.

 

I also doubt it's really that present in LA. 

[John Blankenship]

Then consider yourself blessed. 

It's what happens when you're dealing with people who have never worked a union show before in their life. They're the ones who make the CL posts from hell. I'm still trying to shake those types of "filmmakers" off... ecgh.

 

I also doubt it's really that present in LA. 

 

The easiest way to shake them is to charge a proper rate -- and be proud to do so. 

 

They sort themselves out real quickly that way.

[Ju Griz]

The easiest way to shake them is to charge a proper rate -- and be proud to do so. 

 

They sort themselves out real quickly that way.

And that's exactly what I have been doing; super helpful.

I'm also currently working on credits to join the union. So I have a strong incentive to get legitimate, paying work. 

 

Suffice to say, proper work doesn't come from Facebook.

[atheisticmystic]

Social media is another ratchet click deeper into the panicky flight from the Real into the Symbolic. Heres an example of why I refuse to converse that deeply with the Symbolic Order:

The good lady doctor was teaching at UC Irvine while still a doctoral candidate. She had an appoinment with a student to meet at an on campus cafe to talk about grades or whatnot. While she was standing just outside the cafe waiting, the student was inside, checking Facebook updates, and inquiring with classmates via Facebook to see if anyone had seen the instructor. Eventually, he had contacted enough people, that one of his Symbol-addicted classmates posted, "She's right there outside."

It took five minutes of posting and online communication to achieve what a healthy neck-craning could have in ten seconds.

I'll save my GPS rant for another day.

[stevegrider]

I enjoy seeing FB posts from people on set. I also enjoy the forums on FB where pros in the industry share ideas and discuss topics. There are times when I use FB professionally by posting what job I am on. The theory is "people who are working get more work". Sometimes you have to be careful, in that clients don't want you to post until the project airs. have been hired via FB for legit work, and that doesn't bother me. I don't care if somebody contacts me via carrier pigeon as long as there is good money involved.

[Wandering Ear]

If I'm contacted via FB about work, I direct the person to either email or call me.  I don't want my business communications to be on FB.  I also rarely check it, so I'm likely not to respond in a timely manner, whereas with email or phone, I respond quickly.

I do maintain a website, which I find very helpful when talking to producers I haven't worked for before.  They often want to see a list of credits to get some idea that I have the experience they are looking for.  Keeping the site up to date is usually my problem, but every couple months I will go on and update it.

[Ju Griz]

If I'm contacted via FB about work, I direct the person to either email or call me.  I don't want my business communications to be on FB.  I also rarely check it, so I'm likely not to respond in a timely manner, whereas with email or phone, I respond quickly.

I do maintain a website, which I find very helpful when talking to producers I haven't worked for before.  They often want to see a list of credits to get some idea that I have the experience they are looking for.  Keeping the site up to date is usually my problem, but every couple months I will go on and update it.

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