The presence of independent films on the internet has grown immeasurably over the last ten years. Streaming services like attract millions of views. It's easier than ever to get content out there and viewed by a real audience, and social media has exponentially expanded the reach of indie filmmakers.
This demand has sparked the growth of many platforms for filmmakers.
5 Great Platforms for Filmmakers
With all of this growth, the market has become hyper-competitive. The nature of such a market often rewards quantity over what you might call ‘worthwhile art.'
So the challenge for filmmakers is to source an audience amongst all the noise without sacrificing quality.
The phrase ‘content is king' rules supreme on the net. Generating stories and entertainment that connect with people is the dream… But generating actual ROI from your work often requires sacrificing quality.
The goal is to create content and generate an audience for their work. To help you, we have put together a list of 5 platforms for all stages of your career.
01.) Patreon – For connecting you to fans of your work:
Making money from art has become more challenging. Some filmmakers have turned to Patreon, where the ask is simple: Pay whatever you like monthly to provide support for your artist and receive benefits for your generosity.
For the patrons, the benefits are set by the artists and range from exclusive access to your art to face-to-face meet-ups. From the artist's point of view, it's a great way to set up a formal system for your fans to help support you and build a professional persona.
02. Fat Lama – For lending or borrowing camera gear:
When it comes to renting equipment online, the process should be simple. Fat Lama solves this problem and adds a whole landscape of valuable social engagement beneath the surface. Since its founding in 2016, Fat Lama has generated a natural niche for itself in high-end film equipment. Currently, users are listing an enormous range of cameras, lenses, rigs, and other accessories.
This has made it a comprehensive social platform for filmmakers. Right now, over 50,000 creative professionals are lending and renting stuff. The benefits are not just monetary with Fat Lama. The platform gives you unfettered access to the contact list of your dreams because Fat Lama runs a peer-to-peer system.
You get to meet the equipment lender in person. And this gives you a far more comprehensive network of contemporaries. This is a far more effective way to land work than sending out blanket emails or sharing your page on Facebook.
03. Easle – For finding jobs:
The process can be financially one-sided if you've ever dealt with a recruiter. Add finders fees and commission structures, and so on. This is where Easle has an edge.
Easle recruits young creatives and showcases their profiles online. Once the company vets you, there are no commissions or subscription fees.
Eagle makes money by charging a small 15% commission at the hiring company's end. This means it's a win-win for all companies, from major studios to SMEs (or start-ups looking for creative pay). Eagle technology makes recruiting and showcasing artists efficient and fast. They can keep the costs down, benefiting both the business and the artist.
04. Movidiam – For hiring creatives:
If you've built a team of creatives for your film projects, you know it's a tricky process. With Movidiam, that task has become far more straightforward. Self-described as a professional creative network for filmmaking, this site allows creative individuals to offer their services.
This cuts out an innumerable number of not-so-perfect intermediaries, both for the hirers and those looking for jobs. And because the site is themed entirely around filmmaking, hirers need to do far less work to find the correct operative for their teams. As a platform for filmmakers, Movidiam is worth a look for those needing to hire an effective crew.
05. RocketStock – Great value After Effects Templates:
Using Adobe After Effects freestyle can result in an incredibly confusing mesh of unnamed and poorly placed elements, making them impossible to decipher when others edit the project.
Of course, you can always pay for After Effects Templates. Those are easier to use but may be limited. And you pay for the convenience. RocketStock solves these problems by offering greater After Effects Templates with greater customization, unlimited usage, and robust search tools to help you find the perfect template. This is an excellent platform for filmmakers who want After Effects templates without breaking the bank.
Our advice: try them all. The more tools you have, the better quality content and wider-reaching exposure you will create and maintain.
Alexander Delic is a Community Manager and writer at Fat Lama. He is a fan of good whisky and smoking meat and may well have watched Bladerunner over twenty times.
