Filmmaking | How To's | Local Industry | New England
New Year’s Resolution? Kickstart Your Film Career.
NewEnglandFilm.com compiles some of the best advice on how to boost your filmmaking career.
Written by Michele Meek | Posted by: NewEnglandFilm.com
Losing weight, exercising more, pssha! Make your New Year’s resolution this year to kickstart your film career. Here are 6 ideas to help you do just that.
If you’ve made your New Year’s resolution to kickstart your film career, NewEnglandFilm.com has compiled this list of advice and resources on how to make 2018 your year for success.
Network at local film events.
NewEnglandFilm.com founder Michele Meek being interviewed for the film financing web series Show Me the F$#ing Money at ITVFest.
Attend festivals where you can hob-knob with industry leaders right here in New England like ITVFest, IFFBoston, Camden International Film Festival, and Rhode Island International Film Festival. Even smaller festivals, like the annual Salem Film Fest, offer great panels, films, and opportunities to meet distributors, festival directors, and fellow filmmakers.
Also, mark your calendar for Wednesday, February 28, 2018—NewEnglandFilm.com will be hosting a special 20th Anniversary event and party that evening. More details to come soon.
Look professional.
If you want to be professional, you need to look professional—especially in a visual industry. Does your website suck? Then, read our tips on how to make your website better. Do you need some new headshots? Then, read our guide to getting the perfect casting portfolio.
Promote yourself.
Some find self-promotion challenging, but it’s a necessary part of getting steady work in a gig economy. Make sure you have a detailed listing in the NewEnglandFilm.com directory.
Get yourself and your projects out there at pitch events, and learn how to pitch your screenplay, TV series, and film projects.
Master crowdfunding.
By now, it’s clear that crowdfunding is only partially about finding money. It’s mostly about building your audience. Get some “Crowdfunding Advice from Veteran Filmmakers,” some who succeeded and others who didn’t. Then learn more about crowdsourcing and equity based crowdfunding.
Master the trade and the technology.
Local film rental and sales companies like Talamas often host free events with representatives from camera and other technology companies. These events are great ways to get your hands on equipment and learn some tricks.
Learn more about VR filmmaking and how festivals like the Boston Jewish Film Festival have begun integrating it into their programming.
If you need help with the equipment you already own or want to learn from the pros, take some online classes.
If you’re thinking about film school, read “Should Screenwriters Go to Film School?” or “Film Schools in New England: What’s the Draw?” or learn about “Low-Residency MFA Programs in New England.”
Create your own mastermind group.
Last, but most certainly not least, consider forming your own mastermind group. Mastermind groups bring together a handful of committed members who meet regularly (weekly, monthly) to keep each other motivated and supported through projects. If you need more reasons why mastermind groups are so effective, take a look at Forbes.com’s “7 Reasons to Join a Mastermind Group.”
