Exclusivity is OUT. Connectivity is IN!

This entry was originally published at Hope For Film

Guest post by Nelson Carvajal, digital filmmaker and writer. Nelson is one of the key figures behind Cinefile.com (http://cinefile.com/), an intuitive new online platform aimed at connecting and promoting independent artists in the digital movie industry.

After I graduated from college in 2007, I was ready to take the movie industry by storm. Suffice it to say, I did not find myself not making tomorrow’s great movie overnight and a big, broad reason for this was due to my being overwhelmed with the fervent dissonance among my peers. Every time I worked as a production assistant on a movie set, it seemed that most of the other PAs were dead set on staying put in the big studio totem pole, so long as they could associate themselves with a “real movie”. I would usually respond by asking, “Yes, but don’t you want to make your own movies?”

After some time it became clear that the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) workflow was the right path to follow. Soon I found myself embracing the free online tools (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to promote and share my work and the traction for this digital grassroots campaign was more than effective. I began seeing a reaction from my circles of peers and friends; they were responding to whatever project I was working on. More importantly, they wanted to know more.

The “more” here is key in understanding the validity and necessity of an online platform like Cinefile.com. You see, when I first met Michael Liuzza (Cinefile’s Founder) in April 2009, he told me about his new website that he was developing and how he wanted it to focus on the fresh wave of independent artists that were emerging in the new media movie industry. By focusing on this niche area, Cinefile was going to accomplish “more” by way of expanding the dialogue on the new trends, the new technology and the new content that was (and continues) to churn out at breakneck speed. I didn’t have to think twice. I told him I was in. Flash forward to the fall of 2010, and Cinefile.com has now been officially launched into the online world and we couldn’t be more excited.

With our free profiling system, users are able to designate what area they specialize in (writing, producing, acting, etc.) and then from this they can more effectively develop their online voice for promotion. The problem with some of the other massive social networks was that they were too broad in their aims. Cinefile’s audience is targeted and this same audience is also at a crucial point in time when the notion of a helpful community is needed more than ever. We recognize that other online networks for moviemakers pop out left and right here; we’re not inventing the wheel here. What we care about is helping to inform and grow a pool of users who are passionate about creating new interesting content?and sharing it.

In a recent article I published on Cinefile.com titled Understanding Social Media In The Age Of Digital Filmmaking (link:http://cinefile.com/news/cinebyte/understanding-social-media-in-the-age-of-digital-filmmaking/) I wrote:

“We’re seeing fewer amounts of indie filmmakers finding rewarding results by shuffling their movie through the rustic film festival circuit. What we are seeing is a surge of good content being produced and distributed online. So doesn?t it make sense for the new media digital filmmaker to be as visible as ever on these high-traffic platforms?

“It?s important to understand that it?s not only about signing up with these platforms. The key to building your audience and gaining appropriate attention will happen only if you (the digital filmmaker) are diligent in starting your “behind-the-scenes” story. The more eyes and ears you have directed toward your project online, the better it will be. The era of the scarf-wearing, self-indulgent director snob is coming to a fast end. Audiences these days are more sophisticated and informed than ever. They want to know about your good ideas and your unique films. So share your work. Remember, exclusivity is out and connectivity is in.”

“Connectivity is in.” I believe in that idea very much. It’s time to clear up the smog created by the peer-to-peer dissonance that I mentioned earlier. Again, with our site, we’re not trying to take any thunder away from other established movie networks (like Shooting People for example). That would undercut our mission to help maintain this new community of moviemakers. Besides, we like to view Cinefile.com as a website that is going through an ?ongoing re-launch? since we are always refining our modules and services. And why would we do that? Because the movie industry is changing and no one person or entity has the final answer on where things are going. However, at Cinefile.com we want to help sustain the creative work that is currently being produced while also directing our users toward the helpful tools that are at their disposal. There has never been a more exciting time to be a part of the independent movie industry and never a more fertile opportunity to develop a significant infrastructure and network for tomorrow’s new artists.

Join Cinefile today: http://cinefile.com/

Network with me on Cinefile: http://cinefile.com/nelsoncarvajal/