Is the Internet a Viable Route to Success?
As I get closer to the end of my college career, I have to start looking at what I’m going to do afterwards. Being involved in a creative field is nerve wracking. What if I’m not good enough? What if there is nothing for me to say? What if I just don’t make it? All these questions sit in the back of my head during every class and lecture.
The internet and its hundreds of video websites offer completely new avenues for someone involved with film/video. But are these seriously viable options? One of the most powerful use of YouTube has to be Lonelygirl15. Not only did the series reach an astounding 70+ million hits between all the videos, but it lead to some success for a few of those involved. Mesh Flinders, one of the co-creators, won an award for a script he wrote in 2006. Aside from that, the only other acknowledgement he has as a writer is for Lonelygirl15. While the young actress has gone on to appear in the television show Greek, others have seen little success outside of all the traffic they’ve received.
As much as I want to utilize the internet and the many video sites available, I’m a bit hesitant to do so. Internet phenomenon seem be exactly that; just a phenomenon, and not something standard or static. They come and go with what people find popular. There is a vast graveyard of all the ghosts of internet memes that have fallen to the more popular ones. And the cycle keeps repeating itself. Even avoiding this type of popularity and simply using video sites as a tool to get your project seen doesn’t seem very beneficial to me either. I’ve seen the argument from many that as long as someone is seeing it, the site is accomplishing what it should be doing. But just being seen isn’t my goal here, it’s to break into a field that keeps growing and getting tougher to infiltrate.
Assuming I forsake all the internet sites as a means to success, many options fade away. I can simply try and network with people who’ve already found some success. But this is largely cumbersome to me, and seems to not mesh well with my personality. The other option, is the festival circuit. I’m beginning to see more and more commentary from others in the same position as myself, that festivals are becoming less independent and more about selling a product. I’m not so sure this is a completely viable option for myself either. It’s very time consuming and is becoming more and more expensive.
I’ve come to a point where I need to make a decision and begin to develop a portfolio or begin a project that may some day be sold. And I’m confused as to where to start. I’ve begun by doing what I think is best, and that’s reading up and watching those in the same position as me. Triggerstreet.com is something I’ve found to be extremely helpful. Not only does it allow for me to read scripts and comment on them, but I can submit my own and have them critiqued. Not only is this feedback on my own writing, but it’s also getting it out there. Triggerstreet partners with other groups who recruit or survey what is being submitted and considers representing them or the script. Another site, Withoutabox, streamlines the entry process to film festivals.
While I don’t feel like all these video sites will necessarily help me in finding an audience or the attention of some Hollywood executive somewhere, I will use sites like Triggerstreet to get my writing out there. And with the help of Withoutabox.com, I’ll try a run at some festivals.
I’m still unsure whether this makes sense as a choice or not yet. Colin wrote up a nice piece that is very relevant to my dilemma. The comments are full of good insight as well. I don’t want to throw up my films/scripts just anywhere. I want to have control over them. But at the same time, that limits the amount of people who will have access to them and the possibility of my getting noticed. Hopefully, a healthy blend of controlling my own content and and health number of submissions to film festival and script writing contests will win out and get me somewhere.
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Excellent post, I’ll chime in soon, but I just stopped by on my iPhone to ask: You read my posts? Huzzah!
Colin Devroe on April 15th, 2008 6:25 pm
At the end of the day, art and creativity are best displayed on your own terms. If you decide to use any web site to help you do that, or to spread the word about where you do that, first research the good and bad uses (as you’ve already done it seems) and then try to do what you’ve seen work.
Overall, it is about having fun and being creative. Do that, and people will find it.
Colin Devroe on April 15th, 2008 9:27 pm
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I wish there was a way to see if putting effort into developing an online following via video websites is at all more beneficial than just plugging my creative talents into every festival or contest I can find. My current plan, as I wrote, is to try a blend of both. I’ll have my name attached to projects, and show pieces of them or parts of the process involved in making the projects and showcase those online. But the finished product, I’d like to have absolute control over and use in festivals. Also, being more focused on the writing part of things, I’m also concerned about putting my work up without proper copyright or registration. You’re words are comforting, and I think they are true, I’m just trying to evaluate the value of the internet in my future career at this stage.
Sameer Barkawi on April 16th, 2008 2:04 am