As an independent artist it is so hard to find an audience for your film. Most of the times, the mainstream distribution outlets are not an option, so every indie artist has to think creatively to ensure people will see their work. The social web was the place I found to do this for my film, The Youngest Candidate ^[1].

I Found an Audience for My Work Online
After I finished my film at the end of 2008, I quickly realized that it was up to me to create buzz for my project. Like most independent films made, there was no budget for publicity or marketing, so I had to figure something out myself. We hadn’t gotten into a major film festival yet so I spent almost a year online all day everyday creating a network of support for my film. We finally got into a major festival in June 2009, The Los Angeles Film Festival. By that time I had about 50,000 followers on Twitter already and my audience really helped me create buzz so that we could get good press pick-ups like LA.com ^[2] , The Huffington Post ^[3] , and a tweet from Ashton Kutcher. ^[4]

Film Distribution Opportunities Came From My Followers
I never would have expected this but I have had so many opportunities dropped in my lap simply because I have built an audience online. Most notably, last month we locked in a educational distribution deal for my film. That entire deal came from someone finding me on twitter and then checking out my film’s trailer. Luckily, that person was a rep for a major educational distributor. She wrote my website, I sent her a copy of my film, and the rest is history… ALL FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.

I have also gotten a number of great screenings for my film from contacts I have gotten through the social web. Building my audience online has helped to continue the drumbeat of support for my work. Without it, I’m not sure where I’d be!

I Found Influencer Support for My Film Online
This last item was also a shock to me but it is very true. There are so many influencers online now and many of them like to engage and help people promote great things. I have been fortunate enough to connect with some really supportive people online and they have helped me so much. Getting a shout-out from someone on Twitter like Ashton Kutcher or Alyssa Milano is such a huge boost to your product. Here are screenshot of tweets my film received from Alyssa Milano ^[5], Danny Glover ^[6] , and Larry King ^[7].

I know it sounds unlikely that this might happen to you, but the only way to find out is to jump into the conversation and see what’s possible. If you are standing on the sidelines of social media just watching things then I can guarantee that this will not happen to you. However, if you’re engaging and connecting everyday online, you never know what might happen… just ask the dude who accidentally live tweeted the Osama Bin Laden raid! ^[8]

See a trailer of my film The Youngest Candidate ^[9].

Follow Jason Pollock on Twitter ^[10].