On Oct 21, a panel of industry veterans from MTV, Lionsgate, KCET, Break.com, Omelet & Aniboom descended upon Digital Hollywood for IndieGoGo's Pitch Camp.
2 hours and 9 pitches later the event wrapped with happy judges (impressed with the quality of talent pitching) and happy filmmakers (equipped with invaluable feedback and the tools to take their projects to the next level).
Catch the highlights below!
Alex Barkaloff (Exec. Producer of Lionsgate Digital) comments on Pitch Camp and the future of the Internet as an incubation platform.
'
Uri Shanar (CEO of Aniboom) predicts the future of the internet rests in "Creator-Generated Content"
"Getting the chance to be in front of industry professionals to
pitch a project is something most people only dream about, indiegogo
made it happen!"
"Pitch Camp was invaluable for me - not only the experience of talking about my films in front of a high-powered panel, but also having a packed audience of smart people - I could tell from their reactions what worked, and what didn't about my pitch, about my films and about my presentation."
- Sarah Lefton, Executive Director / Producer of G-dcast
Here's a few samples of pitches. Big takeaway: Always be ready. Always.
Thanks again to all the judges for spending the afternoon with IndieGoGo's filmmakers:
Alex Barkaloff, Exec Producer, Lionsgate Digital
Juan Devis, Director of Production KCET New Media
David Gale, Exec VP of New Media, MTV Films & MTV Interactive
Danila Koverman, Director of Development, Break.com
Uri Skanar, CEO, Aniboom
Mark Vega of Counsel, Luce Forward & Co-founder Omelet
A weekly dose of favorite IndieGoGo posts. Follow at @GoGoSlava and @GoGoDanae
RT @dbreger: Make sure to make it out to the Future of Media panel at 2:45 with NBC, YouTube, AT&T, IndieGoGo, and Screen Digest!8:08 PM Oct 17thfrom TweetDeck
@TedHope asks the filmmakers he works with to expand the narrative and participate in ongoing conversations with their audiences #PTTP097:38 AM Oct 14thfrom TweetDeck
RT @markwynns:
in the new world of indiefilm distribution influencers like Oprah &
Tyler Perry are more valuable than critics & distributors3:43 PM Sep 29thfrom TweetDeck
Future a game delivery -> what Netflix is doing with Roku4:51 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Physical packaging for games is going way as more gaming exists in the cloud and delivery happens weekly/monthly4:50 PM Oct 17thfrom web
>Play conference: Monetization of Gaming...4:50 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Role of contest & Incentives: layer on top of social media strategy3:22 PM Oct 17thfrom web
1.
Who are my customers? 2. Where are those people engaging in social
media (blogs, facebook, twitter). 3. Go after those channels.3:18 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Elements of a social media campaign for a new brand: list of tactics....3:18 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Social media: allows you to test your marketing messages faster than ever before3:17 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Social media: most obvious way to build a brand for small companies, start-ups and creative entrepreneurs (filmmakers!)3:16 PM Oct 17thfrom web
E.g.
McDonald's (sponsor of Fantasy Football) didn't tell folks how to smack
talk, but built a fun tool to smack talk via word poetry3:14 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Give a tool set that enables people to do what they're already doing, but better or easier3:13 PM Oct 17thfrom web
"Guiding through margins" means not getting in the middle of the conversation.3:12 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Good marketing: just fixing problems... not telling people you're fixing problems.3:11 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Brands (i.e. filmmakers!) HAVE to be more authentic today. There's no difference between DELL & Joe or Jane Filmmaker #indiegogo3:11 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Social media is forcing brands to be more transparent. Can't have a crappy product and convince folks otherwise.3:10 PM Oct 17thfrom web
"Is brand truth the future of advertising?"3:10 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Buying a spot and hoping it works is going away...3:05 PM Oct 17thfrom web
How
to push a viral marketing campaigns: 1st: cool concept, 2nd: insert
campaign into the convos happening online & off. not rocket sci3:03 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Affinity groups, bloggers, and influencers need content...3:01 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Social media: ways to speak to audiences w/o pay, and expand impact of pay tactics2:59 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Social media has a role w/i strategic planning... not just advertising and marketing #indiegogo2:58 PM Oct 17thfrom web
New tactics don't replace old... they just support them2:57 PM Oct 17thfrom web
>Play conference: Panel "Brands that Matter": Roles... PR: outreach to bloggers, Brand Manager: monitoring twitter feeds #indiegogo2:56 PM Oct 17thfrom web
Thanks to everyone who submitted! If your film was not one of the final selections, YOU CAN STILL PITCH! Come to Pitch Camp, as the last 45 minutes will be a "Free For All" where anyone can pitch the judges.More details below.
Judges:
Alex Barkaloff, Exec Producer, New Media, Lionsgate
Juan Devis, Director of Production KCET New Media
David Gale, Exec VP of New Media, MTV Films & MTV Interactive
Danila Koverman, Director of Development, Break.com
Uri Skanar, CEO, Aniboom
Mark Vega of Counsel, Luce Forward & Co-founder Omelet
Danae Ringelmann, IndieGoGo, Moderator
Details:
Digital Hollywood Content Summit - Session 3 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM Pitching
your favorite brand, agency, TV and broadband network. The content
summit in cooperation with Digital Hollywood Upfronts. Executives
standing by to take your pitch. During the first 30 minutes a panel of
experts evaluate 3-5 public pitches and provide feedback. After that
it’s free for all: Executives from networks, portals, agencies, studios
and brands are standing by to take your pitch.
Structure:
Each
selected filmmaker will have 5 minutes to pitch their project. If
showing a trailer or clips, they must include that in their 5 minutes.
Judges will then have 5 minutes to give feedback.
Judging feedback:
Judges will evaluate and provide feedback on the following:
Quality of the story
Quality of the project's promotional campaign
Quality of the pitch delivery itself
Free For All:
After
the selected filmmkers pitch their projects to the panel of judges, the
panel will break-up. Judges will be assigned to individual tables, and
for the last 45 minutes of Pitch Camp any filmmaker in the room will be
able to approach any judge and pitch their project.
Synopsis: The experts on this creative brainstorming and makeover panel will look at strategies for distribution and marketing of films on social, environmental and human rights issues, as well as ways to get audiences engaged—connecting with non-profits, social networking, events, bake sales, fundraisers: What are effective, creative ways to move inspiration into action? Filmmakers are invited to present a project for a brief Active Cinema “make-over” by our panelists.
On October 19th, IndieGoGo is hosting Pitch Camp at Digital Hollywood's Content Summit in Santa Monica,CA. 3-5 films will be selected to pitch their projects to a panel of Hollywood execs. Submit your film for selection today! Details on event and how to enter below. Digital Hollywood Content Summit - Session 3 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM Digital Hollywood Pitch Camp: Pitching your favorite brand, agency, TV and broadband network. The content summit in cooperation with Digital Hollywood Upfronts. Executives standing by to take your pitch. During the first 30 minutes a panel of experts evaluate 3-5 public pitches and provide feedback. After that it’s free for all: Executives from networks, portals, agencies, studios and brands are standing by to take your pitch.
How To Enter: Register by creating a project on IndieGoGo HERE and tagging it as "contentsummit"
Criteria:
Filmmakers should submit if their project matches the following criteria:
Project type - Feature, documentary, webisode, short
Project stage - development, production, a work-in-progress or complete
Purpose of Pitch - Fundraising, feedback, or distribution
Structure:
Each selected filmmaker will have 5 minutes to pitch their project. If showing a trailer or clips, they must include that in their 5 minutes. Judges will then have 5 minutes to give feedback.
Judging feedback:
Judges will evaluate and provide feedback on the following:
Quality of the story
Quality of the project's promotional campaign
Quality of the pitch delivery itself
Free For All:
After the selected filmmkers pitch their projects to the panel of judges, the panel will break-up. Judges will be assigned to individual tables, and for the last 45 minutes of Pitch Camp any filmmaker in the room will be able to approach any judge and pitch their project.
Judges:
The panel of judges vary from TV execs to online platform programmers. Pitch Camp is a great opportunity to get feedback from and access to professionals who might be able to help your project - whatever stage it's in.
Mark Vega of Counsel, Luce Forward & Co-founder Omelet
Alex Barkaloff, EP new Media, Lionsgate
Juan Devis, Director of Production KCET New Media
Moises Velez, Head of Development and Current Programming, NBC Uni
IndieGoGo is giving away three All Conference Tickets (each worth $685) to Digital Hollywood
Fall 2009 Conference taking place Oct 19-22 in Santa Monica, CA. IndieGoGoGo has also secured a $600 discount off the regular ticket price for all other IndieGoGo members.
As part of Digital Hollywood's Content Summit, GoGoDanae be holding a hands-on-workshop on tools filmmakers should be using to fundraising for your next picture, documentary or web series. Details below.
Indie Funding Workshop (Digital Hollywood Content Summit)
Tuesday, October 20th
1:00 - 2:00
Loews Hotel, Santa Monica, CA
Reminder, don't forget to:
Sign up for Pitch Camp (pitch LGF, NBC Universal & KCET execs)
Twitter to Win $685 Tickets to Digital Hollywood (4-Day Conference Passes)
Use your "IndieGoGo" affiliation to get $600 off your conference ticket
I'm heading down to Los Angeles to speak with Film Commissioners from across the world about the status of Film Financing. Share with your film commissioner today! They should be in LA Nov 2-3!
Synopsis: Film financing in today’s market economy has gotten to be a creative act in itself. We’ll look at where funding is coming from these days, what financial strategies are being employed and with what success. We’ll discover how film incentive jurisdictions fit into the financing picture and learn about alternative funding sources, co-production deals, hedge funds, product placement, and new distribution models.
Paranormal Activity is a DIWO (Do-It-With-Others) case study in the making. @GoGoSlava has been tweeting lots about it. It opened in just a few theaters in September, after a long and creative internet-based marketing campaign involving:
trailers showing real-life movie-goers
posters devoid of the Hollywood polish
college tour
free screenings to drive twitter and facebook buzz
It will open in more theaters in October as more fans demand a screening in their area!
Sound familiar? IndieGoGo recently gave every project profile "Demand it" functionality... so every project's fans can demand an event in their area. Learn more here.
Back to Paranormal...
The Los Angeles Times and Move Marketing Madness blog have good write-ups on "Paranormal Activity's" unusual approach to building an audience. Read and learn!
Some excerpts:
LA Times: "Two weeks ago, rain was coming down in a hard drizzle at the Telluride
Film Festival, and as midnight approached, the several hundred festival
guests wrapped themselves tighter in blankets, tarps and ponchos as
they tried to stay warm. The free, outdoor "Paranormal Activity"
screening at this year's Labor Day festival scarcely benefited from the
cold, wet weather, but few in the audience left early. By the next day,
positive Internet reviews
and tweets were flowing in, a process that was repeated a week later at
the Toronto International Film Festival, where the movie was shown
outside of the festival program." Full Article here.
Movie Marketing Madness blog: "While there’s been some press
about how the movie was shot in 2006 and has been sitting on the
Dreamworks shelf since 2007, it’s important to realize that the entire
“Demand It” campaign, coupled with the release strategy that has the
movie appearing on a handful of college campuses at first is one big
publicity move. The idea is to get college kids to see the movie, rave
about it to their friends who will demand that it play on their campus
and eventually have that enthusiasm reach a critical mass and spill
over into the mainstream when Paramount expands it to more theaters in
mid-October." Full blog here.
I'm heading back to IndieGoGo's birthplace to discuss the...
Future of Media: Fee or Free?
Saturday, Oct 17, 2:45 m UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business Registration info Panel details Synopsis: Whether
through
advertising (TV), subscription (cable, satellite, IPTV), or per-content
purchases (movies, DVDs, VOD), the business models for media were
fairly straightforward. However, with the evolution of the Internet has
come the assumption of “free” being the standard payment to the
consumer for content. Never before has it been so easy for someone to
watch so much free, professionally-produced content with the click of a
button. How are current companies all along the media delivery value
chain dealing with this shift? And how will these approaches evolve as
the ease of access to and delivery of content improves?
Moderator: Arash Amel, Screen Digest, Research
Director, Digital Media
Panelists: Stacy Nagata, NBC Universal, VP,
Digital Entertainment Strategy & Operations Kevin Yen, YouTube, Director
of Strategic Partnerships Danae
Ringelmann, CFA, IndieGoGo, Founder,
COO/CFO Franz
Kurath, AT&T, Executive
Director, Broadband Content
