Danielle DiGiamcomo moderating with aplomb – Stu VanAirsdale, Karina Longworth, Pamela Cohn and Mike Tully

The panel on distribution also had a really great line-up: Susan Buice and Arin Crumley directors of Four Eyed Monsters, Leah Meyerhoff director of Team Queen and Twitch and really on it with her website and mailing list, Danielle DiGiacomo of distributor IndiePix, Billy Saleebey director of Rolling, and Jerry Rapp director of Mojave Phone Booth. These directors are smart and savvy about distribution and marketing and are clear that things are changing and changing fast. Filmmakers need to stay on top of the game to find their audience and get their work out there. They are also very aware of the power of the Web as a vital tool in this revolution – and they share their resources and experiences so check out their websites to find out more. I learned about TubeMogul, a great site for easily uploading your films to the top video sharing sites and then tracking who is watching your work and how. Analytics are so important when you’re trying to keep track of what is having an impact and where, although I have to admit that I haven’t really gotten my head around all the available web-analytic tools yet and I’m very suspicious of the accuracy of many of them.

Leah Meyerhoff, Danielle DiGiacomo, and Pamela Cohn

Earlier last week I participated in a panel at the Foundation Center – How You Can Afford to Be an Artist: Ideas for Creating a Sustainable Career. I am often surprised by the lack of communication between filmmakers and other artistic pursuits and it was really great to sit on a panel with people doing such amazing things for the arts in NYC because at the end of the day we are all going to be so much stronger if we partner up and share resources as we fight the good fight to allow creativity to flourish in a city where it can sometimes (often?) feel impossible to be an artist/independent filmmaker. The Foundation Center offers lots of free events and it is definitely worth looking into what might be useful for you. And please check out the organizations of my fellow panelists who inspired me so much with their passion and the incredible things they are doing:

Fractured Atlas

Fractured Atlas is a non-profit organization that serves a national community of artists and arts organizations. Our programs and services facilitate the creation of art by offering vital support to the artists who produce it. We help artists and arts organizations function more effectively as businesses by providing access to funding, healthcare, education, and more, all in a context that honors their individuality and independent spirit. By nurturing today’s talented but underrepresented voices, we hope to foster a dynamic and diverse cultural landscape of tomorrow.

Chashama

Since 1995, chashama, a non-profit arts organization has provided opportunities for performing and visual artists by awarding grants, producing shows and providing subsidized studio, rehearsal and performance space.

Materials for the Arts

Materials for the Arts, NYC helps artists realize their visions, provides students with a richer educational experience, and furnishes businesses with a simple and efficient way to enhance the cultural life of their city while promoting environmental awareness and reuse.

Rock on.

There’s also a 25-year Retrospective Screening of Susan Seidelman’s Smithereens, hosted by Susan Seidelman. The film stars Susan Berman and legendary post-punk musician Richard Hell (Richard Hell and the Voidoids).

I’ll be posting more on this later but you can buy tickets online now.

To get more info and to buy tickets click here.

More about True/False here.

See you there!

Done well, these hybrid films can reach a sort of Herzogian ecstatic truth that really make us look at ourselves and our society with fresh eyes, and it is arguably British filmmakers in particular who have pushed the boundaries in this area.

On a related note, Agnes Varnum has written a recent article for indieWIRE that investigates the history of narrative and documentary coming together in film, starting with Nanook of the North and Man with a Movie Camera and evident in recent films like The Road to Guantanamo, Strange Culture, Radiant City and Zoo.

Crossing the Line takes place September 21-23 at Rich Mix in London.

You can also learn about online distributors, turning your film into a campaign, how to pitch, and the secrets behind the docs that have made big money.

Click here to download the podcasts.

MONKEY TENNIS!

In 2007 my partner and i went undercover with a secret camera to discover the guts and innards of the commissioning process. We managed to get meetings with the Heads of Entertainment at ITV and Channel 4. I proceeded to pitch my shit and ludicrous program ideas to see if i had a shot at the big time. This film shows the results of those meetings…