Snarky Elephant Productions’ Post

Very interesting. So my two cents, up until this year, job posting sites made up about 75-80% of my work over my 20 plus years of experience. Mainly Mandy and Staffmeup. Most years it was an even 50/50 split between the effectiveness of those sites, but I had also used production beast, crewvie and pretty much every other one. The innovative tech or design of the website, *cough cough Mandy has always been ugly af* much to my chagrin NEVER correlated with the success of the platform. It has always been a numbers game. Since merging with Backstage, Mandy has become useless to me. I stopped getting work from it pretty immediately and Staffmeup has been the only site I get work from, although interestingly it now only makes up about 15% of my work this year, the rest being repeat customers or word of mouth. Meanwhile ever since the strikes, a hoard of job board sites, some with more "social" tools than others, popped up; all of them are ghost towns. It makes sense why these start ups boomed, people are out of work and want to assist in changing that. With all of that said, the success of this platform, I believe, will entirely hinge on two things. 1: Critical Mass. If directors and producers or dept. heads don't actually go to this site and use it to find people to hire, all the features of the site become irrelevant. And 2: For the premise of this profit sharing system to work you need to have it apply to productions outside of YouTube, which will be an up-hill battle, if not an impossibility. The reason is three fold: A. Why would I take a job that pays less for back-end points if those points only amount to a few cents? The problem with YouTube is that advertisers hate content that is violent, has swearing, substance use or is otherwise un-aligned with the brand overall. Also, YouTube has changed its monetization scheme SEVERAL times over, each time benefiting the creators less and less. It is why most youtubers make more money off streaming or merch. B. Since YouTube is an unstable business line that a third party company has no say in how it operates or pays out adsense, the only lucrative way for this to work is on indies and studio work that can sell to theatrical and streaming networks. That CAN work, as mentioned with the film that sold to Netflix, BUT, you will have to convince so many producers to give up profit that it would feed an entire platform, and that is a BIG ask. C. Finally there are copyright implications to putting commercial work on YouTube. This may scare away potential major sales to distributors, complicate chain-of-title or even end up giving Alphabet ownership over the work. Not to mention the music on the YouTube stream will have to have an additional license purchased. All of this to say, I really do wish the platform the best of luck, I would love to join and I would love to see it succeed, but I think to do so will require everyone involved to go into this with sober expectations.

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Green screen is fun. 💚 Having the ability to create anything from your imagination is a goal every filmmakers. The green screen has become one of my favorite tools to expand my imagination and not be limited by my location or budget. #greenscreen #vfx #vfxartist #vfxbreakdown #visualeffectssociety #visualeffects

Continuing our series Marketing Tips For Filmmakers, here's part 4

💡 Strategy Alert: Collaborate with other creators! Cross-promote, share resources, and build a community around your film project. Networking is key to finding support and expanding your reach. #FilmMaking #CreativeCollaboration

What I Learned (Observed) at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival #1 Here are some random thoughts that I had while at the conference. More experienced filmmakers may have already observed this, but I’m just sharing what I observed. ✅Marketing, and distribution for that matter, can be challenging for independent filmmakers. ✅I have attended other festivals and conferences such as Sundance, Real Screen West, and the American Film Market where I noticed that filmmakers would email the participants prior to their screening. I wonder if that can be considered a small, but effective, strategy in the marketing plan.🤔 ✅Many independent filmmakers have small teams or are the sole person actively working on their team. Marketing is time-consuming and requires organization and strategic planning. ❓Any thoughts from filmmakers or other creatives who have noticed this or have experience with marketing and distribution? #HotDocs2024 #filmdistribution #filmmarketing

In the bustling Entertainment Industry, where the relentless rhythm of "hurry up and wait" sets the pace, the in-between moments genuinely define the essence of this unique universe. During these pause intervals amidst the chaos, the magic of human connection flourishes, turning colleagues into comrades and strangers into family. Take, for instance, the stirring moment captured between Bryan McGowan and Shannon Fitzpatrick, two stalwarts of the stunt world. Their long-awaited embrace, caught during a rehearsal for the exhilarating live stunt show "D.J.'s Dangerous Pirates," speaks volumes of the deep bonds forged in the crucible of creative endeavor. This poignant image is a powerful testament to the strength and resilience of those who dare to dream and bring those dreams to life on stage and screen. In this industry, every rehearsal, performance, and moment spent waiting in the wings is an opportunity to connect, share stories, and support one another through challenges and triumphs. It's a world where friendships are formed based on shared passions and mutual respect, where every individual's contribution is valued and celebrated. Many of us cherish the camaraderie that develops behind the scenes in the Entertainment Industry. It reminds us that, while we may be drawn to this realm by a love for the art, we stay for the community—the family we choose, united by a common purpose and a shared journey. As we continue to navigate the highs and lows of this dynamic field, let us always remember to cherish these moments of connection. They are the heart and soul of our industry, so many of us can honestly say, "This is why I love this industry." Suppose you want to see the fruits of such profound partnerships. In that case, I invite you to explore "D.J.'s Dangerous Pirates" and the incredible work the team at the nonprofit company FilmEd Academy of the Arts (Newport Beach, CA) is doing. It's a glowing example of what happens when talent meets tenacity, all underscored by the unbreakable bonds of friendship and family. #EntertainmentIndustry, #BehindTheScenes, #CreativeBonds, #StuntShowMagic, #DJDangerousPirates, #CinematicArts, #StuntFamily #IndustryLove, #HINESightEntertainment, #LiveStuntShow, #BuildALiveShow #3weekstobuildlivestuntshow

💡 Strategy Alert: Collaborate with other creators! Cross-promote, share resources, and build a community around your film project. Networking is key to finding support and expanding your reach. #FilmMaking #CreativeCollaboration

More Creative less Profits?  Many talented filmmakers often struggle financially despite their significant contributions to the industry. One primary reason for this is the high cost of production, which includes equipment, locations, and paying cast and crew. Additionally, the market is highly competitive, making it difficult for new or independent creators to secure sufficient funding or distribution deals. Furthermore, revenue from film projects is often unpredictable and can be affected by factors like marketing, audience reception, and distribution channels. Understanding these challenges can help aspiring filmmakers better navigate the financial aspects of their careers. #FilmmakingChallenges #IndependentFilm #FilmIndustry #CreativeStruggles #SupportIndieFilm #FilmProduction

Continuing our series Marketing Tips For Filmmakers, here's part 2