I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I’ve been able to get some of my artwork out there and how to bring in viewers. I can honestly say it’s a harsh work when marketing your work on the Internet, but the one thing I always remained aware of was what the file-sharing community was doing. I post my work to free art sites and share photos through Flickr. These things are both free so and are deemed acceptable, so why do we condemn the millions of potential viewers because we might not agree with their sharing practices?
The simple answer is: We shouldn’t.
By snubbing the entirety of the file-sharing community you are letting go of millions of possible views and eyeballs looking at your work, and some time the owners of those eyeballs like your work to such a degree that they gift you money. Now, who doesn’t like money?
Here are some of the tools I’ve been telling fellow filmmakers and artists to pursue.
For Filmmakers: The VODO Network
For any independent filmmaker who is working on a tight budget just to complete the movie, it is doubtful there will be anything left over for marketing and distribution. If a filmmaker finds himself or herself in this position they still have two major resources that when utilized can bring their film to a greater audience than multiple showings at film festivals.
“VODO bring you great movies from creators who WANT to share their work!” And that is what VODO’s track record has accomplished. If we looked at how many peers were connected to torrents stemming from The Pirate Bay, on May 6th alone there where over 24 million. That is 24 million viewers who could download and watch your movie and then donate to you. After all, VODO’s name comes from voluntary donation.
With 21 distribution partners, which include the largest torrent sites in the world, VODO can offer filmmakers the opportunity to expand their usual market I hopes for returns that would normally be profited on by movie studios or distribution companies. VODO does not ask for royalties and any donations made to the artist are solely for them.
For Artists of All Kinds: Flattr
Flattr is a new site that has only begun testing the waters of the Internet. It is a social micropayment site that is trying to generate revenue for the artists whom rarely receive credit for their work and who almost never receive money to continue producing works. Flattr aims to change all of this by changing the way we surf the Internet. When users find something they like they will share it through a link on their Facebook pages or tweeting about it. Those options can drive traffic to the page, but they do not drive revenue. This is where Flattr comes into play.
Users sign up for Flattr and can then place a button on their site or project they wish for people to evaluate and then other Flattr users can choose to “flattr” you by sharing a piece of their balance. At the end of each month you will be able to collect the money that other users wanted to share with you. Accounts are free and you can deposit as little as 2 Euros in your account per month.
*NOTE* Both of these concepts are still very new and it will take time to see if Flattr can catch on to the degree that is projected. A word of caution should be said after reading all of the information listed here. When putting work out there and artist needs to realize that the world and the people out there have their own viewpoints. Some will love your work and others may hate it, but it stands to reason that if you put out a quality product of one of substance that you will see a return in your investment.
