So you’re wrapping up production on a new web series, short film, or another project and are now looking for film festivals to submit to. We are a proud sponsor of New Media Film Festival which has events in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Submission categories include: animation, mobile created, webisodes, web series, shorts, narrative and documentaries, 3D or red shorts, 3D or red features, content apps, and socially responsible content. There are lots of prizes to be won that directly benefit filmmakers, and their careers going forward. The next big event takes place in Los Angeles in May, 2011.

We are pleased to announce that if you do decide to submit your content to the New Media Film Festival, our Spidvid community and blog readers can save some submission entry cash by using the discount code NM254 at check out online. If you want to submit your content but can’t afford to (or would rather invest into your content instead), then contact us and we may sponsor the fee entirely to get you on your way. If you have any questions please post a comment below, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us.

Good luck to everyone who gets involved with New Media Film Festival in 2011, and we look forward to watching and sharing your creations next Spring!

Jeremy Campbell community 2011, 3D, actors, animation, attention, directors, discount, discount code, documentaries, feature film, festival, film, filmmakers, LA, Los Angeles, May 2011, mobile, mobile video, narrative, new media, New Media Film Festival, NMFF, organizer, prizes, producers, RED, rewards, San Francisco, short film, Silicon Valley, socially responsible content, SRC, submissions, Susan, web series, webisodes, writers

I recently tweeted out via Spidvid’s Twitter account that we were looking for talented web series creators and producers to do email interviews with. A few talented individuals fitting that description reached out and wanted to be part of the campaign.

My first interview was a collaboration with Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, the creators behind the web series “Broad City”. I took each of their answers, mixed them up, and turned them into content for you to learn from. Enjoy the interview below.

1. What are the biggest challenges in creating a web series?

Abbi – For one, it’s challenging to create a web series with no budget! I think the most difficult thing is figuring out the relationships between the characters, and how to maintain them in various situations. Being confident that you have a story worth telling is key to getting everyone on the same page.  Any collaboration can be difficult, and figuring out our process as a team has been both interesting and tricky over the last nine months. What roles do each of us have, and how do we brainstorm ideas and execute them to complete the end product.

Ilana – I think the biggest challenge was finding the right director and editor to round out our team. The series started as just the two of us, and so we decided to make the most of the situation by trying out as many directors and editors as we could, kind of like how Six Feet Under rotates directors. This was of course not optimal, but we learned a lot from that experience, and it led us to our third member, Rob Hugel. As much as we wanted to keep it purely us two and our own dynamic, we learned that shit is going to change. In fact, that’s still something we’re learning about, enabling us to focus on the core tasks we’re good at, and letting others do what we’re not quite as skilled at.

2. Was collaboration between team members integral to the success of your production projects?

Abbi and Ilana – Absolutely, collaboration is the project. This process started out as a conversation in a pizza shop by just bouncing ideas off of each other. Creating that dynamic between these two ‘characters’ was something we had figure out by spending a ridiculous amount of time together. About half way through, we changed the way the series is produced. We now meet about 2 times a week to go over ideas about future projects, and how we can reach more people with our story. We have worked with a bunch of different directors, cast and crew, and found those collaborations to be refreshing to the show by bringing in different perspectives. The last couple months have been very interesting, and our team is working better and better together to constantly improve the show with each episode.

3. Is finding talent which bodes well for web series hard to find?

Abbi and Ilana – I would assume that for the average web series creator it would be challenging to find the right talent to work with, but we are fortunate to be based in the middle of the most talented pool of actors and production crew in New York City. If anything, it has been hard for us to narrow down the list of who we want on our team, as we adore and admire lots of skilled people.

4. Is film school needed to become a star in the video or film industries?

Abbi and Ilana – Completely unnecessary, you don’t even need your own camera! However, film school may help with grooming students to understand the importance of telling interesting stories that viewers want to watch. The created content and delivery is most important, so not everyone involved necessarily has to go to film school. Every team needs some technical knowledge and experience though, so whether that comes from a formal education or not is up to the individual.

5. What will the web series landscape look like in 2015, and how will it evolve from its current state today?

Abbi -I think web series exposure will only grow from here, and more and more valuable platforms will become available for creators and producers to leverage. The challenging part is competing for viewer attention against the plethora of new web series released now and in the future. And with everyone’s attention spans increasingly diminishing, that’s another challenging element to take into consideration.

Ilana – I have NO IDEA. Actually, I think that mankind will be wiped out in 2012. If it isn’t though, then I think that 90% of all content on TV will have originally existed on the Internet first.

I thank Abbi and Ilana for the interview, for their insights, time, and kindness. If you aren’t already, be sure to have our future interviews and posts delivered to your email inbox, or get them through your favorite RSS reader.

Jeremy Campbell Lists, community Abbi, answers, Broad City, content, create, creators, directors, editors, email, experience, grow, Ilana, information, interview, knowledge, learn, new media, online show, online video, producers, questions, story, teach, video, web series, web show, web video

What software do you use, or where do you go to write scripts for your videos and films? Today I want to share a useful web-based platform for all the writers and directors in our Spidvid community to help out with the pre-production process. Scripped provides the tools and framework needed so that individuals can collaboratively write together, share content, export into multiple file formats, keep projects safe and protected, and manage other integral elements of the overall workflow.

Scripped has a stellar management, and advisor group including Hollywood stars Edward Burns and Steven De Souza, and Break Media CEO Keith Richman. Over 65,000 writers from 100 plus countries use Scripped, so there’s a good community to learn and grow from. You can also follow Scripped on Twitter, and like them on Facebook.

Avoid sending messy emails back and forth, and make the script writing process easier and more effective by getting a Scripped account.

Learn about new resources and tools to help improve your video and film entertainment, get the Spidvid blog delivered to your email inbox, or read our blog in your favorite RSS reader.

Jeremy Campbell community, resources collaboration, community, directors, platform, resource, screenplay, Scripped, Scripped.com, script, web-based, writers, writing

Online video is growing faster than anyone would have thought in 2006 when YouTube was still a baby, and packed full of low quality videos. As online video entertainment evolves, it’s interesting that people from all walks of life are interested in creating content capable of reaching millions of people just like the big TV networks have done for decades.

There are new possibilities and opportunities in online video that simply didn’t exist even a year or two ago. The problem is that most video creators and filmmakers can’t create video content that has the potential to go viral online because they lack outside human talent needed for their projects. For the most part, the content that grabs the attention of lots of viewers had quality people behind the production project to make it a success.

Spidvid’s solution to this problem is to provide the framework needed so that talent worldwide can connect, collaborate, and create video entertainment together. When Spidvid was first launched it took awhile for people to catch onto the new media model, but more and more with each passing day a better understanding is taking shape. It’s exciting to think about new video entertainment getting created based on connections, relationships, and partnerships being formed on Spidvid.

If you want to start creating better quality video entertainment, then why not grab a free Spidvid account and then tap into the talent of our community to see what kind of projects make sense to collaborate and move forward on.

Stay updated on future Spidvid posts via email, or have them delivered to your favorite RSS reader. Or if you prefer social media then follow Spidvid on Twitter, and like Spidvid on Facebook.

Jeremy Campbell Visionary, community actors, collaborate, collaboration, collaborative team, community, connect, create, directors, editors, film production, filmmakers, individuals, new media, new media model, online video, platform, problem, produce, producers, production team, solution, spidvid, video creators, video entertainment, video production, web video, writers

Sometimes our high ambitions go beyond our actual talent level needed for a video production project. This is sure to happen if you think big when it comes to creating new video entertainment. Nobody can do everything themselves, so why not find video collaboration partners who share your passion and vision for the project, and fill in the talent gaps that are lacking.

The challenge is how do you find and connect with talented individuals who can add value to your video projects? There are many places online where you can accomplish this goal, so I’ve outlined some of the top destinations below.

Meetup is a useful site because it allows you to join local video and film production groups, have conversations with those group members online, and then take those relationships offline to connect on a deeper level. If there isn’t a local video production group in your town or city you may want to consider organizing one to bring your local community together.

LinkedIn is the web’s largest social network focused primarily on establishing and maintaining professional contacts and relationships. It’s easy to add new contacts on LinkedIn, but it means virtually nothing unless you actually reach out and spark a discussion with these people.

Craigslist can work wonders if you clearly outline your project’s details, goals and objectives, and what kind of individual(s) you need to collaborate with. Many users on Craigslist are looking for paid gigs so if you just want to partner up and not pay upfront for their time be sure to mention that important bit of information. People are always looking for new worthwhile opportunities so if your video project fits that description you may want to submit a posting on Craigslist.

Facebook is the world’s largest social network but many users just use the site for sharing pictures, “liking” stuff, and messaging. There are many excellent fan pages though, so look who’s active on them and don’t be shy to shoot them a quick message to see if a joint collaboration makes sense.

Twitter is where we get a lot of new members for our community, and we have established some wonderful friendships over the past few months despite frustrating battles with the infamous “fail whale”. Follow actors, directors, producers, editors, or whoever you may need on your team, and whoever follows you back send a custom direct message to see what kind of interest is out there.

Google has to be mentioned because this is where you can track down blogs, forums, and communities that focus on video production. Leave comments on blog articles, reply to others in forums, and be human to show you are capable of being an effective video production partner. Listen closely to the needs and questions that people have because you have to properly address those before anything will happen.

YouTube is where the most video creators and filmmakers hang out due to the fact that it has the world’s largest viewing audience.  It may be a good idea to establish connections on YouTube, but don’t forget that creators go there to upload new content so don’t distract these individuals with long messages. Move the discussion to email, or wherever you are both comfortable communicating.

Last but not least, Spidvid is the social network where individuals go to connect, collaborate, and create video entertainment together. So when you send a message to someone on Spidvid you can be sure it will be well received because of the hyper focus around creating new video content.

There are many other sites out there for the purpose of connecting with potential video collaboration partners. Just remember that how you engage, why you want to engage, and most importantly who you engage with are the key elements to every successful partnership.

Jeremy Campbell Lists, resources actors, collaboration, collaboration partnership, craigslist, directors, editors, Facebook, filmmakers, LinkedIn, new media, partnership, producers, production team, social media, spidvid, talent, twitter, video collaboration, video creators, video partnership, video production, videographers, YouTube