As a student filmmaker,  I have one of the most interactive jobs in the world. I spend countless hours working with either client, crew, or vendors, to achieve the envisioned product. I am constantly using email, social media, cloud services and apps on my iPhone to stay wired and in contact with people and my work.  

SOCIAL MEDIA-
One form of staying on top of interactivity and maintaining an audience, is by connecting and networking through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo and various other sites.  I use Twitter and Vimeo to build a decent sized audience.  One that is always updated on my latest endeavors. One way I use Vimeo is by connecting with other professional filmmakers and dialoguing with them about their process, ideas, and artistry. At first glance, Vimeo seems like merely a video sharing site for filmmakers, not a social network, but in reality it is social network. 

Every day a filmmaker has the opportunity to communicate with millions of other like-minded individuals and seek critique, advice, and encouragement from them. Twitter has always been a massive form of speaking to the general public, as it is less private than Facebook. I use my Twitter account to promote any agenda I may have at the time, from new movies, cast and crew calls, etc. As a 21st century filmmaker though, I almost have an obligation to use every form of social media to interact with my audience and peers.
CLOUD SERVICES/ APPS-
With the advent of the iPhone and the explosion of the cloud, filmmakers like myself have not been inconvenienced, but more likely, we've been given more power at our fingertips. I can now share takes of a scene from an iPad with at least ten other crew or cast members in different locations. This cuts back on the time it takes to load it into the computer and other time-consuming processes. There are many companies who recognize and utilize the new tools of our day. 

One such company is Light Iron Digital, a fore-running Post-Production studio in California and New York. They have innovated and charged forward with providing reliable, color corrected dailies straight from the camera, nearly right after the cut. An on-set artist, the DIT (Digital Imaging Technician) takes the footage and uses their portable, rental-only hardware kit, The Lily Pad, to digest, timecode and color correct the footage. This saves many different steps. Once the footage is done, Light Iron Digital utilizes the cloud and wi-fi technology to send the final daily to any crew member who has an iPhone or iPad. Their software also allows for each person to comment on the footage and make adjustments. 

Thanks to Light Iron, filmmakers can now review and critique their work in minutes, from anywhere in the world. This form of interactivity would have been near impossible a few years ago, and non-existent a decade ago.
CONCLUSION-
Film-making has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, as has Social Media and interactive services.  As the culture becomes more saturated in media and connectivity, we must also connect ourselves to these tools. I plan to connect with my audience and team members in the easiest way possible, by using social media networks to take my story telling to the next level. After all, story is King.



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    Markus Cook

    CEO and Founder of CCA Studios. Hopes to join the ASC ranks someday. We can all dream can't we?

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