Three additional filmmakers share final insights for marketers
To be a successful marketer, you have to master the art of storytelling. And in today's fragmented, social media fueled marketplace, you have to develop a brand story that can be told across channels, authentically and in real-time. No pressure.
We think brands can learn a lot from filmmakers about weaving together a powerful story. That's why we sat down with all nine of our talented Yahoo! Audience Award short film finalists. In this three-part series, we share their approach to the creative process and unearth keyu storytelling tips to help you connect with audiences in richer ways in 2012.
Tip #1: Look beyond the obvious to find the counterintuitive nuances of a story.
From Maria White, "Debutante Hunters"
YAS: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I was raised by artists so creative expression was always encouraged. Dad was a painter and graphic designer and my mother was a costume designer, painter, jack of all trades kind of lady. I was exposed to movies early on by my parents. A lot of the classics---that's where my love of film was born. But it wasn't until later on, in college, that I started getting into watching documentaries and more independent works.
I never went to film school but that fateful winter of 2001, my boyfriend (now husband) and I, after discovering our mutual love of film, decided to apply to the Sundance Film Festival as volunteers. That winter changed both of our lives and paths.
We knew after leaving the festival and being exposed to such an incredible range of films---so many genres and so well executed from all over the world---we were both inspired. We just knew we had to contribute to this art form in some way. 10 years later. We are back with a film of our very own (he is a producer on "The Debutante Hunters"). I couldn't be more ecstatic!
YAS: Tell us about your short film---why are you passionate about the story?
My short is about a group of lady hunters from South Carolina. They've all been hunting since they were about 5 years old and are very passionate about the sport and being out in the wild. They are also very much real women---mothers, workers, feminine, sensitive, beautiful while being truly bold and possess skills, discipline and live in a culture that I find fascinating.
I'm interested in this subject because we are living in a world where we are becoming more and more aware about where our food comes from, what we eat. In my film, we get to know these women who literally hunt, kill and cook their own food---this is a very rare practice in many parts of our country as people migrate towards more urban areas.
Also, I was interested in the practice of hunting, rituals, familial ties and spiritual aspects of this world. The fact that these women are living "regular" lives as Southern ladies, that contrast as well as challenging my own preconceived notions about hunting was all very compelling and inspired me to make this film.
YAS: How do you think the Internet/social media is changing storytelling?
I actually find this question very interesting. I think it is definitely a very exciting time to be a filmmaker due to social media. I know this first-hand as I was able to raise awareness and funding, fortunately, through the internet for my project and now am hopeful that through this exposure on Yahoo! that my film will reach as many people as possible.
Tip #2: Don't be afraid to get personal.
From Andrew Ahn, "Dol (First Birthday)"
YAS: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I am constantly re-evaluating what it means to be a filmmaker. The medium is so expansive; there's so many different types of film, so many different reasons to make film. And so I'm never bored! I explore, I play.
With narrative film, I'm always trying to explore a character and an environment. I want to make sense of a complex situation. And I gain so much insight through the filmmaking process. When I'm scripting, I do research; I go to the community I'm writing about. When I'm shooting, I use the camera to uncover things you don't see at first glance. Filmmaking really helps me understand the world.
YAS: Tell us about your short film---why are you passionate about the story?
"Dol (First Birthday)" is about a gay Korean-American man who attends his baby nephew's "dol," a traditional Korean first birthday celebration. Through this experience, he feels this deep-rooted conflict between his gay and Korean identities. What does it mean to be a gay Korean-American man?
I'm passionate about this story because it's so personal, on so many different levels. I made this film to come out to my parents. I wanted to show them a story about this part of me I've kept hidden for so long. I wanted them to sympathize with this gay Korean-American man on screen, so that they would sympathize with me. The concerns of my main character Nick are my own concerns. The family in the film is my own family! This film hits so close to home.
This film means so much to me because I learned so much by making it. I grew so much through the filmmaking process, as a gay man, as a Korean-American man, and as a filmmaker.
YAS: How do you think the Internet/social media is changing storytelling?
I think the Internet and social media are really democratizing the film industry. Even small films with non-existent budgets can go viral, gain traction, and get press. It's not about the money; it's about the stories. And I think this is super exciting. My roommates are blog maniacs and if they love something (a touching article, a GIF of a scared animal, a film trailer), they make sure everyone sees it!
Tip #3: Capture the moment you are living in.
From Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis, "The Arm"
YAS: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Jessie, Brie, and Sarah grew up around film sets, which were such welcoming and collaborative places. For this project, we were inspired by the creative people we knew - like Landon Pigg, Miles Heizer, and Jessica Hecht - as well as the stupid shit that we do every day - texting, watching movies, eating frozen yogurt - and added it all up to equal THE BEST!
YAS: Tell us about your short film---why are you passionate about the story?
The Arm is about an immature 'boyfriend-girlfriend relationship' that is mostly text-based and gets blown out of proportion. We've seen texting in movies before (most recently I think of "Contagion") and it always seems off, like we're trying to take it more seriously than we should.
We're passionate about this short because it's about our generation's relationship to technology and also about human relationships, and it's critical of it all - the desire to connect mixing with fear and isolation. But the film also accepts that this is the way things are progressing. You have to ask: When are the phones going to eat us and how will we deal with that emotionally when they do?
YAS: How do you think the Internet/social media is changing storytelling?
I guess we'll see how this year goes! So far it's very cool that this Yahoo! competition will allow a bunch more people to see this than just the people at Sundance. I hope it's making the film industry seem more accessible to people who have good, weird, funny, new ideas!
---Dianne Molina
