The Library

I really don’t know but it certainly is an interesting question. There is a lot of buzz around about the future of documentary distribution and funding and the current and future role social media will play. There are those who believe that self-distribution combined with intense social media marketing is the wave of the future. Gary Hustwit, director of Helvetica and Objectified, has had tremendous success using Twitter and other social media to build a strong following of his films and is a strong proponent of self- distribution. And then there is the relatively new concept of using crowdsourcing as a means of fundraising using platforms such as Kickstarter and SnagFilms.  This is a fascinating topic that I have just begun to explore and I hope to continue posting new information and opinions as I stumble upon them. For now I have compiled a few links to peruse below.

A How-to guide to using crowdsourcing as a fundraising tool from Mashable. Jamie Dobie’s post for the POV Blog explores the concept of “crowd sourcing” and how it is effecting documentary media. And then there is Malcolm Gladwell’s perspective on the power of social media in his article, “Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted.” Lastly, tips for using social media to your advantage when self-distributing from Kino-eye.com. 

What do you think is the future of independent documentary?