PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE

The Athletic Nerd is blog about movies, screenwriting & independent film. It’s also about the movies that inspire the aspiring filmmaker.  That’s why I made the decision in August 2010 to include interviews with other passionate artists on the site.  I’m definitely not a journalist but I’ve truly enjoyed meeting other filmmakers, hearing their stories and watching their films.

I called the series FILMMAKERS, FANS and here is how I described the feature initially:

“This series will focus on other independent filmmakers and their movies. From shorts to features, these posts will highlight the challenges of independent filmmaking covering everything from screenwriting to marketing the finished film.”

I feel I’ve accomplished that mission but I’m not done yet.  There are millions of independent films out there!  So I’ve decided to add a BIG statement to my blog today:

THE ATHLETIC NERD SUPPORTS INDIE FILMS!

Filmmakers, Fans is all about promoting YOUR movies.  The Athletic Nerd is a site with steady growth and an audience obsessed with film.  Not only that, I’m an aspiring filmmaker myself so I understand the challenges indie filmmakers face.

Above all else, I’m excited to continue providing readers with new interviews, previews and in depth looks behind the scenes of indie films.  Soon, I’ll be expanding this series even further but for now, it’s your turn!

If you would like to see your film featured on The Athletic Nerd, all it takes is an email to jason@17west.ca.

NOT JUST INTERVIEWS

I may not interview everyone who contacts me but if you’ve got a movie, a trailer, a funding campaign or an announcement you would like to promote there is an option for that too.

The Rundown is my weekly movie news recap published every weekend.  These articles include news, trailers, links and more from the film industry but it also includes short film spotlights and previews.  This feature is going to be evolving soon as well so stay tuned for more.

Click here to catch up on previous Rundowns.

THE INTERVIEWS

Ron Suppa Interview
Find out what it takes to write a screenwriting book from the author of Real Screenwriting.
Read it here.

Get Your Short Film Into Major Festivals
An exclusive look behind the scenes of TIFF’s selection process.
Magali Simard | TIFF Programmer
Read it here.

Scriptchat: A Screenwriting Community
The story of how #scriptchat began and thrived on twitter.
Jeanne Veillette Bowerman | Scriptchat Founder
Read it here.

Damn Your Eyes: Making The Most Of Your Film’s Budget
How to make a 5k movie look like a 20k movie.
David Guglielmo | Damn Your Eyes
Read it here.

Standing Out Amongst The Crowd: Pitching A Short Film
A look at how to create a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign to fund your movie.
Chris Nash | Daddy Warblocks
Read it here.

Junko’s Shamisen: From Vision To Reality
Producing a short film that incorporates animation, live action, CG and more.
Sol Friedman | Junko’s Shamisen
Read it here.

Tilt Interview Part 1: The Movie
A look at the inspiration behind a feature film.
Phil Holbrook | Tilt
Read it here.

Tilt Interview Part 2: The Screenplay
Collaborating through Twitter & Skype with screenwriters.
Phil Holbrook, Julie Keck & Jessica King | Tilt
Read it here.

Tilt Interview Part 3: Leveraging Twitter & Kickstarter
How using social media can help you reach your filmmaking goals.
Phil Holbrook | Tilt
Read it here.

Finding Your Muse: Creating A Short Film
A behind the scenes look from script to screen.
David Spies | A Musing
Read it here.

No Short Cuts: An Editor’s Tale
How a casual encounter in an editing room led to a professional career.
Andy Peterson | Editor of Survivorman, Rubber Side Down
Read it here.

Finding Your Voice: An Indie Filmmaker Profile
Evolving as a filmmaker and jumping from shorts to features.
Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi | Indie Filmmaker
Read it here.

Write A Slasher Movie & Get It Made
The story of a passionate horror fan and screenwriter.
Matt Mosley | Sparrow
Read it here.

Short Film Preview: Lover’s Jump
Find out how this short film came together.
Marc McCombe | Lover’s Jump
Read it here.

Preview: Indie Horror Film Sparrow
The making of a slasher movie.
Thomas James Longley | Sparrow
Read it here.

Twitter has definitely changed the way people consume information.

All it takes is a quick search and you gain access to thousands of tweets relating to virtually any topic you can think of.

This is especially true when it comes to independent filmmaking.  There are thousands of incredible artists promoting their work and sharing their experiences in 140 characters or less.

Twitter is a community.

No matter what interests you there are people out there talking about the same thing.  You just have to know where to look.

Well, if you’re a screenwriter, the place to look is scriptchat.  A weekly Twitter chat that takes place every Sunday night.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jeanne Veillette Bowerman. (@jeannevb)  She is one of the founders of the weekly screenwriting chat and has been working hard to build a community of screenwriters on Twitter.

“Scriptchat is a Twitter chat where new and seasoned screenwriters learn and grow together.  Our motto is simple:  BYOB and leave your ego behind.”

The Cornell graduate owned a motel and restaurant for 15 years and had only thought of writing as “A dream”.  I truly believe that many people want to write but it takes a lot of courage and passion to finally sit down and get to work and put yourself out there.  Especially if you’re career is outside of the film world.

“I got an incredible urge to to write.  I can’t explain it.  It was like something took me over and I was no longer in control of it.”

She began as a novelist but quickly transitioned into the world of screenplays at the suggestion of a friend.  The rest is history.

Jeanne joined Twitter in July of 2009 in order to promote her project based on the Pulitzer winning book: Slavery by Another Name.  What started as a promotional tool quickly helped her become a well respected screenwriting presence on the site with more than 3000 followers and rising.

“I became known as the Twitter Pimp Angel, promoting other people’s work much more than my own.  I never expected to meet such an incredible community of writers. Never.  What a blessing it’s been.”

Her experience with Twitter eventually led to the creation of #scriptchat with the help of fellow writers Jamie Livingston (@yeah_write), Zac Sanford (@zacsanford) and Kim Garland (@KageyNYC).  A group known as The Treefort Team.

“On Sundays, there’s a popular writer chat called #writechat where the craft and business of writing is discussed.  One day, we were trying to participate and get whatever knowledge we could.  The problem was, screenwriting isn’t novel writing.  It wasn’t meeting our needs.  Jamie suggested we needed a screenwriters’ chat.  The goal was to create a community of support and learning.”

The first Scriptchat topic was ‘What is your biggest hurdle in finishing your script’.  An issue that every screenwriter deals with on a daily basis and the initial response was extremely encouraging to the Scriptchat creator.

“It was instantly a screenwriter’s party.”

Each and every week, more and more writers arrived to discuss the craft of screenwriting.  Jeanne moderates the US chat which begins Sundays at 8PM EST while Mina Zaher (@dreamsgrafter) moderates the EURO chat which begins at 8PM GMT.

“The chat has turned into something we never even dared dream in less than a year’s time.  All our intent had been was to bring a bunch of screenwriters together.  Now, we have incredible guests joining us allowing our chatters direct access to produced writers such as Karen Walton (@inkcanada), writer of Ginger Snaps and Bob DeRosa (@thembob), writer of Killers.”

The amazing response they have received has gone beyond Twitter as Scriptchat was recently featured in Script Magazine.

Check out the article here.

Scriptchat is now a bustling community filled with eager screenwriters looking to evolve their skills.  It’s evident in the chat’s motto:

Where screenwriters chat, share and learn — it’s not a competition, it’s a community.

“That sense of community is critical to a screenwriter.  Most of us don’t live in Los Angeles.  We live in small and large communities all over the world, often feeling alone in our writing and pursuit of the brass ring.  Meeting other screenwriters and being open to learning from them expands your ability to succeed both in the craft and the business.  Once you’ve entered the Scriptchat community, you’ll never be alone again”

How can you join Scriptchat?

Head over to: www.tweetchat.com/room/scriptchat Sunday nights.

“To chat is simple.  See what the topic is, take a swig of your margarita and jump into the conversation.”

Personally, I find it incredibly encouraging to know that access to supportive and passionate screenwriters has never been easier thanks to groups like Scriptchat.

So where does the Treefort team see Scriptchat in the future?  The group hopes to turn the blog into more of an online magazine with more resources than ever.  They plan to include more articles, more links and more 1 on 1 interviews.  They also plan to have a online conference with webinars.

“So many of us can’t get to L.A for EXPO or the Great American Pitchfest so The Treefort is brainstorming ways to bring the classes directly to your computer screen.   The most important goal is to meet our chatter’s needs.  If you have any ideas, no matter how small they may seem, please contact one of us and we’ll try to make it happen.”

It’s that free and open approach that has made Scriptchat so successful.  Everyone can participate and make suggestions.

A community thrives on the strength of it’s members and Scriptchat is stronger than ever.

As for Jeanne, she credits her own personal evolution as a writer to the lessons she has learned through Scriptchat.

“My writing skills have improved tenfold since we started Scriptchat.  It’s not just because of the chat itself but because of the connections I have made and the opportunities I’ve taken advantage of.”

One such opportunity is a new webinar she is teaching for Writer’s Digest on How to Write a Marketable Screenplay.

“The biggest change for me has simply been going from no support system to now having a global one full of screenwriters who all want to see each other succeed.  I say I love Scriptchat often and I mean it.  It’s my rock.  I am blessed.  Deeply blessed.”

Special thanks Jeanne Veillette Bowerman. (@jeannevb) for the interview.  Be sure to check out Scriptchat each and every Sunday night!

Visit the official blog for details.

For more on Scriptchat check out her Jeanne’s personal blog:  Ramblings of a Recovering Insecureaholic.