Cheree Dillion, Kristin McCracken, Gary Hustwit, Roz Murphy, Marisa Vitale, Angela Tucker, Elisabeth Holme, and Jorge Rivera.
The power of social media in independent film is undeniable. Which is why filmmakers want to know how can social media can increase their film’s visibility and audience reach.
Held on November 21, Create the Buzz, Audience Will Follow was the second installment of NYWIFT’s DIY Series and focused on engaging and connecting with your audience. I was thrilled to moderate the talented panel, which featured Elisabeth Holme (producer, Welcome to Pine Hill), social media consultant Kristin McCracken, Gary Hustwit (director, Helvetica), Jorge Rivera (writer, Lenox Avenue), and Angela Tucker (producer, AfroPop, The New Black).
With diverse experience in film, TV, and web series as well as with Kickstarter campaigns, the panelists offered tips on leveraging social media to promote your project:
- Building your audience before production begins is a key part of successful distribution. Interact with fans/audience members. They are your advocates as well as your audience
- A social media plan can help build an audience that will watch and share your film
- Start wherever you currently have an online presence and build from there
- Utilize social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram not just to promote films but also to cast, staff, and fund projects
- Drive sales and viewers for your film by building a social community where filmmakers can reach out directly to the audience
- Storytelling is vital to successful social engagement. Social media allows you to extend your reach
- Create content that entertains and educates
- Post/update consistently
- Support your peers’ projects
The speakers discussed their storytelling campaigns. Tucker talked about engaging her fan base across multiple social media channels. While, Hustwit shared the importance providing interesting content and engaging with followers. Holme, who is Kickstarter’s film program director, encouraged filmmakers to use social media to not only raise funds but also build an audience community.
A big thanks to our speakers, attendees, and my DIY series co-producers Cheree Dillion and Marisa Vitale.
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Alison Hirsch
Welcome to NYWIFT, Alison Hirsch! Alison Hirsch is a native New Yorker, with a background spanning development, production, and representation. She bridges storytelling with commercial strategy, bringing a keen understanding of how content is identified, shaped, and circulated. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton, Alison assisted Linda Yellen on her film, which won the Indie Spirit Best Picture and Best Director awards at BIFF. At Little Monster Films, Alison researched potential projects and evaluated their market viability. Following two years at WME in the Motion Picture and Scripted TV departments, Alison recently joined Assemble Media as their Coordinator.
READ MORENia Long Invites Audiences to Celebrate Joy, Legacy, and Love in Michael
For more than four decades, renowned actress Nia Long has defined what it means to bring authenticity and emotional depth to the screen. A cultural icon in her own right, she now takes on one of her most meaningful roles to date, portraying Katherine Jackson in the highly anticipated biopic Michael. Tammy Reese sat down with Nia Long for an exclusive conversation about her latest role.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Khrystyna Komarovska
Welcome to NYWIFT, Khrystyna Komarovska! Khrystyna is a New-York based filmmaker, actress, and digital strategy leader, where her work touches on the intersection of storytelling, audience growth, and social impact. Her projects explore human connection, contemporary relationships, and mental health through narrative film and digital projects. Alongside her creative work, she leads digital strategy for brands and founders, informing how projects are positioned, distributed, and scaled. Khrystyna is the creator of the short series Nina’s Files, which has received festival recognition and media attention. She is also currently developing new narrative work focused on Gen Z audiences and intentional storytelling. In our interview, Khrystyna discusses her background, recent projects, and what she has learned from working in the media industry.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Belén Vilarrasa-Corriero
Welcome to NYWIFT, Belén Vilarrasa-Corriero! Belén is a Spanish-American documentary filmmaker making her directorial debut with Entre Las Paredes (Within the Walls), an intimate, feature-length project in development that follows her Abuela’s final days. Born and raised in New York City in a bilingual household, Belén brings a deeply personal lens to her work, believing that some of the most powerful stories live within our own families. Alongside her own projects, Belén works as an assistant director across narrative and commercial productions, where her focus, adaptability, and collaborative spirit help keep sets running smoothly. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, she continues to grow her craft through diverse filmmaking experiences, driven by a dedication to emotionally resonant, visually compelling storytelling. In our interview, Belén reflects on documenting her family’s history, navigating grief and memory through film, and the projects she’s most excited to explore next.
READ MORE
