TIPS TO BOOST YOUR DIRECTOR’S CAREER DURING A PRODUCTION SLUMP

With the omnipresent economic slump, the competitive nature of production has skyrocketed higher than ever before. Whereas 3 years ago there was a relatively even distribution and demand for work, there’s been a significant falloff, especially for directors. And if that weren’t enough, we all know that budgets have been cut in a huge way across the board.

So how do you maintain your directors when the workflow isn’t a steady stream? How do you adapt to ever-decreasing budgets? And most importantly, how do you cultivate your directors’ talents, and even facilitate their crossovers into other media?

Whether you’re working in the talent agency world, the commercial production microcosm, or the indie spectrum, there are some incredible new strategies to keep your directors active, fresh, and in demand. Here are some strategic platforms where your directors can flourish and gain exposure for little to no cost.

1) 3rd Party Funding – Especially in the commercial industry, so many directors are chomping at the bit to cross over into other media. Yes, your time is spread thin, but the best thing you can do is sit down with your director and get them to open up about small scale projects – those hunches and dream jobs they’ve got going on in the back of their minds (not just spec commercials.) With websites like Kickstarter.com and Indiegogo.com, anybody can pitch their ideas for film, art, literature – you name it. You pitch to the people, and the monetary results are staggeringly successful. Read more about how to raise your funds through these sites in the article below, Here’s Some Cash, Go Make a Film.

2) Branded Content – Ad agencies and big clients alike are offering up production opportunities to the masses. This certainly falls in line with the trend to scale back budgets, and sometimes even the quality of the final product. But as technology continues to evolve and becomes cheaper to use, there are endless prospects for both your up-and-coming and more seasoned directors. Engaging branded entertainment contests aren’t simply for DIY filmmaking college students or amateurs, a stigma that is finally being shed as the industry continues to change. See Filmaka.com and Current.com to see more about these opportunities.

3) Festivals & Awards – Especially at smaller companies, execution of a production is certainly priority number one. So it’s easy to procrastinate or neglect getting your director’s project on the festival circuit. It makes sense though, especially with the high costs of submitting your director’s work into the premiere festivals. First, when budgeting the project with your director, identify the exact festivals on your director’s wish list. Getting in front of this ahead of time will let you build the PR into your DIY funding, via Kickstarter or Indiegogo. When it comes to finding the festivals with clout (outside the Cannes and AICPs of the world), Filmaka can expose the previously on-the-down-low festivals that industry professionals are really starting to acknowledge.