One of the greatest things about the internet is the amount of assistance it can offer an industry person. It's all relatively new to me but as I scratch the surface I find that there are so many resources out there to utilize. It's just a question of searching and finding.
Most recently I ran into a guy on Twitter who posted a tweet saying he had access to the UTA job list and to contact him if interested in getting a copy. I jumped on that opportunity and immediately raised my hand. He sent one. Then he sent another. Then another. Each time they came out he made sure I was informed. I was more than grateful and so impressed with his openness to help others in the industry. It made me realize that social networking is a great tool once you figure out how to utilize it for your purposes. People all over the place are making careers out of consulting and lecturing on how to make it work for your business so about damn time I paid attention. But the best thing is filmmakers out there understand the idea of give and take. The more we support each other the bigger our circle seems to become which leads to a greater opportunity to get our visual stories created and seen.
I looked further into other potential ways of connecting and discovered many, I mean many, sites have popped up for producers, crew, actors, directors, and writers. IndieProducer.net, Crewedup.com, Massify.com, Productionslate.net, & Theauteurs.com (now Mubi.com) are just a few I've found filled with valuable information. And there are always the old standbys: Mandy.com & Craigslist. The deeper I look the more they lead me to volumes of helpful directories & social networking. I've now been lead to amazing groups on yahoo and google as well. Loads of great producer info so far! Everything from questions about PA's to production insurance referrals to camera rental info.
Now, I'm not saying stay home and scour the internet for opportunities. It's ridiculously important to get out and physically network, shake hands, and have discussions with other colleagues and potential mentors. As a matter of fact I ran into the guy who turned me on to the yahoo groups at a networking event in Glendale one night. His name is Alex and his latest endeavor is a competitive guide to LA 411's directory called CineCreative Media (cinecreative.com). We stay in touch, me knowing that as soon as I can return the favor and help him out with some info I definitely will.
There are gems of people in our industry out there and meeting them is great. Not only do you form a relationship with them but you get a chance to help each other out. So, the balance, in the end, is to find a way to take the traditional path and attend networking events, join groups, then follow the modern path and stay on top of as much social networking as you possibly can. Add those trades and news articles into the mix and you've almost got a full time job on your hands! But it most definitely pays off as you go. - TKS
I think you have a real knack for finding the best of the best on-line resources. I fully agree with your pov on internet resource farming. Now more than ever, new filmmakers have greater opportunities to exhibit their work, participate and receive feedback for script writing, find mentors, network with peers, and gain employment in the industry. Further, internet filmmaker’s resources are building a solid platform for a broad spectrum of talent including women, minorities and other marginalized groups. It’s a great time to be a filmmaker.
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