The New Tools of Indie Filmmaking

This list of new tools goes past the usual talk of cameras and computers when discussing the changing technological landscape of filmmaking. Instead it dives into the piecemeal online marketing minutiae that as a whole becomes an important backbone for your film’s online presence.

StatusNet (formerly Laconica)

What is it? StatusNet is an open source microblogging server written in PHP that implements the OpenMicroBlogging standard for interoperation between installations.

Why is it important? You heard of this little service called Twitter, right? It’s the most popular of the microblogging platforms and I’m sure you’re using it now. The only problem is that you have no control over the ownership and archiving of those tweets. Since StatusNet is installed on your server you get to store your microblog messages however you like. In addition you can create your own branded microblog ecosystem that you and your crew can use to market and discuss the film. So instead of driving people to Twitter.com you can drive people to yourfilmsite.com/microblog giving your site more Google juice. You can also connect your StatusNet domain to Twitter so that you can still interact with that huge userbase while simultaneously keeping a copy of those messages on your server. Go to the StatusNet website for more info.

XML (Extensible Markup Language)

What is it? XML is a set of rules for encoding documents electronically. As of 2009, hundreds of XML-based languages have been developed, including RSS, Atom, SOAP, and XHTML.

Why is it important? If the internet is to be the new distribution system then XML is the language your film’s media file must speak. Online video destinations such as Boxee and Hulu use XML files to dynamically pull in information about your film including thumbnails, synopsis, cast, etc. Essentially anything that you would want to consistently be associated with your film’s online existence should be included in this file. Don’t let the above image scare you, XML is pretty easy to understand once you look at an example. The whole goal of XML is to emphasize simplicity, generality, and usability across the web. Go to the W3C page on XML for more info.

WordPress.org

What is it? WordPress is a state-of-the-art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability.

Why is it important? If you don’t have any skills in creating a website, or even if you do, the WordPress platform is a free and easy way of setting up a robust website with tons of options. What started out as a blogging platform has turned into a powerful CMS (Content Management System) with tens of thousands of developers creating any number of plug-ins and thousands more creating design templates. Don’t confuse WordPress.org with it’s hosted commercial counterpart WordPress.com as the beauty of self-hosting WordPress on your own domain is that you can customize to your heart’s desire. Most website hosts, such as BlueHost, make installing WordPress as easy as pressing a button. For those filmmakers who have built their sites wholly with Flash—STOP!—and re-do your website with WordPress to see the advantages having a site that can be visited using an iPhone or any number of mobile devices. Go to WordPress.org for more info and to try it out.

Google Apps (Standard Edition)

What is it? Google Apps Standard Edition is simple online messaging and collaboration tools for groups. It makes it easy for your crew to communicate and collaborate online – and it’s free.

Why is it important? All the above tools mean nothing if you can’t communicate using your brand. With Google Apps you can set up your email to come from your domain using the most powerful email platform: Gmail. You also get access to a self-branded calendar and online docs which allows for easy collaboration. The set-up is quick and in typical Google fashion the services are secure, robust and accessible from any computer at any time. Plus you’re in direct control of administering accounts so you can create and delete user accounts that reside on your domain. And since you’re plugged directly into the Google ecosystem you can add some useful Google Labs products under your brand such as Short Links and Google Moderator. Go to the Google Apps Standard Edition site for more info and to sign-up.