A blank canvas. A single frame. The quiet hum before a film breathes life into a screen. But what happens after the final cut? How does a filmmaker's vision transcend the void and reach the hearts and minds of an audience? Today, we unravel this mystery with Danielle Raiz, a passionate advocate for creatives, whose work at Wix has been dedicated to empowering filmmakers and video creators.In this boundless digital age, content creation has become more than just an art—it is a language, a currency, a revolution.
Danielle Raiz reminds us that the modern filmmaker is no longer a mere artist but an entrepreneur, an architect of their own cinematic empire. She shares how filmmakers can harness websites, digital marketing, and audience engagement to elevate their craft beyond the screen. "You have to engage with your viewers even before you start filming," she emphasizes. "You build your own website, create a teaser, and start talking to your fans. You share behind the scenes, updates, and teasers to create a buzz before your film is even out."A film, like a tree in the forest, may not make a sound if no one is there to hear it. Gone are the days when a filmmaker could rely solely on festivals and distributors. The power has shifted. Now, with tools like Wix, a filmmaker can craft their own digital home—a place where their work is presented with intention, where it is not merely another flickering light in the vast, crowded universe of content. The key is in visibility. "Your site is really your business card," Danielle Raiz explains. "When people talk to you, they'll Google your name. If they find a professional, beautiful online presence, it reflects on how they see your work."It is no longer enough to create; one must cultivate. Cultivate an audience, a brand, a presence. Marketing is not a necessary evil; it is an extension of the story itself. The best marketing does not feel like marketing at all—it is storytelling, an invitation, an experience.
Danielle Raiz speaks of how major brands have already embraced this, turning advertisements into compelling short films. The lesson for filmmakers? Market your work as you would craft a scene—thoughtfully, purposefully, beautifully.Yet, beyond the artistry of marketing lies a fundamental truth: control. "For a long time, video creators had to play by the rules of streaming platforms," she says. "Now, everyone is chasing after great content creators. You have the power. You control the way your work is displayed, monetized, and shared. And that is an exciting time to be a filmmaker."We live in a time where technology shifts at the speed of thought. Virtual reality, interactive storytelling, live engagement—these are no longer distant dreams but tools at our fingertips. The game is no longer about who gets a seat at the table; it is about those who build their own table. And in this unfolding cinematic future, those who understand both art and strategy will rise.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bulletproof-screenwriting-podcast--2881148/support.
Danielle Raiz reminds us that the modern filmmaker is no longer a mere artist but an entrepreneur, an architect of their own cinematic empire. She shares how filmmakers can harness websites, digital marketing, and audience engagement to elevate their craft beyond the screen. "You have to engage with your viewers even before you start filming," she emphasizes. "You build your own website, create a teaser, and start talking to your fans. You share behind the scenes, updates, and teasers to create a buzz before your film is even out."A film, like a tree in the forest, may not make a sound if no one is there to hear it. Gone are the days when a filmmaker could rely solely on festivals and distributors. The power has shifted. Now, with tools like Wix, a filmmaker can craft their own digital home—a place where their work is presented with intention, where it is not merely another flickering light in the vast, crowded universe of content. The key is in visibility. "Your site is really your business card," Danielle Raiz explains. "When people talk to you, they'll Google your name. If they find a professional, beautiful online presence, it reflects on how they see your work."It is no longer enough to create; one must cultivate. Cultivate an audience, a brand, a presence. Marketing is not a necessary evil; it is an extension of the story itself. The best marketing does not feel like marketing at all—it is storytelling, an invitation, an experience.
Danielle Raiz speaks of how major brands have already embraced this, turning advertisements into compelling short films. The lesson for filmmakers? Market your work as you would craft a scene—thoughtfully, purposefully, beautifully.Yet, beyond the artistry of marketing lies a fundamental truth: control. "For a long time, video creators had to play by the rules of streaming platforms," she says. "Now, everyone is chasing after great content creators. You have the power. You control the way your work is displayed, monetized, and shared. And that is an exciting time to be a filmmaker."We live in a time where technology shifts at the speed of thought. Virtual reality, interactive storytelling, live engagement—these are no longer distant dreams but tools at our fingertips. The game is no longer about who gets a seat at the table; it is about those who build their own table. And in this unfolding cinematic future, those who understand both art and strategy will rise.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bulletproof-screenwriting-podcast--2881148/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
You are listening to the IFAH podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
For more amazing filmmaking and screenwriting podcasts, just go to
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Speaker 3 (00:12):
Welcome to the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, Episode number four twenty eight.
Your dream doesn't have an expiration date, Take a deep
breath and try again.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Kat You Whitten broadcasting from a dark, windowless room in
Hollywood when we really should be working on that next draft.
It's the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, showing you the craft and
business of screenwriting while teaching you how to make your
screenplay bulletproof.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
And here's your host, Alex Ferrari.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Welcome, Welcome to another episode of the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I am your humble host Alex Ferrari.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
Now.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Today's show is sponsored by Bulletproof Script Coverage. Now. Unlike
other script coverage services, Bulletproof Script Coverage actually focuses on
the kind of project you are in the goals of
the project you are, so we actually break it down
by three categories micro budget, indie film, market, and studio film.
There's no reason to get coverage from a reader that's
(01:08):
used to reading temp pole movies when your movie is
going to be done for one hundred thousand dollars and
we wanted to focus on that. At Bulletproof Script Coverage,
our readers have worked with Marvel Studios, CIA, w MEE, NBC, HBO, Disney,
Scott Free, Warner Brothers, The Blacklist, and many many more.
So if you need your screenplay or TV script covered
(01:29):
by professional readers, head on over to covermiscreenplay dot Com.
Enjoy today's episode with guest host Dave Bullis So.
Speaker 6 (01:39):
On this episode of the podcast again, we're going to
be talking about marketing, short films are being used as
actual commercials, and so much more.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
As we talk all about.
Speaker 6 (01:50):
This wonderful, wonderful world of filmmaking and video, we alsys
talk about a lot of really cool projects as well.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
With guests Danielle riaz So.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
I started my career in consumer media startups, so I've
always been about creating tools for creatives and for for
all sorts of creatives from you know, better ways to
show these photography online and video online and musicians and
stuff like that. And it came two weeks because we
saw that there's a huge user base of the video
(02:22):
creators that it didn't have the perfect tools for their needs.
And at weeks. We're all about empowering users and you know,
different users have different needs. So we came we came
to this project in order to help video creators grow
their business and knowing that for a video creator, their
content is their business. So it's all about you know,
(02:43):
better showcase, better distribution, auptions, stuff like that.
Speaker 6 (02:48):
So, so, Daniel, when you're you know, obviously you see
a ton of different things. You know, with your position,
you see a ton of different filmmakers, you see a
ton of different videos. You know, what are do you
can you think of any of the top of your
head right now that have just been like absolutely like
astounding and you're you know, because you know, everything is
digital now and we have so many tools at our disposal,
(03:09):
it's almost.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Overwhelming at times.
Speaker 6 (03:11):
But you know, you know, and sometimes you see projects
and that just come out of left field and they're
just amazing. You know, Have you run into any and
you could think of a the top of your head,
you know, during your course of weeks.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
Wigs, website or in general.
Speaker 7 (03:26):
Art just in general, so general, I think that it's
a really exciting time to be a video creator because
there are a lot of new ways now to create
content which are really interesting.
Speaker 5 (03:36):
I see, for example, our users, you know, experimenting with
three hundred and sixty videos and VR, and it's really
a whole new way to look at how you create
content and how people engage with it. Also, if you
look at the platforms that people are using, you know, Facebook, Etteuchers,
so you get a lot of like live engagement. So
(03:56):
it's really interesting to see, you know, how creators evolve
how they create content in terms of how this landscape
is changing over time. So this is the one thing
that I find really interesting. And I also think that
there are a lot of tools in the last year,
in the last couple of years that are about giving
(04:19):
video creators, you know, the power to control their careers.
So up until now you're kind of like you had
a few video services and you kind of had to
play by their rules. And now that you have all
the power because everyone's chasing after all the great video
creators out there, you know, you can actually decide, you
can actually control the way that you're displayed and the
(04:41):
way that you're monetizing your content, and you have so
many platforms to choose from, which is amazing. So I
think these are really exciting time.
Speaker 6 (04:50):
Yeah, and you mentioned something that I usually talk about
on the show, and that is you have to sort
of create your own sort of what I call a
stake in the ground. And basically what that is is,
you know, you have have to get a website and
that is your stake so in the ground and you
know minus Dave Bulls dot com and basically that way,
when you're actually out there and you're you're making stuff,
(05:10):
you can upload it to a website. And this is
I think it's key because now I don't know, it's
just maybe if it's just me, but whenever someone says
who you know, who's uh, does you know creative work
or artistic work, and they say they don't have a website,
I kind of go really like, you know what I mean,
it's just if it seems like it should be second
nature at this point completely.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
So I think that's provisional artists. You know, your site
is really your business card, and when people talk to you,
they'll just go to Google, they'll google your name and
they'll just they need to find like a professional, beautiful
online presence because it actually reflects on how they look
at your work. So you really want to have control
on how this is displayed, and you know, wis being wikes.
We're really about like giving you all the tools so
(05:50):
you don't have to think about how to create your
website or how you know, how to design it. We're
just giving you everything, giving you all the tools that
you need so you can just focus on your contents
and just put it, you know, in a beautiful template
and that could customize the entire thing and make it
your own. So when people go to your site, you know,
they they see your site and your logo and your brand,
(06:10):
and you know, it's all you and it doesn't really
matter where the content is coming from.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 6 (06:16):
And especially now with video becoming what it is so
important in marketing and advertising, you know. I mean, you know,
for instance, you go onto a lot of these video
sites and you know, like you know, Hulu, Voodoos, you know, YouTube,
and you see the what you see those ads before
the video, and they're short films. They're no longer just
like people you know, pitching you things. They're a literal
(06:39):
short film, you know, and and the product is what's
being marketed, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Definitely so click because you know, businesses started realizing that
video is really the most engaging way to connect people
to their band, to the brand, and to showcase their products.
So they're actually the ads as you said, they're becoming
like little films that are incredible. You know you've seen this.
For example, I think the Big Fashion House is now
they released to YouTube such incredible clips and short films
(07:09):
that are all about, you know, showcasing a certain dress
that they're selling or a certain collection. But it's like
it's like a film production for sure. So this is
totally something that that is interesting.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
So so Danielle, you've had a few filmmakers come to
you and come to Wicks in general, and you've sort
of helped them along, you know, I've i know, in
talking with Vivian Uh you know she mentioned you have
two an evening with Bukolowski and uh Slate Goods and
NYC and you know some of these you know, different projects.
(07:41):
You know, when they come to you, what are some
of the things that that you sort of cover when
you're when you're talking to them. Is there any sort
of like do you have like a sort of like
a template a check sheet that you go through or
is it sort of you base it upon every different filmmaker, uh,
for when when they're gonna you know, obviously when they're
coming to you with with it for video and for websites,
et cetera.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Yeah, So the thing about Slates and the two examples
that you gave Slave Goods and the and the Evening
with Bokovski are two incredible, incredible examples of the platform.
The thing is, we didn't reach out to them until
after they actually created their website because the thing is
it's such a do it yourself platform they didn't really
need any help from us or any guidance for us,
(08:23):
and they created two beautiful showcases. So Slate New York
they are doing. They're selling snickers and what they're working
with nonprofits. So they use video on their website to
connect people to the nonprofits that they work with to
tell their stories, which really helps business. And you know,
it's not like the typical video creator, but it's someone
that realized that video helps you sell and it helped
(08:47):
connect people to your brand. And Evening with Bokovsky it
just became one of my favorite stories because the thing
about that movie, it's a film that was it's a
documentary film that's actually premiered in Venice Festival Film Festival
last year, and then in slam Dance and several other festivals.
And the thing is that the director actually found a
(09:08):
bunch of tapes of his mom, who was a journalist,
like I don't know how many decades ago, interviewed Charles Pokowski,
the writer, and it was so good he decided to
make a movie out of it, and he created this
amazing documentary and then he creates a website for it.
And on the website, you know, you see that you
can watch the trailer, you can see all the festivals
(09:28):
that it showcased in, and then you can, you know,
contact him, and you have the press area and everything.
So when you go there, you actually, you know, you
hear the entire story behind the film, and it's fascinating.
So these are actually two great examples of, you know,
different uses for people who are either filmmakers or not
filmmakers at all, realizing the power of video.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor
and now back to the show.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
So then then it's sort of, you know, take that
a step further, Danielle. If you were to have somebody
sort of come to you then and a filmmaker, and
and he or she wanted to put their films, you know,
use Wix to build a site, put some videos up.
You know, you know what what advice would you give them?
You know, obviously because you mentioned you got to talk
to the two fil filmmakers after their movies came out.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
But you know, but if.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
We if you had the opportunity to talk to people
before those movies come out, you know what was what
would be some of the advice that you would give them.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
So I think the first thing I would say is,
you know, that's creating, creating movies and videos these days,
it's not like a one way thing. So you have
to engage with your viewers, and you have to do
it even before you start filming. So you build your
own website, you create a teaser, you put whatever content
you have there. You start talking to your fans and
engaging with them. You share behind the scenes and updates
(10:52):
and teasers, and you really create a buzz about your
film before it's even out there. And then once it's
out there, so you revamp your website a little bit
and you make sure that the movie is available, you know,
either for sale or even just the trailer if you
want to do the festival run, but just keep keep users, like,
keep your viewers engaged all the time. This is something
(11:14):
that's really really critical in MAS. And then you know,
if you add to it like a directors statement and
interviews with your cast and exclusive content, then people really
have like they get a lot of your website, They
really connect to your vision. They need to understand why
you did what you did and what you're trying to say.
And I think this is you know, just watching a
video without all that context. You know, it's it's not
(11:36):
as powerful as it can be. And the fact that
you can engage with your fun defense and stuts way,
the fact you can even you know, send them updates
and you know even live stream from the set. You know,
use whatever you have at the moment. You don't have
to have the entire film ready in order to start working.
You have to start working on it a lot before
it's done.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Yeah, And that's something I tell crowdfunders too as well,
is you know, you have to sort of build that
audience before you launch your crowdfunding campaign because a lot
of times, you know, they'll launch and they they'll try
to find their crowd that way, but you know what
I mean, and then they they sort of are trying
to they're sort of putting the car before the horse
instead of actually saying, let's build up an audience now,
(12:17):
and then when we launch this thing, we'll be able
to actually have an audience. Uh, and we'll actually have
an audience so we can actually you know, talk to
once we launch this crowdfunding campaign.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And it's the same way with the movie.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
You know, you want to build up an audience, and
then by the time the movie comes out, you already
sort of you already have that audience who said, hey, Wilks,
we've seen the you know, we've seen the poster, we've
seen the trailer, uh, and now we actually want to
see the whole movie.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Definitely, I totally agree with you on that. And I
have to say that, for example, having a website for
crowdfunders is really like it's even essential because it helps
you appear a lot more professional. Then you know, you're
you're not just another Kickstarter project. Do you have your
own your on site with all the information there, with
everything that you need. And we have actually had users
like that also about creating a buzz before. So one
(13:04):
example that I can recall is the user that was
he had a horror comedy for Valentine's Day. So what
he did was it just he sent out just a
lot of teasers in social media and by the way,
social media, I'm sure you talk about it in your
podcast all the time how critical social media is for filmmakers.
But he had a lot of social media buzz before
(13:25):
the movie was out. But you know, it's going to
be out in Valentine's Day. In Valentine's Day, it's going
to be you know, free to watch entire Valentine's Day,
and then it's going to be paid per view. So
he created a lot of buzz and he released it
on Valentine's Day. Then it just started selling the next
day and all that buzz really really helped. So you know,
you got to he got depressed and he got all there,
(13:47):
all the gus in social media and whatever. So it's
it's was really a cool story.
Speaker 6 (13:51):
Yeah, you know, just to uh to sort of like
piggyback on that story, Danielle. You know, one time I
actually made a short film. It was one of those
you know, weekend film competitions where you have to make
a film very very quickly. And what I did was
I actually used Wix to make a I wanted to
make just a simple, one page website. I didn't want
(14:13):
anything fancy, and I was like, I need something quick
because I don't want to sit here and you know,
do all this other stuff. So I actually used Wix
and I just made this one sheet of oh sorry,
one page and you're just telling people what the movie
is and a couple of little things here and there.
And the funniest thing was I actually just put like
at the bottom like everything, like here's where we're gonna be.
(14:33):
And people actually responded to that, just that one page
or like cause and know what they said, Danielle, They said, hey,
we didn't have anywhere else to go. There was nowhere
else to click on. There wasn't like you know, all
these different you know tabs the top. They said, you know,
it was just very simple and self contained. And they said,
you know, we you know, it seemed to get the
point across a little better than if I had a
different bunch of tabs at the top.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
And you know, I just remembered that.
Speaker 6 (14:56):
You know, I've always taken that with me over the
years because whenever I'm you know, thinking about making a
different website or whatever. I'm always thinking, you know, I
shouldn't make it too busy, to give people too many options,
you know what I mean, Like I don't want to
have a page where it's like watch this and then
this and then that, you know what I mean. I
want to make it so it's like it's all sort
of it's like a path, like a linear path, if
(15:17):
you know what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
So I take them through the journey. It makes a
lot of sense. You know. You put what you put,
for example, your most recent video on the top, you
make sure they watch a recent thing, and you then
then add some you know, either tabs or below the
fold or whatever with additional content for those who are
interested in more, and you can connect between them and
you can split in you know, categories in tag and
(15:41):
keep people moving throughout the journey of your creation. It
makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
So, you know, as we're sort of talk you know
about content creation. You know, it seems like everyone's getting
into that now, you know, I mean all these different
platforms or are you know, looking towards creating different content
and stuff like that. And you know, I wonder if
if it ever, I mean, I know this is this
is obviously this is kind of speculation, but I was
(16:08):
I would always wonder if different websites would be entertaining
that even more like websites we don't even think about,
you know what I mean, Like because you know, if
you look, Uh, the latest person I heard is getting
into into original content is Voodoo, and that's owned by Walmart.
So you got Voodoo, you got Amazon, you got Netflix. Uh,
YouTube of course does their thing, and and you know,
(16:30):
as I look out into the landscape, I wonder, you
know what other websites and companies are gonna start creating
their own original content with shows and and some of which,
like we were discussing earlier, are going to just be
commercials for things that are coming out, you know what
I mean? Like you know, maybe you know, like different
companies can focus on, you know, a new item or
coming out. For instance, I knew a guy he actually
(16:54):
made a Star Wars short film to promote these light
sabers that they had made, and they actually got like
got the actual license to make these lightsabers, and they
actually the trailer was just these two guys battling it
out in a lightsaber fight. And they and that's how
that was their whole marketing campaign.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
Sounds very correct that one. There. Yes, there are a
lot of services, and you know, the thing is it's
just when you go to each of these services usually
need to play right their rules. But then if you
put everything on your own domain, so it's basically we
have the ability to showcase all the videos in one place.
(17:36):
So for example, if what you're talking about right now,
like you could create some you know, specific kind of
content for Facebook, and then you could do something for
YouTube or for Femino, and you know, each platform has
their own you know, their own style and their own
their own you know your intent of like why you're
doing what you're doing. You go to YouTube for the viral,
(17:58):
and you go to Vima because there's an amazing creators community,
and then you do like live and viral and say,
you know, things on Facebook. And then when you have
all that content everywhere, it's kind of nice to have
your own Demanda and you can showcase they're all in
one place. So this is one thing that we put
a lot of emphasis on. We know that creators just
they have their content running around everywhere and it's really
(18:22):
hard to keep track, and you know it looks different everywhere,
and you know you keep using each of this platform
for their all like the each and their own advantage.
But then you want on your own side to have
the ability to control everything and to just say, okay,
this is all the things I created throughout all the
platforms and everything, but this is mine. So this is
one thing that we put a lot of emphasis on.
(18:42):
And you know, make it easy to grab your videos
from everywhere and just say, okay, this is this is
all days work. You know, no matter where it's from,
this is all days work.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Yeah, and that's very true.
Speaker 6 (18:53):
And you know there's there's speaking of you know, putting
on like everything in a portfolio. You know, I wanted
to ask, you know, what advice would you give back Seo,
because you know, you know, Danielle, everyone talks now about
you know, if everyone does have a website or if
everyone does have a channel, you know, we you know,
how do you actually how do people actually find it
other than you know, word of mouth. So you know,
because obviously because you've seen all these different things, you know,
(19:15):
what advice would you have for somebody to to sort
of you know, make sure that their SEO, their search
engine optimization is actually locked down and and and so
that way people can actually if they are searching for
maybe something like you know, if they're searching for basketball
or ping pong tables or something like that, that they
can actually find your videos.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
So actually, you know, it's something that we put a
lot of emphasis on. So we actually have tools that
automate this entire process for you and help you make this,
you know, the best you can find. Because as we
said in the beginning, when people will want to look
things up, they'll just go to Google and then they
just really you know, they go there and they say, okay,
I'll probably like, you know, whatever comes up on the
(19:55):
first page, this is what it will probably they'll click.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor,
and now back to the show.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
I think the most important thing is just to make
sure that you have a lot of information on everything
that you add on your site. So you want to,
you know, you want to fill in all the details
of everything that you do. For example, if you're a
filmmaker and you have your your crew and your cast
and the description and everything, you want everything written down
because basically Google just looks you know, for good solid
(20:31):
content and if it's good solid content what you have
there and you know the favorite video, so that's even better.
So you should be fine. And also you know, there
are a lot of tools to optimize your SEO which
I think everyone should definitely use because this is something
critical these days.
Speaker 6 (20:48):
Yeah, it's uh, you know, as you're talking about this podcast,
you know, it's a war of eyeballs and ears now
because you know everyone, you know, the playing field is
even out a lot. You know, obviously, you know, hard
work and talent still count. But you know, if everyone
has a camera, you know you have to be you
have to especially be able to stand out from the
pack definitely. So you know, as we sort of you know,
(21:12):
go on with this conversation, uh, Danielle, I wanted to ask,
you know, when you're putting together a website, you know,
what what are some of the things that you you
usually tell people to to to make sure you focus
on I mean, is there any anything you know, uh,
you know beyond you know, obviously since we're talking a
lot about video, is there anything sort of beyond video
that you make that you tell filmmakers you know, you
(21:32):
make sure to put this on your site, so it
looks you know, it looks and feels and it is
a complete site.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
Yeah. So for filmmakers, what I would say besides you know,
having all your content there with all you know, the
additional in front of everything is connect all the social
channels that you have. You're probably using you know, Facebook, Snapchat, whatever,
you want to use them all. You want to show
all the buzzs around your films and all the activity
around it. You want to share updates and behind the
(21:59):
scenes and up I probably do this in like a
production blog, which could be great for filmmakers, you know,
to get people engaged with the movie. And then always
have a press section, you know, make it easy. You
want to get coverage for your film, even if it's
you know not yet like not yet in production, but
you want to get some coverage. You want to you
want to get somebody, make it really easier for media
to find what you're looking for. So I have like
(22:21):
a proper press section with all the media they need
with your context in so make it easy for them
to to help you, to help you get you know,
the coverage you want. Simples for screenings. You know, there
are so many apps and stuff you're just if you're
already out there, just you know, have all your laurels
out and have all your screening dates and everything so
(22:41):
people know where to find you. And so I think
that's that's the most important thing. There's the most things.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Yeah, you know, I wanted to ask to Danielle. You know,
I don't know if the answer this question, so I
figured I ask you, are forums still a thing? You
are forums?
Speaker 6 (23:00):
You know, back back in the day, you know, where
people who actually have you know, uh, you know, where
they could post different you know things.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
I mean, you know, I don't even know if that's
a thing anymore, but I mean, is it? I mean,
uh do do you do?
Speaker 6 (23:11):
You know, have you seen filmmakers or even other users
actually you know, try to make try to put forums
into the website and maybe have any any type of
sort of engagement with it.
Speaker 5 (23:21):
So yes, definitely. The thing about forums is that people
a lot of times, you know forms, it's just another
way to create a community around something. And if you're
interesting enough or you're doing something that's interesting to users enough,
they'll come and they'll read, and they'll engage and they'll
also want to comment, which is you know, makes perfect sense.
So I do think forums are definitely something that you
(23:42):
should have if you want ongoing engagement, but it needs
to be interesting enough. So I would probably create a
forum around something very specific. For example, you're a Star
Wars example, so Star Wars fans are like hysterical, okay,
And if you have a forum that's all about you know,
Star Wars fans and creating media around it and things
that would totally engage you know, viewers coming to your side,
(24:06):
help them stay longer, and help get them really connected
to what you do. So it's just a strong way
to create a.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Community, okay.
Speaker 5 (24:15):
You know.
Speaker 6 (24:16):
And that's a good point because I see, you know,
I haven't been on forms in a while, and I've
always wondered if that that was still you know, a
viable option, uh, because again, you know, like we were
just saying, there's so many options out there now, and
I you know, it's you know, you have so many
different things to choose from me, it's hard to sometimes
you know, wonder, you know what I mean, what if
(24:36):
that tool that you you've used before is ever is
still going to be you know, a good option, if
you know what I'm trying to say. So it's you know,
but you know, as you sort of bring this back
to video, uh, you know, even with video, you know,
some of the things, you know, the tools that that
I've used in the past, you know, you can use
some of them still and other ones. It's it's just
like you can't do it anymore. For instance, I used
(24:56):
to have I had a mini DV cam that you know,
if I use it now, I feel like I'm kind
of you know, shooting myself in the foot because I'm
giving myself an extra step because you have to take
the d V the DV tape out of the camera.
You know, you have to you know, digitize the footage
so you can can so you can start editing it
in something like premiere or ADVID, you know. And it's
just you start to say, well, wait a minute, I
(25:19):
want to just to shoot digital to begin with and
eliminate this whole process, you know, you know, you know
what I mean. It's just it's just how things change
anymore so rapidly, uh, you know, in the world we
live in now. Definitely, I'm sorry, Danielle, I mean a report,
I'm sorry, I'm with it awesome, So uh, you know,
(25:42):
and that's something I also wanted to ask too, is
you know, you know, where do you see you know,
wis going in the next couple of years in terms
of you know, video and everything out and everything like that,
and uh, you know, with everything sort of it. You know,
we talked about all different things. You know, is there
any place that you would you can see Wicks going.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
Well, I'll tell you the thing. We're like, We're evolved.
We're here to empower video creators. Okay, so as this
industry evolves and as the technology has changed, so we're
going to evolve with that, and we want to provide
you know, easy access to all the tools you're already using.
We want to help you, as we said, build a
(26:24):
community around your content. So we're always going to find
the most the best and most innovative ways to do that.
And I think that this landscape of you know, currently
we're talking about you know, showcasing and distributing your content,
which is something that has changed dramatically in the last
couple of years. And if you look now, then you'll
see this for example, on demand, which is something that
(26:46):
you know, talk to me, like ten years ago, I
wouldn't believe that someone would pay for video on demand,
and today it's like it's the most obvious thing that
you can, you know, sell your content directly to fans.
You can sell you know, your you can sell your skills,
you can sell to MA curials, you can do so
many things with it. So this is something that we
could never imagine. And now this is so common, and
(27:06):
this landscape keeps changing, so we're just gonna we just
plan to change with it.
Speaker 6 (27:13):
Yeah, and uh, like we were just saying, you know,
everything changes so rapidly now and you have to sort
of you know, be be be ahead of the curve.
And and you know, again that's where I go back
to with you know, content creation and you know, being
able to get be able to get your stuff out
there to your fans directly, because you know, that's what
you know has happened with technology. You know, over the
(27:34):
past even let's just say ten years, you know, you've
cut out the whole middleman and now you're selling directly
to your fans. You can make a whole uh you know,
a website and you can and talk directly to people,
and once people find your website, you can start you
know engaging with them and uh, you know, hopefully make
a fan for life, and then you know that that
that's something you know, I always wonder where the next
(27:54):
iteration is going to be, but but you know that.
That's what I mean by you know how everything has
changed is you know, maybe it'll be completely different than
what we think it'll be, or maybe it'll you know,
versus you know, changing increments if you know what if
you know what I mean, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
I think I'm pretty sure. You know, I'm pretty sure
that things are going to change on like different like levels.
So the technology is changing dramatically all the time, and
then the engagement levels that you have and are changing
all the time. So it also it also affects content
that you're creating. So suddenly, you know, you create like
(28:32):
a live stream and you talk to people directly, or
you create like the three sixteen movie and you make
you make your viewers you know, they can select their
next scene or where they're going with it. So there
are so many things that are changing at once. It's
going to be very interesting to see where creators take this,
because they think it's really the power is really in
the creator's hand on how they're going to take this
(28:53):
amazing you know, these amazing technologies and these amazing opportunities
and create like groundbreaking experience instant. It's all about like
creating an experience, not just like you now once you know,
many years ago you would sit in the cinema just
watch a film and just go out. And now it's
like a whole experience experience you're getting into and everything
is getting a lot more interactive. So as time goes,
(29:14):
it's going to be really interesting to see what creators
do with it. And I think the data is like
the Delbety wants to decide where this is going. You
can have the most amazing technology out there, but if
you don't get creators to create amazing things with it,
amazing experiences with it there, it's not going to work.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
That is a fantastic point, Danielle. That is absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (29:36):
You know, Danielle, we've been talking for about thirty minutes,
give or take, you know it. Just in closing, is
there anything that we haven't got a chance to discuss,
or that you want to discuss now, or maybe even
something you wanted to sort of say to put a
period in this whole conversation.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor.
And now back to the show.
Speaker 5 (30:03):
Mmmm, let's listen, Like if we're talking about like Wix
in general or Wix videos specifically. So the thing to
remember is that we always have creators in mind. So
it's always about you know, having people, giving people the
ability to to have complete control over harder content is displayed,
(30:25):
Like you work so hard, you know, on your latest
short film or whatever. You should be the one to
decide how it's displayed, where it's displayed, how it is monetized.
You should be able to sell a directly if you
want and not rely on any other service. Should be
able to do it on your own domain. Like it's
all about, you know, providing control and giving the giving
the power back, I think, and this is something that
(30:48):
we're doing. So we're a fairly news service at the moment,
and we keep evolving this and improving this over time.
And I think we have amazing stings you know, coming
soon that are not able to discuss. But I'm sure
you will full up after this, and you know, I'm
sure we'll keep talking. And it's been a.
Speaker 6 (31:07):
Pleasure and U you know, and obviously we're definitely gonna
keep talking. Danielle and I just wanted to say I'm sorry.
One last question was where can people find you out online?
Speaker 5 (31:17):
So you can find us at a wixs dot com.
Basically you have a whole section for video creators with
a lot of beautiful, stunning film templates and templates for
video creators, and then you have the with video apps
and within the side where you can have all the
amazing features we talked about.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
And do you have any like personal Twitter or anything
you want to give out.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Danielle, not really. I'm a LinkedIn kind of girl.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
By the way, I shot you a LinkedIn from requests.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
I'm great, So feel free to decline that at any time.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
No, I'm just kidding around, but uh, you know, I'm
really good. I just I made sure to. I looked.
Speaker 6 (32:00):
I was looking for if you had any social media
like at Twitter or anything, and LinkedIn came up and
I was like, oh, there she is.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I I'll send her a connection request.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
But I'm about giving other people the stage, you know,
I'm just providing the toll giving other people the stage.
I love that stage.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
Well, Danielle, I want to say thank you so much,
you know.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
For coming on, thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Dave, You're very welcome. Take care, Danielle bye.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
I want to thank Dave so much for doing such
a great job on this episode. If you want to
get links to anything we spoke about in this episode,
head over to the show notes at Bulletproof Screenwriting dot tv.
Ford Slash for twenty eight. Thank you so much for listening. Guys,
As always, keep on writing no matter what.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
I'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Thanks for listening to the Bulletproof Screenwriting podcast at Bulletproof
Screenwriting dot tv.
You are listening to the IFAH podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
For more amazing filmmaking and screenwriting podcasts, just go to
ifahpodcastnetwork dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Welcome to the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, Episode number four twenty eight.
Your dream doesn't have an expiration date, Take a deep
breath and try again.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Kat You Whitten broadcasting from a dark, windowless room in
Hollywood when we really should be working on that next draft.
It's the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, showing you the craft and
business of screenwriting while teaching you how to make your
screenplay bulletproof.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
And here's your host, Alex Ferrari.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Welcome, Welcome to another episode of the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I am your humble host Alex Ferrari.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
Now.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Today's show is sponsored by Bulletproof Script Coverage. Now. Unlike
other script coverage services, Bulletproof Script Coverage actually focuses on
the kind of project you are in the goals of
the project you are, so we actually break it down
by three categories micro budget, indie film, market, and studio film.
There's no reason to get coverage from a reader that's
(01:08):
used to reading temp pole movies when your movie is
going to be done for one hundred thousand dollars and
we wanted to focus on that. At Bulletproof Script Coverage,
our readers have worked with Marvel Studios, CIA, w MEE, NBC, HBO, Disney,
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So if you need your screenplay or TV script covered
(01:29):
by professional readers, head on over to covermiscreenplay dot Com.
Enjoy today's episode with guest host Dave Bullis So.
Speaker 6 (01:39):
On this episode of the podcast again, we're going to
be talking about marketing, short films are being used as
actual commercials, and so much more.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
As we talk all about.
Speaker 6 (01:50):
This wonderful, wonderful world of filmmaking and video, we alsys
talk about a lot of really cool projects as well.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
With guests Danielle riaz So.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
I started my career in consumer media startups, so I've
always been about creating tools for creatives and for for
all sorts of creatives from you know, better ways to
show these photography online and video online and musicians and
stuff like that. And it came two weeks because we
saw that there's a huge user base of the video
(02:22):
creators that it didn't have the perfect tools for their needs.
And at weeks. We're all about empowering users and you know,
different users have different needs. So we came we came
to this project in order to help video creators grow
their business and knowing that for a video creator, their
content is their business. So it's all about you know,
(02:43):
better showcase, better distribution, auptions, stuff like that.
Speaker 6 (02:48):
So, so, Daniel, when you're you know, obviously you see
a ton of different things. You know, with your position,
you see a ton of different filmmakers, you see a
ton of different videos. You know, what are do you
can you think of any of the top of your
head right now that have just been like absolutely like
astounding and you're you know, because you know, everything is
digital now and we have so many tools at our disposal,
(03:09):
it's almost.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Overwhelming at times.
Speaker 6 (03:11):
But you know, you know, and sometimes you see projects
and that just come out of left field and they're
just amazing. You know, Have you run into any and
you could think of a the top of your head,
you know, during your course of weeks.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
Wigs, website or in general.
Speaker 7 (03:26):
Art just in general, so general, I think that it's
a really exciting time to be a video creator because
there are a lot of new ways now to create
content which are really interesting.
Speaker 5 (03:36):
I see, for example, our users, you know, experimenting with
three hundred and sixty videos and VR, and it's really
a whole new way to look at how you create
content and how people engage with it. Also, if you
look at the platforms that people are using, you know, Facebook, Etteuchers,
so you get a lot of like live engagement. So
(03:56):
it's really interesting to see, you know, how creators evolve
how they create content in terms of how this landscape
is changing over time. So this is the one thing
that I find really interesting. And I also think that
there are a lot of tools in the last year,
in the last couple of years that are about giving
(04:19):
video creators, you know, the power to control their careers.
So up until now you're kind of like you had
a few video services and you kind of had to
play by their rules. And now that you have all
the power because everyone's chasing after all the great video
creators out there, you know, you can actually decide, you
can actually control the way that you're displayed and the
(04:41):
way that you're monetizing your content, and you have so
many platforms to choose from, which is amazing. So I
think these are really exciting time.
Speaker 6 (04:50):
Yeah, and you mentioned something that I usually talk about
on the show, and that is you have to sort
of create your own sort of what I call a
stake in the ground. And basically what that is is,
you know, you have have to get a website and
that is your stake so in the ground and you
know minus Dave Bulls dot com and basically that way,
when you're actually out there and you're you're making stuff,
(05:10):
you can upload it to a website. And this is
I think it's key because now I don't know, it's
just maybe if it's just me, but whenever someone says
who you know, who's uh, does you know creative work
or artistic work, and they say they don't have a website,
I kind of go really like, you know what I mean,
it's just if it seems like it should be second
nature at this point completely.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
So I think that's provisional artists. You know, your site
is really your business card, and when people talk to you,
they'll just go to Google, they'll google your name and
they'll just they need to find like a professional, beautiful
online presence because it actually reflects on how they look
at your work. So you really want to have control
on how this is displayed, and you know, wis being wikes.
We're really about like giving you all the tools so
(05:50):
you don't have to think about how to create your
website or how you know, how to design it. We're
just giving you everything, giving you all the tools that
you need so you can just focus on your contents
and just put it, you know, in a beautiful template
and that could customize the entire thing and make it
your own. So when people go to your site, you know,
they they see your site and your logo and your brand,
(06:10):
and you know, it's all you and it doesn't really
matter where the content is coming from.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 6 (06:16):
And especially now with video becoming what it is so
important in marketing and advertising, you know. I mean, you know,
for instance, you go onto a lot of these video
sites and you know, like you know, Hulu, Voodoos, you know, YouTube,
and you see the what you see those ads before
the video, and they're short films. They're no longer just
like people you know, pitching you things. They're a literal
(06:39):
short film, you know, and and the product is what's
being marketed, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Definitely so click because you know, businesses started realizing that
video is really the most engaging way to connect people
to their band, to the brand, and to showcase their products.
So they're actually the ads as you said, they're becoming
like little films that are incredible. You know you've seen this.
For example, I think the Big Fashion House is now
they released to YouTube such incredible clips and short films
(07:09):
that are all about, you know, showcasing a certain dress
that they're selling or a certain collection. But it's like
it's like a film production for sure. So this is
totally something that that is interesting.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
So so Danielle, you've had a few filmmakers come to
you and come to Wicks in general, and you've sort
of helped them along, you know, I've i know, in
talking with Vivian Uh you know she mentioned you have
two an evening with Bukolowski and uh Slate Goods and
NYC and you know some of these you know, different projects.
(07:41):
You know, when they come to you, what are some
of the things that that you sort of cover when
you're when you're talking to them. Is there any sort
of like do you have like a sort of like
a template a check sheet that you go through or
is it sort of you base it upon every different filmmaker, uh,
for when when they're gonna you know, obviously when they're
coming to you with with it for video and for websites,
et cetera.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Yeah, So the thing about Slates and the two examples
that you gave Slave Goods and the and the Evening
with Bokovski are two incredible, incredible examples of the platform.
The thing is, we didn't reach out to them until
after they actually created their website because the thing is
it's such a do it yourself platform they didn't really
need any help from us or any guidance for us,
(08:23):
and they created two beautiful showcases. So Slate New York
they are doing. They're selling snickers and what they're working
with nonprofits. So they use video on their website to
connect people to the nonprofits that they work with to
tell their stories, which really helps business. And you know,
it's not like the typical video creator, but it's someone
that realized that video helps you sell and it helped
(08:47):
connect people to your brand. And Evening with Bokovsky it
just became one of my favorite stories because the thing
about that movie, it's a film that was it's a
documentary film that's actually premiered in Venice Festival Film Festival
last year, and then in slam Dance and several other festivals.
And the thing is that the director actually found a
(09:08):
bunch of tapes of his mom, who was a journalist,
like I don't know how many decades ago, interviewed Charles Pokowski,
the writer, and it was so good he decided to
make a movie out of it, and he created this
amazing documentary and then he creates a website for it.
And on the website, you know, you see that you
can watch the trailer, you can see all the festivals
(09:28):
that it showcased in, and then you can, you know,
contact him, and you have the press area and everything.
So when you go there, you actually, you know, you
hear the entire story behind the film, and it's fascinating.
So these are actually two great examples of, you know,
different uses for people who are either filmmakers or not
filmmakers at all, realizing the power of video.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor
and now back to the show.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
So then then it's sort of, you know, take that
a step further, Danielle. If you were to have somebody
sort of come to you then and a filmmaker, and
and he or she wanted to put their films, you know,
use Wix to build a site, put some videos up.
You know, you know what what advice would you give them?
You know, obviously because you mentioned you got to talk
to the two fil filmmakers after their movies came out.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
But you know, but if.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
We if you had the opportunity to talk to people
before those movies come out, you know what was what
would be some of the advice that you would give them.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
So I think the first thing I would say is,
you know, that's creating, creating movies and videos these days,
it's not like a one way thing. So you have
to engage with your viewers, and you have to do
it even before you start filming. So you build your
own website, you create a teaser, you put whatever content
you have there. You start talking to your fans and
engaging with them. You share behind the scenes and updates
(10:52):
and teasers, and you really create a buzz about your
film before it's even out there. And then once it's
out there, so you revamp your website a little bit
and you make sure that the movie is available, you know,
either for sale or even just the trailer if you
want to do the festival run, but just keep keep users, like,
keep your viewers engaged all the time. This is something
(11:14):
that's really really critical in MAS. And then you know,
if you add to it like a directors statement and
interviews with your cast and exclusive content, then people really
have like they get a lot of your website, They
really connect to your vision. They need to understand why
you did what you did and what you're trying to say.
And I think this is you know, just watching a
video without all that context. You know, it's it's not
(11:36):
as powerful as it can be. And the fact that
you can engage with your fun defense and stuts way,
the fact you can even you know, send them updates
and you know even live stream from the set. You know,
use whatever you have at the moment. You don't have
to have the entire film ready in order to start working.
You have to start working on it a lot before
it's done.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Yeah, And that's something I tell crowdfunders too as well,
is you know, you have to sort of build that
audience before you launch your crowdfunding campaign because a lot
of times, you know, they'll launch and they they'll try
to find their crowd that way, but you know what
I mean, and then they they sort of are trying
to they're sort of putting the car before the horse
instead of actually saying, let's build up an audience now,
(12:17):
and then when we launch this thing, we'll be able
to actually have an audience. Uh, and we'll actually have
an audience so we can actually you know, talk to
once we launch this crowdfunding campaign.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And it's the same way with the movie.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
You know, you want to build up an audience, and
then by the time the movie comes out, you already
sort of you already have that audience who said, hey, Wilks,
we've seen the you know, we've seen the poster, we've
seen the trailer, uh, and now we actually want to
see the whole movie.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Definitely, I totally agree with you on that. And I
have to say that, for example, having a website for
crowdfunders is really like it's even essential because it helps
you appear a lot more professional. Then you know, you're
you're not just another Kickstarter project. Do you have your
own your on site with all the information there, with
everything that you need. And we have actually had users
like that also about creating a buzz before. So one
(13:04):
example that I can recall is the user that was
he had a horror comedy for Valentine's Day. So what
he did was it just he sent out just a
lot of teasers in social media and by the way,
social media, I'm sure you talk about it in your
podcast all the time how critical social media is for filmmakers.
But he had a lot of social media buzz before
(13:25):
the movie was out. But you know, it's going to
be out in Valentine's Day. In Valentine's Day, it's going
to be you know, free to watch entire Valentine's Day,
and then it's going to be paid per view. So
he created a lot of buzz and he released it
on Valentine's Day. Then it just started selling the next
day and all that buzz really really helped. So you know,
you got to he got depressed and he got all there,
(13:47):
all the gus in social media and whatever. So it's
it's was really a cool story.
Speaker 6 (13:51):
Yeah, you know, just to uh to sort of like
piggyback on that story, Danielle. You know, one time I
actually made a short film. It was one of those
you know, weekend film competitions where you have to make
a film very very quickly. And what I did was
I actually used Wix to make a I wanted to
make just a simple, one page website. I didn't want
(14:13):
anything fancy, and I was like, I need something quick
because I don't want to sit here and you know,
do all this other stuff. So I actually used Wix
and I just made this one sheet of oh sorry,
one page and you're just telling people what the movie
is and a couple of little things here and there.
And the funniest thing was I actually just put like
at the bottom like everything, like here's where we're gonna be.
(14:33):
And people actually responded to that, just that one page
or like cause and know what they said, Danielle, They said, hey,
we didn't have anywhere else to go. There was nowhere
else to click on. There wasn't like you know, all
these different you know tabs the top. They said, you know,
it was just very simple and self contained. And they said,
you know, we you know, it seemed to get the
point across a little better than if I had a
different bunch of tabs at the top.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
And you know, I just remembered that.
Speaker 6 (14:56):
You know, I've always taken that with me over the
years because whenever I'm you know, thinking about making a
different website or whatever. I'm always thinking, you know, I
shouldn't make it too busy, to give people too many options,
you know what I mean, Like I don't want to
have a page where it's like watch this and then
this and then that, you know what I mean. I
want to make it so it's like it's all sort
of it's like a path, like a linear path, if
(15:17):
you know what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
So I take them through the journey. It makes a
lot of sense. You know. You put what you put,
for example, your most recent video on the top, you
make sure they watch a recent thing, and you then
then add some you know, either tabs or below the
fold or whatever with additional content for those who are
interested in more, and you can connect between them and
you can split in you know, categories in tag and
(15:41):
keep people moving throughout the journey of your creation. It
makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
So, you know, as we're sort of talk you know
about content creation. You know, it seems like everyone's getting
into that now, you know, I mean all these different
platforms or are you know, looking towards creating different content
and stuff like that. And you know, I wonder if
if it ever, I mean, I know this is this
is obviously this is kind of speculation, but I was
(16:08):
I would always wonder if different websites would be entertaining
that even more like websites we don't even think about,
you know what I mean, Like because you know, if
you look, Uh, the latest person I heard is getting
into into original content is Voodoo, and that's owned by Walmart.
So you got Voodoo, you got Amazon, you got Netflix. Uh,
YouTube of course does their thing, and and you know,
(16:30):
as I look out into the landscape, I wonder, you
know what other websites and companies are gonna start creating
their own original content with shows and and some of which,
like we were discussing earlier, are going to just be
commercials for things that are coming out, you know what
I mean? Like you know, maybe you know, like different
companies can focus on, you know, a new item or
coming out. For instance, I knew a guy he actually
(16:54):
made a Star Wars short film to promote these light
sabers that they had made, and they actually got like
got the actual license to make these lightsabers, and they
actually the trailer was just these two guys battling it
out in a lightsaber fight. And they and that's how
that was their whole marketing campaign.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
Sounds very correct that one. There. Yes, there are a
lot of services, and you know, the thing is it's
just when you go to each of these services usually
need to play right their rules. But then if you
put everything on your own domain, so it's basically we
have the ability to showcase all the videos in one place.
(17:36):
So for example, if what you're talking about right now,
like you could create some you know, specific kind of
content for Facebook, and then you could do something for
YouTube or for Femino, and you know, each platform has
their own you know, their own style and their own
their own you know your intent of like why you're
doing what you're doing. You go to YouTube for the viral,
(17:58):
and you go to Vima because there's an amazing creators community,
and then you do like live and viral and say,
you know, things on Facebook. And then when you have
all that content everywhere, it's kind of nice to have
your own Demanda and you can showcase they're all in
one place. So this is one thing that we put
a lot of emphasis on. We know that creators just
they have their content running around everywhere and it's really
(18:22):
hard to keep track, and you know it looks different everywhere,
and you know you keep using each of this platform
for their all like the each and their own advantage.
But then you want on your own side to have
the ability to control everything and to just say, okay,
this is all the things I created throughout all the
platforms and everything, but this is mine. So this is
one thing that we put a lot of emphasis on.
(18:42):
And you know, make it easy to grab your videos
from everywhere and just say, okay, this is this is
all days work. You know, no matter where it's from,
this is all days work.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Yeah, and that's very true.
Speaker 6 (18:53):
And you know there's there's speaking of you know, putting
on like everything in a portfolio. You know, I wanted
to ask, you know, what advice would you give back Seo,
because you know, you know, Danielle, everyone talks now about
you know, if everyone does have a website or if
everyone does have a channel, you know, we you know,
how do you actually how do people actually find it
other than you know, word of mouth. So you know,
because obviously because you've seen all these different things, you know,
(19:15):
what advice would you have for somebody to to sort
of you know, make sure that their SEO, their search
engine optimization is actually locked down and and and so
that way people can actually if they are searching for
maybe something like you know, if they're searching for basketball
or ping pong tables or something like that, that they
can actually find your videos.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
So actually, you know, it's something that we put a
lot of emphasis on. So we actually have tools that
automate this entire process for you and help you make this,
you know, the best you can find. Because as we
said in the beginning, when people will want to look
things up, they'll just go to Google and then they
just really you know, they go there and they say, okay,
I'll probably like, you know, whatever comes up on the
(19:55):
first page, this is what it will probably they'll click.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor,
and now back to the show.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
I think the most important thing is just to make
sure that you have a lot of information on everything
that you add on your site. So you want to,
you know, you want to fill in all the details
of everything that you do. For example, if you're a
filmmaker and you have your your crew and your cast
and the description and everything, you want everything written down
because basically Google just looks you know, for good solid
(20:31):
content and if it's good solid content what you have
there and you know the favorite video, so that's even better.
So you should be fine. And also you know, there
are a lot of tools to optimize your SEO which
I think everyone should definitely use because this is something
critical these days.
Speaker 6 (20:48):
Yeah, it's uh, you know, as you're talking about this podcast,
you know, it's a war of eyeballs and ears now
because you know everyone, you know, the playing field is
even out a lot. You know, obviously, you know, hard
work and talent still count. But you know, if everyone
has a camera, you know you have to be you
have to especially be able to stand out from the
pack definitely. So you know, as we sort of you know,
(21:12):
go on with this conversation, uh, Danielle, I wanted to ask,
you know, when you're putting together a website, you know,
what what are some of the things that you you
usually tell people to to to make sure you focus
on I mean, is there any anything you know, uh,
you know beyond you know, obviously since we're talking a
lot about video, is there anything sort of beyond video
that you make that you tell filmmakers you know, you
(21:32):
make sure to put this on your site, so it
looks you know, it looks and feels and it is
a complete site.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
Yeah. So for filmmakers, what I would say besides you know,
having all your content there with all you know, the
additional in front of everything is connect all the social
channels that you have. You're probably using you know, Facebook, Snapchat, whatever,
you want to use them all. You want to show
all the buzzs around your films and all the activity
around it. You want to share updates and behind the
(21:59):
scenes and up I probably do this in like a
production blog, which could be great for filmmakers, you know,
to get people engaged with the movie. And then always
have a press section, you know, make it easy. You
want to get coverage for your film, even if it's
you know not yet like not yet in production, but
you want to get some coverage. You want to you
want to get somebody, make it really easier for media
to find what you're looking for. So I have like
(22:21):
a proper press section with all the media they need
with your context in so make it easy for them
to to help you, to help you get you know,
the coverage you want. Simples for screenings. You know, there
are so many apps and stuff you're just if you're
already out there, just you know, have all your laurels
out and have all your screening dates and everything so
(22:41):
people know where to find you. And so I think
that's that's the most important thing. There's the most things.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Yeah, you know, I wanted to ask to Danielle. You know,
I don't know if the answer this question, so I
figured I ask you, are forums still a thing? You
are forums?
Speaker 6 (23:00):
You know, back back in the day, you know, where
people who actually have you know, uh, you know, where
they could post different you know things.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
I mean, you know, I don't even know if that's
a thing anymore, but I mean, is it? I mean,
uh do do you do?
Speaker 6 (23:11):
You know, have you seen filmmakers or even other users
actually you know, try to make try to put forums
into the website and maybe have any any type of
sort of engagement with it.
Speaker 5 (23:21):
So yes, definitely. The thing about forums is that people
a lot of times, you know forms, it's just another
way to create a community around something. And if you're
interesting enough or you're doing something that's interesting to users enough,
they'll come and they'll read, and they'll engage and they'll
also want to comment, which is you know, makes perfect sense.
So I do think forums are definitely something that you
(23:42):
should have if you want ongoing engagement, but it needs
to be interesting enough. So I would probably create a
forum around something very specific. For example, you're a Star
Wars example, so Star Wars fans are like hysterical, okay,
And if you have a forum that's all about you know,
Star Wars fans and creating media around it and things
that would totally engage you know, viewers coming to your side,
(24:06):
help them stay longer, and help get them really connected
to what you do. So it's just a strong way
to create a.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Community, okay.
Speaker 5 (24:15):
You know.
Speaker 6 (24:16):
And that's a good point because I see, you know,
I haven't been on forms in a while, and I've
always wondered if that that was still you know, a
viable option, uh, because again, you know, like we were
just saying, there's so many options out there now, and
I you know, it's you know, you have so many
different things to choose from me, it's hard to sometimes
you know, wonder, you know what I mean, what if
(24:36):
that tool that you you've used before is ever is
still going to be you know, a good option, if
you know what I'm trying to say. So it's you know,
but you know, as you sort of bring this back
to video, uh, you know, even with video, you know,
some of the things, you know, the tools that that
I've used in the past, you know, you can use
some of them still and other ones. It's it's just
like you can't do it anymore. For instance, I used
(24:56):
to have I had a mini DV cam that you know,
if I use it now, I feel like I'm kind
of you know, shooting myself in the foot because I'm
giving myself an extra step because you have to take
the d V the DV tape out of the camera.
You know, you have to you know, digitize the footage
so you can can so you can start editing it
in something like premiere or ADVID, you know. And it's
just you start to say, well, wait a minute, I
(25:19):
want to just to shoot digital to begin with and
eliminate this whole process, you know, you know, you know
what I mean. It's just it's just how things change
anymore so rapidly, uh, you know, in the world we
live in now. Definitely, I'm sorry, Danielle, I mean a report,
I'm sorry, I'm with it awesome, So uh, you know,
(25:42):
and that's something I also wanted to ask too, is
you know, you know, where do you see you know,
wis going in the next couple of years in terms
of you know, video and everything out and everything like that,
and uh, you know, with everything sort of it. You know,
we talked about all different things. You know, is there
any place that you would you can see Wicks going.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
Well, I'll tell you the thing. We're like, We're evolved.
We're here to empower video creators. Okay, so as this
industry evolves and as the technology has changed, so we're
going to evolve with that, and we want to provide
you know, easy access to all the tools you're already using.
We want to help you, as we said, build a
(26:24):
community around your content. So we're always going to find
the most the best and most innovative ways to do that.
And I think that this landscape of you know, currently
we're talking about you know, showcasing and distributing your content,
which is something that has changed dramatically in the last
couple of years. And if you look now, then you'll
see this for example, on demand, which is something that
(26:46):
you know, talk to me, like ten years ago, I
wouldn't believe that someone would pay for video on demand,
and today it's like it's the most obvious thing that
you can, you know, sell your content directly to fans.
You can sell you know, your you can sell your skills,
you can sell to MA curials, you can do so
many things with it. So this is something that we
could never imagine. And now this is so common, and
(27:06):
this landscape keeps changing, so we're just gonna we just
plan to change with it.
Speaker 6 (27:13):
Yeah, and uh, like we were just saying, you know,
everything changes so rapidly now and you have to sort
of you know, be be be ahead of the curve.
And and you know, again that's where I go back
to with you know, content creation and you know, being
able to get be able to get your stuff out
there to your fans directly, because you know, that's what
you know has happened with technology. You know, over the
(27:34):
past even let's just say ten years, you know, you've
cut out the whole middleman and now you're selling directly
to your fans. You can make a whole uh you know,
a website and you can and talk directly to people,
and once people find your website, you can start you
know engaging with them and uh, you know, hopefully make
a fan for life, and then you know that that
that's something you know, I always wonder where the next
(27:54):
iteration is going to be, but but you know that.
That's what I mean by you know how everything has
changed is you know, maybe it'll be completely different than
what we think it'll be, or maybe it'll you know,
versus you know, changing increments if you know what if
you know what I mean, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
I think I'm pretty sure. You know, I'm pretty sure
that things are going to change on like different like levels.
So the technology is changing dramatically all the time, and
then the engagement levels that you have and are changing
all the time. So it also it also affects content
that you're creating. So suddenly, you know, you create like
(28:32):
a live stream and you talk to people directly, or
you create like the three sixteen movie and you make
you make your viewers you know, they can select their
next scene or where they're going with it. So there
are so many things that are changing at once. It's
going to be very interesting to see where creators take this,
because they think it's really the power is really in
the creator's hand on how they're going to take this
(28:53):
amazing you know, these amazing technologies and these amazing opportunities
and create like groundbreaking experience instant. It's all about like
creating an experience, not just like you now once you know,
many years ago you would sit in the cinema just
watch a film and just go out. And now it's
like a whole experience experience you're getting into and everything
is getting a lot more interactive. So as time goes,
(29:14):
it's going to be really interesting to see what creators
do with it. And I think the data is like
the Delbety wants to decide where this is going. You
can have the most amazing technology out there, but if
you don't get creators to create amazing things with it,
amazing experiences with it there, it's not going to work.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
That is a fantastic point, Danielle. That is absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (29:36):
You know, Danielle, we've been talking for about thirty minutes,
give or take, you know it. Just in closing, is
there anything that we haven't got a chance to discuss,
or that you want to discuss now, or maybe even
something you wanted to sort of say to put a
period in this whole conversation.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor.
And now back to the show.
Speaker 5 (30:03):
Mmmm, let's listen, Like if we're talking about like Wix
in general or Wix videos specifically. So the thing to
remember is that we always have creators in mind. So
it's always about you know, having people, giving people the
ability to to have complete control over harder content is displayed,
(30:25):
Like you work so hard, you know, on your latest
short film or whatever. You should be the one to
decide how it's displayed, where it's displayed, how it is monetized.
You should be able to sell a directly if you
want and not rely on any other service. Should be
able to do it on your own domain. Like it's
all about, you know, providing control and giving the giving
the power back, I think, and this is something that
(30:48):
we're doing. So we're a fairly news service at the moment,
and we keep evolving this and improving this over time.
And I think we have amazing stings you know, coming
soon that are not able to discuss. But I'm sure
you will full up after this, and you know, I'm
sure we'll keep talking. And it's been a.
Speaker 6 (31:07):
Pleasure and U you know, and obviously we're definitely gonna
keep talking. Danielle and I just wanted to say I'm sorry.
One last question was where can people find you out online?
Speaker 5 (31:17):
So you can find us at a wixs dot com.
Basically you have a whole section for video creators with
a lot of beautiful, stunning film templates and templates for
video creators, and then you have the with video apps
and within the side where you can have all the
amazing features we talked about.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
And do you have any like personal Twitter or anything
you want to give out.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Danielle, not really. I'm a LinkedIn kind of girl.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
By the way, I shot you a LinkedIn from requests.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
I'm great, So feel free to decline that at any time.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
No, I'm just kidding around, but uh, you know, I'm
really good. I just I made sure to. I looked.
Speaker 6 (32:00):
I was looking for if you had any social media
like at Twitter or anything, and LinkedIn came up and
I was like, oh, there she is.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I I'll send her a connection request.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
But I'm about giving other people the stage, you know,
I'm just providing the toll giving other people the stage.
I love that stage.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
Well, Danielle, I want to say thank you so much,
you know.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
For coming on, thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Dave, You're very welcome. Take care, Danielle bye.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
I want to thank Dave so much for doing such
a great job on this episode. If you want to
get links to anything we spoke about in this episode,
head over to the show notes at Bulletproof Screenwriting dot tv.
Ford Slash for twenty eight. Thank you so much for listening. Guys,
As always, keep on writing no matter what.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
I'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Thanks for listening to the Bulletproof Screenwriting podcast at Bulletproof
Screenwriting dot tv.
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