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Film-making is all about team work and establishing contacts. Networking is the main way to find and get work in the industry and the only way to get ahead. This makes networking one of the most important ways to help yourself in this industry and it is as important to a newcomer as a seasoned professional. It's just a lot easier for someone who already has an established contact base and great credits, but it's just as important to keep your network vibrant and make new contacts as the industry is in a constant state of flux, dictated by trends, successes and failures and the thirst for new talent.
In the past, networking was done at social events and more often than not in the studio bar. Many producers have told me that some of their biggest most important deals started with a contact in this way.
With tighter schedules and longer working hours, the social aspect of the industry has diminished, people have less time to meet and chat ad hoc. Changes in technology have opened up a whole new arena for networking on the world wide web. This makes it possible for a newcomer to gain access a easier than ever before in the history of the industry. This has both it's ups and downs - the positive is that there is a much wider diversity of people able to gain access to the industry, the downside can be the quality and reliability of your contact base. You have to learn to be shrewd and discern someone's actual knowledge and experience from their bull****. The Internet Movie Database is usually a good place to cross reference information, as is a thorough google search.
Below I have a list of networking sites and I have set up several groups to promote and encourage visitors to my site to network and mingle.
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Real-World Film Business Networking
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The Lunch Club: Networking lunches and dinners for professionals |
London, UK |
PRO
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CTBF: Holds regular fundraising events
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London, UK |
PRO
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Tribe Hollywood. Not only do they have an online network, they have regular meet-up's in Los Angeles and New York. |
LA & NY |
INDY PRO |
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Film Markets are one of the important networking events in the industry callender for producers or anyone trying to get projects off the ground. |
Worldwide |
PRO
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Film Festivals are often a good, more informal way to make contacts in the industry. |
Woldwide |
PRO INDY
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Business Networking Sites
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LinkedIn My favourite non-film business network |
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Konnects |
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Ecademy |
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Social Networking Sites
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FaceBook. Everyone is on Facebook, including quite a few film pros. Can be difficult to find them as the privacy settings are so good! This is best for established connections you have made. |
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MySpace. MySpace is a great way to make connections. Although they have a huge faker problem, it is entirely possible to make genuine connections in the industry here. |
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Bryant McGill's brilliant Who's Who on MySpace. |
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McGill Community. A really wonderful community of inspiring people - many creative. |
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11th Hour Action Group. This is the official community site for Leonardo DiCaprio's film the 11th Hour. Please join and support this important cause! |
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YouTube. Many Professionals are now using the awesome people power of YouTube. Great for those wanting to get their name known inthe industry or for promoting yourself and your work. |
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Red Bubble. Artists, Photographers and Art lovers Community. Combines a social community with the ability to share and buy art and phtography. |
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Virb. Creative Community. A little bit pretentious. |
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Podomatic - The podcasting community. |
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AOL People. Sometimes you can turn up some interesting people in the searches. |
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Orkut is a large community with many Indian and Bollywood film-makers.Part of the Google Empire (you can sign straight in with your google ID) |
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LiveSpaces Part of MSN/Hotmail. |
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Friendster |
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Jason's Network. A positive online Community founded by Jason! |
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Fubar. Like an online nightclub. Great functions, but full of weird people and porn stars. |
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Bebo. Very popular with teens. Not worthwhile for film networking, but a good place to connect if you are a teen wanting to connect with likeminded people. |
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The Gaia Community (Formerly Zaadz). A global networking site for hippy new ager types. I joined for a short while (as I consider my self a hippy type) but left shortly after as I found it a little superficial and full of people who wanted to sell me something, when I was looking for a pure love and enlightenment type of place. Oh well, back to MySpace I guess and the lovely Deepak Chopra :) |
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INTERNET NETWORKING TOOLS
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| apple.com/ichat |
iChat AV: HighSpec video conferencing from Mac. Videoconference with millions on Mac or PC iChat AV 2.1 supports videoconferencing with the new AOL Instant Messenger 5.5 for Windows, giving you immediate access to the millions of people in both the Mac and PC communities. |
| skype.com |
Skype Brilliant video conferencing, audio chat and text. One of my favourites! |
| aim.com |
AOL Instant Messenger: AIM chat |
| uk.messenger.yahoo.com |
Yahoo! Messenger: Host a profile and search numerous profiles |
| webmessenger.msn.com |
MSN: Microsoft Messenger |
| astore.amazon.co.uk |
Accessories |
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