Internet

Let's face it...social media is quickly taking over the world. With everyone and their mother – literally – on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, how can independent filmmakers use social networking to find and build an audience?

They come from all walks of life, and each has a different story to tell. Some have found success, while others are just beginning their careers. And although their filmmaking reflects this diversity, they all have one major thing in common (other than being on this list): talent. Be sure to take notes as you read...you'll want to remember these filmmakers.

Corporate television commercials are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Instead, businesses both big and small are turning to documercials, commercials shot like documentaries, to more sincerely convey their message via the Internet. Like it or not, this trend is opening up doors for independent filmmakers — both financially and professionally.

So, once you finish your film, you actually want people to see it, right? Well, getting your film up on the big screen, or onto a DVD and into the hands of your audience isn't as easy as it seems. There are press kits to put together, posters, DVDs and inserts to design, papers to sign, copyrights to clear, and this is before you even begin promotion. The Independent's Jason Brubaker breaks down the process of both distribution and self-distribution with advice from lawyers, producers and marketing and consulting firms to make it easy--well, easier--for your film to find its audience.

These days you can do just about everything online: pay a parking ticket, shop for Christmas presents or take out a loan. So, it's no surprise that film festivals are finding their place on the Web, with emerging outlets like Haydenfilms, Babelgum, and the former Independent Lens Online Shorts Festival, filmmakers are finding alternative outlets that are sometimes more conducive to short-format films and new filmmakers. But, online festivals are beginning to evolve as well, pairing up with traditional festivals to give filmmakers the networking opportunities that they may otherwise miss out when they submit through solely online festivals. Very soon, with prestigious festivals like Sundance partnering with IFC On-Demand (read more about it here), we may be seeing a lot more big festivals brought to the small screen.

The new social media center, boxee, aims to change the way you watch TV by bringing all your favorite media into one place, whether it be from the Internet, Hulu or CBS. But, could this mean a change for broadcasting independent films as well?

The Independent catches up with Katy Chevigny, Executive Director of Arts Engine, Inc., the nonprofit arm behind the festival, and Gina Telaroli of Meerkat Media Collective, one of the seven collaborators behind Every Third Bite (watch the film), another of this year’s official selections, to discuss artistic collaboration, trends from this year’s festival, and how the Internet is changing the way we make and view film.

If Hollywood is slow to make the leap online, independents are even more hesitant, fearing the gradual (or dramatic) shaving of their profit margins, which are low to begin with. What is the future of Internet film distribution? The Independent's Michele Meek takes a look the upstarts who are changing the way the distribution game is played, including Movieflix, EZTakes, Jaman, FilmOn, and, yes, Google Video.