A former filmmaking student asked how his band could get their music in independent or student films.
Here's what I told him -- based on our local San Francisco scene (he was a UC Santa Cruz student, so I mention that too). If you're not in the Bay Area, you can use this a cheat sheet but fill in with filmmaker organizations and schools near you:
My suggestion is to basically do networking at filmmaker events. Your goal is to meet upcoming filmmakers and let them know they can use your work -- and get them your audio (online or via CDs).
Here are a few SF-oriented places to look:
- San Francisco Film Society - they have taken over the Film Arts Foundation programming (some of it anyway) including filmmaker events, under their "filmmaker services" department
- Bay Area Video Coalition - has classes and some events as well
- Colleges: obviously UCSC had a robust film department and you can try posting around campus near where the filmmaking students hang out and take classes. But in the bay, SF State has one of the top filmmaking programs. Also California College of Arts (the Oakland campus is the filmmaking school, I think) and Academy of Art have film/video programs.
- You can also go for some geurilla advertising: get on Craigslist and other local bulletin boards letting filmmakers know you're there. Plus you can contact filmmakers directly when they post to Craigslist looking for talent or crew -- and also try to connect up via Facebook, YouTube and Myspace.
It's very tough to get traction. Usually you have to have a connection with the filmmaker and you should assume they'll be using the music for free (i.e. they got no money and you should expect none).
But it's possible.
My suggestion: make your own damn movie and then you can do as much music for it that you want (see the great indie film The American Astronaut for example).
Here are a few SF-oriented places to look:
- San Francisco Film Society - they have taken over the Film Arts Foundation programming (some of it anyway) including filmmaker events, under their "filmmaker services" department
- Bay Area Video Coalition - has classes and some events as well
- Colleges: obviously UCSC had a robust film department and you can try posting around campus near where the filmmaking students hang out and take classes. But in the bay, SF State has one of the top filmmaking programs. Also California College of Arts (the Oakland campus is the filmmaking school, I think) and Academy of Art have film/video programs.
- You can also go for some geurilla advertising: get on Craigslist and other local bulletin boards letting filmmakers know you're there. Plus you can contact filmmakers directly when they post to Craigslist looking for talent or crew -- and also try to connect up via Facebook, YouTube and Myspace.
It's very tough to get traction. Usually you have to have a connection with the filmmaker and you should assume they'll be using the music for free (i.e. they got no money and you should expect none).
But it's possible.
My suggestion: make your own damn movie and then you can do as much music for it that you want (see the great indie film The American Astronaut for example).
Great ideas. My band Rubber Clown Car is from the midwest so we'll try local film making groups and such. Thanks for the advice.
Dirk
Rubber Clown CAR
Posted by: Dirk Prysby | March 21, 2009 at 09:15 PM