Thoughts On Motion Portfolios

We recently went through the process of re-designing our website with one of the primary new objectives being adding motion content. So I did extensive research on the websites of directors, cinematographers, and leading production companies to see how they presented videos. I was surprised at how little effort most are making in this area.

I suspect the thinking of the directors and cinematographers is that nobody hires them for a serious commercial gig by discovering their website. It’s very much a matter of relationships and playing the inside game.

But I also think the world is changing fast with the barriers to entry lowering in the motion world, and with talented people increasingly able to compete on creativity rather than on access to expensive cameras and lights. The importance of a strong web presence is rising and becoming fundamental for directors and cinematographers.

So I set out to find the best-in-class practices and leading suppliers of related tools. I found some methods of integrating and presenting video to be more engaging than others.

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A New Model: The Micro-budget Studio Picture

Paramount is doing something revolutionary, and it couldn’t be better news for aspiring filmmakers.

Last week, the studio announced the creation of its new arm, Insurge. Working with a mere million-dollar budget, the studio will produce ten films over the coming year, each with a budget of no more than $100,000. As this leaves virtually no money for print and advertising costs, the studio plans to promote the films via social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and most importantly through word-of-mouth.

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Interview with Movie Monitor’s Andrew Nicol

Recently-launched Movie Monitor is trying to do something a little different. As movies move swiftly towards online distribution direct to the consumer, Movie Monitor aims to track what’s available to watch and where – and let consumers get to the stuff they want quickly and easily.

We asked Movie Monitor boss Andrew Nicol to explain a little bit more about what the site is for and where it’s aiming to be in future. Here’s what he had to say.

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