The "Blair Witch Syndrome" AKA Genius Marketing Via WWW

As I sit here contemplating, on a Sunday night no less - on the past year, I am amazed. I am thankful for everything that has happened in the past year, or should I say 3 years.

Back in the Fall of 2007, a friend of mine was studying web design and needed some ideas to practice on, so she kindly offered to help build a web site (Thank you Jaclyn) for the documentary (now keep in mind this was 2.5 years ago). I wrote the content and searched for pictures off the web and off she went. Before I knew it, the official web site for Freedom Fighters of Nili was up for the world to see.

After a few months, I started receiving emails from people who knew some relatives/friends etc... who were part of Nili, or people who wanted to know more, because they have visited the Nili Musuem/ Aaronsohn house in Zichron Ya'akov, Israel.

This past week, I received one email from a descendent of someone that was involved with the Aaronsohn family. They found me through a simple search on the web! I had the chance to chat with this man and learned so much from him. He added a different perspective that I didn't focus on before. I thank him for that.

The best part too is that I have received emails from people in Newton, PA to Los Angeles, CA ( Historical speakers, Jewish organizational leaders, religious school directors etc...) all wanting to know when and where they can see this film. Pretty exciting stuff. I haven't even finished filming yet!

My point - if you have a film, then by creating web site presence early on generates lots of buzz. Buzz is good. A filmmakers' goal first, is to make a film and second, to GET IT SEEN by as many as people possible.

A great example, the Blair Witch Project - These "UCF film school graduates" look like they got a doctorate in Film Marketing, but they didn't. They used the web early on to generate the biggest buzz ever for an independent film - It worked folks.

TIP: WEB SITE.

So, the filmmakers out there - sharpen your "creativity" and drive that promotional bandwagon to the World Wide Web.... and this will help create a higher level of interest, early on.

Count Down: 14 Days

Take care,

Leora