What Makes Your Appear Credible As a Filmmaker?

You can't expect to make one good short film and get the instant credibility in the eyes of your peers, let alone professionals. It just doesn't happen like that.


Getting Google and Yahoo to know about you is really important. Having Google and Yahoo recognize your name content pages as legitimate is very important.

So, first things first, you have GOT to have your own website. I cannot stress this enough. No matter how simple, no matter how basic, you need to have something that people can look you up on. Welcome to 2007, the Internet is now the new phone book. If you want to play in the real world, you have got to be up to date.

As a student, you should be able to take at least one class in web design. If you have an Apple, IWeb is a good program to create site pages. If all else fails, put an ad on Craigslist and pay someone to make you one.

Now, you have to do well in search engine rankings. If you have a popular name like, "John Smith" then be sure to add in extra titles like, "John Smith, Student Filmmaker" or better, "John Smith, Student Filmmaker, Editor, Producer, Art Director".

The important thing about your site is to be all pretty much the same. If you are a filmmaker and a photographer, devote a site to both, DO NOT COMBINE them.

Protect your intellectual property with watermarks and copyright your pages. On your site you need to give yourself credibility.

Here is how:

1. When did you become a filmmaker? The longer the better, but be honest.
2. Freshness. What about you is different than all the other filmmakers out there? You should always add to your site anything that you create as soon as you create it. Meaning, keep people interested and keep them coming back.

3. Grow your site. Add something to it at least every week. It does not have to be alot, but something. A journal entry. An update on a project. A new video.

4. Have your friends have a link to your page in their site and vice versa. This will create traffic for both of you and will also begin a network.

Remember, on your website, never use bad language, pictures of yourself that are anything less than professional or anything that anyone could ever use against you.

Now, start building that site!