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The Director’s Chair Issue #137 – December 19, 2012 (Get Your Project off the Ground)

3 Ways to Get Your Creative Project off the Ground
by Kerstin Karlhuber and Daniel Jay Paul

Independent Filmmaker Offers Tips in Realizing Your Personal
Ambition

With each passing year Andy Warhol’s quote  “that everyone
will have their 15 minutes of fame” rings truer.

The caveat: some people get more than 15 minutes, in large
part because they actually work at their success, says
award-winning indie filmmaker Kerstin Karlhuber. In fact, she
calls this the “golden era of self-starters,” because this is
an unprecedented time in which creative doers have access to
achieving an audience.

“While there are some people who see the rise and fall of
their name shortly after a quirky incident on a reality TV
show, the more important success stories come from devoted
artists who’ve worked their entire adult lives on a dream
“and then something clicks,” says Karlhuber, who recently
completed her latest project, “Tides of the Heart”
(<http://www.kerstinkarlhuber.com>www.kerstinkarlhuber.com),
an avant garde feature-length music video with no dialogue.

With some talent, a vision and that irrepressible itch to do
something, amateurs such as “Fifty Shades of Grey” author E.L.
James, or the co-creators of “It’s Always Sunny in
Philadelphia,” initially shot by three non-professionals
before the FX channel contracted the show, are changing what
and how audiences are receiving entertainment, says Daniel Jay
Paul. His latest album, “Clean Getaway”
(<http://www.danieljaypaul.com>www.danieljaypaul.com), not
only makes up much of the score for the film, but also
structures the plot.

“We’re living in a golden era of self-starters when it comes
to the arts,” he says.

Karlhuber and Paul discuss three ways those just starting out
can kick-start their projects:

(1) New methods of financing: Sites like IndieGoGo.com are
making it easier for self-starters to raise money for a
variety of independent projects. It’s a 501©(3) non-profit
that utilizes a “crowdfunding” platform in which those who
seek to raise money can create campaigns to detail their story
and get the word out.

(2) Alternative distribution: A decade ago, it wasn’t easy to
get your self-made film out to audiences. If a committee liked
your work, then you might get picked up by an indie movie
festival, shown at the odd art house theater, Karlhuber says.

Now, there are some households that go without cable or
satellite, whose inhabitants rely completely on sites like
Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, where the Karlhuber-Paul
project can be found, for their entertainment.

An independent filmmaker can reasonably expect their video to
be watched tens of thousands of times, if not much more.
Despite these handy advances, utilizing traditional methods is
a good idea, says Paul, who is continuing to enter “Tides of
the Heart” into film festivals after having won awards in past
events. He is expecting more theater screenings in the future,
and hardcopies of the film are available.

(3) Marketing: The old way of advertising (billboards,
newspaper space) can still be effective, but no longer
necessary. If you’re not utilizing a method for online
marketing, including the usual suspects such as Facebook and
Twitter, then you’re not doing your job as a passionate
artist, Paul says.

“Unless you have the means or cash for a professional to
handle your PR, then you have to ask yourself a simple
question: What good is your project if nobody is exposed to
it?” he says.

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About Kerstin Karlhuber & Daniel Jay Paul

Kerstin Karlhuber is an award-winning filmmaker and director.
Her work in the arts has been seen around the world, from
off-Broadway to Cannes, the Arclight Theater in Los Angeles to
a segment on “Good Morning America.” She is the founder and
director of the film production company Silent Giant
Productions based in New York City.

Daniel Jay Paul is a songwriter who recently released “Clean
Getaway” on the Sunlight Communication Arts label. His songs
have been described by Music Express’ Marcus Wright as “music
you hear with your heart ‚” Paul is the author of the novel
“The Last Sunset.”
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Copyright (c) 2012 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved