Before I start my first post ever here on the elite Tweedee Productions blog, I feel like I need to introduce myself.
Hi. I’m Sarah. I’ve been an associate producer at Tweedee for about nine months now. My desk is in the back of the studio, so if you come to visit our offices, that’s probably where you’ve seen me. And if you’ve filmed in our studio, I was probably the one running your prompter (assuming you were using it). When I’m not at work I enjoy writing (fiction and screenplays), cooking (with mixed results) and playing with my cats.
Okay, now that we are acquainted, I can jump right in.
I love the Internet. It represents what Wyoming and California meant to the cowboys and 49ers in centuries past: ultimate freedom. If you’re looking for something, odds are you’ll find it on the Internet, and if you have something to share, you can probably find someone who will distribute it for you—or you can even do it yourself! For people like me who conduct business on the Internet while simultaneously organizing a social agenda in the same location, it is practically a second life.
This level of freedom and involvement does present a problem for content creators though. With so many options and stimuli, how do you break through all of it and get YOUR stuff to the people you are trying to reach? It’s something marketing executives and advertisers have been struggling with since the Internet became a breeding ground for many “Next Big Things,” and so far there doesn’t seem to be any magical solution for guaranteed Internet success. However, there are a few things that you can do to ensure your project won’t be a total Internet fail:
1) Develop an interesting concept. Whether it’s a picture of a surly cat with a snarky tagline or a web series with a budget of thousands of dollars, it’s got to be interesting. If we know anything for sure, the Internet does NOT suffer boredom.
2) Only employ people who will get the job done. The end product is only as good as the people who work on it…and do you have ANY idea how long it takes to put together a decent 60 second animation? Because the Internet provides no real deadline, people can all too easily fall victim to laziness or frustration. So whether it’s a six person team of professionals, your college roommate, or just you and a laptop, you’ve got to be sure they are people who will see the project through to the end.
3) Maintain quality throughout the process. To answer a previously posed question: a 60 second animation can take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks to complete, depending on the skill level needed, the resources available, and so on. When you’re dealing with that kind of time frame and attention to detail, it’s all too easy to start taking short cuts. DON’T GIVE IN! If you do, the Internet will know…because the Internet knows everything….and you will end up paying for it in the end.
4) Spread the word! A common misconception is that getting a product on the Internet is the most difficult part of the process, and that once it is out there for all to see, the money and fame will start to roll in of their own volition. This is WRONG! Once you have your product out there, you need to take it upon yourself to make sure that everyone knows about it! Share, Tweet, Pin, Skype, Link…do whatever you have to so people know what you’ve got and get excited enough to tell everyone they know about it too. Because if you don’t care enough to get it out there, no one else will either.
If you follow all of these steps…okay, yes, your project might still fall into Internet oblivion. But at least you’ll give yourself a fighting chance. With high standards of commitment and with a little bit of luck, you could have the next LOLCats, Justin Bieber, Gangnam Style or Harlem Shake.
Now go forth and CREATE!
…and let us know if you need any help 🙂
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