SESSION 6. THE INDIE FILMMAKER’S GUIDE TO BUILDING AUDIENCES ONLINE

Learn from DIY filmmaker and distribution pioneer Arin Crumley. His first feature Four Eyed Monsters became a massive online hit due to the skilful way that he and co-director, Susan Buice, cultivated a huge and actively engaged fanbase by experimenting with a large variety of online services, tools and social networks. This session gives an opportunity to learn about tools and services to engage your audience and hear about lessons Arin learnt along the way.

ARIN CRUMLEY, Award-winning Filmmaker and Digital Innovator

At the age of 16, Arin Crumley began experimenting with low-res digital video equipment, making short documentaries and abstract video art to display behind his band’s electro concerts.

Today The Wall Street Journal lists Arin among the top 20 new media moguls, and applauds the co-creation of the popular independent film and online video series, Four Eyed Monsters. In late 2002, Arin met his future co-director and collaborator, Susan Buice, beginning a relationship that evolved into the creation of Four Eyed Monsters. The project has become a cult phenomenon. To date, the video podcast has received over two million views and cinemas across America have booked the film due to its online fan-base. The film was nominated for two Spirit Awards and in June 2007 became the first feature film to be posted in its entirety on YouTube. Four Eyed Monsters has since been licensed to IFC TV to air April 25th and the film has been released exclusively in Borders across the US since April 29th 2008. Now 27 year old Arin Crumley is busy promoting the DVD release as well as the 5 final episodes of the online component to Four Eyed Monsters.

Arin is in pre-production on several new projects for 2009. He is also co-founder of a brand new film festival, From Here to Awesome, which is designed to demonstrate a new distribution model available to all filmmakers that have internet connections.