The Small Screen Showcase your talents by posting your movie on the web.
By Genevieve Robertson
We've all heard of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, or at least heard of "South Park," and how it got its start: a five-
minute clip meant to be a video Christmas card that was circulated on the Internet. Hollywood heard about the buzz and Comedy Central gave them their own show. It'd be nice if
Angry Kid (atomfilms.com)
show. It'd be nice if breaking into the movie business were always that simple. But the rise of Internet film sites helps your chances for stardom.
There are a growing number of web sites that are dedicated to showcasing short films.Most sites
Love in Vein (inetfilm.com)
use QuickTime or RealPlayer to bring shorts to a global audience. AtomFilms (atomfilms.com) is one of the more extensive sites. AtomFilms works as a large-scale distributor for small films. What this means is that you get to see quality shorts from around the world on your computer screen. Many have won awards at festivals, and a few have been nominated for Academy Awards. AtomFilms will get your movie seen by the largest audience possible—if they accept it into their collection. Just form and send in a VHS ther than
On a bit smaller scale, Inetfilms (inetfilm.com) has a site for amateur filmmakers. Inetfilms is also a great venue to showcase your short movies, and the site provides viewers an opportunity to comment on the films.Inetfilms doesn't show many Oscar nominees, but they do have some entertaining shorts.
Chris Wright started Studentfilms.com while still in film school at Boston University, because he felt there was a lack of outlets for students to show their
movies. Now he has an extensive site that
Cruller (studentfilms.com)
allows students to post films in all genres and to chat with other filmmakers. Submission to the site is easy and free, and all submissions are accepted as long as they fit the requirements.The site also has a great list of links to everything from interviews
with directors to film school web sites.
Another great showcase for student filmmakers is Binary Theater (binary theater.com). The site is simple, with a main page that indexes the
movies and a way to contact Binary Theater to submit your film.
If you love the big screen and aren't sure how your work will translate to streaming video, there's lots of information about festivals online. Dances With Films
(danceswithfilms.com) is the true independent's web site. They are dedicated to unknown, original filmmakers, and host a yearly film fest. NextFrame is another festival worth checking out. Find it at www.temple.edu/nextframe.
Broadcasting on the Net isn't quite the same as a Hollywood showing, but the web is great place to begin creating a network of other young, talented filmmakers.
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