Just Our (Twitter) Luck!

We won, we won! Recently we won two prizes while participating in discussions we stumbled upon through Twitter.

• First, we won a free query review from Script Dr. Eric (@scriptdreric) for participating in ScriptChat, a weekly Twitter discussion about screenplay writing and marketing moderated by writers Jeanne V. Bowerman (@jeannebv) and Mina Zaher (@dreamsgrafter).  Great timing! We just finished our 3rd feature and could use an extra set of eyes (an expert one, at that) on our marketing materials.

• Then we won a 3-pack of indie DVDs by SABI Pictures care of Zac Forsman (@zakforsman) and Nic Baisley (@filmsnobbery) while participating in a  live chat at FilmSnobbery.com.  Score!  We greatly admire Zak Forsman for his work with SABI and through NEW BREED Workbook Project.  If you haven’t read his New Year’s Resolution, do it now! Informative and inspiring.

Prizes are awesome, but we’re also excited about the way in which we got them. Twitter has become one of our best resources of information and encouragement.  While some still dismiss it as a time suck, we’d happily counter that Twitter is great way to market oneself and gather information from people who are doing what you do.

Maybe it would be different if we lived in LA. Maybe it would be different if we’d gone to film school.  But as indie film makers in Chicago, we sometimes feel like we’re going it alone, and on Twitter we’ve found people who review our movies, give honest feedback, provide suggestions for how to do things, and even provide plain, old fashioned encouragement.

We’re going to imagine, for just a moment, what our lives would be like without Twitter:

• We wouldn’t have two movies in EgoFest in February.

• We wouldn’t be talking with director Phil Holbrook (@philontilt) about a 2010 collaboration.

• We wouldn’t have been interviewed by David Allen of Mac20Q (@Mac20Q, @Video20Q & @WizardGold). Listen to our podcast here.

• We wouldn’t have met director Tyler Weaver (@tylerweaver) or have gotten a chance to contribute to his blog, Multi-Hyphenate.

• We wouldn’t have met director Matt Shea (@MattOfAllMedia), the creators of Self Helpless (@selfhelplessmov), producer Maria Lokken (@Maria_56), or Eren Gulfidan (@Gulfi) of the Film Annex (@filmannex) at Queens International Film Fest.

• We wouldn’t have Sound Sleeper in the War of Films (@waroffilms) at the Film Annex or be in contention for a spot in the Miami International Film Festival.

• We wouldn’t have entered the Cinekink Film Festival (@cinekink) or the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (@shortisbetter).

• We wouldn’t be able to keep such close tabs on film makers like Jamin & Kiowa Winans (@doubleedgefilms) as they market their sci-fi indie INK.

• We wouldn’t know what director Gary King (@grking) was up to with WHAT’S UP LOVELY and DEATH OF THE DEAD.

• We wouldn’t be talking with LA Talk Radio’s David Branin and Karen Worden of Film Courage (@filmcourage), @nickpepito, @queeried, or @worldtoknow about future interviews.

• And we wouldn’t be able to keep close(r) tabs on our long-time friends @MCMikeNamara, @norahdub, @dannyhein, and @leontinemay.

Obviously, we’re fans of Twitter. But don’t just take our word for it.

• Check out Charlie Burroughs’ article on Raindance: “How to Stay Unmarketable in a Recession.” Rule #1 – Hate Twitter.

• Check out Clive Davies-Frayne’s article on Filmutopia: “Twitter, What a Fecking Waste of Time.” You can find Clive on Twitter as @filmutopia.

We couldn’t possibly mention all of the wonderful people we’ve met on Twitter, but we hope that once in a while we pass along helpful information, make someone laugh, or give a little encouragement when it’s most needed.  Because that’s the point of Twitter.