Where to Find Filmmakers to Work With
I'd consider this a supplement to:
places you can find filmmakers to connect with:
YOUTUBE - Go into the search bar and type "proof of concept short film." From there, you can sort by upload date + view count. Another good search is "short film filmmaker." If you're looking for a specific genre, you could type "sci-fi" or "drama" before those searches.
VIMEO - Go to their "Staff Picks" or "Categories" sections. Staff Picks will likely have a lot of traffic coming to the filmmakers, so it's going to be a little harder than ones that haven't gotten that award. Searching through categories will bring up different styles of videos. I like exploring their "Narrative" section.
KICKSTARTER - Check out their "Film" section and look for projects that are brand new, or almost funded. Some of these projects won't get funded, but I think the priority should be the project/story itself. Hell, if you like the project enough, shoot them some money. I've made connections that way too. If you're not in a position to take that chance, go for projects that will definitely get funding.
INDIEGOGO - Same as Kickstarter. Check out their "Film" category and peruse!
MOVIE INSIDER - You can search by production status here. I like going for projects in development and pre-production. Info on the team behind a project likely won’t be listed here, in my experience. Searching for them on IMDb Pro or doing a general Google search might help.
IMDB PRO - You can search what production companies are working on here. I like going into the pages of distributors (like Netflix or Amazon Studios) to see what's in development or production.
REDDIT - Looking through r/filmmaking, r/cinematography, r/gamedev, or r/gameDevClassifieds would be great places to start when looking for filmmakers or game devs whose work you enjoy. It's important to offer value when entering these communities (rather than pitching everyone we find), so spend time engaging with and learning about the people there before pitching.
FACEBOOK - Going through FB pages focused on filmmaking might yield great results. Those pages are always looking to share insightful content, so many of them will highlight recent award winners or films they've personally connected with.
While following the page of Filmmaker Freedom, a website dedicated to helping upcoming filmmakers, I saw that they'd posted about a film that'd just won a few awards. After looking the filmmakers up and loving all the work they'd done, I went through the process of connecting with them and we ended up working together.
INSTAGRAM - This can be a great way to learn about films in production. If you're already following filmmakers you've worked with, go to their profiles and follow the people they're following. On top of that—or if you're starting from nothing—use hashtags like #filmmaking or #indiefilm to look for filmmakers.
Instagram, like Reddit, is another place where it'll be helpful to be engaged in the community we're looking to work with before pitching. Offer a ton of value—more than you think you need to offer—before making the "ask." Or, don't make the ask and just contribute... maybe people will come to you.
TIKTOK - This is a great new place to find all kinds of creative people making fantastic art. Check the hashtags.