The film, Daughters of Solanas is now complete and on IMDb. I am credited under Camera and Electrical Equipment for my work on the set handling BTS. I also manage the social media presence for the film; you can read about this in the previous blog post. The screening for Daughters of Solanas will take place next week at the Museum of Moving Image. Here are a few photos I took of the crew, which consisted of 27 women. Bravo!
Director Angele Cooper and DP Jodi Savitz – Photo by Briana M. Andrews – April 5, 2019
Jennifer Liu First Camera Assistant – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
Actress Alexis Floyd on set – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 5, 2019
Actresses Rebbekah Vega-Romero, McKenzie Mayle and Malinda Logan – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
Team Banks Cast and Crew for Daughters of Solanas – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 6, 2019
Writer Chantel Simpson placing finishing touches on script – Photo by Briana M. Andrews April 5, 2019
Social Media Bullseye Graphic: PR Spam, Marketing Activities
One of my latest Kindle readings include, The New Rules of Marketing & PR – 6th Edition by David Meerman Scott. In coming weeks, I’ll post more of a comprehensive book review, however, for this blog post I’ll highlight some of the gems highlighted in Chapter 20, New Rules for Reaching the Media.
For a long time, public relations professionals viewed coverage
as a numbers game … full-on blitz, reach out to as many journalists and outlets
as you can. The process was literally, “throwing
crap against the wall to see what sticks.”
The non-targeted e-blasts and sleezy methods to lure people to open the
messages are partially why strategic communicators received a reputation as
spammers.
The web changed the rules and traditional PR techniques are
becoming less effective. To provide an
example and illustrate using layman’s terms; there are parallels between a PR
rep securing coverage, and an individual securing a job. I say this because in one point in time, people
were able to blast resumes and play the numbers game, with hopes of landing
some interviews. Now-a-days, attempting
the same wouldn’t be effective, in fact, you’d be agitating people. The process takes time, and
personalization. You have to KNOW the
company, understand what comes along with the role, research the applicants
they are likely to hire, understand expectations etc. Letters and resumes need to be customized and
even then, it needs to be keyword heavy since pretty much every company has
software to scan and eliminate who they deem to be unqualified. Your
resume may never even reach a human.
Networking is key, because nothing trumps personal
relationships. You’d be surprised how
many companies post positions as a formality when they already know who they
want. In both the PR example and the individual finding a job example, it is very
much a “Don’t call me … I’ll find you.” Correspondence
must be personalized, pay attention to the stories a journalist is likely to
cover, develop personal relationships; send individualized pitches and target
one reporter at a time. Do what you can to
build your audience and showcase your own brand in the best possible
light. This includes having a comprehensive
online media room including photos and videos.
“To get noticed, you need to be smart about how you tell your story on
the web – and about how you tell your own story to journalists.”
Some key takeaways are as
follows:
Refrain from sending non-targeted broadcast
pitches
Develop personal relationships and send an
individualized pitch, tailored to the needs of the journalist
Target one reporter at a time and pay attention
to the types of stories they cover
Content drives marketing … make sure your information
is up to date, define your niche and use hashtags
Briana M. Andrews attends Girl Power Film + Media Summit in New York in March 23, 2019.
This past weekend I attended the Girl Power Film + Media Summit and Showcase in New York. This event was presented by Imagine This Productions (creators of the Women’s International Film Festival). I had a phenomenal time, and I am still working my way through the goodie bag containing Cinema Femme Magazine, Eden BodyWorks, Good! Snacks, Ursa Major 4-in-1, Curls liquid hair growth vitamins and more. I love freebies!
As a small business owner who actively freelances, I’ll admit, getting my P’s and Q’s together from a business standpoint was definitely a work in progress. I am a creator, and at least initially, my focus was primarily on doing what I love … creating! I spent countless hours developing my craft, writing screenplays, filming, editing etc. However, the same level of dedication wasn’t replicated from a financial perspective. It is no secret that many filmmakers struggle to monetize their projects. Many never quite make it out of the red. I am happy to reach a stage where I can actively book freelance projects and assist companies with telling their stories. However, that is only a start! I wasn’t quite as diligent as I should have been with invoicing, retaining receipts, tracking mileage etc. From a tax standpoint, I am almost certain I left money on the table. Nonetheless, I was eager to soak information up like a sponge at the summit and implement findings with my own practice.
Panel 1: The Female Gaze – Cinematographers’ Talk
included a lineup of accomplished ladies of the lens. The overarching theme was that these ladies
don’t wish to be an anomaly. They desire
increased integration so it’s not a shock when they are on set, let alone
behind the camera. All of the panelist
emphasized the importance of networking, as fostering relationships can work
wonders for your career, and you will learn more in the field than you will
ever learn in a classroom.
Summit Attendee Pass, Branded Materials and Goodie Bag from the #GirlPowerSummit
Discussion included female representation in film, and offered insights into their creative processes. Some of the panel members started out with Canon 7D, Bolex or Super 8 cameras. There was dialogue about affluent students at some of the nation’s most revered film programs having access to state-of-the-art equipment, and not experiencing challenges securing funding to shoot their student films. Isabella Tan, founder of Rebel Motion attended NYU. She stated, “Some people are privileged and have funding for great equipment, don’t get discouraged.” A poignant response statement from Valentina Caniglia, Director & Cinematographer of “Gypsy” and “The Stand” is “a great camera can still produce a bad product.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Camera doesn’t matter! It is about the cinematographer who tells the camera what to do.
Emphasis should be placed on THE STORY and DRIVING THE NARRATIVE, LENS SELECTION, LIGHTING and TONE.
Ultimately, the director and overall collaboration are greater project contributors than equipment.
The Distribution Down Low with Christina Raia from Seed & Spark was particularly informative. Christina is a Crowdfunding Director who successfully led several campaigns. Distribution is usually a confusing topic for independent creators, so it was wonderful to have her break it down with tips and tricks, and an explanation of the economics for every aspect from VOD to theatrical.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Understand the importance of DATA TRANSPARENCY. Raia stated, “They don’t want to share the info because it gives power to the creators.”
DON’T COMMIT to only one revenue source.
Explore niche markets and innovative ideas to reach your audience. TAKE RISKS with your independent film.
This was my first time attending an event held by and geared towards women in film and media. This blog post barely grazes the surface with topics discussed. Overall, the atmosphere was amazing and definitely female-centric! I’d like to thank Susie and Patrice, the organizers and everyone else involved with bringing this event together. I am also extremely grateful for the guest-list addition (as the tickets were $95 otherwise). The Girl Power Film + Media Summit & Showcase was worth much more than the ticket price. The value of the knowledge I walked away with far exceeded the associated cost.
Briana M. Andrews – Order of Omega Induction Ceremony – March 25, 2019
On Monday, March 25, 2019, I was inducted into Rowan University’s Sigma Zeta Chapter of Order of Omega. Order of Omega recognizes juniors and seniors who have exemplified high standards in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and involvement within their organizations, campuses and communities. It functions as an adjunct to traditional organizations and members are selected from the top 10% percent of students within the fraternity/sorority community.
Logo / Crest for Order of Omega – Greek Leaders Honor Society
There are 570 chapters of Order of Omega chartered throughout North America with the common goal of recognizing student-leaders and I am proud to be included in this elite group. It also means a lot to me to represent both my organization and the NPHC on this platform.
Group image of Inducted Students, Sigma Zeta Chapter of Order of Omega at Rowan University on March 25, 2019
Certificate awarded to Briana M. Andrews Induction Ceremony – Order of Omega
Happy to share news that I was interviewed and featured for the #BlackFemaleFilmmakerSeries
#BlackFemaleFilmmakerSeries Socials Graphic – Briana M. Andrews
This was a pretty in-depth interview and I had a great time opening up and sharing information about my journey and what’s to come. This series was curated and published by Alana Marie Woodson, a St. Louis-based filmmaker, storyteller and digital content creator. I’d like to encourage you all to check it out.
Find out how I got my start as a filmmaker, if I ever dealt with imposter syndrome and what I classify as my best work to date. Find out what’s on my film bucket-list and hear why I think other it’s important not to get “pre-occupied with optics.” I also describe my personal, female-centric artistic style and provide advice and words of encouragement to other young and/or aspiring female filmmakers.
Here is an excerpt from the interview transcript where I detail why I feel like it is important to have our voices represented:
“There is value in each of our experiences; women need to find our own voices, control the narrative and take ownership of our portrayal in television, film and new media. These industries need to tune into and be empathetic to the needs of various audiences. The film industry cannot be a monolithic arena and expect to be relevant with diverse communities. Film has to serve our communities, and reflect it.”
I’d like to give a special shout-out to Alana Marie for using her platform to provide a forum for other female content-creators during Women’s History Month.
I am absolutely thrilled to share that I have been selected to work on the upcoming Women’s Weekend Film Challenge taking place April 4-7, 2019 in New York. They fielded hundreds of applications, and I am happy for the opportunity to be a team player for the challenge. This women in film initiative places professional female filmmakers on crews to write, shoot and edit a short film over the course of a weekend. This will be highly collaborative and intense experience where we pool resources and talents to conceptualize and create a polished competition-worthy short-film in an incredibly tight time-frame.
Screening of the completed film will take place at The Museum of Moving Image on April 18, 2019. Visit Women’s Weekend Film Challenge to learn more.
There are many factors to contend with when developing an online presence, whether personally, professionally or on a client’s behalf. Basic PR 101 prompts us to revisit the good ‘ole MAC Triad … MESSAGE, AUDIENCE and CHANNEL. The first step in your social media strategy should be to determine your MESSAGE Essentially, this is the WHAT and WHY of your page. What is your page about? What is your call-to-action or desired outcome? Why would a visitor be interested in your content? Next, you determine your AUDIENCE. This represents WHO and HOW of targeted company messages. Who are you trying to connect with? How would they benefit from your product of service? Last you have the channel, which represents WHERE and WHEN of message dissemination. Where are you posting? Twitter? Instagram? Facebook? When are you posting? Research should be conducted to determine optimal time for engagement and post frequency for each platform.
As many of you know, I manage the socials for BibbyFame Digital, LLC. However, aside from my personal and professional usage, I was also elected to the e-Board for the Theta Mu Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. As Epistoleus, I serve as the Chapter Historian, as well as the Social Media and Public Relations Chair. I manage our social media accounts, with large premium placed on our Instagram and Rowan University ProfLink. I write captions, design flyers, take photographs, produce social video etc. In addition, I monitor engagement, use appropriate hashtags and respond to inquiries. Since assuming the role in July 2018, I developed and implemented a strategy to foster organic growth. Content is centered on the following objectives:
To promote events and programs
To visually document our sisterhood and the
overall experience of being a Soror in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
To highlight chapter member achievements
To demonstrate chapter participation in
volunteer and community-serving activities
To raise awareness for select causes
As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” All Theta Mu posts are planned in accordance
with the Chapter events calendar. Some
of the accounts followed include @SGRhoUpdates @SGRhoNER for our organization
headquarters and region. Last summer, when working as a Photo & Video
Intern for Jill Lotenberg, I filmed and edited an interview with Ryan Serhant
from Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing. During
the interview, he summarized their social media strategy and explained the
importance planning out company posts in advance for each week. He also shared how he uses analytics to steer
activity. For instance, based on statistics
for his company and industry, posts are primed for the most impressions and engagement
during the workday. He mentioned aiming to
post around 2pm EST.
An important takeaway from my Epistoleus work and internship
experiences which include socials / digital / interactive is to maintain
professionalism in the online space. Something
as simple as a spelling error can negatively impact company credibility. If the company uses specific styling, colors
and fonts, it is imperative that consistency is maintained without
deviation. The logo, crest and artwork
must have the correct sizing and proportion.
We’ve all observed images that are stretched and can agree that isn’t
the company impression you’d like to leave.
Social media revolutionized the way we share and distribute information;
proper usage can provide tremendous value.
We need film more than ever! Film connects people through the art of storytelling. Much of what we see in film has roots in our backgrounds, upbringing, demographic area, socioeconomic status, cultural norms and gender. The film industry cannot be a monolithic arena and expect to be relevant with diverse communities. Film has to serve our communities, and reflect it. For my New Media Practicum project, I will create a forum for diversity and inclusion in film. Read my full submitted proposal here, and view the associated presentation here.
There is value in each of our experiences; women need to find our own voices, control the narrative and take ownership of our portrayal in film.
Winter break is in full swing, grades were finally posted today and YAY, I made the University Scholar list again – Dean’s List, Fall 2018.
This academic achievement feels extra special since this semester was so tough. With hands-on production courses, all of the REAL work takes place outside of scheduled class hours. Essentially, it’s a full time job! But you know me … I was also volunteering, booking freelance projects, taking hours at the portrait studio and I’m also on the Theta Mu chapter’s executive board. I was “booked and busy” but on top of my game in all respects.
This past weekend I attended a Christmas Party / Potluck at INSPIMIND. I completed a Video Production / Multimedia Internship with them this past summer. I drove all the way up from Glassboro to Paterson during finals week to bring my Guyanese Chow Mein dish. As expected, I had a total blast and I commend this organization because I identify with their mission and will continue to support the cause. To my surprise, both the Outreach & Retention Team, and the Programming & Research Team awarded me with Certificates of Appreciation. Happy Holidays!
Certificate of Appreciation Received from Programming & Research Team and Outreach & Retention Team
BibbyFame Digital, LLC: Photo, Film & Interactive Media 