Joe Flood

We Are All Content Marketers Now

the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases.

We’re all in the marketing biz now, defined by the content that’s available about us online. Whether it’s a post about World of Warcraft in a gaming forum, a Facebook complaint about teenagers at the mall, or a well-sourced article in a scholarly journal, our identities are a function of the web. We may be very different people in real life, but for potential employers, customers, friends or romantic partners, first impressions are formed by what pops up during a Google search.

Unless you’re living off the grid in some Nevada desert, this information, this shadow-version of your self exists in cyberspace. Details about your life are posted online (like that you finished in 122nd place in the local fun run), without you probably even being aware of it.

You could rage against this loss of identity or you could do something about it. Content marketing is doing something about it. Instead of just being a viewer of content, start actively creating it. Register a site in your own name. Create a blog. Tweet, comment on stories and contribute to online forums.

But do so consciously. Be aware that you’re shaping your personal brand online. Think about the searches that people will be doing in the future and how you want to appear in them. Don’t let other people define you – use content marketing to shape your image online.

New Essay: The Washington Literary Inferiority Complex

Why do the great novels of our age emerge from New York and not DC? Washington is the capital of the country, except when it comes to fiction-writing.

I examine these questions in The Washington Literary Inferiority Complex, recently published by nthWORD Shorts. I think it’s time for the Great Washington Novel.

My Favorite Films at DC Shorts

The DC Shorts Film Festival wraps up this Sunday. Now in its eight year, this celebration of cinema brought 145 films from 23 countries to Washington. As the Blogger-in-Chief for DC Shorts, I’ve seen a lot of short films. Not all, but enough to have my favorites. Here they are:

Little Horses
At the Q&A after the screening, director Levi Abrino said that he was looking to make a movie with the emotional resonance and complexity of a Chekhov short story. He succeeded – this tale of a divorced dad’s struggle to hold on to his son is moving, sad, funny and yet affirming as well. It demonstrates what independent film does so well, by portraying the drama of people who could be your neighbors. Little Horses won a DC Shorts Audience Favorite Award and a Filmmakers’ Favorite Award.

The Man in 813
This is one of several local films in the festival. We also did an interview with director Arlin Godwin on the DC Shorts blog. The Man in 813 is scarcely longer than its trailer, but still manages to tell a funny, creepy story that anyone who has ever lived in an apartment building can relate to – what are my neighbors up to? What’s significant is that the film was shot by one person in his apartment using a Canon T2i, a digital still camera that also shoots video. This short basically cost nothing and yet was screened with films that costs thousands of dollars, a potent demonstration of the advances in technology allow anyone to be a filmmaker.

Interview Date
The script for Interview Date won the DC Shorts Screenplay Competition last year. I read this script as a judge for the contest, then watched it being performed before a live audience. As the winner of the festival, Interview Date received $2000 from DC Shorts to turn their script into a movie. I was delighted when director Mike Lemcke and comedian Grant Lyon returned this year with a finished film. It’s been a fascinating journey to watch, this transition of words on a page to moving images on a screen. This connection between a screenplay competition and a film festival makes DC Shorts unique, turning writers into filmmakers.

The Scarecrow Girl
For me, this was the most beautiful film of the festival. While shooting in rural Brazil, director Cássio Pereira dos Santos took hours of sky shots, because they were so amazingly blue. These shots frame a film about a young girl in rural Brazil who wants to go to school but can’t. It’s a true story, taken from stories told by Cássio’s grandmother.

These four films are a great demonstration of the power of independent film to tell stories that you’re not going to get out of Hollywood. Rather than relying on formulas and catch-phrases, indie film at its best communicates visions that are both original and unique.

DC Shorts – The Winners

Perhaps due to the plentiful amounts of bacon, the Award Brunch is my favorite part of the DC Shorts Film Festival. Filmmakers, staff and honored guests gather at Clyde’s of Gallery Place for one final event.

Awards are handed out in multiple categories by festival director Jon Gann, who always manages to tear up during the ceremony. Here are this year’s winners:

Audience Favorites

Audience Special Recognition

Bye Bye Now
Miyuki’s Wind Bell
Interview Date (winner of the DC Shorts 2010 Screenplay Competition)
Wanting Alex
Cataplexy

Outstanding Local Film (presented by KvM Rentals)

The Man in 813 (see our interview with director Arlin Godwin)

Outstanding Cinematography (presented by FujiFilm)

Sukkertoppen

Outstanding Use of Food (presented by Whole Foods)

UnderCover

Outstanding 1st Time Director

Christophe Nassif, “What to Bring to America”

Festival Director’s Choice

Simpatia do Limão

Filmmaker’s Choice

Little Horses

You can still see all the great films of the festival as DC Shorts runs until September 18. Check the schedule for screening times, including FREE lunch shows and special pink and sexy shorts programs. And don’t miss the Closing Bash on Saturday, September 17 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Friday Photo: Interview Date

Staged reading of Interview Date, with writer/producer Grant Lyon on right.

Last year, I was a judge for the DC Shorts Screenplay Competition. I had the chance to see a staged reading of the screenplay Interview Date, one of six finalists that we selected. The audience voted Interview Date as the overall winner of the competition so the writers of this clever comedy received $2000 to turn their story into a short film

And now, one year later, Interview Date will be playing on the big screen at DC Shorts. Can’t wait to see it – stories like this are what make DC Shorts such a special experience.

DC Shorts – It's Back!

The DC Shorts Film Festival has returned! It’s my favorite time of year, when filmmakers from around the world come to Washington to share their cinematic visions.

This year, the festival features 145 films from 23 nations. The short films are organized into different screenings and shown at E Street Cinema, the Artisphere, the Atlas Performing Arts Center and the US Navy Memorial. The festival runs from September 8-18.

I’ve been a part of the festival for more than five years, as a judge, screenplay competition manager, photographer, volunteer wrangler and, this year, as a blogger-in-chief. What I like most about DC Shorts is that it’s a festival for filmmakers. They’re front and center, with the opportunity to receive recognition for their work. Lots of small touches make them feel welcome, like vouchers for food and a special filmmakers-only party.

This is not Hollywood. The films in the festival come from people doing it themselves. They’re not trying to win the attention of some fickle producer; instead, they go out and film the story they want to tell. This year’s DC Shorts features a slew of local films, including a film that cost only $500 to make. This is not atypical – you can do a lot with a camera and volunteer labor.

As someone who has written screenplays and self-published a novel, I identify with this DIY philosophy. It’s what makes our age so wonderful, that advances in technology allow anyone to communicate their vision with the world.

Earthquake Anecdote in Washington Post

It began as a low rumble. I thought someone was moving furniture in my building but then it grew stronger. I was being shaken, and for a few scary seconds I thought my apartment was going to split in two.

Then it stopped. Outside was a gorgeous sunny day. What happened?

I filed downstairs with my neighbors, none of whom knew exactly what we had experienced. Was this just on our block? I checked Twitter and saw that people from the around the Washington region were tweeting, “Earthquake.” Within seconds, someone had retweeted confirmation from the US Geological Society.

After I posted this anecdote on GovLoop, it was used in Washington Post article on disaster preparedness in federal government. The article highlighted the fact that informal networks, like Twitter, conveyed information more quickly and efficiently than official government channels.

New Article: Local Films Shine in DC Shorts

Why do they make movies in LA? Well, they always have.

But, with cheap cameras and Internet distribution, that doesn’t need to be the case anymore. The upcoming DC Shorts Film Festival features several films that were made in Washington. In an article for the Pink Line Project, I argue that these local films are just the harbinger of things to come. I believe that moviemaking will escape from LA and that interesting films will be made everywhere.

"Software is Wrong, Not the People" Republished by Design Firm

My post, The Software is Wrong, Not the People, is the most popular thing I’ve ever written. It’s something I wrote after hearing Matt Mullenweg of WordPress discuss his philosophy toward software development. In short: if users are confused by something, then they’re right.

A design firm in NY republished it on their site (with my permission), since it explains why they use WordPress for their clients.

Friday Photo: Baltimore Edition

If DC is where high school valedictorians go, then what is Baltimore? The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Street have given this charming, scruffy city a bad rap. It’s home to some delightful neighborhoods, like Federal Hill (pictured above). It’s where Federal troops were stationed during the Civil War, to keep an eye on the occasionally riotous citizens of the city. Now it’s used for more peaceful purposes.