Making short films is something that many people do simply for their own amusement and as an inside joke between their group of friends. There are short film makers out there however that make their films on a small or absent budget that actually do wish to make a good film that stands out amongst the rabble that occupies websites such as YouTube and Daily Motion for a variety of reasons. Whether you aspire to be a short film maker or be apart of the film or media industry, or whether you simply want to prosper from your hard work; how can you make money from short films that you make and submit on the internet?
There are numerous ways that you can go about earning money from your own short films. The majority of these methods involve the aspect of advertising campaigns. The rise into prominence of the internet has bought forth the aspect of viral advertising, a method of advertising used by such films as “The Blair Witch Project” and “Diary of the Dead” among many more. This basically involves using the Internet to advertise as you please; making realistic profiles on social networking sites as Facebook and MySpace, making realistic promo, hype and trailer videos and even making up your own stories, blogs and posts from the “people” who star in the film, in a similar manner to “Barney’s Blog” from the hit sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”.
By using viral marketing to your advantage, you can in turn make money from your short films, no matter how little it may be; it may even become a smash success without you realizing. It is a risky business and not one that is guaranteed to be profitable, but it can be done. If you gain enough attention, you can profit by articles in magazines or on websites, and you could even distribute the film online if you went through the proper procedures to do so. If you submit it online however and it gains enough attention, there is also the possibility of it being broadcast on independent television channels and programs such as Rude Tube.
There is of course further methods that can be implemented such as using a feature such as the Google AdSense, or even opening a “merchandise” section to your website where fans can purchase goods and products related to your short film. These types of stores can be opened with ease online using websites such as “Cafepress”, or you can even make your own custom wear on several eBay stores.
In general, there are countless ways to profit from your short films and make a name for yourself as a short filmmaker. The popularity of the internet has allowed countless people to get discovered and make a name for themselves for the work they submit and promote online. If you are serious about becoming a short film maker and have plenty of ideas and an active imagination, but not the proper Hollywood budget to go about making them, a viral marketing campaign and the use of the internet could allow you to turn your hobby into a form of income.