Two months into 2010, if you took the TIME to browse the Internet … you probably noticed that left and right, a whole lot of people are getting worked up on social media as being the next big thing … What does it mean for the Film Industry … and should it be taken seriously?

Well I just got back from Berlin, where some people talk of it, but (luckily) I found that most people still talked of making movies and keeping the storytelling alive…

Aren't these people suppose to be online?

Anyway, in all cases, here are a few quotes that I’ve picked up from various sources conversations … (mainly offline and online), pertaining to social media, which I though we’re relevant and could be used as fuel for thought:

1. Online marketing, promotion and advertisement is a
   great way to effectively reach an audience

2. I use facebook to talk about my films

3. I committed Facebook suicide

4. More and more people will realize spamming and blatant sales tactics WILL NOT work in social media. Community building will be key and it takes time and sustained effort..hence, I think we will see a fall off of people who got in there doing a sprint…its a marathon.

5. 2010 will probably see a shift from “knowing” and “monitoring” towards actually taking proactive and preemptive actions

6. Listening is key before participating and engaging…

7. Leadership will begin looking for ways to collect and analyze this data and then use it to improve product development, customer service, marketing and other aspects of business

8. Is Twitter for reals?  I mean, what the Puck?

Now what?

Well, if we bumped into each other during the Berlinale, we probably talked about all of that and more (VoD, Film distribution, Burgers, …) and this:

but we probably mentioned one or two things about Social Media, the importance for film professionals to come together and to harness new technologies in distribution and promotion … and that things will never be the same… Hit back to keep on talking!