Pubfilm is an online event that happens every month. After you’ve submitted your pubfilm 2021, you get to watch it during the public consumption period and provide feedback to the creator in a dialogue box on the bottom of the screen. After a month, all of the films will be compiled into one tree view with ratings and comments before they’re sent out for the next month’s event. The online process makes it simple to submit a story no matter what point in time you’re at.
1. Don’t make rules.
The only rule I have is that I’m not going to comment on your story. I’m not qualified to do so and the comments section is meant for you to interact with the public about your film. That’s all. If you want me to help you with it, send me a message.
2. Know what you’re getting yourself into
That’s an easy one and all of the information is already out there if desired. The process of making a film online, submitting it and watching it in public can be overwhelming but don’t be afraid that some stranger is going to tear apart your creation. If you submit a story, you’re doing so because you want to share it and if someone sees it and it moves them, then that’s your goal.
3. Put yourself out there
Your film is best served in a public setting. Put it on Facebook and YouTube. As many platforms as possible. During the process, I sent out my film to several friends who were important in its creation and asked them for honest feedback. It was well received by most everyone except for one friend who told me he found the story to be boring and had no emotional impact on him whatsoever (thanks David). That’s what friends are for!
4. Get help.
My film was made almost completely with shot on DSLR footage. I had a limited amount of time to make the film so I did everything myself. I had friends helping out behind the scenes but I did all of the speaking parts and action in front of the camera myself. There are several avenues you can take to get help with your story. Some good sites to check out while getting your film together include the Pubfilm’s website at www.pubfilm.com , the StoryUp Film Festival at storyupfilmfest.com and the short film festival The Short Film Corner at thecornershortfilmsfestival.com .
5. Don’t worry about your time
In the end, it’s just a story that means something to you and you’ve made it available for others to see. If people like it, great. If not, then that’s okay too. There’s no one watching you create a film online so there is no reason to panic if it takes a little longer than expected. I put a lot of pressure on myself to make the film in a specific amount of time because I was worried that I wasn’t going to finish it in time. It turned out fine.
6. Make sure you like it
There’s nothing more detrimental to a film than not being into it. If you’re not excited about your creation, no one else will be either. That’s why I force myself to watch my films several times before submitting them so that I know they’re something that I can stand behind 100%. A corollary to not making rules, is that you judge your own work. The distance you have from your story will allow you to evaluate whether or not it’s decent and if the answer is no, then let the story go. If it’s yes, fine tune it and make sure you’re proud of what comes out.
7. Have fun!
You made a film and that’s awesome! Show it off. Enjoy the process of doing so.
All of the steps above are based on my experience with Pubfilm, but I’m sure there are many other avenues you can go in order to make your film as memorable as possible. If you put the time and effort into creating a story, then you should enjoy it too. When I was making my film, I had to keep reminding myself of this fact because I felt like I constantly had to work on it and don’t get me wrong, there were some days where it was an absolute struggle but all in all, it was a treat to be making a film and sharing it with the world.
Summary:
A Pubfilm is an online event that happens every month. After you’ve submitted your film, you get to watch it during the public consumption period and provide feedback to the creator in a dialogue box on the bottom of the screen. After a month, all of the films will be compiled into one tree view with ratings and comments before they’re sent out for the next month’s event. The online process makes it simple to submit a story no matter what point in time you’re at..
