Getting your fans wired

Speaking on today’s Women in Film New Media Day (on a panel entitled “Getting Your Feet Wired”), I was asked by the moderator how FanTrust got started. FanTrust opened about 8 years ago, a consequence of my desire to put audiences first when it comes to movies, TV and games — and to use interactivity to connect committed communities with content in more profound ways. Strangely, the entertainment industry didn’t seem to understand the power of consumers: Hollywood counted only bums on seats, broadcasters tracked only Nielsen ratings, and game publishers saw only retail sales. I wanted FanTrust to change all that.

To do this, we are focused on helping organizations achieve their multiplatform goals with FanTrust’s “five Rs”:

o       Raising capital (financing ventures and winning grants)
o       Relationships (strategic partners and business development)
o       Reach (community building and distribution)
o       Recognition (using mass media and new media for PR and awareness)
o       Revenues (need I say more?)

For more on the panel, read the Vancouver Sun’s Cyber characters born online

As part of the 4th annual Women in Film Festival, the New Media Forum (sponsored by BCFilm) is a full day of panels, applications, interactive exhibits, and networking. A blend of technology, social media, and interactivity from Getting Your Feet Wired to Emerging Technologies and Trends, WIFF’s New Media day will inspire and engage those who want to tell stories in a more interactive space.