by Craig Medlin

Created on: September 02, 2008

Since the wave of technology took over the planet, every film out there is accompanied with a website. The websites usually have the same things on them, some wallpapers, the trailer, character biographies, a synopsis, and maybe even some viral videos; but most importantly the websites look good. They are usually skillfully animated with Adobe Flash and probably go beyond the basic understanding of the average independent filmmaker. Usually studios contact a professional web design firm to produce the film's website. Since you are reading this article, it isn't likely your film is being produced by a studio nor has the budget to hire an outside firm. But, there are ways around that.

In making a film, you gain access to people that you usually wouldn't know. These people can, in turn, put you in touch with other people. Using your connections you can probably come in contact with someone who is able to develop a website for your film that is at least half-way decent. If this fails, there are other things you can do.

-Place an advertisement in the paper. You probably won't be able to pay the going rate but you may come in contact with someone who is able to make a website for your film for a decent price. It won't be something you see coming out of a professional studio but it will be something.

-Get creative. Make it yourself. Learning basic HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) isn't very complicated or hard and after a few days of study you'll be able to create your own website. You don't have to go all out either. Ask youself what it is you want to accomplish with your website. Do you just want basic information? Do you need a trailer on it? Will a poster suffice? You could also take a look into viral marketing. Is there something you can do that will increase the hype for your film and look good on the internet?

-Make it flashy. There are tricks to making a good website for a film. You can make it look so that the average viewer to the site won't notice a few minor faults. Distraction. Slight of hand, if you will. Get a chance to make some graphics in Adobe Photoshop or another digital imaging program. Ask for second opinions. Would you hang around the website if it wasn't yours? How can you improve it? These are just a few questions to ask yourself and friends that will improve the quality of your site.

The internet is a vast information universe that, just like the real universe, allows some things to survive and sucks others into a dark void. In order to stand out you have to do something unique, something creative. Look at other independent film websites. They aren't all good but some are far superior to others. Do some research and you can have one of the best websites on the internet that attracts visitors who aren't even interested in your movie. I wouldn't count on that last one but it is, albeit a slim one, possiblity.

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