No Resolutions: Things I NEED to do in 2014

I know you're supposed to do this kind of thing before the old year ends, but with holiday, family and time off (which I've become very addicted to), I'm doing it now. A lot happened last year, much of which derailed my internet goals. This year needs to be a re-focusing of my efforts. With The Frugal Filmmaker YouTube channel topping 65,000 subs and the Facebook Group eclipsing 10,000 members, it's pretty plain things are growing. I just need to help them grow more and in the process hopefully share things that could help you achieve similar goals (if you so desire them).

1. Show more love to this blog. The number of readers of this blog has plummeted and I'm pretty sure it's not because they don't like the subject matter or think I'm a jerk. I need to return to consistent posting (at least once a week, preferably twice or three times) and respond better to comments. This page is supposed to be the hub of all of my content and I need to treat it as such. Some have suggested reaching out to the community for guest bloggers and I really like that idea. If that is something you'd be interested in, please contact me at thefrugalfilmmaker(at)gmail.com. And how about a blog redesign? I know it really needs it.

2. Return to consistently uploading two videos per week. Last year, I did a really good job at posting new content, twice weekly (until my thesis film came along). Monday was the Q&A show shot in my car, which had a really rapid turnaround (and simple production values), but gave hardcore viewers something to start their week with. The second slot (Wednesday or Thursday) would be filled with an official Frugal Filmmaker Episode, a tip show, a review or "The $10 Budget". By basically creating one of these a month, I wouldn't get burned out on any of them. I need to get back to that schedule. Of course, I'm open to other ideas if you have any.

3. Feed Twitter. I need to post at least one meaningful Tweet per day. This doesn't mean "I'm eating a really terrible sandwich right now", but something that another filmmaker could use in their own productions. This could be a short tip, a re-Tweet to something cool, or a link to a good deal online. Twitter can be a really valuable marketing resource that reaches people instantly, and I need to pay more attention to it.

4. Interact more with my audience. I've always been a notorious letter-writer (read: a bad one), and I have to re-connect with all of you good people that continue to think I have something important to say. This means responding to my emails and participating more on the Facebook Group (as a participant, not an overseer), and with YouTube comments. I don't want anyone ever to think I am not grateful for their patronage, because I really am. I need to engage regularly so everyone knows this and help wherever I can, since I am in a unique position to do so.

5. Make more movies. Filmmakers should be making films, not just reporting on what films others are making. I don't care what kind of projects they are, I need to create the kinds of narratives that I want to see myself. Lately I've really been pondering transmedia and multimedia presentations (which I need to blog about) and have been intrigued by what others are doing, but medium doesn't really matter. I need to be creative and hone my skills, which is the whole reason I started this Frugal Filmmaker stuff in the first place--I wanted an outlet for my work. Well, I've got one and now I need to put it to more use.

So that's the short list. I could attach numbers to everything, but that's probably of little interest to you. The point is that I've still got a lot to say and do and as long as you are interested in me saying and doing it, I'll continue to do so.