Writing, Arts & Entertainment
Getting Your Stories Out There
Lesson time 10:37 min
Issa’s journey proves that distribution doesn’t have to include Hollywood execs. Hear her thoughts on how to get your stories in front of an audience without a TV network.
Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
Topics include: Consistency is Key · Capitalize On Existing Audiences · Drive Attention to Your Content · Be Prepared: Nothing Lasts Forever
Preview
[MUSIC PLAYING] - Your first priority should be making something good that you like. And then after that, I think, getting eyeballs on it the best way that you can, whether that is focusing all of your attention and energy on building an internet audience, or using that as a resume or a reel of what you can do to showcase to agents or network execs and get attention in that way. But it also doesn't have to be either/or. As long as you're focusing your energy in one spot at a time intentionally, especially if you're trying to build an internet audience, both can be achieved. In thinking about trying to get your content out there, you have to ask yourself, one, why is my stuff different than anybody else's? What's going to make somebody want to watch my stuff when there's hundreds of millions of videos out there for people to watch at any time? And then you should also think about the platforms available to you. Is there a new platform that you can exploit, and especially for the kind of content that you want to produce? I don't see a lot of narrative stories on TikTok. I don't see a lot of narrative stories on Instagram. Maybe there's an opportunity for you to stand out there. But think about what's unique about your way of telling stories. And that may be the draw for your future audience. I think if you're providing content that people want to see, that they enjoy on a consistent basis, then they're more inclined to tune in. If I know every Monday at 10:00 AM I'm going to get this video that I enjoy, then it's going to become part of my routine. And that was also central to the second web series I ever did. Where the first web series, I was just, like, I'll put it out when I can. The second web series, I was, like, let me treat this like a TV show where it is going to come out every Monday at 10:00 AM. I'm going to have a consistent schedule where we always film on Tuesdays. And I'm going to edit through the week and then release it on those Mondays. And building that audience was the result of being consistent and them knowing that they could tune in. And it was a slow build. But that matters so much. And so even today, I have a program called "Short Film Sundays" that's the first Sunday of every month. And, you know, I can see the dip when we're not consistent. But once we are, people-- the audience will come. So building a routine and a schedule around your content is extremely important to maintaining an audience. Self-publishing means it's the self. It's you. It's you doing all the work to make it happen. You're the producer. You're the director. You are editing. You are the promo team. You're so many of these things. And so it's important to think about all these things. But you can't beat yourself up if you're not good at it. And don't be afraid to seek outside help. Look at how many-- look at how the other shows online that you like promote their content. There are a lot of YouTube tutorials available to teach...
About the Instructor
The Emmy-nominated star and creator of the award-winning HBO series Insecure is here to show you how it’s done. Issa Rae uses her signature do-it-yourself ethos, humor, and voice to offer writers and creators of all types the motivation and tools they’ll need on their journey. Issa shares how she has navigated Hollywood while Black and inspires you to reach your creative dreams and never take no for an answer.
Featured MasterClass Instructor
Issa Rae
Emmy-nominated writer, actor, and producer Issa Rae teaches you how to bring your creative vision to life.
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