Using crowdsourcing as a production method in filmmaking – a case study

Abstract: As our consumption behaviours of media and entertainment change in the age of new media technologies, the means of production change with them. Filmmaking usually follows a set procedure (often with clear hierarchy and specialised roles in the crew) and the flow of the narration has traditionally followed a one-way direction, from the producing part (the producer/director) to the receiving part (the audience). But since the arrival of the internet, its disruption of the industry has opened up for an increased dialogue between the two, turning the receiving part to a contributing one. This has resulted in a wider democratisation of the medium, where the once passive audience now becomes more involved in the creative production process. Crowdsourcing, already used frequently in service industries and product design processes, has become an alternative method of creative content creation. Made possible through the use of social media channels, entire films are now being created with material submitted by its audience. This study aims to answer the research questions: “What is required in order to use crowdsourcing successfully in filmmaking?”, as well as the sub-questions “What role has social media played in the making of crowdsourced films?” and “Is there a future in crowdsourcing within filmmaking?” Six cases of film and series productions, each of different formats, were analysed; two documentary films, three web series and one TV show. In this study, the production approach for each case has been investigated, in order to see how they have used crowdsourcing in their processes. Five qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted and each interviewee had held key positions in the making of their respective production. The findings showed the strong need for having an already well-established community in place before undertaking a crowdsourced endeavour. The use of social media also appears to be one of the fundamentally enabling factors for these types of projects, since it provides a platform for an immediate dialogue between the two parties. Using crowdsourcing in film will presumably continue, but the method has still considerable unexplored potential. Because of it’s ingrained dependence on social media, future research could benefit from exploring interdisciplinary collaboration between filmmaking and interactive media technologies.