Documentary makers offer survival tips in the era of social media
The prevalence of social media has changed filmmakers’ concept when it comes to attracting audiences, a winner of the Bangkok Film Festival’s short documentary contest said.
The film festival at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre is being hosted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in a bid to promote Bangkok as a capital for creativity. The festival wraps up on Sunday.
Freelance content creator and filmmaker Anuwat Duangbunma said social media was easy to access and had become very popular, especially among young people.
“Teenagers love watching short films on social media,” he said, adding that he has been making full use of Facebook, TikTok and YouTube to publish content.
Anuwat's short film "Bangkok and Generation" won the first prize in the contest titled "Connecting Bangkok 2030". The second and third prizes were won by Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi students Burinpon Yenjit and Natthawut Thinsuwan’s "Dreams of a Green City" and Wittaya Dokklang’s "Hallo Bangkok", respectively.
Burinpon and Natthawut explained that short entertaining clips are far more popular than documentaries.
“Documentaries can be boring,” Natthawut said, adding that content creators need to make an extra effort to attract audiences. Both students said they have been working hard on honing their skills to create attractive content.
Wittaya said before social media, documentaries were out of people’s reach.
“But documentaries have changed nowadays,” he said, adding that many media outlets are making shorter documentary films to keep the audience engaged.
He also advised content creators to improve their production methods, such as adjusting video lengths and selecting interesting subjects to attract a wider audience.
Last year, the government launched its so-called “5 Fs soft power” campaign, which aims to promote five key attractions – food, film, fashion, fighting and festivals – internationally.
Ministries, government agencies and the BMA have been taking steps – some big, some small – to promote Thailand’s soft power around the world.
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