Crash the Server – How to Market your Movie by Achieving Webisode Awesomeness

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The Crash the Server: Webisode Awesomeness panel was in fact awesome. Panelists Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa of Chop Shop Entertainment were brutally honest and a cynically funny. I enjoyed every minute of it!  They produce  dvd featurettes and EPKs, feature length documentaries, and internet webisodes for big budget studio and independent films. “We enjoy making DVD material the most because it is how we got started, ” said Knutson.

Webisode PanelThey shared stories about working on Kevin Smith movies.  For Clerks 2  they produced internet webisodes, EPK materials, and DVD added value content. Their first project with webisodes was Train Wreck, a 75 webisode video production diaries produced for Clerks2.com. “What studio EPK can’t do, webisodes do, do,” said Figueroa. The material made the Clerks 2 DVD one of the best selling and best reviewed DVDs of 2006.

Their latest webisode series is called Money Shots for Zach and Miri Make a Porno. They said it was tough because NPA now labels internet webisodes as promotional material. The NPA limited a lot of the video they wanted to publish on the Web. “You have to be 18 to watch the webisodes, but to see the movie you only have to be 17, which doesn’t make any f***ing sense to me,” said Knutson. 

They closed the panel with giving advice on publishing webisodes and other online video. They suggested quick stop entertainment, because they have a huge fan base and are having problems finding content to put up. “Your goal is to get on as many sites as possible; and itunes, itunes, itunes, people always find videos on itunes.”

The videos showed and talked about during the panel:

The Good The Bad and The Man– Kevin Smith screens Clerks 2 for friends Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, for their feedback and opinions.

Money Shots: #1 Kevin and Seth– Kevin Smith directs Seth Rogen by telling him to add a little more “Afflecktion” to his acting. 

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