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How to start your own movie blog
You, too, can reviews movies online.
It’s as simple as slapping up a web site and letting your inner Roger Ebert loose.
Only it’s not really that easy.
I made the journey from full-time reporter and film critic to movie blogger in 2008, and it’s been a bumpy trek filled with frustrations as well as light bulb moments.
So I wanted to share some hard-fought insights in case other movie lovers wanted to add their voice to the blogosphere.
To Blog or Not to Blog?
The first step may be the hardest – determining if you have the energy, passion and dedication to be a movie blogger. The pay is lousy, the hours unpredictable and the direct benefits minimal.
“So where do I sign up?”
If that’s you, then proceed by all means.
Starting a web site can either be super simple or complicated. This site uses WordPress technology as its platform, but budding bloggers can also opt for TypePad or Blogger as their platform of choice. Whatwouldtotowatch.com, my film blog, began as a Blogger site but transitioned to WordPress after one year on the Web.
You can read about several options at Problogger.net, an invaluable resource for neophyte bloggers.
You’ll also want to buy your own domain name (like whatwouldtotowatch.com, drudgereport.com or aintitcool.com). You can find out which names are available at sites like godaddy.com, and the annual expense is minimal.
And check out the free resources in your own community for other tech help. Meetup.com is a great way to find local groups that pertain to your interests. I’m a member of the WordPress Meetup and Front Range Bloggers group in the greater Denver area, and each has been a major boost to my blog.
I’m a journalist, not a techie. But if I can crank up my own web site, so can you.
Setting Up Shop
The next step is the movie blog itself. It’s helpful to nail down an area of interest before writing your first few posts. Do you want to focus on horror movies? Indie features? Foreign films? Maybe you’re a sucker for B-movies.
Niche blogging can separate you from the pack and make it easier to target your potential audience.
WWTW is a general interest film blog, with a minor emphasis on overlooked indie films, horror movies and conservative-minded audiences. That means I compete with hundreds of similar sites. It makes my mission harder since I can’t reach out to any one demographic, but it honestly reflects my film interests.
One you’ve got your theme nailed down, make sure your entire site reflects it. If it’s a horror movie blog, the graphic design should reflect that theme, and so should the sidebars elements (links, photos, video clips, etc.).
And stay on target! Nothing will confuse readers quicker than having to wade through a post on Meryl Streep’s Oscar chances if your site is geared toward science fiction films.
It’s All About the Content
Movie blogs can go in a variety of directions. Some strictly offer film reviews, while others comment on breaking film news and cultural trends. No matter the direction, the new blogger should deliver clean, readable content that adheres to journalistic principles.
That means limiting spelling mistakes, linking to supporting data whenever possible and fixing errors quickly.
Just remember – whatever you’re blogging about will likely be covered a hundred times over on other sites. So while there’s nothing wrong with yet another review of the latest Matt Damon movie, always try to think of ways to set it apart from the competition.
Consider this post as an example of thinking outside the proverbial box:
Be bold, original and thought-provoking. Just don’t try to start an online ruckus for the sake of drama – and site traffic. It might pay off in the short term, but you won’t build community that way.
Freebies … with a catch
Movie bloggers do have one direct perk – they often are invited to movie screenings free of charge or receive DVDs in the mail for editorial consideration.
That won’t happen overnight. Bloggers must draw enough of a crowd for the PR folks to take them seriously. It can be done, but it will take time – and a professional demeanor.
One way to speed up the process is to think small. Many independent features are begging for press coverage – from traditional print outlets as well as sharp movie bloggers. So reach out to the smaller indie studios to see if they can send you screeners of their films for review purposes. You might end up posting one of only a dozen reviews of a particular film across the entire web. And you’ll be supporting filmmakers who really need a helping hand.
The WWTW review of “One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur” put this site in rarefied company according to imdb.com. Targeting smaller films lets you stand out in the cluttered web.
Another way to get original content for your site is to show some love to smaller films that deserve a wider audience. For example, WWTW was very impressed with the film “Tenure” starring Luke Wilson even though the film got no publicity and skipped theaters entirely before becoming available on DVD.
So I reached out to the studio behind the DVD release and asked if I could conduct an email Q&A with the film’s creator, Mike Million.
Voila, an original interview with a filmmaker on my site.
Sure, it would be great to chat up Tom Hanks for your site, but it’s more realistic to set one’s sights lower. There are perks to this approach. Some of the best interviews I’ve done over the years have been with young, hungry artists who are the most honest – and unguarded – in their answers.
Prepare for feedback
Your new movie blog may be modest in size and scope, but there’s always the chance people in power will see it. When WWTW posted a mostly negative review of “Saint John of Las Vegas” the film’s writer/director left a comment to defend his film.
I didn’t expect that, but I should have. The web can be a very small place, and a quick Google search will often lead filmmakers to reviews of their movies.
The ensuing exchange was polite and helpful, but that might not have been the case had my review been mean-spirited or snarky.
That’s a lesson that applies to critiquing actors, too. Don’t obsess over a star’s physical attributes – or flaws – in a cruel fashion. That’s not a movie critic’s job. He or she is there to help people find the best movies to rent or buy, not to let the reader know Angelina Jolie would look hotter if she wore tighter outfits. Leave such sniping to the gossip sites. You’re better than that, and writing ugly material online can often reach the person you’re blasting.
Enjoy the ride
Becoming a movie blogger will make you see films in a different light. And, if you’re a movie buff like me, that will be a welcome change. You’ll appreciate good performances more and applaud the movies that do their level best to tell you a story in new, intriguing ways.
And, if you have any questions about the movie blogging process, please leave me a message and I’ll do my best to answer your question as quickly as possible.
About the Author
Christian Toto is a freelance writer and film critic whose work has appeared in People magazine, MovieMaker Magazine, The Denver Post, Denver Magazine, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Scripps Howard News Service. He also contributes movie radio commentary to three stations as well as the nationally syndicated Dennis Miller Show and runs the blog What Would Toto Watch?
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