Social Media Research

As I am working on the production aspects of my project, I am also working on my social media account to promote and market my documentary. I am going to be using my social media platform to detail more information about my documentary, and what the other episodes are like and about. In this post, I am going to look at three social media accounts for three different documentaries and use them to determine how I should approach my social media account and the content that I should create.

The first social media page I'm going to look at is a Facebook page for a documentary I watched called Transhood. I talked about that documentary in a previous blog post, but to quickly summarize, it is about four transgender kids who live in Kansas City and their different transitions over five years. This documentary follows kids in the LGBTQIA+ community which is what my documentary is also about. The account has posted a poster for the film, promotion for several ticketed virtual events and film festivals (the film was released in 2020) to distribute the film before it reached Max, formerly HBO Max. There are also many news articles about the film from platforms like Variety and The New York Times, as well as interviews with some of its subjects, Jay who has appeared on The Ellen Show, and Avery who testified against anti-transgender legislation in their home state. The account also posts images and resources for activism and change in the LGBTQIA+ community, including encouraging the end of conversion therapy and updates about anti-transgender bills and laws that are being passed across the country. These posts developed the brand through activism and recognition. By promoting LGBTQIA+ rights through various outlets on their platform they are highlighting what their documentary is about. They are using their platform to encourage change and uplift stories that could have an impact on others. This is one of the ways I intend to develop my social media presence. I want to spark change and positivity throughout the LGBTQIA+ community by uplifting necessary voices and spreading important messages and updates on my social media platform, like how this Facebook page does. I also want to incorporate the accounts' use of audience interaction. The page has open messages where people can talk to the creators and share their opinions, some of which are posted on the account. Audience participation is especially important and encourages opinions to be shared, which is what I want to highlight. The page, however, heavily relies on news articles, which although I can advertise my magazine spread, is very difficult and almost impossible for me to do. I also do not believe Facebook is the right social media platform for this documentary as its target audience is mainly younger people, like myself and my documentary. Facebook reaches an older demographic that often has backlash to LGBTQIA+ issues which are also highlighted in the comments of some of the posts. Because of these reasons, although Facebook is a common platform for documentaries, I will not be using Facebook to promote my documentary. The Facebook page is linked here. 

A video of a subject, Jay's interview on The Ellen Show

The second social media page I'm researching is an Instagram page for the documentary, Drag Kids. Drag Kids, directed by Megan Wennberg, is about the experience of four young drag queens from across the world all meeting to compete at Fierte Montreal, a drag competition in Canada. This is also a documentary about queer youth and utilizes my desired social media platform, Instagram. These are the two reasons I am choosing this piece to research. This Instagram page has a variety of posts showing behind-the-scenes footage, some of the editing process, the kids getting ready, pictures of the kids in drag, a trailer, clips of the documentary, and promotional posters for film festivals and streaming services. They also have a link to an interview conducted by The Boston Globe with director Megan Wennberg, one of the drag kids Jason Kerr or Suzan Bee Anthony, and their dad talking about the production of the documentary and what the experience was like. There are also posts about the different awards the film has won at various film festivals like the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) and the New York LGBTQ Film Festival, as well as events that are held around the US for people to see the documentary. These posts develop the brand of the documentary with its bright colors, especially pink, as well as pictures and videos of the kids performing and being in drag. This highlights the brand and the documentary's theme of letting kids express and be themselves through their art. The bright colors also signify youth and fun which is what it's about for the drag kids. I want to incorporate the page's use of behind-the-scenes footage and bright colors for my page. By showing behind-the-scenes footage on my social media page, I am giving the audience an "exclusive" look at the production process which gets them more excited but also shows the genuineness of the piece. I also want to incorporate bright colors because they are often associated with younger people, which are both the subjects and the target audience for my piece and would appeal to both. Bright colors are also engaging and encourage more people to be intrigued and watch the piece. This account gave me a good starting point for my social media page and gave me some good ideas as to how to approach it. The Instagram is linked here. The documentary also has an X (Twitter) and a Facebook page (both linked).

  Examples of Instagram posts on the @dragkidsdoc Instagram

The next social media account I wanted to focus on is an episodic documentary because that is what I'm creating, however, it is very difficult to find one with a prominent social media presence that is about teens or identifying as queer. Because of this, I decided to research the social media page of a documentary I'm already familiar with, Netflix's Abstract: The Art of Design. Abstract: The Art of Design, created by Scott Dadich, highlights a different creator or designer in every episode. Some are about costume and stage design, while others are about font and shoe design. I like this series because it highlights and celebrates creativity while showing how you can make something you love a career. I will be observing the documentary's Instagram account. Because season two is their most recent season, that is what is depicted on their page. The Instagram account has a trailer and poster promoting season two, highlights the different creators on the show as well as the people who work on the show, details the planning process and what equipment is used when shooting, depicts the artists at work, interviews with producers and filmmakers, lessons about being creative, Q&As to promote audience engagement, and a platform to encourage people to share their art. These posts help develop branding with its bright color scheme, cinematic posts, and promotion of creativity. They use clips, images, and quotes from different subjects like Ruth E. Carter and Jonathan Hoeflor to inspire others and promote the documentary to its target audience. The cinematic and bright color images make the theme of the documentary clear and emphasize the importance of visual design that is prevalent in the piece. As mentioned in the other social media post, I want to utilize bright colors and more audience interaction on my social media page which are both present on this platform. I also want to integrate all of my subjects on the platform and tell their stories through individual posts, while depicting its aesthetic which is what this Instagram page does really well. This page really helped me discover how to approach episodic documentaries through social media. A link to the Instagram page is here. 

 

 Images of posts on the @abstractdesign Instagram page

This research has extremely benefitted me about how I can create my social media page and the types of posts that can best showcase my project. I’m excited to get started and put all of the parts of my project together!

“Queer art is as much about starting conversations as it is about making dramatic statements.”

- Sasha Velour