5 Cool Film Collaboration Tools

Let's face it, with the advent of the digital age, the world of filmmaking has been dragged, sometimes kicking and screaming, right along behind it. While the world seems to continue to shrink, this is a massive advantage for the aspiring screenwriters and would-be filmmakers out there. Ten years ago, situated in Houston, TX, my film habit would be sorely under-served. Today, however, I am able to somewhat easily connect with others in the independent film world and keep my acting bug at bay with active voice and on-camera work.
     The magic connection? Aside from persistence, constant personal/professional growth, and a modicum of talent, I chalk it up in large part to these five collaboration tools. Here they are in no particular order.

1. Meetup.com - Once a place where lonely singles and bored twenty-somethings created online forums to plan outings with similarly minded individuals, Meetup now features many thriving film communities. You may have to try a few out before you find the right one, but there at least four pretty decent groups in any major city. Not one near you? For a few dollars a month, you can start your own and pay for it by collecting small membership fees from those who join. (Fees recommended if you want to filter out those who aren't really serious about their film careers.)
2. behindthevoiceactors.com - Whether you're an aspiring or experienced actor or filmmaker, this is a great place to connect with talent. Actors - perfect your vocal performance and audition skills from your couch. (Even if a part isn't a fit, submitting an audition and getting feedback is a great way to hone your skills.) Filmmakers - find some outstanding unknown voice-over and musical talent to aid you with narrations or bring your animated/CGI characters to life. Sure, there's a lot of subpar projects and talent on the site, but you can easily filter through the noise with just a little bit of effort. Some of my favorite lines to perform have come from  original audio books/plays and cartoon projects I've encountered on this site. To get a taste, check out my member page here.
3. Skype - There is a misconception out there that you have to be an Apple fanatic to make films. Get over it. Today Android is taking over the small device market place and Windows remains present on over 80% of the world's desktops. If you want to communicate with your collaborators, FOR FREE, over video and IM, Skype is the only reliable tool today that works on all four of the major platforms (iOS, OS X/Mac OS, Android and Windows). I love this as a way to collaborate on everything from screenwriting projects to voicing cartoons. Filmmakers, got a screenplay you want to test/table read before you move forward? Skype it.
4. Create50 - Created and owned by the London Screenwriters' Festival team, this unique concept brings together writers and artists from around the globe to create collaborative short stories, screenplays and films. There is a good deal of structure around the projects, so you may have to check back if you first step in at the wrong phase of a project cycle for your particular talents.
5. OneDrive - I know, I know. Another Microsoft tool. Shoot me. But hey, this is the same storage technology James Cameron leveraged to house the mounds of 3D data it took to produce Avatar, so it should be good enough for the rest of us, right? Platform agnostic (as of late 2015), OneDrive is the ultimate of shared storage out there. Sign up for a Microsoft account (you can use your current email), and you automatically get 15 GB/month for free. If you have an Office365 subscription, 10 TB is included. The service features near-military-grade security and encryption and syncs to any Windows or Apple device to provide offline access to your files anywhere, anytime. I keep all my in-work writing, resumes, headshots and voice-over recordings on this service, in addition to hundreds of photos. If I'm recording lines for an active project, all I have to do is share my folder out to the filmmaker and s/he has immediate access to all my audio files. (I control who has read only or full access.) Working on a screenplay? Combine this with Microsoft Word's shared editing capabilities, and multiple writers can simultaneously edit the same document without tripping over each other's changes. (I love the comments and review features in Microsoft Word, which even sports a free screenplay template that conforms to industry standards,)

     I think that's enough geeking out for now. Happy filmmaking! If you have a favorite collaboration tool of your own (other than the standard Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo), leave a note in the comments. Like my grandmother used to say as she handed me a dustpan, "Everything is better when we work together."