What to get a filmmaker for the holidays…
So, it’s that time of year and perhaps you have someone in your life who is just beginning their filmmaker journey or maybe someone who has been on that road for a while and you are trying to figure out the perfect gift to give to show your support. Here are ten gifts to consider when picking something out for a filmmaker:
An Adobe CC subscription or Adobe Stock credits. Most filmmakers need and rely on the Creative Cloud suite of applications which includes video editing software. Adobe Stock is great to help a filmmaker on a budget create a masterpiece.
Adobe swag from their store. Filmmakers who love Adobe software, love Adobe merchandise. The store has a wide array of merchandise and a large price range so you can find something that suits your budget.
A gift subscription to the Criterion channel. Criterion has classic art house films and Hollywood films as well as films by newly discovered filmmakers. A new filmmaker can learn a lot just by watching these films and those that have been making films for a while will enjoy revisiting them.
A hard drive. Filmmakers always need more storage space to house their footage and films…and backups of their footage and films.
If the person has already made a film, ask for a poster used for promoting the film and pay to have it framed so the person can hang it on their wall as a reminder of what they have already achieved.
A gift certificate to the person’s favorite coffee shop. Most filmmakers are writers and writers love to do their thing in coffee shops. Nothing says love like free coffee!
A gift card to the person’s favorite restaurant. This is a great way to remind a filmmaker to get out of the dark editing room and go out and have a life.
If you are putting together a joint gift or have a larger budget, pay for them to work with a website designer to design their site. Every filmmaker, just like every business, needs a presence on the web that is branded uniquely for them.
For a more affordable option, pay for a website domain and hosting with companies like Squarespace or Wix. These companies provide easy to use website tools that don’t require coding skills but still allow you to create a beautiful site.
Donate to a non-profit that relates to a social issue the person focuses on in their films.