The Power of the Tweet @ LA Film Fest 2010

Twitter events are so 2009, but I was curious to see what some really interesting panelists had to say on the subject of “tweeting” today at the LA Film Festival.  On this blustery evening I sat down near the Marriott pool where several directors and producers talked about using Twitter in the movie biz.  Jon Chu (Step Up 2: The Streets, Step Up 3-D), Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, The Box), Eli Roth (writer/director, Hostel; actor Inglourious Basterds), and Adam Shankman (director, Hairspray; judge on So You Think You Can Dance) talked about their experiences with Twitter.

The two most entertaining and outspoken of the group were Adam and Eli.  Adam Shankman proclaimed that his Godfather was Barry White.  And Eli Roth ironically described how Twitter had transformed his sex life.  It shouldn’t have been surprising to me that I knew Adam Shankman’s face from the Twitter frenzy that resulted after a video of Shankman and Miley Cyrus grinding on the dance floor flew around the interwebs.  (By the way, I do hope that’s the last time I’m ever inclined to link to TMZ).

Really, although I thought the event was pretty uninformative, it was useful to hear these Hollywood “insiders” all say how Twitter is a great way to dispel rumors instantly, and a way to disseminate news instantly as well.  I suppose that Twitter as a PR and interactive tool for public figures, especially entertainers, is really valuable.  Shankman remarked that he gets most replies when he asks questions about mundane, petty choices – like what to watch on TV.  But when he asks a big question, people are less engaged.  Not sure what this interesting fact says about Twitter as a medium or about his “followers.”

Though Twitter can definitely be a double-edged sword for celebrities; the flip side is when fans tweet about celebrity locations.  As the always cheerful Kristen Stewart said,

“Twitter f–ks me over every day of my life… I see people on their phones and I just want to take these cookies and throw them.”

(On fans tweeting her whereabouts.)

Looking forward to that cheery personality tomorrow evening at the Twilight premiere!