If you’ve been procrastinating, or perhaps feeling overwhelmed by all that lies ahead in your filmmaking journey, we’ve made one (big!) step a whole lot easier with our new Social Media Handbook.

Directors, producers, community managers: what are you doing this weekend? Forget spring cleaning—that can wait until spring actually finds her way into the forecast. Instead, why not give your film a home on social media platforms?

Does this sound familiar? You (probably) know how to use social media in your everyday life—keeping up with your far-flung nieces and nephews, reconnecting with your high-school crush, posting your lunch on Instagram—but for some reason, developing platforms for your film seems completely intimidating. Well, the Social Media Handbook is here to get you over that hump: we’ll hold your hand through every step, explaining all you need to know along the way.

If your film is finally underway—even at the very early stages—NOW is the time to start building a community that will someday turn into the audience for your film. Social media tools are free, ubiquitous, and far-reaching, but you have to start somewhere.

You don’t have to learn everything at once. We’ve labeled each section of the Handbook the way ski resorts label their slopes: start with the green circle (beginner), move on to the blue square (intermediate), and soon you’ll be ready for the black diamond (and even double black!), once you’ve found your rhythm and balance.

Give yourself three tasks over the next week or so:

Task #1: Create a Facebook page for your film.

Task #2: Develop a Twitter account for the film (and for yourself, if you’re not already there!).

Task #3: Build a YouTube channel, where all the amazing videos you’re going to create can live.

Start small: introduce yourself, your project, your team. Over time, the fan base you develop will rejoice (and perhaps commiserate) with every roller coaster twist and turn you encounter. And, in all likelihood, they will return your investment in them with tangible and monetary support for your WishList.

Ready to get started? Great! Click the link below to download the PDF that will launch you on your way.

• Social Media Hanbook 2014

Also, check out these companion blog posts for the 2014 handbook:

• Be a Social Media Star: 10 Tips for Filmmakers
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Sharing

Good luck! We’ve got your back.