I have been reading a lot recently about the transition towards a new model of distribution and how theatrical and disc sales are seeing a massive decline in revenue in recent years. Recent talks have been saying that V.O.D. and internet platforms are the future of film distribution and that indie filmmakers have the opportunity to jump on the train and take advantage of this new distribution model before the studios catch on.
Well, that, apparently is the talk and I’m not one that is going to disregard it as rubish. Times are always changing and it wasn’t all that long ago when the idea of home video was introduced and now it has evolved into an extension of our lifestyle and a major part of pop culture.
I often get frustrated with people who are so against the opportunities the internet creates for indie filmmakers. I think that the biggest reason for doubt is in a lack of understanding. My intrigue with this new platform came from signing with a distribution company for my first feature film, Bounty. The longer it is out the more I think about two different scenarios, 1) I should have negotiated a better contract with the distributor I signed with or 2) maybe I should have just self-distributed the film. Obviously signing with a distributor the contract is going to be heavily weighted in their favor and without a sales agent or lawyer to represent you there is a good chance you are going to get screwed. Raise your hand if you’re a victim. (mine is raised)
Granted, my film has been seen by a whole lot more people than if I had self-distributed it, but on the other hand $300 is a whole lot more than $0. Thus, enter the idea of V.O.D. and the internet platform. Obviously, some people see a future in it. Just look at the recent acquisition of the Kevin Spacey, David Fincher developed series by Netflix.
Other clues to prove that there is a viable audience online and revenue to be made there is the creation of social funding websites such as IndieGoGo.com and Kickstarter.com and the sucesses they’ve had funding micro-budget films. The bigest obstacle I see that needs to be faced is that possibly the traditional method no longer applies. I have had conversations with friends who are dead set, or at least appear to be, on the idea that the only way to be successful is if you make a sale to a studio for more than you made the movie for. Obviously, that would be nice, but out of all the indie movies that are made how many actually get that lucky. There is an oversaturation of content (note that I did not say “quality content”) and a decreasing saturation of demand. Distrbutors are looking for films without wanting to give up advances and thus lowering their overhead in this difficult economy. What does that do for filmmakers? Has us grabbing our ankles hoping that something good is about to happen. Not the position I am too excited to be in.
So the big question still remains unanswered. How do micro-budget films make money and become viable business ventures and not just a really expensive hobby. At this point, I am not totally sure, but I do have some ideas that may be a step in the right direction. There is value to social media and while we see the astounding results it can have on creating buzz or launching a career those same people refuse to believe in its potential for narrative cinema. Let’s not forget the Rebecca Black phenomenom. In just over two months time her music video for her song Friday had over 100 million views on YouTube and I read that she was making roughly $2,000+ a week from iTunes and Amazon MP3 sales. The key is being able to spread the word to the large audience on the internet and getting them to buy what it is you’re selling. Easy enough, right? Unfortunately, we are still in competition with the studios and their large marketing cash roll. In a free market society we, as indie filmmakers, need to use our innovative thinking to reach the internet viewer base in a way that the studios have not figured out how to tap into.
YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are some of the most visited websites on the internet with a user base constantly growing and a source that is only begining to be cracked as a profitable venue for us filmmakers. Indie filmmaking cannot be looked at as an art expression like we wanted to believe it could be when we were in film school. Indie filmmaking is a business and needs to be approached in that way. In the micro-budget world it is, needlesstosay, impossible to make Iron Man 3, so don’t try. The indie world can stand out in a few ways: genre specific films, high concept stories, but, more importantly, excelent stories along with many other schools of thought in the mix.
Would I sell my next film to a studio if they made an off on it after what I know now? Possibly, if the price and agreement was right. Would I consider self-distribution for my next film? Absolutely, in fact I am atempting to create a viably profitable distribution company for filmmakers that artfully blends the new V.O.D. and social media platforms with the prestige of a traditional release while not asking the filmmaker to bend over and grab their ankles. Being new and innovative is the challenge there, but the opportunities to reach a mass audience is completely doable with today’s digital landscape.
Now more than ever do filmmakers have the same outlets for an audience as the studios, it is just up to us to figure out how to tap into that audience and build a name for ourselves.
Traditional distribution may be fun, but it also might have us “wishing” while the rest of the world is embracing the new distribution platforms and actually “doing.” I believe that if we can figure out a blend that can innovate the traditional method of distribution by utilizing these new forms of distribution then the puzzle will then be cracked on how to make profit for us small folk with this new platform. It’s time that we “nobodies” put on our innovative caps and solve this mystery fast so that the independent filmmaker no longer has to be reliant on the power of the studio. That power would be in our back pocket and we should know how to use it.
What are your thoughts? Comment below.