At Ted Hope’s Hope For Film site, producer Smriti Mundhra recently posted a great article
about the debate over viability that emerged at The Conversation , one of two distribution and media-creation conferences that took place within a week’s span in NYC last week (Full disclosure,: I was a moderator and ‘advisor’ at The Conversation and have some loose business relationships with folks at DIY Days ).
Ms. Mundhra describes the ongoing discussion around challenges for filmmakers in relation to finding revenue from their work (or in the sortof hateful parlance of the day, “monetizing”). The current conventional wisdom seems to be that the new culture of “free” presents a challenge to filmmakers that they can choose to confront with various strategies in the name of rescuing the profits that are suddenly in jeopardy.
Right now independent filmmakers have amazing, previously unknown opportunities. The availability of increasingly cheaper technology has allowed filmmaking to become both more accessible and much more reasonable for those who were already using higher-end, more expensive equipment. In almost every area of the production process, filmmaking is becoming available without millions or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for a high-quality result. And filmmakers have ways to reach audiences that depend more on effort than giant P&A spends. For all these reasons, filmmakers have much more control than they ever did about how to share their films with audiences.
But there is a reality, it seems to me, that is missing from the discussion. Selling independent films is not and never was a “business model” (or- if you wish- not a 'good' business model), in the context that making these films should be the basis for a lucrative career using the principles of an MBA program. A good business model takes into account what the consumer wants and tries to give them that. It does not find something that one personally likes and then tries to make other people care about it, which is something more like patronage.
Because of the economics around film, and the way independent film distribution evolved out of foreign film distribution, there was some perception that independent films had some kind of commercial viability in aggregate and that if you just came up with the right formula, you could find a pleasing margin.
There was a veneer of prosperity when films were picked up at Sundance or Toronto and garnered big advances. But that was still only a small fraction of films, and those films were highly leveraged, expensive projects. How many of those films actually made back their budget in the revenue they received from distributors? How many distributors made significant money on selling independent film with our the capital from some other source to subsidize the effort? Essentially, if you compare what people spent making indie films at that time with what the returns were, would the numbers be a lot different from today?
Some films that happened to be independent were great successes.
However, I wonder how much of the revenue generated by those films ended up in the hands of creative people who made the film. In my experience, a system that splits the revenue several times before it reaches a royalty payment tends to yield small returns for creators.
Is independent filmmaking, as was suggested at The Conversation, a hobby? Most filmmakers will be lucky to make more money than is invested in the film, and possibly even lucky to make more money than they personally invested. For that reason, it’s essential that people wanting to make films are doing it because it’s exciting, fun, collaborative, creative and they are driven to do it despite the financial investment.
A large industry of film schools and workshops has emerged to service people who think they want to “be” a filmmaker but this is kind of like people wanting to “be” a shoe repair person. There’s not a mysterious, gatekept process anymore- just find a story and cast, then shoot and edit (it's not easy but it's fairly intuitive). You don’t have to lose money, and you likely won’t make much. You might make something that is exciting, beautiful, or new. Before you do anything else, try to understand and find your audience, so someone will see your work when it’s done.
Laure Parsons is a filmmaker and distribution consultant and can be found at xplusxfilms.com and infinicine.com.
Showing posts with label Ted Hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ted Hope. Show all posts
Monday, April 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A repost for Thanksgiving: Indie Filmmakers, Be Thankful for Ted Hope!
Independent film producer, Tweeter extraordinare, and IFP board member Ted Hope has posted the following TWENTY NEW RULES: What we all MUST TRY to do prior to shooting on his blog, and asked the Indie Film Community to pass it around. While I did email to several filmmaker friends, I neglected to do this, consumed as IFP has been with the upcoming Gotham Awards (More on that later). Well, it's never too late to show my support and spread the wisdom. These ARE rules that every filmmaker should read:
I am prepping a new film with the shortest amount of time I have ever had to prep a movie. It is also one of the more ambitious projects I have been involved in. There is so much to do I can't afford to squander any time (luckily I have been prepping some blog posts in advance, so this doesn't take time -- it expands time!). The short prep is also unfortunate because now is a time that the producer has to do even more than ever before.
My To Do List may be more of a Wish List these days. Instead of doing everything I think I should be doing, I have to focus first on what absolutely needs to be done to get the film in the can.
Now is the time we should be doing things differently; yet given the opportunity to make the film I want, with the cast I want, even at a fraction of the budget that I want -- how can I let that opportunity go by?
Having more options and better tools, doesn't solve everything by any means.
These times are tough indeed. Everyone knows it is hard out there for an indie filmmaker, particularly for a truly free filmmaker. Most would acknowledge that it is harder now than it has ever been before. Few have revealed (or admitted) how the current situation will change their behavior. I think right now, with reality staring me in the face, I can only speak about what I wish I could do. There is still a big gulf between thought and expression. How does the present alter what we all wish to do on our films?
Personally speaking, I would say we need to evolve the definition of what it means to be ready to shoot a film. Granted, more can always be done on the creative level and that is certainly worthy of discussion, but here -- on TrulyFreeFilm -- we are discussing the apparatus, the infrastructure, the practices that can lead to a more diverse output, robust appreciation, business model, and sustainable practice of ambitious cinema. So, what would I do if I really had my shit together? I have been trying to answer this and share my thoughts along the way.
Today's version:
1. Recognize it is about audience aggregation: Collect 5000 fans prior to seeking financing. Act to gain 500 fans/month during prep, prod., post processes.
2. Determine how you will engage & collect audiences all throughout the process.
Consider some portion to be crowd-funded -- not so much for the money but for the engagement it will create.
3. Create enough additional content to keep your audience involved throughout the process and later to bridge them to your next work.
4. Develop an audience outreach schedule clarifying what is done when -- both before and after the first public screening.
5. Curate work you admire. Spread the word on what you love. Not only will people understand you further, but who knows, maybe someone will return the good deed.
6. Be prepared to "produce the distribution". Meet with potential collaborators from marketing, promotion, distribution, social network, bookers, exhibitors, widget manufacturers, charitable partners, to whatever else you can imagine.
7. Brainstorm transmedia/cross-platform content to be associated with the film.
8. Study at least five similar films in terms of what their release strategy & audience engagement strategy was and how you can improve upon them.
9. Build a website that utilizes e-commerce, audience engagement, & data retrieval. Have it ready no later than 1 month prior to first public screening.
10. Determine & manufacture at least five additional products you will sell other than DVDs.
11. Determine content for multiple versions of your DVD.
12. Design several versions of your poster. Track how your image campaign evolves through the process.
13. Do a paper cut of what two versions of your trailer might be. Track how this changes throughout the process.
14. Determine a list of the top 100 people to promote your film (critics, bloggers, filmmakers,etc)
15. Determine where & how to utilize a more participatory process in the creation, promotion, exhibition, & appreciation process. Does it make sense for your project to embrace this?
16. How will this project be more than a movie? Is there a live component? An ARG? An ongoing element?
17. How can you reward those who refer others to you? How do you incentivize involvement? What are you going to give back?
18. What will you do next and how can you move your audience from this to that? How will you not have to reinvent the wheel next time?
19. What are you doing differently than everyone else? How will people understand this? Discover this?
20. How are you going to share what you've learned on this project with others?
As I've said, I know I am not doing all of these yet on my current production, but that leaves me something to strive for the one following. The goal is to keep getting better, after all. But man, I wish I could be doing more!
The desire to do more is so huge, but time and resources limit me, limit us. Sometimes it feels like an accomplishment to at least get the film financed. Still though, I can't claim to be doing my job (producing) well if I am not doing all of these. I have to do better. I know it is even harder on smaller jobs. Still though, as much as our job descriptions keep expanding as our salary level decreases, this list is what we must accomplish. Or at least it is the list I think we need to accomplish right now.
I am going to shut up now and get to work. There's too much to be done.
I am prepping a new film with the shortest amount of time I have ever had to prep a movie. It is also one of the more ambitious projects I have been involved in. There is so much to do I can't afford to squander any time (luckily I have been prepping some blog posts in advance, so this doesn't take time -- it expands time!). The short prep is also unfortunate because now is a time that the producer has to do even more than ever before.
My To Do List may be more of a Wish List these days. Instead of doing everything I think I should be doing, I have to focus first on what absolutely needs to be done to get the film in the can.
Now is the time we should be doing things differently; yet given the opportunity to make the film I want, with the cast I want, even at a fraction of the budget that I want -- how can I let that opportunity go by?
Having more options and better tools, doesn't solve everything by any means.
These times are tough indeed. Everyone knows it is hard out there for an indie filmmaker, particularly for a truly free filmmaker. Most would acknowledge that it is harder now than it has ever been before. Few have revealed (or admitted) how the current situation will change their behavior. I think right now, with reality staring me in the face, I can only speak about what I wish I could do. There is still a big gulf between thought and expression. How does the present alter what we all wish to do on our films?
Personally speaking, I would say we need to evolve the definition of what it means to be ready to shoot a film. Granted, more can always be done on the creative level and that is certainly worthy of discussion, but here -- on TrulyFreeFilm -- we are discussing the apparatus, the infrastructure, the practices that can lead to a more diverse output, robust appreciation, business model, and sustainable practice of ambitious cinema. So, what would I do if I really had my shit together? I have been trying to answer this and share my thoughts along the way.
Today's version:
1. Recognize it is about audience aggregation: Collect 5000 fans prior to seeking financing. Act to gain 500 fans/month during prep, prod., post processes.
2. Determine how you will engage & collect audiences all throughout the process.
Consider some portion to be crowd-funded -- not so much for the money but for the engagement it will create.
3. Create enough additional content to keep your audience involved throughout the process and later to bridge them to your next work.
4. Develop an audience outreach schedule clarifying what is done when -- both before and after the first public screening.
5. Curate work you admire. Spread the word on what you love. Not only will people understand you further, but who knows, maybe someone will return the good deed.
6. Be prepared to "produce the distribution". Meet with potential collaborators from marketing, promotion, distribution, social network, bookers, exhibitors, widget manufacturers, charitable partners, to whatever else you can imagine.
7. Brainstorm transmedia/cross-platform content to be associated with the film.
8. Study at least five similar films in terms of what their release strategy & audience engagement strategy was and how you can improve upon them.
9. Build a website that utilizes e-commerce, audience engagement, & data retrieval. Have it ready no later than 1 month prior to first public screening.
10. Determine & manufacture at least five additional products you will sell other than DVDs.
11. Determine content for multiple versions of your DVD.
12. Design several versions of your poster. Track how your image campaign evolves through the process.
13. Do a paper cut of what two versions of your trailer might be. Track how this changes throughout the process.
14. Determine a list of the top 100 people to promote your film (critics, bloggers, filmmakers,etc)
15. Determine where & how to utilize a more participatory process in the creation, promotion, exhibition, & appreciation process. Does it make sense for your project to embrace this?
16. How will this project be more than a movie? Is there a live component? An ARG? An ongoing element?
17. How can you reward those who refer others to you? How do you incentivize involvement? What are you going to give back?
18. What will you do next and how can you move your audience from this to that? How will you not have to reinvent the wheel next time?
19. What are you doing differently than everyone else? How will people understand this? Discover this?
20. How are you going to share what you've learned on this project with others?
As I've said, I know I am not doing all of these yet on my current production, but that leaves me something to strive for the one following. The goal is to keep getting better, after all. But man, I wish I could be doing more!
The desire to do more is so huge, but time and resources limit me, limit us. Sometimes it feels like an accomplishment to at least get the film financed. Still though, I can't claim to be doing my job (producing) well if I am not doing all of these. I have to do better. I know it is even harder on smaller jobs. Still though, as much as our job descriptions keep expanding as our salary level decreases, this list is what we must accomplish. Or at least it is the list I think we need to accomplish right now.
I am going to shut up now and get to work. There's too much to be done.
Friday, August 28, 2009
IFP Lab Advisor, Mentor and Independent Film Conference panelist Ted Hope receives Filmmakers Alliance award
You've gotta love Ted Hope. I mean, if you don't, then you either don't love independent film or you are just being ornery! Hope (and what a fitting surname that is), who has worked with IFP in a number of ways, from being an Independent Filmmaker Conference panelist to mentoring our Filmmakers to sitting on the advisory board of the IFP Narrative Lab, received an award from L.A.'s Filmmakers Alliance recently. Presented by Alan Ball (AMERICAN BEAUTY, T.V.'s SIX FEET UNDER) the award recognizes Ted's past and continued gifts to the film community -- from the over 50 features he's produced (21 GRAMS, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, HAPPINESS) to the blog he writes, which tracks developments in our "new film culture and infrastructure, driven by both the creators and the audiences." Come out and see Ted on the "The Times They Are A'Changing" panel about making your first feature in the new landscape, on Sunday, September 20th at 11:30 am.
But for now, watch his moving speech here. and continued here
But for now, watch his moving speech here. and continued here
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