So you wanna make a movie, kid

The bottom line is this. DOES YOUR FILM HAVE AN AUDIENCE

If an audience likes it, if it is unique enough to capture attention, then none of this matters. If nobody likes it, then yeah, it's a tough sell. even if people like it, it's a tough sell on the indie level.

What makes the film stand out? that is the question. and nobody knows that answer. it is all up to the audience.

And Tamara, I hope soon to see you at a festival, and our movies play back to back! How much fun would that be! 

DRINK UP ME'HEARTIES YO HO!

Click on the ball and ask it any film related question you want.

The ball is always right.

If you don't get a chance to watch it, basically, it is 76 minutes of Hollywood folks  talk about how "controlled luck" and "happenstance" determine whether a movie is a hit or a flop.

My feeling what the point of the movie is, is that you can have a perfect formula and have a flop and vice versa and that there is no way of knowing what will be a big hit or a big flop. 

IMDB

There are 95 "full movie" "Independent Shorts" on the roll out.

"Lure" and "Chingaso the Clown" are in there, if you have not seen them yet.

www.myspace.com/hANDSOMEproductions

 AND SOME

They did a part 2 of this article today that I like best.  It is the most useful, a little less theory and little more how to

http://www.indiewire.com/people/2008/09/first_person_pe_1.html 

Tamara

www.operationjohnnyappleweed.org

Got this email today entitled: "10 Festivals Streaming Free." 

Our good friends over at the Alamo Drafthouse run one of the best festivals anywhere. And we're not the only ones who think so - Variety called Fantastic Fest "Geek Telluride," and also named it one of the "10 Festivals We Love". In previous years, Fantastic Fest has hosted surprise premieres for such films as "There Will Be Blood," "Apocalypto," and "Pan's Labyrinth."

As great as Fantastic Fest is, this year it just got a little better. We are all atremble here at B-Side with excitement over the launch of Fantastic Fest Online. In partnership with sponsor AMD, B-Side is streaming 10 films from Fantastic Fest 2008 from Saturday, 9/14 through Saturday 9/20 at http://fantasticfestonline.bside.com - absolutely free. And we're not talking festival rejects - these 10 films are all official selections to Fantastic Fest that were hand-picked to represent the festival worldwide.

Audience members who watch films online are eligible to vote for the 'Online Audience Favorite' awards, which will be presented to the winning feature and short film on Monday, September 22 as part of the official 2008 Fantastic Fest awards ceremony. Co-sponsor AMD will be providing cash and technology prizes for the winning films.

In their official announcement, Alamo founder and Fantastic Fest director Tim League explained the motivation behind FF Online:

As 2008 Fantastic Fest badges are sold out and some folks don't have the money to travel to Austin for the festival in the first place, we have teamed up with two of our festival sponsors, AMD and B-Side, to give everyone a taste of the fun for free.

I am personally very excited to be working with these filmmakers, B-Side and AMD to provide this unique new experience for genre film enthusiasts across the globe. Utilizing technology to provide simple and free access to great new film talent, Fantastic Fest Online may very well be paving the way to redefining what the term 'film festival' means in the future.

We are thrilled to be working with Fantastic Fest for the 3rd year in a row, and are excited to be helping them pave the way.

Check out the list of films and watch now: http://fantasticfestonline.bside.com/2008/films

Questions about how to use Fantastic Fest Online: http://www.bside.com/help/ffonline

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There's little in either of those articles I disagree with. I think the entire landscape has changed. Especially for "indie film" as it doesn't exist as we knew it in the 1990's. How many no name starring movies have you seen signed from SUNDANCE and making it into the multiplex?

OPEN WATER 2002 and NAPLEON DYNOMITE 2002, and NAPOLEON DYNOMITE had some decent name cameos, etc. 

TV is "free" one catch, "commercials."

Now you can watch a 2002 movie that cost $60,000,000.00 to make for "free" without going to the movies and paying for a ticket, without VHS, without a Blu Ray or DVD player, without TIVO or DVR, without a television, without cable, Direct TV, satelite dish...

All you need is an Internet device.

The catch? "Commercials" you cannot skip, intermixed in the movie.

Plus the distributer has "proof" available "hits" to show the advertiser/sponsor.

Remember old TV? Where shows had "sponsors" they still do for the most part.

But what about a "sponsor" for a movie, rather than the LLC/investor approach?

Like they do in NASCAR? One big giant sticker all over the movie?

Jack Daniels Presents....

McDonald's Presents...

Edge Shave Gel Presents...(current sponsor/adverstiser on IMDB Theater's Presentation of The Scorpion King-click while the ad is on you go to here.)

Studio Tent Pole Movie Presents...

Domino's Pizza Presents...(with this one you could click on the ad on your device and order a pizza without leaving your chair or couch?)

Not talking about product placement in the classic sense.

Just thinking out loud here.

Rather than talking about ROI you talk likely number of "hits" to the sponsor/co-producer.

So the sponsor/co-producer is buying an "advertisement" in the form of a movie.

Plus, a "movie" is much more exiting than an "ad in a magazine or newspaper."

Millions are spent and lost on print/newspaper ads, commercials, that don't sell the product every day.

Give the owner of the company a cameo?

Let's face it, most Indie movies lose money, the investors usually never recoup.

The sponsor/co-producer would be "advertising." Of course you would need legal advice on this on how to structure it.

Once the production company uploads it, they (and everyone else that worked on the project) has been paid from the "advertiser/co-producer/sponsor" per the production agreement and are on to the next project.

Stars are alread making millions in commercials overseas. This is more classic commercial advertising though.

Cool idea. But I don't know how that would work. Hell, I don't even know how indie filmmaking works, I'm still learning and pulling my hair out the closer I get to the final cut of the storm.

You want to know what I still believe? Believing in yourself. If you believe, and if you know you can deliver (whether or not an audience loves or hates is beyond your control), then you will find a way. there is always a way not only with indie filmmaking, but also with studio films.

I've said it a million times. All it takes is good ol' fashioned hard work, commitment and yes...certain sacrifices. And also, remember to be cool and do business in good faith. The business is wild enough as it is. Keep opportunistic people away, liars away, schemers away and just plain assholes out of it.

But in any case, I don't know if I would like sponser on any of my films. I know it sounds stupid and now I'm talking like an artist--but I feel that would take you out of the experience of watching a film.

That's my take. Cut. That's a wrap. 

DRINK UP ME'HEARTIES YO HO!

Just throwing out some thoughts.

Even snowboarders get "sponsors" ;)

Indie filmmakers get "investors."

What if a product "sponsored" a film, an Indie film?

Yes, there are a lot of..."what about this"...and "what about thats"...just trying to "think out of the box and out of the lines" a bit...

Good point E, this brings up the Art vs. Money debate again.

Would you rather have made a movie you love that lost money, or worse no one sees (or both), or a movie you hated that made you rich?

2 years ago Indies had to be "made on film" to be taken seriously, now, it has totally changed, I think the distribution models are on the cusp of a major change.