Jeff Lipsky: WHY SO SERIOUS? Part 2

Jeff Lipsky continues what he started...:

6. I predict the death of mumblecore movies by 2011. Independent films will once again boast strong scripts and, as such, will reach a broader audience. This is probably as good a time as any to reiterate to critics who invoke the name of John Cassavetes in their reviews of so-called mumblecore fare: John’s only improvised film was “Shadows.” Suck it.

7. Wonderful myriad primers about self-distribution are available in current issues of magazines like FilmMaker, MovieMaker, and at this link provided by DYI guru Peter Broderick (http://www.peterbroderick.com/writing/writing.html). Such detailed first-person reporting, including specific anecdotal detail and how-to information is worth its weight in gold to independent film producers. This shared information will become much more prolific and abundant and available in the months and years to come. We don’t need more filmmakers, we need more knowhow about gaining access to audiences for the all-too-few great independent films that still manage to get made.

8. Just when digital projection saturation in all cinemas across the U.S. was about to be a tangible thing, a reality, looming not on the horizon but happening TODAY, banks aren’t lending money to anyone. That’s where the billions of dollars for this wholesale transformation was going to come from, from banks. Fewer digital screens (for a while longer, anyway – I know it’s still coming) will mean fewer bad digital movies. Audiences will be happier, critics will be happier, incisive and insightful bloggers will be happier, and more people will return to the movies, especially to good independent movies.

9. Praise the Lord, the studios became fed up with so-called independent distribution in 2008 (just as they did in the early to mid 80’s) and everyone began biting their fingernails. But let’s look at what else happened in the distribution world in 2008 (and January 2009). Two new indie distributors hung out their shingles and laid down their gauntlets during Sundance this year, Senator made a bold statement with its acquisition of “Brooklyn’s Finest,” and Summit broke through with its first $100 million grossing film (yeah, it was “Twilight,” but that shouldn’t blunt the impact of that encouraging watermark). Relatively obscure indies like Oscilloscope enjoyed a succès d’estime with “Wendy & Lucy,” Overture rode the wonderful “The Visitor” to a (nearly) $10 million gross and a Best Actor Oscar nomination, and Music Box cashed in on its rock ‘em, sock ‘em success “Tell No One.” Studio boutiques were never independent distributors anyway; by definition they were dependent on the support of their parent company. Every ten years or so that support dries up and (most of them) go away, clearing the way for a brace of new, innovative, distinguished upstarts. Even with the demise of ThinkFilm there are a greater number of pure play independent distributors now than there were one year ago.

10. Kodak continues to produce thrilling new film stocks (Vision 3, 5260) which just might encourage more independent filmmakers to dabble in this antiquated art form for just a bit longer. After all, it’s kinda nice when you don’t have to have to worry about whether the pattern of your leading lady’s costume is going to wreak havoc on your wave form. (I know, I know every film will be shot digitally someday, but that someday, I suspect, is still farther off than some people would like to think.)

A final prediction and admonition: as soon as newspapers and magazines fold up their tents for good the World Wide Web (2.0) will be longer be free. And then even more people will return to movie theatres.

Why Sunrise Matters

Did you know that there are websites that will tell you the exact time when the sun will rise? Down to the hour and minute.

Soooo... Why should it matter when the sun rises (or sets)?

For us, as filmmakers, it does. And the reason? It's all about scheduling for principal photography. Whether we need to know when it will be dark outside since we have to shoot a night scene... Or whether we want to shoot at magic hour...

On our last film, we wanted a sunset over the skyline of New York City. So the day was scheduled accordingly. We can only work our SAG actors for eight hours (plus a hour for lunch) before paying overtime; we try to stick to those eight hours.

So, yes, if we were shooting today, it'd be a good thing to know that sunrise is at 7:05 am (and sunset is at 5:13 pm), comes in pretty handy for us filmmakers. And that tomorrow, it'll be 7:04 am (and 5:15 pm for sunset).

And unlike weather reports, sunrise/sunset times won't change on you! So, what will they be in April?

Take a look for yourself...

It Could Be Getting So Much Better All The Time #3: Transparency

Brian Newman hit the nail on the head with his comment and I've bumped it to a post to give it the weight it deserves.  With acquisition prices so low, this seems to be something that filmmakers should demand that their agents, reps, and lawyers get for them, that their distributors' provide to them, that they have a right to share and distribute to others.  Right on, Brian, right on.

I think one thing would improve the business side more than anything else - transparency of the numbers. We see box office, but we need good comparable stats on DVD, download, VOD, fest attendance, clicks, was it watched on a roku or a iphone or at 11pm, etc.

People need to know how much is being spent to make a film, and how much it really makes back. Filmmakers should be able to get data on how people found their films online, through what search terms, from where, etc.

Too many people are getting ripped off because of a lack of transparency. Transparent access to data would be good for everyone (except those profiting by keeping it closed) and help build new and better business models.

-- Brian Newman

The Economics Of Giving It Away (For Free)

Chris Anderson has a good update on his seminal "Free!: Why $0.00 Is The Future Of Everything".  The new article is online here at the Wall Street Journal (for free!).  He may be discussing web start-ups, but it is 100% relevant in terms of our search for a new model. 

Jeff Lipsky: WHY SO SERIOUS? Or TEN REASONS WHY THE INDIE FILM BUSINESS (AND THE FILM BUSINESS IN GENERAL) IS IN GREAT SHAPE

Jeff Lipsky, director of the Sundance hit ONCE MORE WITH FEELING (among others), distributor of Cassavettes (among others), co-founder of October Films (among others) -- this man knows the lay of the land.  He recently participated in a show Christine Vachon and I did up at Sundance for Filmcatcher (soon to be streamed on their site), and I was once again reminded of his incredible enthusiasm and knowledge of all aspects of the film business.  I only asked him for ten reasons he was bullish on the state of indie.  I get the sense that if I hadn't capped it, he'd still be adding to the list. 

Here's Part One:

1. Apparently movies love depression (as in recession). Especially independent movies. Since the U.S. economy tanked theatrical grosses have been going through the roof. In comparing the steady weekly increases over the corresponding 2007/8 frames this is a fact, irrefutable, and it isn’t just the rise in ticket prices, admissions are up, too (finally). Even excluding boffo studio phenomena like “Paul Blart Mall Cop” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” the numbers in independent theatres since fiscal Armageddon set in have been stunning. Last week New York’s Angelika Film Center’s total gross was 40% higher than the same week last year, while at the Sunshine Cinemas, also in NYC, the increase was a ridiculous 375%. In southern California the gross last week at The Landmark cinemas exceeded the gross over the same week last year by 48%. In Cleveland the Cedar Lee’s gross last week was ahead of last year’s gross by 70%, a week, incidentally when three of the five Oscar nominated films for Best Picture were on screen at that complex. And let’s not exclude the town that gave you the American automobile. Motown’s in great shape, right? In Detroit last week the independent Maple Art Cinemas’ grosses were 246% higher than the corresponding week last year. Quick, let’s pick another post-apocalyptic week at random: 11/7/08-11/13/08. Same theatres, same comparison to its total week’s gross the corresponding week the previous year. Sunshine: 27% higher the week of 11/7/08 than the previous year. The Landmark, 34% higher. The Cedar Lee, 12% more, and in Motor City, a whopping 50% increase. And if you think it’s all because of President Obama, don’t. It was true in October, pre-Election, as well.

2. Speaking of New York’s Angelika Film Center, let us consider the New York success of the sublime “Let the Right One In.” That film has been playing exclusively at the Angelika Film Center has 14 weeks, at the time of this writing, and has grossed a quarter of a million dollars. For most of those weeks the seating capacity hovered around 200. And I don’t recall seeing a single ad in the New York Times since about the third run of its run. Nor do I recall seeing any online media buy. All things are still possible if you make a great film. And it doesn’t require $10 million of marketing to accomplish the impossible. (Note: its total North American gross is only $2 million but I know many producers of American independent films that cost under $500,000 to produce who would salivate over a theatrical total of $2 million.) Magnolia should present a (free to the public) case study of their marketing of this title at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival, where, I believe “Let the Right One In,” enjoyed its U.S. premiere in 2008.

3. DVD revenues in North America last year were down about 5% from 2007 totals (estimates range between 3%-6%). That means only $21.8 billion was generated by DVDs (including Blue Ray) in 2008. If the real percentage of the total that is applicable to truly independent films is only 1.5% (the lowest estimate I could find) that means indie films generated almost $328 million in DVD revenues last year. I don’t know about you but I’m impressed. And that doesn’t include legal download, PPV, and VOD numbers, paltry though those numbers I’m quite certain are.

4. The total amount of money (thus far) that independent distributors doled out for Sundance acquisitions in 2009 has exceeded last year’s total by 5%. And this was the year, distributors weren’t going, money was tight, the mood was cautious, the town was deserted, and the weather was warm (well, it was gloriously warm).

5. A brief history of the DVD. Home Entertainment got under way with VHS tapes (and, to a much lesser and negligible extent, Laser Discs). They were intended for rental only, proof of which was its $100 price tag if you had to own one. Then the DVD came along: superior product, superior extras, fewer trailers for God-awful films attached. Virtually right from the get-go they were available to consumers simultaneously as rental items and as sell through items. Inexplicably the price point for this often superbly produced collectible was as low as $25-35. Within a couple of years the studios reduced the per unit retail price to $15-20. Why? Is the family that purchases “Monsters, Inc” for their kids to watch 150 times, with all of their friends no less, not going to pay an extra $5-10 dollars to own this digital pacifier? Was I not going to pay an extra $10 to own my own copy of “Chinatown?” Why is the cost of a DVD way less than the cost of two movie tickets? And returning to that subject, why are more people, sometimes in droves, returning to the cinema when the ticket price is so high and DVD windows are shrinking? Is it the low price of gas? Or is it the fact that the tech world is confusing John and Jane Doe with its semi-annual new iterations of hardware, software, PDAs, phones, home theatres, digital boxes, Dolby 5.1…fuck it, ma, let’s just go to the picture show and see a movie. In short, the DVD industry, I opine, has left billions of dollars on the table over the last five years. And I always thought they were good at sweeping up billions of dollars. Again, 1.5% of billions of dollars… Anyway, DVDs are not going the way of the dodo. Not for at least a pentad, if ever.

It Could Be Getting So Much Better All The Time #2: Keep Filmmaking Local

I got this comment from filmmaker and blogger Eric Escobar and felt it was right on.  When I started out there was much talk in indie circles about the regional film movement.  Traveling around film festivals and seeing movies from the community, that captures their authenticity, is a specific pleasure that can't be duplicated.  HUMPDAY for Seattle, MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY for San Francisco.  This is a list that can and should and will be expanded.  Thanks Eric, for this comment -- I just had to bump it to a post:

The suck of talent, hope and energy to the production centers of LA, NYC and Vancouver leads to boring filmmaking.

The promise of potential work on the assembly line of the filmmaking factory makes artists make bad movies in the hopes of proving their factory-worth.

Build incentives for filmmakers to stay local, like what the SFFS is starting to do in San Francisco with office space and direct cash grants.

Let the communities of actors, writers and filmmakers flourish, and have them artistically accountable to telling stories about who they are and where they're from.

LA has ruined so many imaginations in the pursuit of a decent monthly check. And I really don't want to see another movie about Brooklyn made by a filmmaker who moved there last week.

Ted adds: if you haven't read Eric's "Dear Indie Filmmaker" post, don't delay!

Sklar & Workbook: Moving To Best Practices

Todd Sklar has finished has Range Life tour has a lot to tell you about what he's learned. He's posted it up at the indispensable Workbook Project: Part One, Part Two. 

Part One counsels filmmakers to build up their promo content and hold until the key release time.  He identifies two main tendencies to the contrary (and explains why you need to avoid them):

1. You jump the gun on building buzz and then lose momentum and interest before it’s time to utilize that buzz.
   
2. You jump the gun on your release and can’t support it with the necessary content or resources & planning b/c it’s a full time job just maintaining whatever momentum and interest your gaining from the film’s release.
   

In part two, Todd expands upon new rules:

1. You need to have a solid website 5 minutes after you’ve written the script.
   
2. You need to have a solid trailer 5 days after you’ve wrapped shooting.
   
3. You need to release your DVD within 6 weeks of your premiere.
   
4. You need to start making your DVD 6 hours after you’ve made your final cut.
   
5. You need to do your theatrical release within 2-4 weeks of your festival premiere You need to implement a festival premiere into your release platform, and there’s no better/other way to do it than utilizing it as the springboard for your theatrical release.
   
6. You need to look at the theatrical release as a brand building and audience building campaign and focus on exposure and press secondly.
   
7. You need to be ready to make your next one before your release this one.
   
8. You need to roll with the punches and remember to focus on your planning your work and working your plan.
   
9. you need sell DVD’s during your theatrical release.
   

Read the posts.  We all need to.