Round holes and square pegs: fitting the indie blitz into legacy theatrical strats,
For more information, visit: Are There Too Many Movies -- And Is It the New York Times' Fault?
Whyyyyyy four-wall? Really? That's out of "The Movie Business Book" which was relevant in the early 90's when brick and mortar exhibition was the key to success.
Now, too much supply means you need a global market and if discernment is in demand then INCREASE THE WRITING JOBS...
hmmmmmm. Should I have switched to film studies years ago? But I'm a creative writing major, I'll wing it.
Seriously, this is the time for distribution companies to begin taking profits and swinging them into Silicon Valley and developing the digital corner. We're talking cultural transfer: Translations, digital international film festivals, emerging film education, get young people writing about young filmmakers and re-establish cultivation using the reference points of the age. You can have more product as long as there's more description.
So what, new writers aren't discerning enough? Hire and educate.
Where is the money going to come from? The people who can afford it and want to of course. I'm talking rich people with nothing better to do but buy another McMansion. We've seen too many infographics about how far out of balance the class inequality is. You can't ever convince me that these people don't run out of things to buy that actually mean something to them. I'm an idealist perhaps but it's also true.
Here's the sell: Everyone wants this, it's big. Invest and you're the shit. You own the corner. You die with a legacy and thereby become immortal. It's the only thing you couldn't buy but a billion people will benefit from what you've done and so there, golden toilets + the common touch.
What's the McGuffin? A library/market of international independent film that merges global traffic with global art and it's global representation. It employs thousands because it has millions of subscribers.
Big idea = big money cause of: Micro Transactions. A billionaire can do it, a couple billionaires can nail it.
Give me $50k and a year to write the business plan and I'll show you exactly how.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Ira Deutchman at the TIFF Filmmaker Bootcamp
Ira Deutchman at the TIFF Filmmaker Bootcamp
For more information, visit: TIFF Filmmaker Bootcamp on How to Use Festivals to Sell Your Film
I think it's easiest to assume we'd rather not do that whole thing Ira's talking about.
Press and word-of-mouth. That's what it boils down to. And it's different and complicated and I'm tired.
Look at the scenario: over-supply of content, over-stimulation of the crowd, not enough discernment, the studios are hard pressed to distinguish their bank-rolled capacity and so have retreated to the tent-pole where they are the safest. Even still, attendance has hit a plateau. So, 101 films between all of them. NO film for you!
For the rest of us, there is no formula save hard work AND it's not where you might have thought.
The quality of a film is subject to whatever, whenever. It's all relative. That is the most disheartening truth of this industry. No expectations work if you're just trying to game mass appeal after the fact. And you can suffer and sacrifice all you like but there's no ultimate protection against sucking or failing at any point in the process. This is why a finished product anywhere close to the original intention is a boss statement. And still, there's no assurance that being boss in your own world with an audience of friends and family will ever mean more than that.
Or is there?
As long as you are a fan of something, obsess over something, are a fanboy of something, you have hope. It's recreating that thrill that is the core of our potential. It's through that singular emotion of gleeful worship that you might navigate your film to the answer of audience members just like you. Let me reiterate: there are audience members out there just like you. And by your shared appreciation of something can you reach them. Not all of them can make films, but together you can all be fans of your type of film.
I believe strongly that a successful filmmaker knows why their film is this and not that. They understand every decision in the filmmaking process with that amount of certainty. I believe a successful filmmaker also understands why those decisions are important to his kind of audience and so is effective at communicating the value of the truth shared about the story.
Simply put:
Know what you're doing
Know why what you're doing is going to matter to the people that should care about it
From the producing angle, it's not much different:
Know who the film matters to and why it matters to them
Know how you're going to effectively reveal why this film matters to the people it matters to
All too often I speak with directors who don't get their own premise or don't know how it's going to matter to an audience. But they want a career in directing. OK, good luck.
When Ira spoke about Press and Word-of-mouth, I thought that's pretty damn near close to what an indie strategy should be. It's about galvanizing an audience and then exploiting their enthusiasm and letting the rest take care of itself (ideally the money comes bidding to take advantage of the relationship you've secured with the consumer). There are case studies to prove the value of this as well as how social media blasts this approach wide-open.
The take-away is the heart of your potential success: what is the takeaway you intend to provide for the people who will pay to see your show?
Some people call this IMPACT. Others just call it marketing. But the truth is that the vast supply numbers just confuse the issue. The real competitors are those truly understanding the equations regarding the demand for what they've produced. Too much of the discussion is going to people who don't even know how to compete. I wanna hear what happens when multiple entities are trying to harvest a similar market. Until we get to that point I feel like the game is wide open for anyone with enough of their shit together to walk up and take it.
Turning around and looking at my own production process, I can see so much easier said than done. But maybe, in the practical application of living life, my attitude's been in the wrong place. Being positive, innovative, and having conviction aren't just good ideas. I daresay they can save you a lifetime of going nowhere.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
For more information, visit: TIFF Filmmaker Bootcamp on How to Use Festivals to Sell Your Film
I think it's easiest to assume we'd rather not do that whole thing Ira's talking about.
Press and word-of-mouth. That's what it boils down to. And it's different and complicated and I'm tired.
Look at the scenario: over-supply of content, over-stimulation of the crowd, not enough discernment, the studios are hard pressed to distinguish their bank-rolled capacity and so have retreated to the tent-pole where they are the safest. Even still, attendance has hit a plateau. So, 101 films between all of them. NO film for you!
For the rest of us, there is no formula save hard work AND it's not where you might have thought.
The quality of a film is subject to whatever, whenever. It's all relative. That is the most disheartening truth of this industry. No expectations work if you're just trying to game mass appeal after the fact. And you can suffer and sacrifice all you like but there's no ultimate protection against sucking or failing at any point in the process. This is why a finished product anywhere close to the original intention is a boss statement. And still, there's no assurance that being boss in your own world with an audience of friends and family will ever mean more than that.
Or is there?
As long as you are a fan of something, obsess over something, are a fanboy of something, you have hope. It's recreating that thrill that is the core of our potential. It's through that singular emotion of gleeful worship that you might navigate your film to the answer of audience members just like you. Let me reiterate: there are audience members out there just like you. And by your shared appreciation of something can you reach them. Not all of them can make films, but together you can all be fans of your type of film.
I believe strongly that a successful filmmaker knows why their film is this and not that. They understand every decision in the filmmaking process with that amount of certainty. I believe a successful filmmaker also understands why those decisions are important to his kind of audience and so is effective at communicating the value of the truth shared about the story.
Simply put:
Know what you're doing
Know why what you're doing is going to matter to the people that should care about it
From the producing angle, it's not much different:
Know who the film matters to and why it matters to them
Know how you're going to effectively reveal why this film matters to the people it matters to
All too often I speak with directors who don't get their own premise or don't know how it's going to matter to an audience. But they want a career in directing. OK, good luck.
When Ira spoke about Press and Word-of-mouth, I thought that's pretty damn near close to what an indie strategy should be. It's about galvanizing an audience and then exploiting their enthusiasm and letting the rest take care of itself (ideally the money comes bidding to take advantage of the relationship you've secured with the consumer). There are case studies to prove the value of this as well as how social media blasts this approach wide-open.
The take-away is the heart of your potential success: what is the takeaway you intend to provide for the people who will pay to see your show?
Some people call this IMPACT. Others just call it marketing. But the truth is that the vast supply numbers just confuse the issue. The real competitors are those truly understanding the equations regarding the demand for what they've produced. Too much of the discussion is going to people who don't even know how to compete. I wanna hear what happens when multiple entities are trying to harvest a similar market. Until we get to that point I feel like the game is wide open for anyone with enough of their shit together to walk up and take it.
Turning around and looking at my own production process, I can see so much easier said than done. But maybe, in the practical application of living life, my attitude's been in the wrong place. Being positive, innovative, and having conviction aren't just good ideas. I daresay they can save you a lifetime of going nowhere.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
Sundance 2014 Infographics
Sundance 2014 Infographics
For more information, visit: Sundance Infographic Reveals Some Promising and Not So Promising Numbers in Independent Film
What immediately stands out to me is that approximately 90% of the films accepted, averaging $750,000 in budget, are from first time directors. How the hell is a first time director acquiring that kind of credibility?
And the question presented in the article is why so many films are hemorrhaging money and why are so many films being greenlit without a market strategy. Distributors aren't likely to get back more than 2% for their investment. It's agreed that higher quality standards and better marketing will see less hemorrhaging.
I think the answer lies in better education and group distribution models led by business-primed filmmakers partnered with VOD specialists. I think films that lead a campaign and become community or niche fanbase flagships will create event releases. This is what all the people giving advice are saying. So where's the problem?
People are lazy. We are poor, ignorant, and lazy. And the winning circle isn't comprised of people that necessarily create "better" art but because they pushed the envelope all the way through, took advantage of being the last men and women standing while others flaked off and what you had were options of the people who didn't give up rather than the people who were the most talented. We'll assume that these are one and the same for argument's sake but we should recognize that the odds appear to be 70/8000: that's less than 1%.
Remember that Sundance isn't the only show out there but if you're gonna compete at all, you gotta ask yourself if you were born to be a one-percenter. If so, then you're probably gonna get out of bed tomorrow and do the million and one things others won't.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
Ira Sachs on Designing Sound for "Love is Strange"
"The SFFS gives away $1 million a year to independent films, which makes them, along with organizations like the Austin Film Society and Cinereach – and of course the Sundance Institute – the American alternative to government support." -Sachs
For more information visit: Sundance Production Diary: Ira Sachs on Sound Mixing 'Love is Strange' at Skywalker Sound
I'll let the production diary speak for itself - Sachs is a good writer. I wanted to extract this quote above because I thought it was interesting for those of us with certain old conceptions on film financing. Granted they can't support everyone but there isn't a cap on the list of non-profit organizations that will arise to support the arts. Hell, I'm considering it!
I'm not sure what exactly their model is or how they cultivate donor relationships but it's a worthy investigation. Moreso it's important for the rest of us to know that there are cultural incentives realized every year to support artists like us. So stand and deliver.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
For more information visit: Sundance Production Diary: Ira Sachs on Sound Mixing 'Love is Strange' at Skywalker Sound
I'll let the production diary speak for itself - Sachs is a good writer. I wanted to extract this quote above because I thought it was interesting for those of us with certain old conceptions on film financing. Granted they can't support everyone but there isn't a cap on the list of non-profit organizations that will arise to support the arts. Hell, I'm considering it!
I'm not sure what exactly their model is or how they cultivate donor relationships but it's a worthy investigation. Moreso it's important for the rest of us to know that there are cultural incentives realized every year to support artists like us. So stand and deliver.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
Thursday, January 9, 2014
On Group Distribution and a note to lone wolves
On Group Distribution and a note to lone wolves,
For more information, visit this must-read: 2014 Artist Resolution: Separating Egos
+Jay Webb Thank you.
For other's reading and developing your business rationale for your artistic pursuits, take note of what group distribution can do you.
Below is my letter to the film student conscience:
I'm not so delicate. I'm not always so positive. God knows I try to be but the political talent is difficult to train. You see, I've become aware of this friction between the "lone wolf" and the "wolf packs." It's angered me. At times it's depressed me. I've raged internally at the injustice I've seen peers expose each other to - either in form of attack or neglect and within the halls of our film department, far before any real desperation should cause that type of violence.
At the same time I've been exposed to the grace within my community and a severe generosity of spirit that proves the strength and viability of the production muscle we've developed along the way. It's that effort that's caused me to stand and expose myself and a vision that the Brooklyn College brand might rise with a unified strategy to be a motive force in emergent cinema beyond even what NYU and other private universities can muster. I truly believe we have the grit, if not the political or financial resources, to shake things up.
I believe we can and should exhibit our work more than we have. I believe we can and shoot develop distribution standards at local venues and using available web technology. I believe we can and should follow our filmmakers with grassroots support and chearleading. I believe we can and should work together to develop our sensibilities on story, and our awareness of the human resources we have all around.
But first we have to be self-aware. We have to know that the times are changing. That the old benefits of cold rationale afforded by the pursuit of union benefits and Hollywood prestige are fading away and that those selfish tenants of greed are a relic that will pass more easily if we choose to uphold one another. I mean what's the point of having any success if you have to look over your shoulder all the time, and you know you can't ever go back to where you came from if you have to start over because of the things you did there?
The internet is a global market. There are no more doors closing on production due to bottlenecks in TV spots or theater screens. The big question is can you galvanize your audience and do you truly understand what you're creating. Art is subjective. Even quality is subjective. What the world is looking for is truth and enthusiasm. And often the audience doesn't know what it wants until it's presented with the options.
We can't account for the ideals in an individual's head. But we can make them aware of something that might intrigue or surprise them. And without the resources of a studio, we have always had the option of organized labor and supporting one another in bringing the appropriate "buzz" or "heat" to the efforts of our artists. I think that's all an audience needs to find something worth following: a truth they can relate to powered by great enthusiasm.
Harnessing this power, takes organization and community and cooperation. Anything else is just lottery. And it isn't a strange feat because film itself is collaborative. So why then do we stray into useless schisms and factions and duplicitous nature? Why don't we approach our professional philosophy with the same adherence to forging new paths that we have when creating our visions? It is to our benefit to put violent competition behind us, and rather to ignite each other's aspirations with ever higher standards of upholding our creative truths.
There are too many artists and craftsmen without work today. Too many of our own without the capacity to survive on their art, either due to lack of support or knowledge. There are too many good people stranded and left as prey for lone wolves without compassion - jaded and made savage from crimes put upon them by others with a mercenary view of what the film industry could be.
To hell with what it is! Build what it should be. The time is now, the efforts are in motion. If you wanted to believe that you weren't alone, you're not. So don't fall into that pirate hive-mind where you all agree to an unwritten code of kill or be-killed. Or, when the wolf-packs form and are strong, you will remain exposed in your solitude and left as vulnerable as you always feared you were.
Read IndieStreet's Artist Resolution for 2014 above. In it you'll sensible career practice that will turn you and those you care about into a social and cinematic force not to be denied. With that, consider affiliating with IndieStreet, since there is a community with robust potential.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
For more information, visit this must-read: 2014 Artist Resolution: Separating Egos
+Jay Webb Thank you.
For other's reading and developing your business rationale for your artistic pursuits, take note of what group distribution can do you.
Below is my letter to the film student conscience:
I'm not so delicate. I'm not always so positive. God knows I try to be but the political talent is difficult to train. You see, I've become aware of this friction between the "lone wolf" and the "wolf packs." It's angered me. At times it's depressed me. I've raged internally at the injustice I've seen peers expose each other to - either in form of attack or neglect and within the halls of our film department, far before any real desperation should cause that type of violence.
At the same time I've been exposed to the grace within my community and a severe generosity of spirit that proves the strength and viability of the production muscle we've developed along the way. It's that effort that's caused me to stand and expose myself and a vision that the Brooklyn College brand might rise with a unified strategy to be a motive force in emergent cinema beyond even what NYU and other private universities can muster. I truly believe we have the grit, if not the political or financial resources, to shake things up.
I believe we can and should exhibit our work more than we have. I believe we can and shoot develop distribution standards at local venues and using available web technology. I believe we can and should follow our filmmakers with grassroots support and chearleading. I believe we can and should work together to develop our sensibilities on story, and our awareness of the human resources we have all around.
But first we have to be self-aware. We have to know that the times are changing. That the old benefits of cold rationale afforded by the pursuit of union benefits and Hollywood prestige are fading away and that those selfish tenants of greed are a relic that will pass more easily if we choose to uphold one another. I mean what's the point of having any success if you have to look over your shoulder all the time, and you know you can't ever go back to where you came from if you have to start over because of the things you did there?
The internet is a global market. There are no more doors closing on production due to bottlenecks in TV spots or theater screens. The big question is can you galvanize your audience and do you truly understand what you're creating. Art is subjective. Even quality is subjective. What the world is looking for is truth and enthusiasm. And often the audience doesn't know what it wants until it's presented with the options.
We can't account for the ideals in an individual's head. But we can make them aware of something that might intrigue or surprise them. And without the resources of a studio, we have always had the option of organized labor and supporting one another in bringing the appropriate "buzz" or "heat" to the efforts of our artists. I think that's all an audience needs to find something worth following: a truth they can relate to powered by great enthusiasm.
Harnessing this power, takes organization and community and cooperation. Anything else is just lottery. And it isn't a strange feat because film itself is collaborative. So why then do we stray into useless schisms and factions and duplicitous nature? Why don't we approach our professional philosophy with the same adherence to forging new paths that we have when creating our visions? It is to our benefit to put violent competition behind us, and rather to ignite each other's aspirations with ever higher standards of upholding our creative truths.
There are too many artists and craftsmen without work today. Too many of our own without the capacity to survive on their art, either due to lack of support or knowledge. There are too many good people stranded and left as prey for lone wolves without compassion - jaded and made savage from crimes put upon them by others with a mercenary view of what the film industry could be.
To hell with what it is! Build what it should be. The time is now, the efforts are in motion. If you wanted to believe that you weren't alone, you're not. So don't fall into that pirate hive-mind where you all agree to an unwritten code of kill or be-killed. Or, when the wolf-packs form and are strong, you will remain exposed in your solitude and left as vulnerable as you always feared you were.
Read IndieStreet's Artist Resolution for 2014 above. In it you'll sensible career practice that will turn you and those you care about into a social and cinematic force not to be denied. With that, consider affiliating with IndieStreet, since there is a community with robust potential.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
Kickstarter's Year in Review
Kickstarter's Year in Review,
For more information, visit: The Year in Kickstarter 2013
So Crowd-funding isn't a fad. It has shown to be an undeniable tool by and for the people...The People.
In the context of cinema it's hard to know what that truly means. Many of us have grown up assuming the right of the rich and distant to descend upon our lives like ancient gods and have their way over reality, commerce, art, policy and culture. The people have always had a place but haven't always been able to recognize it so clearly.
I'm impressed with what a simple idea can do and change. Likewise I believe filmmakers have a great responsibility to promote progressive thought and to ally themselves with such mediums to help redistribute the world's wealth in the most honest way possible: by virtuous effort and innovation.
Often I've heard older generations lament what the current one isn't up to. The lack of activism, the lack of oversight, the lack of self-regard, too much individualism, not enough romance, not enough consideration, etc. We're spoiled. That's what I've heard. And by looking at the state of the world, it's not hard to observe.
During WWII, the civil rights movement, the beatnick era, there are all these modern accounts of heightened intelligence and philosophical exchange; events we still reference today as if that was the only history that ever happened. Now in America's great recession I wonder if people will look back and see what we were doing during the early 2000s with any awe.
But Kickstarter is the stamp of democracy absent of government. It's a choice reflected by technology and the spiritual and cultural demands of the age absent of racial, religious, and perhaps political significance. It's a global tool that merits autonomous leadership and encourages outreach, discussion, and passion across all boundaries.
I believe there's more to come. It gives me hope. My fellow filmmakers: I know that launching your request can be scary and intense. Your faith in people and the value of your own inspiration will be tested. Value the option, the process and the adventure without which existence is pure machine. There are no other options but to let the world see you. So open up and let see you. And when we do, honor that process with everything you can to make that moment matter. The information and the tools are out there. We've always just needed you.
Let's get what we came for,
C. M. Sanchez III
For more information, visit: The Year in Kickstarter 2013
So Crowd-funding isn't a fad. It has shown to be an undeniable tool by and for the people...The People.
In the context of cinema it's hard to know what that truly means. Many of us have grown up assuming the right of the rich and distant to descend upon our lives like ancient gods and have their way over reality, commerce, art, policy and culture. The people have always had a place but haven't always been able to recognize it so clearly.
I'm impressed with what a simple idea can do and change. Likewise I believe filmmakers have a great responsibility to promote progressive thought and to ally themselves with such mediums to help redistribute the world's wealth in the most honest way possible: by virtuous effort and innovation.
Often I've heard older generations lament what the current one isn't up to. The lack of activism, the lack of oversight, the lack of self-regard, too much individualism, not enough romance, not enough consideration, etc. We're spoiled. That's what I've heard. And by looking at the state of the world, it's not hard to observe.
During WWII, the civil rights movement, the beatnick era, there are all these modern accounts of heightened intelligence and philosophical exchange; events we still reference today as if that was the only history that ever happened. Now in America's great recession I wonder if people will look back and see what we were doing during the early 2000s with any awe.
But Kickstarter is the stamp of democracy absent of government. It's a choice reflected by technology and the spiritual and cultural demands of the age absent of racial, religious, and perhaps political significance. It's a global tool that merits autonomous leadership and encourages outreach, discussion, and passion across all boundaries.
I believe there's more to come. It gives me hope. My fellow filmmakers: I know that launching your request can be scary and intense. Your faith in people and the value of your own inspiration will be tested. Value the option, the process and the adventure without which existence is pure machine. There are no other options but to let the world see you. So open up and let see you. And when we do, honor that process with everything you can to make that moment matter. The information and the tools are out there. We've always just needed you.
Let's get what we came for,
C. M. Sanchez III
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Marty on the Future of Cinema
Marty on the Future of Cinema,
For more information, visit: Martin Scorsese Explains Why Future of Film is Bright in Open Letter to Daughter
I think some of us imagine we have someone out there speaking directly to us when they aren't. We turn the masters of cinema into parental figures and try to understand the decisions they made and attribute those decisions to our lives so we can rise in similar fashion.
What Marty is reminding us is that cinema is a medium made for our own very unique voice. Imagine what we would do today if the masters disappeared? Would we lose all direction and understanding?
The world is full of story, adventure, struggle, romance, fear and heroism. People are waiting to be inspired. The tools aren't cheap at all cause the economy is fucked but they aren't impossible to acquire. They are within reach as long as passionate people are within reach.
We remain passionate; oppressed by circumstances with a world full of problems to explore and fix. We remain beholden to each other to do our part - even if that part is just sharing what matters most to us to share.
I believe we will. I hope we honor the craft in the generations to come. I hope we live up to the ideal projections those like Marty have. I hope we choose, when given the option between despair and optimism, to take responsibility for out outlook and encourage others to see the possibilities.
It's a nice letter.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
For more information, visit: Martin Scorsese Explains Why Future of Film is Bright in Open Letter to Daughter
I think some of us imagine we have someone out there speaking directly to us when they aren't. We turn the masters of cinema into parental figures and try to understand the decisions they made and attribute those decisions to our lives so we can rise in similar fashion.
What Marty is reminding us is that cinema is a medium made for our own very unique voice. Imagine what we would do today if the masters disappeared? Would we lose all direction and understanding?
The world is full of story, adventure, struggle, romance, fear and heroism. People are waiting to be inspired. The tools aren't cheap at all cause the economy is fucked but they aren't impossible to acquire. They are within reach as long as passionate people are within reach.
We remain passionate; oppressed by circumstances with a world full of problems to explore and fix. We remain beholden to each other to do our part - even if that part is just sharing what matters most to us to share.
I believe we will. I hope we honor the craft in the generations to come. I hope we live up to the ideal projections those like Marty have. I hope we choose, when given the option between despair and optimism, to take responsibility for out outlook and encourage others to see the possibilities.
It's a nice letter.
Let's get what we came for,
C.M. Sanchez III
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