tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260589.post114720420028916311..comments2023-01-08T05:36:04.252-08:00Comments on Indie Features (ex-Indie Features 06): Gigantic Service Deals = Hollywood level self-distribution, another article on the topicSujewa [Blog Admin]http://www.blogger.com/profile/16148552077500713000noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260589.post-1147634860715052642006-05-14T12:27:00.000-07:002006-05-14T12:27:00.000-07:00Hey Mr. Blake,Yeah, there's never enough time, but...Hey Mr. Blake,<BR/><BR/>Yeah, there's never enough time, but I am never going to book a screening before having at least a really good rough cut again. But last night's shows went very well.<BR/>Now I have no reservations about going all out w/ distro & promotions 'cause the work is solid/peeps dug the show.<BR/><BR/>Re:<BR/>"I admire you for getting out there and doing the DIY approach, but have you not even considered trying to sell your film?"<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the positive words. No, I will not be selling the film to another distributor (except if it is like Romania or cable TV or something, since I have very little interest in doing theatrical distro in some parts of the world or starting up my own cable station). I will be the distributor on Date Number One. I want to help popularize the idea of filmmaker/distributors (the filmmaking version of musicians/distributors found in the indie rock world - K Records, Dischord, etc.). I think that will be very useful for a lot of creative people in this world. Waiting for Hollywood or big money or the gov't to make it possible for u to make & distribute a movie is a waste of time (for me at least). Also, changing global paradigms aside, DIY distro allows me to be very creative & come very close to making my movie in the exact way that I want it made - very satisfying thing for an artist.<BR/><BR/>I'll mail ya a screener DVD of DNO this coming week.<BR/><BR/>Talk to ya soon. Hope all is well w/ Killing Down.<BR/><BR/>- SujewaSujewa [Blog Admin]https://www.blogger.com/profile/16148552077500713000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260589.post-1147632688217905022006-05-14T11:51:00.000-07:002006-05-14T11:51:00.000-07:00Hey Sujewa,Nice work on your premiere screening. ...Hey Sujewa,<BR/><BR/>Nice work on your premiere screening. Read on your other blog about how it went with no music, etc. I know the feeling... for my premiere I had half the music done and the rest was temp. Not enough time! It's almost done now though. Anyway, glad to hear it went well.<BR/><BR/>One thing I wanted to bring up concerning self-distro and you and David's commments is that most filmmakers, again most not all (you are one of the exceptions), look at self distribution as a last resort. <BR/><BR/>Very few filmmakers go into a project with the idea that they want to distribute their film. And usually for good reason. They are FILMmakers, not distributors.<BR/><BR/>I've found most don't want to deal with that part of the business (but a lot have to because they have NO other choice). They want to concentrate on making films. And truth be told, a lot of filmmakers are really lousy business people.<BR/><BR/>I admire you for getting out there and doing the DIY approach, but have you not even considered trying to sell your film?<BR/><BR/>I think successful distribution is considerbly harder than making a film. But I guess of course it depends on what your definition of "successful" is...<BR/><BR/>-BlakeBlake Calhounhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260589.post-1147365714126099172006-05-11T09:41:00.000-07:002006-05-11T09:41:00.000-07:00Hey David,Yeah, there is a difference between the ...Hey David,<BR/><BR/>Yeah, there is a difference between the two methods, even though the filmmaker is paying for both & the filmmker is making the final decisions in both. Let's call the Lucas/Gibson/American Haunting (like the other two cats, AH guy is using a well established & experienced distributor - Freestyle - to do the actual work) method: HOLLYWOOD/INDIEWOOD SELF-DISTRIBUTION & the other kind, what I am doing & what Kelley Baker & Liz Nord does: DIY SELF-DISTRIBUTION.<BR/><BR/>However, at some point, if a DIY Self-Distributor wants to show her film in several theaters at once then she will either have to build up a distribution team w/ necessary resources like ones available at other, bigger distribution companies or hire another distribution company/service deal to do the work. There is a limit to what one person, volunteers & some PT people & an ultra-low budget can do distribution wise.<BR/><BR/>In the end, as long as the film gets out well & the appropriate amount of money comes back to the filmmaker, it is all good.<BR/><BR/>- SujewaSujewa [Blog Admin]https://www.blogger.com/profile/16148552077500713000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260589.post-1147285802310995262006-05-10T11:30:00.000-07:002006-05-10T11:30:00.000-07:00Hey David,Thanks for the clarification. For me se...Hey David,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the clarification. For me service deals are another form of self-distribution. Since even at my basic level of self-distribution on Date Number One right now I rely on part time help from 2-3 other people on a regular basis & I hire/or will be hiring various experts (graphic designers, attorney, accountant) to take care of specialized tasks associated w/ distribution. And when you move beyond my level of distro - or when you go to multiple theaters, multiple ads & media outlets, simultaneous play in several theaters (which I am calling Phase 2 of self-distro) you will need to hire a full time staff to carry out the work. All that filmmakers who go w/ service deals are doing is hiring that full time staff. Since the work is totally paid for & directed by the filmmaker, it is still self-distribution, but on a larger scale. It is mostly impossible for one person alone to even set up & play 1 film in 1 theater for 1 show, even at that basic level you need assistance from others (local press, workers @ the theater, event staff,etc.), so, when you take self-distribution to the Hollywood level/scale (Passion, Star Wars), you need a team of people to help you do the work. That's how I see it. Even Robot Stories & The Debut had a team of people working on distribution, I believe most of the time.<BR/><BR/>- SujewaSujewa [Blog Admin]https://www.blogger.com/profile/16148552077500713000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260589.post-1147228772037105142006-05-09T19:39:00.000-07:002006-05-09T19:39:00.000-07:00Btw, the belief that distribution is difficult is ...Btw, the belief that distribution is difficult is a myth (probably one that is kept alive by distributors themselves in order to discourage new competition). It is a lot of work, but if you plan accordingly & hire enough people for the work, it is not very difficult. Distributing is not as difficult as directing. The decisions that have to be made are simpler (how much $s do we have for this opening?, which theaters are available for this show? VS is extra # 14 doing something in this shot that is going to be a problem for me in editing?/what are we going to do about the sun going down?/my lead actor is sick & this is the last day of shooting & the cast/crew/locations are not available for another 4 months!!!!etc. :)<BR/><BR/>- SujewaSujewa [Blog Admin]https://www.blogger.com/profile/16148552077500713000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22260589.post-1147228333841374112006-05-09T19:32:00.000-07:002006-05-09T19:32:00.000-07:00Hey David,Equalizing factor was not the question. ...Hey David,<BR/><BR/>Equalizing factor was not the question. You were unaware of the fact that Gibson & Lucas self-distributed (by means of hiring existant distribution companies to do the work for them).<BR/><BR/>But re: equalizing factors, yeah, the self-distibution option does tilt the game in favor of the filmmaker(if not completely then at least partially, since signing the film over to a distributor who may pay little or no money for the priviledge of attempting to make money off the film is not the only option any more).<BR/><BR/>And like the conclusion reached many moons ago when a few of us discussed self-distro in our blogs,<BR/>self-distro being the ideal path for a project depends on the project & the filmmaker. But if it turns out that self-distributing indie filmmakers (or Hollywood level filmmakers) consistently make more $s than indie filmmakers that sign their project over to a distributor, then self-distribution will become the new norm in getting films out. <BR/><BR/>- SujewaSujewa [Blog Admin]https://www.blogger.com/profile/16148552077500713000noreply@blogger.com