Excellent document: Scott Kirsner's "Getting Paid: Sites that Help Video Producers Make Money"

Scott Kirsner of the CinemaTech blog has compiled a list of sites that allow filmmakers to sell their work on-line, mostly through streaming & downloads, & a few cases of DVD "on demand" burning services, plus links & descriptions of several relevant up & coming services. Here is the introduction to the document:

" New revenue opportunities are emerging with the recent boom in video viewing on the Web. On this chart, I've tried to list all of the Web sites that enable video producers to make money from their work. I've ranked the sites subjectively, based on how much traffic and buzz they've been attracting, and also how likely it seems that a video producer would actually manage to earn a significant return by posting a video to them. The majority of these sites are geared shorter-form content, but a few, like Brightcove, EZTakes, and GreenCine, make it possible for producers of hour-long or feature-length projects to generate revenue."

Check out the page here.

Thanks a lot Scott!

- Sujewa

HEAD TRAUMA - at digimart

I'm still buzzing from my experience at digimart this past week. I was invited to speak about the making and distribution of HT. It was an amazing gathering of people from all over the world discussing three things I love - filmmaking, tech and new business models. There was quite a bit of speculation regarding the future of digital content distribution during the three day conference. Variety was on hand to cover the event.

I brought the newest prototype of the IndEx media server with me. On Monday night digimart held a special screening of HT. IndEx is a low cost exhibition solution that will be released later this year. It is meant to be simple and it is. I've been using it for a lot of my digital runs. For the digimart screening we used IndEx with a 2k projector. The result was a true HD screening with full 6 channel surround. It looked and sounded amazing.

Sold Foreign Rights for "Killing Down"

Really good news for my film "Killing Down"... we made a deal early last week and sold our foreign rights. We sent out 75 screeners and got five offers within a week. Companies were rounding out their slate of titles to rep at AFM in Santa Monica the first week in November, so the deal happened very fast.

I held on to the domestic side of things and we have two offers pending right now, but I'm in no real hurry there. I want to play the field some and see what opportunities arise.

I'm not really at liberty to discuss the financial aspects of the deal, but we did very well. My investors are happy and in fact are already willing to put money into my next project!

The film will be released this coming spring virtually all over the world. It will very possibly do a theatrical run in several European territories and maybe Latin America. In the US and Canada (this is under negotiation) it will show up in most major DVD outlets, likely pay-per-view, and we're looking at a cable TV premiere.

BTW, I'm writing this from Hawaii right now. The earthquake yesterday was very wild and quite scary to be honest. I'm from Texas. We have tornados occasionally, but nothing like this. Luckily I'm in Maui, so we only felt a 4.5 magnitude quake. Yeah, only 4.5. I'm actually still shaking. :)

-Blake

DV Guru interview re: Date Number One & self distribution

It's a long interview, but should be interesting, specially to self-distribution inclined filmmakers. Here is the link:
http://www.dvguru.com/2006/10/16/diy-filmmaking-an-interview-with-director-sujewa-ekanayake/

Here is a segment from the interview:

" How did you get into filmmaking, and what is the draw to DIY-style filmmaking in particular?

... In 1999 I made a feature flick called Wild Diner on 16mm, submitted it to Miramax, was rejected. Around the same time Dogme 95 broke - with The Celebration in '98/'99, and I have always been a fan of DC punk rock - which is a very DIY thing - they've been DIY since the early 80's (see the new doc American Hardcore for more on that scene). So, the availability of digital video as an affordable production medium and with having DC punk as a model for DIY distribution, I slowly formulated my DIY approach to film production and distribution in the early 00's. If I had used DV for Wild Diner, it would have been a better film due to having the ability to do more takes, and self-financing it would have been possible if it was shot on DV, so all around, there were very good reasons for going DV and DIY on the next feature, which was Date Number One, a comedy about several first dates."

Thanks.

- Sujewa

MESSIAH update

Well, I haven't posted much lately either. Just been busy and haven't been making the time. But October has been a busy month for THE PROPER CARE & FEEDING OF AN AMERICAN MESSIAH. We screened this week in L.A., at Mann's Chinese Theater, in the FAIF Int'l Film Festival.

Next up is a Friday screening in Oak Ridge, TN at the Secret City Film Festival, and then Saturday at Indie Memphis.

Then, at the end of the month, it'll screen on the opening night of the Virginia Film Festival. Morgan Freeman, Liev Schrieber, and Robert Duvall are all confirmed guests at the festival, so I'm looking forward to this one...

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. When I first signed on I thought we were only a few weeks away from our premiere but there were delays for a variety of reasons. I'm sure most of you all know how it is having to beg, borrow and sell your soul to keep going. (In my case I had even less to bargain with because I sold my soul years ago at a pawnshop for a buck fifty. The next week it went out of business. I still have the claim ticket.) We will be premiering Elizabeth Gunness next week in Charlotte, NC at the Cackalacky Film Festival. We'll also be showing it a few weeks later at the Asheville Film Festival in Asheville, NC.

jumping off bridges in Nashville, Houston and Memphis

NASHVILLE, 10/14
Saturday, October 14th
2:30pm
Belcourt Theater (2102 Belcourt Avenue)
Tickets are $8.00 general admission, $6.00 Students
Nashville NAMI Representative and actress, Savannah Welch in Attendance
For more information: http://www.jumpingoffbridges.com

HOUSTON, 10/14
Saturday, October 14th
7:00pm
Rice Media Center (Corner of University Blvd and Stockton, entrance #8 on the Rice University Campus)
Tickets are $6.00 general admission
Co-sponsored by the Houston SPC and Southwest Alternative Media Project
A panel discussion will follow with John Sargent (Baylor College of Medicine and Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry), Sharon Derrick (Harris County Medical Examiner's Office), Patricia Weger, (Houston Independent School District), and Molly Wilkins, (Harris County Hospital District).

MEMPHIS, 10/15
Sunday, October 15th
4:45pm
Muvico Peabody Place 22 Theater
Tickets are $6.00
Actress, Savannah Welch in Attendance
For more information: http://www.indiememphis.com/film.htm.

HEAD TRAUMA hits Netflix and Best Buy

HEAD TRAUMA is now available on netflix for rent. Over the next few weeks HT will be rolling out to more stores and rental outlets.

Starting Oct. 29th through Nov. 11th, Best Buy will be offering an exclusive promotion. Customers who purchase both HEAD TRAUMA and my first feature THE LAST BROADCAST will receive $5 off the final purchase price.

With brick and mortar retail stores forced to limit the amount of indie DVDs they can carry, this promotion shows a confidence in the films by a major chain. If sales of The Last Broadcast and Head Trauma live up to expectations, they could pave the way to more DVDs from independent filmmakers sharing shelf-space with leading studio releases.

Hi from Alyson (AS) with Eve of Understanding

So I just accidentally posted a post from the film's blog, www.openplanproductions.blogspot.com onto this blog. I deleted it quickly, after cursing at myself a few times and posted it on the right blog. Insert sigh of relief here. But it made me realize that I really need to post on this blog.

I think I was waiting to post, hoping I'd have some super stupendous news to share, i.e. we sold the movie!!! Not yet. But I realized - we have other news to share.

We have a screening this coming Tuesday, October 10th, at 5pm at the Mann's Chinese 6 in Hollywood, CA as a part of the FAIF Film Festival. I'll be there, and so will many of the cast and crew members, so it should be fun!

Also, we've been doing pretty well on the festival circuit, Rebecca Lowman, our lead actress won Best Actress awards at the Breckenridge Film Festival and the Boston Film Festival - congrats to her! And we've been screening around the country, you can see more details on our website, www.EveOfUnderstanding.com

We've also been getting some great reviews, check out a review and interview with me on www.IndependentCritics.com and in Variety! Hooray!

So good things have been happening, and I realize writing this blog entry that it's really easy to get distracted by the big brass ring - distribution and paying people - and forget about all the small victories along with way, which really are quite a large victory in themselves. Though I'm stating the obvious, it's true, it's easy to get distracted. I'm attempting to get less distracted and focus on what is good, cause there's a bunch of it!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Date Number One screens in Kensington, Maryland tomorrow (Thu 10/5, 7:30 PM)

Read all about it here. Thanks!

- Sujewa

DVD pre-book and street dates

Last Tuesday HEAD TRAUMA hit stores and rental outlets. What is interesting is how the normal pre-book and street dates of DVDs are changing for Indie films. Basically if buyers purchase prior or by the pre-book date then they're guaranteed to have the DVD by street date, if not the DVD will arrive after.

This means that smaller indie films will rollout over time making the list of available retail locations and rental outlets change from week to week. This can be a challenge when it comes to telling people where they can find the movie. The way I've been dealing with the supply and demand issue is by setting up my own store and then also giving links to various online and offline outlets as they come on board. Even though this new trend of not hitting street can be a bit confusing for fans, it does effectively let the title live past the street date, which makes it seem fresh to new retail and rental outlets.

Getting into retail and rental can be a challenge and requires a number of steps and careful planning. At some point when I have more time I'll outline them here. For now if you're interested in picking up HEAD TRAUMA or my first flick THE LAST BROADCAST you can find it in the following places. More outlets coming this week.

HEAD TRAUMA DVDs are available NOW.

The DVD is loaded with over two hours of bonus features.
* Audio commentary by director Lance Weiler
* Six featurettes:
- Cast interviews
- Blowing up a car on a tight budget
- Shooting in the house (working in a haunted condemned structure)
- Johnny Magdic and his Amazing Flying
- Comics veteran Stephen R. Bissette discusses the art of HEAD
- Behind the music of HEAD TRAUMA
* A special collector's edition eight-page booklet with original art
Bissette and liner notes by GRUDGE screenwriter Stephen Susco
* Trailers HEAD TRAUMA and Weiler/Stefan Avalos' THE LAST BROADCAST
* An Easter egg or two

The following sites are currently taking orders

weiler's online store - click here

diabolik dvd - click here 14.99

amazon.com - click here 17.99

barns & noble - click here 15.98

bestbuy.com - click here 14.99

buy.com - click here 16.75

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT "HEAD TRAUMA"

"Any number of big-deal filmmakers - M. Night Shyamalan, for one -would be well-served by a viewing of the low-budget Head Trauma....this simple and effective psycho-thriller creates a mood of dreadand dissociation, and sustains it, without resorting to elaborate special effects, or a colorful crowd of actors, or other worldly mystical hooey." 3 out of 4 stars
- PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

"I'm giving this film my first ever 10 and have to say the hopes and dreams of the great American horror are now on Weiler's shoulders."
- CINEPHELIA.COM

"With his second outing, Weiler proves himself a seriously skilled director. His tone has much in common with the recent spate of Japanese horror films. There's the emphasis on atmosphere, the sad, restless ghosts of the past, the jittery camerawork. It's a wonderHollywood hasn't snapped him up to helm one of the countless J-horror remakes taking place stateside (The Ring, The Grudge, Pulse). It's almost depressing to think what Weiler could have done with the recentrevision of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2001 chiller Pulse."
- THE ALIBI

"HEAD TRAUMA will leave you scratching yours in the midst of a fantastic, scary ride that leaves no unanswered questions and does its job with the utmost competence and sheer unalloyed glee." 4 stars
- FILM THREAT

"Works its way under the skin, raising neck hairs while teasing usto pry open its psychological puzzle box."
- LA WEEKLY

"The growling, hooded figure which dogs George through the story is an absolutely terrifying apparition, perhaps the simplest and most haunting monster to grace a movie screen since the debut of Freddy Krueger in the original "A Nightmare On Elm Street."
- BLOODY DISGUSTING

"One of this year's touchstones... Demonstrating once again that ingenuity and invention are more important than millions of dollars in budget, Weiler most effectively works within the confines of the dark house. As more and more unsettling things start to happen, it's almost as though the house were growing into a full-fledged, recently awakened character that is not sure what it wants to do when it sees that it's under attack... Head Trauma creeped me out."
- TWITCHFILM.NET

"A slick, original, attention-grabbing feature... pushes the medium to the edge of its artistic bounds."
- ALBUQUERQUE WEEKLY

"Horror outing that revives the under appreciated monster of the id to great effect."
- MOVIE CITY NEWS

"You know the ones: Jacob's Ladder, 12 Monkeys, even Lost Highway. Head Trauma is a solid induction into these halls of creepy mindfucks."
- THE PORTLAND MERCURY

"Elicits effective creeps. A well executed haunted house exercisethat treads the psychological vs. supernatural line."
- AIN'T IT COOL NEWS

"Incredibly creepy... good re-creation of 70's horror."
-TUCSON WEEKLY

"Fright classic... surprisingly effective chiller."
- THE OREGONIAN

"HEAD TRAUMA is completely pro. From packaging to film quality to the movie's website, it seems like there was big money behind this film."
- LOCAL IQ

Upcoming Screenings of jumping off bridges

For a full list of screenings, visit www.jumpingoffbridges.com.




San Antonio, TX – 9/30
Saturday, September 30th
7:00pm
Historic Guadalupe Theater (1301 Guadalupe Street @ South Brazos)
Tickets are $8 and can be purchased at the door.
Co-sponsored by the Bexar SPC
Panel discussion will follow the screening featuring.

Austin, TX – 10/3
Tuesday, October 3rd
7:00pm
Alamo Drafthouse South (1120 South Lamar)
Tickets are $10.00 general admission
Advanced Tickets available at: http://www.originalalamo.com/lamar/frames.asp
Co-sponsored by the Travis County SPC
Panel discussion will follow the screening with filmmakers and actors in attendance.

New Haven, CT – 10/5
Thursday, October 5th
7:00pm
Critereon Theater (86 Temple St)
Tickets are $9.00 (Advanced Tickets Available)

Tuscaloosa, AL – 10/5
Thursday, October 5th
7:00pm
Ferguson Center Theater (University of Alabama
Free – Open to the Public

Tallahassee, FL – 10/6 – 10/7
Friday and Saturday, October 6th and 7th
5:45pm and 7:30pm each night
All Saints Cinema
Tickets are $6.00 general admission

Bethel, CT – 10/7
Saturday, October 7th
7:00pm
Bethel Cinema (269 Greenwood Avenue)
Tickets are $9.00 (Advanced Tickets Available)

American Film Market

Haven't written here in a while, so I thought I'd give a quick update...

AFM is right around the corner (first week in November) and I've been feverishly readying my film "Killing Down" for the event. We just got new key artwork done (for the third time) and we're pretty sure everyone (me, producer's rep, graphic designers, etc.) are happy.

Funny thing is we've somewhat fallen into that cliched trap of the "artist" versus the "suits" with comments and questions like...

1. We don't like the title...
2. Have you considered changing the title?
3. "Killing" does not test well with women
4. What about changing the title?
5. Are you sure you like orange?
6. Not sure about the movie title

Fun stuff, but you'll notice that the title is still the same! :)

We're getting our one-sheets (sell sheets really) printed tomorrow and sending out 100 DVD screeners to various foriegn sales agents, distributors, etc. We unfortunately don't have time to set up an industry screening before the market. Although, depending on what rights we sell, we might have one afterwards (I'm thinking we'll hold on to our North American rights unless we get a really good offer).

Biggest problem is all the distribution companies generally want their films at least 30 days before a market. This leaves us very little time. We hope to make a deal in the next 10 days or so - but we don't want to jump into something we'll regret later. It's a tough situation. If we wait and don't attend AFM, the next market is Berlin and they don't really cater to action/thriller type films. Then after that is Cannes, which is in May - that's too long to wait. So, it's really important that we make something happen in the next two weeks.

It's an exciting time and we hope that all our hard work will pay off soon. Please wish us luck!

BTW, I do realize my film is probably the most "commercial" film on this blog, but just because it's more commercial definitely doesn't mean it's not independent. Believe me, it is, in just about every aspect you can imagine. Heck, my step-dad even did craft service. :)

-Blake

Awesome! An Indie Theaters Database (w/ contact info) Is Born at US DIY FILM Yahoo Group!

Many of us have talked about doing this - starting a database that DIY/self-distributing filmmakers can use, w/ info. on indie theaters that book/work w/ filmmakers directly to set up screenings, w/ contact info. & other important info, AND FINALLY someone has done it: Lance "Head Trauma" Weiler got the d-base going tonight at US DIY Film yahoo group. Join the yahoo group & explore the indie theater database, add info, make your screenings happen, help yourself & others.

I am going to add a few records to it this weekend.

- Sujewa

Back in Scranton

The promotion is going very well. I've been working the press like crazy. Over the last two days I've done close to 20 interviews - print, web, radio and TV for national and local outlets. People are really responding to the movie in a great way.

HT gets its first cover story

On the radio with Bone from 97.9x

Hard to believe that when HT hits DVD on the 26th, it'll almost be 3 years to the day that we started shooting. I'm currently in Scranton, Pa to promote the run that opens later tonight. We shot about 50% of HT in Scranton and surrounding areas. It's great to come full circle with the project and Scranton has given us an amazing homecoming of sorts. The movie has a two week run at the Endless Mountains Theatre, which is an excellent independent 8 screen multiplex. The movie will be playing 4 or 5 times a day for two weeks!

The movie also opens tonight in East Stroudsburg, PA at the Grand Cinema and in Brattleboro, VT at the Latchis theatre. I'll be traveling to both locations to promote the runs over the next week. In Brattleboro Steve Bissette will be joining me to do an intro and Q&A surrounding the film. As I've mentioned before Steve and his son Danny created the "Nothing But Grief" comic used within the movie. It will be great to see Steve again.

Earlier tonight I spoke to a large gathering of students at the Scranton Penn State satellite campus. In each of the tour stops I'm speaking at various schools or film societies. It's an excellent way to offset travel expenses. In most cases they pay a speaking fee, provide lodging and take you out for food and drinks! What it also does is help to promote the screenings and upcoming DVD release to my core audience.

To be continued

Messiah on IFC

The trailer for THE PROPER CARE & FEEDING OF AN AMERICAN MESSIAH was selected off of IFC's Media Lab website for screening on IFC, as part of the Media Lab Uploaded series.

Now all I have to do is actually create the hi-res version! We made a standard def version and did a low-res version for web playback, and now we can't find the project file to import the hi-res clips! Yikes -- got some work to do...

New Yahoo Group for DIY Filmmakers/Self-Distributors

I just created a Yahoo Group for DIY filmmakers/self-distributors. Hopefully it will quickly evolve into a place where DIY filmmaker/distributors can ask each other questions, get answers re: distribution & production matters - w/ out having to post Qs at the Comments section at various blogs/entries & waiting around 'till they get answered, which is how it is happening now. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime, here is the link (go join!) :http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/usdiyfilm/

And here is the official introduction to the group:" This group is an attempt to create a forum of communication for US based self-distributing low budget filmmakers or independent/D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) filmmakers. Group started & moderated by Sujewa Ekanayake, director & distributor of the 2006 comedy feature Date Number One (http://www.wilddiner.com/). Hopefully this group will offer a place for filmmakers to quickly figure out answers to production & distribution questions and also a place to share experience for the benefit of other filmmaker/distributors."

Thanks!

- Sujewa

IFC.com profiles Mutual Appreciation, Date Number One, Head Trauma & self-distribution of those projects

Very exciting to be featured in a story on self-distribution at the IFC website. The story is an IFC News item titled "The Final Frontier of Filmmaking: Three Stories of Self-Distribution" written by Alison Wilmore. Here is a paragraph from the article:

"These days, a crowded market and the sheer difficulty of making money on a theatrical release has made distributors wary of taking any chances, and often when an offer is made, it's not at all favorable towards the filmmaker. Suddenly self-distribution, once an unthinkable rarity, seems like a viable option for filmmakers who are willing to do the work to get their films on screens. September may be the month self-distribution comes into its own. The three filmmakers profiled below are all in the midst of releasing their own films, and they're not the only ones."

The filmmakers & projects profiled are: Andrew Bujalski & Mutual Appreciation, myself (Sujewa Ekanayake) & Date Number One, and Lance Weiler & Head Trauma. (DNO & HT are Indie Features 06 projects, most awesome - IF06 is on the cutting edge of indie film baby :)

Read the article here.

Thanks for writing about DIY distribution Alison & IFC!

- Sujewa

GreenCine Daily Review of Date Number One

Regarding Date Number One, David Hudson at GreenCine Daily says, in part:

"... witty (I particularly like the recurring references to a band's unlikely popularity in Ohio), often inventive (the story in which the first date isn't really the first date at all is particularly well-written and performed) and, even better, airy: characters are given time and space to spell out their views on abortion, Buddhism, quantum physics or the ongoing war in Sri Lanka, views that never bear the artificial markings of a Hollywood screenwriter's compulsion to reduce them to sound-bites."

Read the whole review here.

Thanks for watching the movie & writing a review about it David!

Very exciting to see a review of my movie in GreenCine Daily (best indie film blog in the western world, no doubt), which is my favorite indie film blog (even if David's verdict on the film is a mixed one :).

- Sujewa

Movie Trailer Question - Answered!

Hi Stacy,
The person you would need to contact is (name left blank intentionally).
He is the one who reviews and approves content for the trailers site.

At this point all they need to be are films that are headed for U.S.
release. That release can be limited, but.. well.. a "real" release- not
into a college circuit or to video/web only. Verified acceptance to major
film festivals also count for placement consideration on our site. All
independent trailers are posted on a time/space available basis- submission
doesn't always lead to posting on the site. Films already out on DVD
typically do not qualify for placement on the site.

Trailers should be viewable for all audiences, free of foul language,
nudity, etc. NTSC tapes should be delivered to us on HD (D-5 1080p),
Digibeta, or BetaSP tapes. We would also consider an *uncompressed*
QuickTime movie file on a DVD-R disc. MPAA approved trailers are no
problem. We would want to encode it to assure the highest quality possible
since we are also the developer of the technology. We think you'd agree
your asset should look as good as possible. Our corporate campus is an
administrative site so tapes or DVD-R discs may not be able to be returned.
Prior notice and return packaging will need to be sent with the asset and
arranged beforehand.

Prior to posting a trailer, Apple will also need to have an email
containing:

1. Principal cast list w/ director
2. Synopsis
3. 1 sheet (theatrical poster)
4. Release schedule

That's pretty much it.

Thank you for considering our site for your trailer.

-Movie Trailers Team

--Sounds pretty doable to me!
If you want the email address for the contact at apple, send me an email and I'll send it on to you. I didn't want to put it on the web and let the trollers pick it up.
(Last one with their trailer on the apple site has to hold the boom...)

Indie Features 07 is alive!

Yup, the self-promotion festival that is Indie Features 06 will live on in the coming year at Indie Features 07 : http://indiefeatures07.blogspot.com/.

Filmmakers interested in participating in the blog should send me an e-mail with a description of the film that will be in distribution in 2007. E-mail me at: wilddiner AT aol.com

Thanks!

- Sujewa

Posting Trailers to the Apple Site

I want to put our trailer on the Apple trailer site. I've emailed Apple and am still waiting for a response.
Does anyone here know: Is it a submission process or do they troll certain websites for trailers?
When I find out, I'll post the answer. If you already know the answer, please post it.
Thanks,
Stacy
www.jumpingoffbridges.com

jumping off bridges in Seattle and Albuquerque

Our tour officially begins in September.
Please help us get the word out about our screenings in Seattle and Albuquerque:

9/13, Seattle, WA
Broadway Performance Hall
7:30 p.m.
Tickets available through ticket window online.

9/15, Albuquerque, NM
Southwest Film Center, 7pm
Sponsored by the Agora Crisis Center

9/16, Albuquerque, NM
Southwest Film Center, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm
Sponsored by the Agora Crisis Center

6 days to go until the 8/31 NYC Premiere of Date Number One

Making travel plans, sending out e-mails, getting some DVDs & tapes ready for today's mail are the kind of "1 week 'till NYC screening" stuff I am attending to right now. Doing these one-off screenings are useful. So far each screening produced some changes to the movie. I think the version that will play on 8/31 @ Pioneer will be the very final version of the movie. So, screening #10, the NYC premiere, is coming up, & after that 100s more screenings to set up & do, DVDs to make & sell, & also need to look into VOD. Also trailers, clips on the web, posters, post cards, action figures. Right now DIY distribution is a full time commitment underwritten by full time dayjob work. DIY filmmakers/distributors are the hardest working (& sexiest :) people in show biz (next to James Brown, Michelle Mae & Ian MacKaye that is). But am glad the flick is getting out to customers, little by little. Here's all the info on the 8/31 screening in NYC. Tix are on sale now, see link below. Thanks!


DATE NUMBER ONE
http://www.wilddiner.com/
a comedy about several first dates
a movie by sujewa ekanayake

Thursday, August 31, 9 PM
The Two Boots Pioneer Theater
http://www.twoboots.com/pioneer/monthly_programs/2006-08.htm#DateNumberOne
155 East 3rd Street (between Avenues A and B, closer to A)
New York, New York
212-591-0434
ticket prices:$9 adults, $6.50 members
Buy Tix Now: http://pioneertheater.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=65968

Film's Description:"Date Number One" is a comedy about several first dates. This 115 minute movie is made up of 5 different stories: Story 1: Just Another Ninja Searching For Love, about a ninja who goes on a blind date (ninja is played by John Stabb Schroeder from the DC punk band G.I.), Story 2: A Romantic Dinner For 3, about a woman attempting to add a third partner to a romantic relationship, Story 3: Washington "City Of Love" DC/Start Over, about a writer who tries to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Story 4: Air Quotes Woman, about a woman who always uses air quotes, and her search for a new boyfriend, Story 5: The Superdelicious French Lesson, about a first date where a character learns a little bit of French in an unusual way.

Featuring Hot DC Indie Film Stars John Stabb Schroeder, Julia Stemper, Jennifer Blakemore, Shervin Boloorian, Dele Williams, Steve Lee, Kelly Ham, Christine D. Lee, Fritz Flad, Subodh Samudre, Jewel Greenberg

Not Rated * 115 Minutes * yummy

Director will attend the screening.

"The film is about as charming as they come...presents a world in which cultures don't clash, they mesh. It's refreshing to see characters who all appear to have a natural optimism, as opposed to the typical indie-film predilection for bitterness and cruelty. "
- Michael Tully, Rotterdam & SXSW film festivals selected filmmaker http://blogs.indiewire.com/tully/archives/010529.html

"I found the characters and the premise sexy, sexy, sexy."
- Jerry Brewington, Hollywood Is Talking blog, on Story 2 of Date Number One http://hollywoodistalking.com/Blog/508/

"FIVE really entertaining, fully realized romantic interludes...a shamefully rare achievement"
- Tom Kipp, Seattle audience member, former film reviewer for Seattle alternative weekly The Stranger
http://diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com/2006/05/interview-with-seattle-audience-member.html

"Heartfelt...poignant...I loved it!"
- Jon Moritsugu, award winning filmmaker

"Date Number One is quite funny...twentysomethings and occasional thirtysomethings looking for romance recall Richard Linklater's philosopher slackers and Jim Jarmusch's minimalist attention to conversation...also a subtle, thoughtful film...might be understood as the anti-Crash depiction of life in the city...depicts a comfortably multi-ethnic community...I'd happily recommend it."
- Chuck Tryon, media professor & blogger, The Chutry Experiment blog http://chutry.wordherders.net/archives/005873.html

BUY TICKETS NOW FOR THIS MOVIE:
http://pioneertheater.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=65968
(Pioneer is a small theater, buy tix as early as possible, thanks!)

website: http://www.wilddiner.com/
blog: http://www.diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com/
Copyright 2006 Sujewa Ekanayake/Wild Diner Films

A DIY breakdown

Over the course of the run I want to share as much of the process as I can. Here's a breakdown on how I’m working the HT release. This theatrical release is designed to:

A. Give HT a chance to play theatrical so audiences can experience the movie on the big screen. In some cases this will also help to spark word of mouth and assist in building a mailing list.

B. Help build awarness for HT on a national level – to assist in making the movie a national story.

C. Having a national theatrical release will help to position the DVD release of the movie.

So here is a brief rundown of the mechanics of the theatrical release as they stand so far. The DIY distro book I’m writing will go into WAY more detail. It will be release in 2007.

The DEAL
I worked out 50/50 splits with each of the venues so that I don't have to four wall. In some cases four walls can be great but since I was doing 15 cities without any real budget it was out of the question. I approached the theaters with a pitch, it was designed to show that I was approaching the runs as business partnership of sorts.

The Promotion
For the press I target print, radio, print, TV, web. I start each cities press push about three weeks out. I make sure to coordinate the efforts with the theaters. In fact in most cases I get a press list from them. The first wave is e-mailing and faxing a press release. Next I'll follow it up with a phone call to let them know I'll be in town for the run. And the last phase consists of two media alerts. In most cases the media alerts are for radio and TV due to the fact that there is always a chance that they could have a slot open up.

The Hard Costs

DIY on a large level can be a challenge and the biggest issue is finding a way to make money and then how to not spend money along the way.

To help offset travel expenses I booked about $1500 worth of speaking engagements at various schools and film socities. This not only helps with cash but in most cases will lead to free lodging and also free meals. It also helps drive people to the theater.

I made a run of really high quality 27 x 40 posters, which I can sell for $10 bucks each. In my experience I sell about 5 to 20 posters in a night. This money is great for food and miscellaneous expenses.

I don't do advertising unless I can find sponsorship to help offset the costs and even then I won’t do anything but a weekly city paper ad. These on average cost anywhere from 250 to 1,000 or more per ad. I’ll usally run a 1/4 page or smaller.

In each city I'll send the theaters and or street team (die hard fans) a package of flyers (b&w) with a high quality master so more can be made if needed. I’ll also include a small number of postcards. $12.00 in flyers per city and I pay $250 for 3,000 4 color front and 1 color back postcards.

To be continued…

New York City to see a lot of indie film DIY distribution action in the 2nd half of 2006

LOL, Date Number One, Head Trauma, Four Eyed Monsters, Mutual Appreciation, The Guatamalan Handshake, Jumping Off Bridges will all screen in New York City starting late August (LOL & Date Number One at Pioneer Theater in August), through September (4eyed, mutual, HT & more in September), and into late '06 (Bridges in Nov at Pioneer).All of the films mentioned are being fully or partially self-distributed.

I am preparing a more detailed post re: this wonderful occurrence, will have all the info - dates, places, film summaries, soon (let's say by Tue, got a few Date Number One edit things to do this weekend).

Post comments here about other DIY distributed low budget indie/real indie flicks that I may have missed/not heard about yet. Will look into them to include in the upcoming more detailed post re: The Heavy DIY Season New York '06.

In the meantime, check out this awesome indieWIRE article about Head Trauma & Four Eyed Monsters & their DIY distribution adventures.

Also, if you live in NYC, & you want to check out Date Number One, meet the director, hang out, you can NOW BUY TICKETS for the 8/31 Thu 9 PM show! See ya there.

- Sujewa

Report from Portland

So far today had been great. HT has gotten some great reviews in the weekly pubs. I'm doing some radio tomorrow and I did an interview today for a major online site - more on that next week.

The ad I placed in the weekly looks excellent and the placement is killer. I did a tech run through today at the theater and everything is ready for tomorrow night. I'll be talking after each of the evening screenings this weekend - so if you happen to live in Portland or know some who does tell them to come on out to see the flick.

On the buzz side of things. IndieWire ran a nice story about HT and Four Eyed Monsters yesterday. Click here to check it out.

I got into Portland late last night. Over five months in the making and tomorrow night everything goes live.

Yesterday I finished preparing HT for a 24p HD digital transfer. A number of the screenings of HT will be making use of a new prototype d-cinema solution. A self-contained media server of sorts that provides true HD resolution and surround sound. The box is called IndEx and a team of very talented people created it. Index is meant to be an economical solution for filmmakers and theaters. A way for a filmmaker to travel with their work and no matter what venue their in they’ll have a pristine version of their movie to show. IndEx comes out later this fall. When I can I’ll make sure take a ton of pictures. And as I can release more details I’ll post them here.

I’ve added two more venues - because I’m crazy. I’ve picked up an additional screen in Seattle and the 2nd venue is a surprise, so I can’t say but I promise it will be something worth checking out if you can.

Juggling press, theatrical runs and a DVD release is a handful. I’ve been documenting as much of the experience as I can. I’m working on a book about DIY distro and the changing landscape of content distribution. Last week I brought on a co-writer and a researcher in order to help meet our deadline for 2007. We’re very close to working something out with a publisher that will have the book out in a huge way.

Even though DIY can be a bitch at times it really can open doors. The forward momentum that it gives a project is amazing. I’ve been fielding a lot of amazing offers over the last few weeks. Offers to make another movie with a larger budget, invitations to speak at various conferences, publishing opportunities, as well as a couple very cool job offers.

More to come….

Quick Update

Here's a quick update -

Earlier today iFilm featured the HT trailer and a special "Making Of" web short on the front of their site. Since then the trailer has been viewed over 9,000 times. And if that wasn't cool enough HT is ranked #2 just behind the Descent as the most popular horror vid on the whole iFilm site. The exposure resulted in a ton of e-mails and feedback. Gotta love the internet.

In other news I've been working on a new addition to the htMob (the film community for HT) and I'm happy to announce that it's ready for consumption. It's called Head Trauma radio and I've been seeding it for the last six months or so - making it available via myspace so that people could take the code and embed it into their own profiles, blogs or pages. I've gotten e-mails from Germany, Norway and a bunch of people here in the states that have embed the simple player into their profiles and pages.

What's really cool is that once it is embed in a page or profile I can update the audio tracks at any time. So it's like my own channel that rides over myspace profiles or any where else that someone embeds it. It allows me to update people about the project without them coming to my sites.

Here's what it looks like.

It's pretty simple - some would call it an audio blog of sorts others might call them podcasts but I'm calling it radio. HT radio is something that I plan to update as often as I can from the road. I'm trying to document all the phases of making HT. I started this past weekend with a couple posts about the Twisted Horror Weekend horror convention that I attended in Ohio. I plan to give simple audio updates about my travels in addition to interviewing various cast and crew involved in the making of the movie.

I've also setup a flickr account and over time I'll be uploading all the photos from the making of the film. Big props to Martin Pepe for all his behind the scenes photography. I'll also be snapping new pics from the road.

Checkout http://htmob.com/vlog or http://htradio.blogspot.com to listen and see the pics.

Twisted

I’m writing this from Cleveland. I’m in town for a horror convention called Twisted Nightmare. I’ve been invited to speak about indie filmmaking and to show some clips from HEAD TRAUMA. The convention started tonight and runs until Sunday afternoon. I’m going to be attending a number of horror cons over the next couple months - it’s a great way to get the word out about the movie. Plus horror fans are excellent and best of all there rabid fans! I’m going to snap a bunch of pictures to share the weirdness.



In the next couple days I’ll be launching a new feature to the htmob (which is a community, promotional, viral marketing experiment) - I’m calling it head trauma radio and it’s an audio blog / podcast of my experience on the road. As I’ve mentioned before I’m trying to document as much of the experience as possible. head trauma radio is a project I’ve been seeding for the last 6 months or so. In the next post I’ll go into more detail and I’ll also provide a link to the broadcast.

HT got a nice write up on the filmmaker magazine blog yesterday. People seem to be responding not only to the movie but also the way in which we’re rolling it out.

“Lance Weiler, writer/director behind The Last Broadcast, begins a 15-city self-distribution tour of his new chills-fest Head Trauma on August 15th. Weiler, who received slack and acclaim for The Last Broadcast – the first all digital release ever, isn’t a traditional filmmaker in any sense…” Read More

Last but not least I’m happy to report that I booked the 15th screen earlier today. Next week I’ll list all the venues, dates and links. Plus it looks like I could be adding a couple of extra screens! More info to come.

Storie Girls on the move...

A month ago, we decided to self-distribute jumping off bridges in a limited theatrical release. Our goal was 20 cities across the country, partnering with local and national suicide prevention groups. We wanted to reach out to the audience that kept reaching out to our film.


Our strategy: Play in venus that are indie friendly and in areas with a strong suicide prevention coalition and work with local film festivals and film societies to arrange special screenings.

I'm happy to report that yesterday, we hit our goal of 20 cities and there is a list of more we're still working to lock down.

We'll keep everyone posted as dates and venues are locked.


Please encourage your friends and family in Dallas, Lubbock, Seattle and Albuquerque to attend our August and September screenings!

jumping off bridges: Fall 06 screenings

August

• 8/9, Dallas, TX, Dallas Video Festival, Angelika Film Center, 7pm
• 8/11, Lubbock TX, Flatland Film Festival

September

• 9/13, Seattle, WA, Broadway Performance Hall
• 9/15 - 9/21, Overland Park, KS, Kansas City International Film Festival
• 9/30, San Antonio, TX, Historic Guadalupe Theater at Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 7pm

October

• Baltimore, MD, TBA
• Washington DC, TBA
• Chicago, IL, TBA
• (week run), Jacksonville, FL, San Marco Theater, TBA
• 10/3, Austin, TX, Alamo Drafthouse South, 7pm
• 10/3 - 10/8, New Haven, CT, Connecticut Film Festival
• 10/6 - 10/7 (weekend run), Tallahassee, FL, All Saints Cinema
• 10/7, Boston, MA, Capital Theater, 6:30pm
• 10/14, Nashville, TN, Belcourt Theater, 2pm
• 10/14, Houston, TX, Rice University Media Lab, 7pm
• 10/26, Portland, OR, The Hollywood Theater

November

• Los Angeles, CA, TBA
• 11/2, Montclair, NJ, Montclair State University
• 11/3 and 11/4, New York City, NY, Pioneer Theater, 7pm