| If you have a good story to tell there is no | | | | buzz is created about your movie, it can lead |
| reason why you should not make it into an | | | | to a distribution deal that is worth many |
| independent film. With the right film | | | | times more than the money you invested. |
| production techniques, the right script, the | | | | |
| right people working with you and a | | | | After you have finished with all phases of |
| relatively small amount of money you can make | | | | the film production process you need to find |
| a low budget movie that can compete with the | | | | places that will show your film to the |
| best of them on the festival circuit at | | | | public. There is a thing called the film |
| places like Cannes, Toronto, Telluride and | | | | festival circuit and it is the last bastion |
| the Sundance Film Festival. If your story is | | | | of hope for people who want to make |
| compelling enough people will forget that the | | | | independent films. Sure, the celebrities and |
| production value is a bit challenged. | | | | big studios have recently invaded the larger |
| | | | events like Toronto, Cannes and the Sundance |
| There are people all over this world who | | | | Film Festival, but they still make room for |
| never gave up on their dreams to make films, | | | | the little guys. Independent filmmakers are |
| despite the difficulties that came with | | | | still the focus of film festivals no matter |
| working outside of the mainstream film | | | | how much publicity they receive. |
| industry. They are passionate filmmakers who | | | | |
| believe that anyone with a compelling story | | | | Films like The Blair Witch Project are a |
| to tell has a right to make a movie. Through | | | | perfect example of how a film with a very |
| their struggles these diehard filmmakers have | | | | small budget but a very clever story can make |
| created cheaper ways to make movies. This | | | | it to the big time. |
| revolution was born out of frustration due to | | | | |
| decades of having their creative voices | | | | This very independent film was a big hit at |
| shunned by the big film studios who favored | | | | The Sundance Film Festival in the late |
| commercialism over creativity. | | | | nineties and it was all because of the |
| | | | storyline. The Film was shot and edited on |
| The commercialism associated with the films | | | | video and transferred to 16mm film only for |
| that are being released by the major | | | | the print that was needed for screenings at |
| Hollywood film studios these days is very | | | | the festival. The independent filmmakers that |
| frustrating for any filmmaker who considers | | | | made this film only spent about 40,000 |
| their work to be art. Nowadays movies are | | | | dollars to make it and get it ready for |
| tested extensively beforehand to ensure that | | | | Sundance. The production value was very poor |
| the studio committing hundreds of millions of | | | | but people could not stop talking about how |
| dollars to it will not lose money. This kind | | | | the story ended. It received a lot of |
| of testing tends to narrow the field down to | | | | publicity and was subsequently sold to a |
| only a few kinds of movies that they will | | | | major film studio for one and a half million |
| invest in which means there is no room for | | | | dollars. The studio made 150 million dollars |
| new ideas. True artists can never be happy | | | | on the film when they blew it up to 35 |
| when there are constraints imposed on their | | | | millimeter and distributed it to theaters |
| methods and subject matter. | | | | nationwide. |
| | | | |
| Although the film industry is a merging of | | | | Film festivals are places where the playing |
| story telling and commerce, the story telling | | | | field is leveled for all the players in the |
| part has always been the most important half | | | | film industry. It is a strange nexus between |
| of the equation for the audience. The big | | | | people who are hungry to get into the film |
| movie studio executives seem to have | | | | industry and people who have had too much of |
| forgotten this fact as they continue to | | | | it and just want to be a little less full of |
| produce movies that have more style than | | | | it. They long for the days when filmmaking |
| substance. People would much rather see a | | | | was more of an art form and less |
| good movie with a low production value than | | | | commercialized. The result is that they |
| they would a bad movie with a high production | | | | embrace independent filmmakers in their raw |
| value. | | | | form. When this happens there is always a |
| | | | chance that one of the little guys could be |
| Talent and a good storyline are generally | | | | suddenly held up to the spotlight by the big |
| worth more to movie audiences than an | | | | players and glorified. If this does occur it |
| expensive look. If you can just get a good | | | | is always because the storyline of the film |
| story committed to film and submitted to film | | | | created a buzz, not the production value. |
| festivals, then people will take notice. If a | | | | |