The old guard is scared. For years the big studios and their distribution companies ruled over the film industry because they were the keys to getting a movie in front of an audience. Twenty-five years ago not finding a distributor meant no one would ever see your film. Then came video, but the “powers that be” were quick to denounce direct-to-video films as junk, and some of them were. The truth of the matter was that entrepreneurialism began to emerge in film thanks to the humble VCR. The chutzpa that founded the film industry was starting to manifest itself once again.
In the past seven years we have seen an explosion of methods for releasing a film cheaply with DVDs, the Internet, and digital projection. Throw in the vast improvement of HD cameras and you have all that’s needed for a revolution. No longer do you need an expensive 35mm camera, dozens of cans of expensive film, backdoor deals with film labs, or complex editing processes to make a movie. You just need imagination. That scares most of Hollywood, which has had an imagination drought with their never-ending line of big budget remakes.
In the further evolution of the democratization of film, I came across this from IMDB News:
For the first time, a major independently produced film is being released directly through iTunes. The New York Times reports that Edward Burns's Purple Violets, which has thus far failed to find a major distributor, can be purchased on the iTunes site in November only. The availability of the film, the Times noted, could help boost iTunes as an outlet for independent movies.
The gatekeepers wouldn’t let him in, so he found another way. What’s even better is that there are no expensive prints to buy; the film is downloadable to all types of devices, even the iPhone; you can watch it immediately without having to get in the car and sit in traffic; you can watch in the comfort of your own home; you can bring your friends without being charged for extra tickets; and you own it for less than what it would cost you to go to a theater.
What does this all mean? It means that the film industry is about to be ripped wide open. Blockbuster films that cost in excess of 200 million dollars that have mass appeal will probably be the only things that studios can produce and make a return. Anything else under $100 million will most likely have to have its budget slashed to a level where this type of distribution is profitable. Or maybe films now get released in the theater and then on the Internet before being released on HD DVD.
It’s all changing. Old stodgy film school thinking will kill a project nowadays. It’s almost like 1912 all over again and probably best to think about it in that context. Everything is new from the equipment, to the effects, to the editing, to reaching an audience. 2007 and beyond will favor the maverick—the visionary entrepreneur. It’s an exciting time.
