The Democratization of technology in moviemaking

Luis Caffesse

Luis Caffesse

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Looks like times are getting tough for 'independent' films looking for distribution at Cannes (or anywhere for that matter).
Here is an interesting read from Mike Curtis on the impact of technology on the indie film market.

http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/mcurtis/


And here is the original article he is referencing:
"Cloudy skies for Cannes indie market"
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-indie17-2008may17,0,4356573.story


I just finished reading over both of those articles and I'm curious to here people's thoughts on the state of things.
 
my view is that the business model is still firm, the mp3 technology has changed the music Industry. But the video/film Industry has not seen much impact despite the new video technologys, cinemas are still the way to go when you want to watch big films,

I think this will always be, in some sense its similar to going to music oncerts, that social aspect remains the same. But thats not to diminsh the trends of private viewing EG home cinema, with HD and projection technologys having the experience of the Cinema in ones own living room is now possible.

I think the music tech (mp3) is about the end product where as the other video tech (EG consumer HD cams) is about the production of the end product.

In this sense things like live video streaming will have a bigger impact, since these are the "end product" tech and not the part of the "creation" tech (if that makes sense).

But I think when you combine easy filmmaking with youtube like streaming end product then we have a new distrubution model, I'm not saying that it will have an effect on Cinema goes, But it will have an effect on TV watchers, I know myself I watch less TV than before, and spend more time online, now I also spend alot of "online TV" simply because its more convienent for me to watch things when I want, as opposed to a fixed timetable.

anhar
 
my view is that the business model is still firm, the mp3 technology has changed the music Industry. But the video/film Industry has not had much impact despite the new video technology, cinemas are still the way to go wacth big films
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I don't know Anhar, I think I'd have to disagree. Personally, I'm with you on the idea that the cinema is the best way to watch a movie. I LOVE to go the movies and I usually see a couple every month. But the business model IS changing. Theater attendance is down and has been falling for several years. Many chains have closed or merged with others and the rest are struggling to stay open.

Among many other factors, high ticket prices and a less than stellar theater experience means more people are staying home and watching a flick on their home entertainment systems, which are getting better and better all the time.

Combined with the other major factor that Mike talked about - the glut of content - I think that yes, absolutely, the "new" video technology has changed the movie industry and started to shift focus away from the big screen.

For indies though, theatrical distribution has always been the exception not the rule. I'm not so much worried about poor theater attendance as I am about the oversaturation of content. Everyone and their brother and their dog has a video camera and the sheer volume of content that gets put online is staggering.

The challenge of trying to set yourself apart from that is also staggering! Of course the fact that we've arrived at the reality of the little fat girl with a camera is amazing and a good thing, but competing with hundreds of millions of little fat girls for the viewer's attention is a little daunting...
 
Here's the big caveat: "Equally worrisome is what the sellers say (and even a few distributors admit) is a growing lack of enthusiasm for movies that do not initially seem to be inherently marketable."

The article said this!

Arthouse films, dramas, and offbeat comedies were mentioned in the article. having a clear goal for what your film is supposed to do and who will buy it is the first step you take before going into pre-pro.

Great dramas are made by great directors and are seldom a commerical venture.

I think both articles are a little unrealsitic since they both focus on filmmakers who want to be profound rather than wanting to make money while making a film.

I highly doubt the Milleniums and Lionsgates of the world aren't making money.
 
I think the most unfortunate aspect about the glut of films these days is that it devalues movies in the eyes of the public. It's analogous to currency values. When a government decides to start printing more money, that currency becomes worth less to the rest of the world. There are so many films, tv shows, music, music videos, video games and other modes of online entertainment that movies become less valued. What happens, and what we are seeing at Cannes, is that the middle of the market drops out. You are either at the top making blockbuster films and making reams of cash, or at the bottom making nothing. I do not forsee this situation improving, especially now that everyone with a camcorder thinks they can make a movie.
 
Batutta said:
I do not forsee this situation improving, especially now that everyone with a camcorder thinks they can make a movie.
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It's definitely a chaotic time - but I think, going with your economic analogy, that the market will correct itself in time.

As distribution channels and means become established and stabilized, I can't help but think that there will be many new opportunities for indies.

At the moment I think we're seeing the death of the 'middle class' indie film - seems almost ridiculous to make a film for 5 to 10Million these days due to the economies of scale involved. You either make a blockbuster and hope to break even in theatrical and make it up on DVD, or you make a film at a small enough budget level to recoup a profit on DVD & Cable, etc, alone.

Theatrical shouldn't be viewed as a revenue stream any more (in my opinion), which is what a major thing that I think a lot of indies still hope for.
Theatrical distribution is really nothing more than an additional marketing cost these days - if you break even there it's a bonus, but more than not it's going to cost you money.
 
I'd like to add, I'm sure most people can see the difference between a big block buster movie Vs one made by the guy next door, and as such place a relative value (as in how much they are prepared to pay),

i.e. big films costing millions, people will pay to watch, whereas some "movie" made by the guy next door, is only propably good for a quick online laugh that you forward to your friends via email, which you would never dream of buying to see.
 
I don't know - Primer was made by the 'guy next door' as was 'Mariachi' and 'Napoleon Dynamite'... etc.

I know, I know - those are exceptions, not the rule.
But by the same token when big budget films suck they don't do well at the box office either.
:)

My point is - as the distribution channels become established, technology progresses on the consumer end (not just production end) and standards for online viewing become stable then I think we'll see much more opportunity for the 'guy next door'.... AS LONG AS that guy next door can make a decent film.

I still firmly believe that the biggest obstacle to indie filmmaking is not the lack of distribution options or the lack of interest from audiences for indie films... but the lack of ability to make an engaging and well crafted film.

Granted, right now even for those making engaging and well crafted films times may be tough - but I truly think that is going to change in the coming years as we adjust to new forms of accessing content.

While everything in those articles may be true for the present - I can't say I agree with their insinuation that the future looks bleak.
 
Luis Caffesse said:
I still firmly believe that the biggest obstacle to indie filmmaking is not the lack of distribution options or the lack of interest from audiences for indie films... but the lack of ability to make an engaging and well crafted film.
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I agree completely. People have the tech skills, and the tools have democratized the playing field so that anyone with a camera and computer can put something together. I think it all comes back to writing, it's the foundation and the starting point.

I don't think the future seems bleak, I think it just means that people aren't creating content for the audience. Michael Bay for all his faults know his audience, and he makes films for them. :violent5:
 
We've been here before. It happened with books and novels when the typewriter became affordable (let's relate that to the invention of 16mm film) and then the word processor came out (so let's call that the analogous of video being invented) and then the desktop publishing printer (the original LaserWriter, probably akin to home DVD burning). Suddenly everyone was a writer, everyone was hawking their novels, and -- the cream rose to the top and the rest was fluff.

We went through it with music -- when 4-track recorders first became available to the public at large, all of a sudden we had everybody in the world trying to be a garage band. Again, they're all awful, and a few rose to the top.

So here we are now, with film. Everyone thinks they can get into the game because they can afford equipment. Nothing's changed, it's the same song, just being played on different instruments.

If anything's changed this time around, it's that the audience's attention span is much shorter than it's ever been. The internet has compressed our perception of time so dramatically, if something is longer than a couple of minutes we get bored. So for those who try to make a sucktacular pile of dreck, they're going to find the audiences won't put up with it at all. Not at all.

So, again, what's the answer? Go big or go home. Find your audience. Tell fantastic stories -- you don't need a massive budget and spectacle, but you do have to be a master storyteller who can grab someone by the heartstrings and give them an emotional experience like none other. For those who can deliver, the market's as good as it's ever been (I mean, you can still do pretty well writing novels, but you have to write Harry Potter.) And marketing is more important now than it ever was.

The market will correct itself, eventually. Certain aspects of the market will forever die (like the typewriter did). Nobody ever needs to see some crappy movie where they throw in some boob and butt shots just to try to hook a distributor; that genre is forever dead, it's as dead as poetry. The Internet killed off that game, you can get your cheapie thrills for free in seconds, so why would someone suffer through an agonizing dreckpile hoping that somewhere you've put in a shot of some boobies? That game's over. Now you have to tell a story, you have to connect with the audience, you have to make the audience believe in your characters and root for them and want to succeed.

And here's the funny part, with technology "democratizing" filmmaking... if you can make that film, it ain't gonna matter one whit whether you shot it on a Red One or an HV20.

Which is a multi-paragraph way to say what Isaac said in a couple of sentences!
 
Luis Caffesse said:
I still firmly believe that the biggest obstacle to indie filmmaking is not the lack of distribution options or the lack of interest from audiences for indie films... but the lack of ability to make an engaging and well crafted film.
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I have to disagree slightly. The biggest obstacle to indie-filmakers is distribution or an outlet for their films. Right now the cinema is considered the pinnacle of a movie release with DVD sales the remainder of a films revenue stream. Online and VOD are in their infancy compared to Cinema and DVD. I believe once a viable money-making model gets established for a non-cinema/low overhead cost releases system than we will see more and more indies studios start to take risk again. Right now they have limited routes to sell what they have. As stated in the articles the amount of competition out there has doubled but they are still competing via old established channels (cinema and DVD). The solution will be to expand the channels with VOD, digital releases, and online likely being the future.
 
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Yes, the tools are available out there for pretty much anybody to go out and shoot something. That's awesome. Indie filmmaking per se is alive and well and thriving. But if you're talking about the movie business, independently produced films have always been a lottery ticket as far as getting distribution and making some money. So I don't see any more real obstacles in making an indie film, I still see the same obstacles as far as making some business of it.

BUT, I think for movies in general, there aren't really obstacles... there's new competition. "Moving picture" entertainment was once strictly limited to, for the most part, television and cinema. But now you've got the internet competing for people's free time very nicely. And what about video games? Weren't they just talking a few weeks ago about GTA4 competing against opening weekend films?

So there's always been "obstacles" to getting an indie financed, bought and/or distributed. But now you've got more than just television to compete with.

Just some thoughts off the top of my head.
 
mjjason said:
The biggest obstacle to indie-filmakers is distribution or an outlet for their films.
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I'm not denying that distribution is AN obstacle - but it's definitely not the largest.
While it's true that the majority of indie films never find distribution - you have to ask why that is.

Is it because there is a lack of distribution outlets?
Or is it because the majority of them are simply not good films?

That may sound simplistic - but I firmly believe it to be true.
Now don't get me wrong - I'm not insinuating that a good film will always get distribution - of course not.
I'm only saying that the majority of films fail not because of limited distribution channels,
but because of the quality of the product they are attempting to distribute.

Finding distribution is difficult, no question - but making a good film is much more difficult (in my opinion).


Right now the cinema is consider the pinnacle of a movie release with DVD sales the remainder of a films revenue stream.
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That goes back to what I was saying earlier about how theatrical should no longer be viewed as a revenue stream - I think in the coming few years we're going to see a shift in how we perceive the 'heirarchy' of film distribution.

Online and VOD are in their infancy compared to Cinema and DVD. I believe once a viable money-making model gets established for a non-cinema/low overhead cost releases system than we will see more and more indies studios start to take risk again.
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Absolutely.
And that is something that I think is going to come much quicker than most anticipate.

As stated in the articles the amount of competition out there has doubled but they are still competing via old establish channels (cinema and DVD). The solution will be to expand the channels with VOD, Digital releases, and Online likely being the future.
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I couldn't possibly agree with you more.
Give it another decade (if that) and we'll be talking about a whole new distribution paradigm.
And eventually we will look back and laugh at the inefficiency of the marketing and distribution system that dominated for so long.
In the same way that, while beautiful, the actual physical medium of film seems so antiquated to many of us now.
 
Isaac_Brody said:
I agree completely. People have the tech skills, and the tools have democratized the playing field so that anyone with a camera and computer can put something together. I think it all comes back to writing, it's the foundation and the starting point.
:
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That's what I think. Unfortunately writing is not nearly as sexy as production. It's lonely, it's frustrating, and for most people, it takes years to develop entry level skills.
The good news is the dirt cheap cameras and a flair for story/writing have created a new port of entry for aspiring filmmies. Depending on who you want to believe, a compelling short film, a trailer, or some other melding of literature and technology may in fact be the way to go in our post literate world.
 
it looks like it's time to give up film making and start finding a way to distribute the films of all these people with camcorders. because that's where the real money is. :)
 
ugafan said:
it looks like it's time to give up film making and start finding a way to distribute the films of all these people with camcorders. because that's where the real money is. :)
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What do you think YouTube is?....The problem isn't distribution anymore, it's MAKING MONEY off that distribution. YouTube hasn't made a profit yet, except for the two guys who sold it. With content being so devalued, people will only pay for the premium stuff. This is why the indie market is in such trouble right now and what the writer of that original article was so concerned about. There's no economically viable model anymore for lower budgeted fare, which means there's no ladder for burgeoning filmmakers to climb up to the majors. I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend my life making little indie films for five cents that only a handful of people end up seeing on a 2 inch screen. I can't subsist off artistic satisfaction alone. Success in the film industry has always been a crap shoot, even for people with lots of advantages, but now the deck seems stacked against filmmakers even more. Yes, in the end it's all about making a good film, but I'm not sure making a good film is enough anymore...And for those saying just quit...believe me, I've considered it.
 
downloadable content is the future. what does one need to set up a site that offers movie downloads? can someone break it down for me?
 
Luis is right. The only difference between a bad indie film and a bad studio film is that the studio film will make it to the theathers.

And the studios have enough marketing power that the can make at least a break even (almost any time) even with the worst flick.


Frank
 
ugafan said:
downloadable content is the future. what does one need to set up a site that offers movie downloads? can someone break it down for me?
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But still, how do you make money off it, at least enough to support your next endeavor? I think on the whole people don't want to pay for content online. Like TV, they expect it to be free or it's not worth their time. Not to mention the fact that once in the digital domain content has a way of shaking loose of whatever copy protection is placed on it. The only proven way to make money online is through advertising, but most people resent having ads shoved in their face while trying to view content and will go out of their way to avoid them. People don't mind it so much when lazing in front of their tv, but when you're behind a computer you want to be in control of what you see.
 
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