DOC: NEW BREED PARK CITY - Discovery, Distribution, Festivals and Audience

Zak Forsman

Zak Forsman

Major Contributor
Just returned from Park City last night where we partnered with Filmmaker Magazine and The WorkBook Project to produce a series of mini-docs. Our intent was to move away from the talk about how "the distribution model for independents is broken" and to create a series with an arc (still forming) toward identifying some solutions. We wanted to know two things: How distribution for the low budget indie was changing and how festivals were evolving.

Here are the first episodes. We are working on the few that will end the series.


Sabi Pictures documents an open discussion between Lance Weiler, Peter Baxter, Saskia Wilson-Brown, Brian Newman and Paul Rachman
in preparation for the upcoming Filmmaker Summit in Park City.


Filmmakers Zak Forsman and Kevin K. Shah of Sabi Pictures arrive at Park City with an intent to define the questions most relevant to
independent distribution options. Insights from Brian Newman, Dan Mirvish, Jon Reiss and Ira Deutchman open a path toward discovering
some real solutions.


SABI filmmakers Zak Forsman and Kevin K. Shah move away from identifying the questions toward some possible answers that may,
in fact, lead to the solutions we seek. Insights from Sundance's "NEXT" filmmakers Linas Phillips (Bass Ackwards) and Habib Azar (Armless),
as well as Dan Mirvish and Brian Newman are fleshed out with more thoughts from the pre-Filmmaker Summit roundtable.


SABI filmmakers Zak Forsman and Kevin K. Shah move away from identifying the questions toward some possible answers that may,
in fact, lead to the solutions we seek. Insights from Sundance "NEXT" filmmaker Linas Phillips (Bass Ackwards), as well as Jon Reiss and
Brian Newman are fleshed out with more thoughts from the pre-Filmmaker Summit roundtable.​

As I said, at least one more episode is coming in this series that will include insights from Ted Hope, Lance Weiler, Scilla Andreen, Matt Dentler and others who provide, if not outright solutions, the means to discover them.
 
Zak,

can you post a Sundance report...I've been several times but not in the past couple years and am a junkie for Park City reports...so if you get an opportunity post something or point me to some you are aware of..

Thanks,
Martin
 
Zak Forsman said:
not doing conventional coverage of the fest myself. but there is a ton here...

http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/sundance2010/
Click to expand...

I was just hoping for a post or something but thanks for the link. The mini-docs are good, very well done. Good to see Brian as I had the chance to know him when he was here in ATL running Image Film & Video for a while before going to NYC.

I guess it might be coming in the next episode but did you get a better sense of how you're going to roll out your films.

I'm about 6 months behind your windows so I'm hoping to learn from following your experiences (among others) in getting your film out there.

-M
 
and now we begin to explore some solutions...


SABI filmmakers Zak Forsman and Kevin K. Shah speak with Ted Hope, Jon Reiss, Mynette Louie (Children of Invention) and Linas Phillips (Bass Ackwards)
to explore the solutions that are emerging for independent filmmakers – featuring some of the insights and actions that came from the 2010 Filmmaker Summit.

​
 
Excellent...I'm hanging on the edge of my seat for more in this series.

Am I the only one on this thread? That's crazy, this is important stuff.

Admire Children of Invention and think that's the kind of model we're leaning toward. Their site is really good and sells their film very well.

Now, I just need 40 festivals and 15 wins for "Battle" :)

-Martin
 
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Martay said:
Am I the only one on this thread? That's crazy, this is important stuff.
Click to expand...

In that case, let me personally dedicate this one to you.......... one or two more espisodes to come after this one.


SABI filmmakers Zak Forsman and Kevin K. Shah speak with Dan Mirvish, Brian Newman, Ira Deutchman and Ted Hope to further explore
the solutions that are emerging for independent filmmakers – featuring a proposal for a new relationship between filmmakers and festivals as outlined
by Peter Baxter at the 2010 Filmmaker Summit.
​
 
Martay said:
Am I the only one on this thread? That's crazy, this is important stuff.
Click to expand...

Well I was there, so I don't need to watch the videos... :) nah, this stuff is being discussed on other boards. I just don't think many people here are interested.
 
Zak Forsman said:
In that case, let me personally dedicate this one to you...........
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Wow. Cool. Thanks.

Let me say that you guys really made it look great. I've been to those locations many times and it doesn't look as good as you guys have captured it. Bravo on the production value note.

-Martin
 
Mark Harris said:
Well I was there, so I don't need to watch the videos... :) nah, this stuff is being discussed on other boards. I just don't think many people here are interested.
Click to expand...

At the workbook project board...right?

Let me know where else because I'd love to see more of the discussion too.

Weird that people aren't interested when there are several threads about, "hey can a 10K feature be successful?"...well, these are the issues that will determine whether it is or not, ya' know?

-Martin
 
Martay said:
Weird that people aren't interested when there are several threads about, "hey can a 10K feature be successful?"...well, these are the issues that will determine whether it is or not, ya' know?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I am really surprised as well. I am watching and man I come from freakin Germany!

Thanks for posting these Zak!
 

SABI filmmakers Zak Forsman and Kevin K. Shah pick up with Ted Hope where he left off in the last episode to further explore the solutions that are emerging for independent filmmakers.
He is joined by Mynette Louie (Children of Invention) and new interviews with Sultan Sharrief (Bilal's Stand), Lance Weiler (HiM), and Scilla Andreen (IndieFlix).
​
 
haha! you're welcome Ryan. there will be two more pieces to close this series out. the last, which we've been saving, is my favorite.
 
Another nice episode.

The depressing part of it for me...and I guess this is natural for those who grew up in the era of the "Clerks" and other indie films of the world...is the nostalgia for something just being a "movie" and being able to find an audience as a movie.

The theme is...it can't be about the film, it's everything around the film...that's a tiring thought in one way and a limiting thought in another.

This always suggests tie-in, etc. It's almost like Product Placement. You better have a lot of ancillary appeal before making a movie...so it seems that the model can be read as.

Find out what topics will be supported. For example (and I'll use a B example because it's not like I don't have these thoughts in my own right and reserve the right to pursue them if the circumstances are right): There's a national effort underway to prevent childhood obesity...thus, there's a potential for a lot of advocacy support for that effort. So, a filmmaker might be wise to tap into that as a subject matter.

"Hey, I just wrote a script about childhood obesity." Cool. The X non-profit is really trying to find ways to get the word out there. Or whatever...so you partner with organizations that champion the cause to find your audience and thus you have a built in reason to make and deliver the film. So "Fat Kid" The moving story of a neglected child who make his own decision to lick his weight problem as he comes of age in the south...is sponsored and advocated for by these groups.

Sounds great, right?

Well, no offense to "Fat Kid" but I'd have rather had a talented filmmaker make a movie he or she wanted to make regardless of the resources they might tap into to get the film seen. It's just an outmoded way to think but I have to say that the whole audience is poorer for the death of that era.

That whining aside, I'm continually impressed with the Children of Invention team and think they've really done some smart things in getting their film out there. Definitely looking forward to the last couple episodes.

Thanks,

Martin
 
Eagerly awaiting the last two of this series Zak! I've been racking my brain how to best distribute my first feature I'm making this summer, there's some good insights in these.
 
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