Everybody blames Hollywood, when it's audiences who vote with their ticket purchases.
What he said.......
Anything that isn't mainstream is a
huge financial risk.
If you are going to take a major risk there had better be a huge upside if the "experiment" goes awry. When it's your own money - say, $500 or $1,000 "risked" on your indie film - the only person who cares about losing the money is
you. The big upside is you have had a chance to gain some experience, hopefully work with some cool people, and you may even have a nice piece for your reel that may lead you to further opportunities.
When you are putting up $50 million, $100 million or $250 million you avoid as much risk as you can. That means
at the very least breaking even, and in the corporate film world that means recouping the entire investment in the first month of theatrical release.
Here's a few questions for you... How many indie filmmakers have a few dozen producers breathing down their necks from preproduction all the way through opening weekend. How many indie filmmakers have an opening weekend? How many have a producer? How many have a producer with a board of directors looking over the producers shoulder and second guessing every decision? How many indie filmmakers recoup their investment? How many indie filmmakers entire career rests upon how successful their film is
financially? (You know, if that were the case, maybe there would be better indie films, or at least fewer crappy ones.)
No one in the corporate film world gives a rodents anal sphincter about art or diversity; they care about
PROFITS. To earn profits means appealing to the lowest common denominator. Actually, the lowest common denominator is true diversity; what film can be made that appeals to the widest (most diverse) possible audience?
Art/Diversity is going to have to come from the indie film community. As has been demonstrated the corporate film world will happily invest a few million to "clean up" a decent indie project and a few more millions to promote it.
One more thought...
The blockbuster mega-movies have to make up for all of the "small" films that break even or lose money. Does anyone here think that "What Maisie Knew" or "Greetings From Tim Buckley" are going to be big money-makers? Or any of the 40 or 50 other films to be released this spring and summer? They're the "diverse" "niche" films that the corporate film world is putting out; most will not make much money, but they're making them anyway, aren't they?