Chances of indie director getting big nowadays?

Jim Jarmusch was interviewed in the mid-90s for the American Cinema series. He said he'd taken many meetings with Hollywood executives who always asked when he was going to stop making amateur movies.

He inquired as to what they meant by "amateur" movie. They replied that an "amateur" movie cost less than 5 million (in 1990s dollars) to make.

He said, "To date, I guess I still haven't made a professional movie." :lol:
 
"Back in the early '80s I was in a fairly well known local/regional band. Even that little bit of celebrity was a real PITA. I couldn't go out shopping or to dinner with my wife without fans bothering me. Fun the first three times, really annoying the next 3,000."

Make it the 90's and this is me Alcove. Filmmaking is my "next phase". We'll see how it goes.
 
The "Puffy Chair Guys" are now getting paid to do what they love doing, and on a grand stage.

Success.

Did you all forget the other names I mentioned? There is no reason for any of us to get discouraged. It can be done.
 
The "Puffy Chair Guys" are now getting paid to do what they love doing, and on a grand stage.

Success.

Did you all forget the other names I mentioned? There is no reason for any of us to get discouraged. It can be done.
 
For me, success would mean getting paid 1500-2000 USD per month to continue making films on my terms, and people able to download my films for free. Not a comment on likelihood, just defining success.
 
Many levels of "success" for sure.

Real success is a three picture deal from Miramax.
Success I would be happy with is a low six figures income (slight bump from my straight job) from filmmaking.
 
sonnyboo said:
Didn't they file for bankruptcy?
Then where would the $1,500-$2,000 a month come from? Just curious what the business model is there.
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Look no further than Youtube.There are a select few who make 40 - 100,000 a year off rev sharing. Another way is to drive traffic to your website and make $$ off of Ad placements. Heck a while back some 14yo girl made a million doing Myspace layouts. If you build a following, you can get people ( traffic ) to a website, then monitize it.

I would say a combined effort of making flicks good enough for basic low-end Indie Distribution, Createspace, Ad placements on websites, Merchandise and the like should be good for $3 - $5K a month. That is what Im working for. I making a few bucks off my crappy movie from Createspace, make a few dollars off of Google Ads on one of my sites, been doing it for a few years with little effort since startup. I get a few bux here and there from Amazon thru affiliate sales.

I hope to be at that level in the next year and then work on better products as far as my filmmaking goes. Lots of old movies can be remade and make a few bux doing it. << At least that's my plan anyhoo

Im now working on increasing my skills and networking. I can make a baseline income from my Google income with a little more traffic, No Problem. Im working on an upcoming feature that I hope to do something with.

time will tell




;-)
 
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IndieBudget said:
Look no further than Youtube.There are a select few who make 40 - 100,000 a year off rev sharing. Another way is to drive traffic to your website and make $$ off of Ad placements. Heck a while back some 14yo girl made a million doing Myspace layouts. If you build a following, you can get people ( traffic ) to a website, then monitize it.
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This is true. I don't know how many of the people making a decent wage from YouTube are technically "filmmakers" per se, although they do fall into my own definition of the word, so yes you are 100% correct on that being a viable way.


IndieBudget said:
I would say a combined effort of making flicks good enough for basic low-end Indie Distribution, Createspace, Ad placements on websites, Merchandise and the like should be good for $3 - $5K a month. That is what Im working for. I making a few bucks off my crappy movie from Createspace, make a few dollars off of Google Ads on one of my sites, been doing it for a few years with little effort since startup. I get a few bux here and there from Amazon thru affiliate sales.
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I think they might be good for $3,000-$5,000 during a marketing push, but that doesn't seem like realistic numbers to me for an indie film, meaning a microbudget movie with no name stars. Especially after the first few months. Although I do concede that would be true if someone was working it over 60 hours a week, 7 days a week online and had a good following.

Maybe it is possible.
 
Then where would the $1,500-$2,000 a month come from? Just curious what the business model is there.
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Good question... I have no expectations to make that kind of cash any time soon. I'll go into the business model in detail once I release the film. Indiebudget's got some good ideas and I'm thinking along the same lines. I might be able to get sponsorship....

Success I would be happy with is a low six figures income (slight bump from my straight job) from filmmaking.
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I'm out in Asia now. As long as I avoid Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, I can live WELL for 1000 per month.
 
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sonnyboo said:
I think they might be good for $3,000-$5,000 during a marketing push, but that doesn't seem like realistic numbers to me for an indie film, meaning a microbudget movie with no name stars numbers to me for an indie film, meaning a microbudget movie with no name stars. Maybe it is possible.
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Right off the bat.. correct no way.. it takes time.

I'm thinking a few movies prolly make 1/3 off DVD sales, 1/3 off of merchandise, 1/3 off Google ads and others. It will take time, but not much. I'm making a few bux right now w/ NO effort. All I need to do is increase my traffic 5 - 15x << easy really, and I will have the numbers Im talking about. I have not focused at all on traffic generation in several months.

Im working on other projects right now and have that specific goal of increasing my traffic 100x. I feel that is easily attainable. I'm 1/5th to 1/15th the way there ( 3-5K monthly )

I have made a regular sustainable income over the last several years off the net. Some is film related and some is film based website related and my filmmaking skills are still that of a pup.
 
Inspiring, Indiebudget. Really makes me think. As far as I'm concerned yr a success. As Directorik says, there's a lot of people who aren't big names but still making a decent living in the business. You seem like you're doing things on your own terms too...

1/3 off of merchandise, 1/3 off Google ads and others.
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Know any good T-Shirt/Merchandise producers that do low runs?

Do you get income from Google ads yourself? Are they unobtrusive on the site? Users don't complain about them, no?
 
PositiveFuture said:
Do you get income from Google ads yourself? Are they unobtrusive on the site? Users don't complain about them, no?
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YES,The ads are certainly there. Yes some complain, they dont pay my bills. I figure w/ w/ better movies and the like, I will make the ads smaller. you can give a commercial as heck landing page, give them a link to the movie and facts, bounce them around and drive traffic where you need. You have to think of multiple streams. It angers me that some kids literally can figure out how to make thousands a day off Google Ads. I have not had that luck.

Give people what they want and they will give you what you want. Right now..I shall take first, when I have better product ( movies ) , I will give much more and get the reward$ ....Don't just think movies, that can happen but check ALL of your bases, do a Cooking DVD, a flower arranging, how to commit suicide.. WHATEVER, be flexible and DO IT !

Tshirt, Cafepress or do like Flicker.. make your own. You can get a pro quality Tshirt press and do Iron ons if you like.




.
 
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I figure pop ups are not good, anything else and it's OK. The ads on Indietalk don't bother me, I'd probably set them at that level.

Cafepress, I'll remember that, thanks...
 
PositiveFuture said:
I figure pop ups are not good, anything else and it's OK. The ads on Indietalk don't bother me, I'd probably set them at that level.

Cafepress, I'll remember that, thanks...
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Yes, the ads on this site are perfectly unobtrusive.

Also Zazzle.com is slightly better percentages to the user than Cafepress, but not by much.
 
+1

The Beatles Sgt Peppers was recorded on a 4 track machine with bandwidth that would be laughed at by today's bedroom studio crowd. Since popular art started, there were talented individuals who never got a break but there were far more wanna-be's who didn't get a break because their work was not inspired.

I guess the real question is: why are any of us doing this?

I love the craft of location sound recording. I thrill at the times where I'm able to capture dialog despite airplanes, trucks, trains, and the assortment of other noise obstacles. In my in-ears, when capturing, I'm shaking my head thinking, this is not as good as I can be, and yet when the editor gets the files, I get calls from the director saying how good the dialog sounds. I'm slowing moving into the post audio work and again struggle to get things to where I'm satisfied with the results.

So far, I'm still working my day job and doing location sound mixing/recording and post audio as a sideline. I've been fortunate enough to have my work pay for the gear and provide a few dinner dates with my wife. But with the gear paid for, I'm getting closer to being able to do this full-time. Whether that happens or not, I do this work because I love doing this work.

I tend to measure success by my own standards, which are very high, and not based on popularity.

Each job I do I ask myself "Is that the best I can do?", and the answer is usually no, there is always something I could have done a little better, with a little more technique and attentiveness. This is what keeps me coming back for more.

I find my joy in the craft.

TheOpusFuller said:
Waves on a beach my friend. Waves on a beach. Just because everyone has the ability to make a movie doesn't make it a good movie.

Read. Write. Rinse. Repeat. Read. Write. Rinse. Repeat. When you're about to throw up from reading and writing too much. Do it all over again. Read. Write. Rinse. Repeat. Read. Write. Rinse. Repeat. A good, compelling story is hard to come up with. I'd start there.
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