it's time for a new independent movie industry

bird said:
I've also invented something which I think has an infinite number of practical applications. It's round like a ball, but flat, sort of like a slice of a cylinder...I call it, 'The Whe-el'. Like a chicken in every American pot, I envision a sea of 'L-A-z-y S-u-s-a-n-s' on every American table, starting with Chicago tables, well, my table anyway. It would display entrees, desserts, beverages, and condiments all on a mobile, easily accessible "Whe-el" in the middle of a "Squ-are" table (which I shall invent tommorrow). Now, all I need to do is determine the ideal surface area of said "Whe-el" as to better display dressings, foodstuffs, cakes, and ah,.....EUREKA!
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Very funny :lol:

I'm all for using an old concept to help get ppls work "out there", if it works.

As far as developing a sense of "community" among indie filmakers, it seems to me that indietalk, Spatula, and vegasindiestv are doing the best job (as evidenced by this thread) by supporting each others projects. To flat out demand that all indies lay down their art to support one "Master Project" is beyond counter-productive. It's destructive - look at the resistance funches has gotten (well, attitude factors in as well)

That's my two cents, now I'm broke again dangit! :D
 
vegasindiestv said:
Indietalk relax...
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Relax? I was telling funches to stop the insults so the discussion could continue. Laughing at him after I told him to stop really doesn't help, now does it?

Back to discussion please. Thanks
 
SirLaosson said:
It doesn't

Question

How much of your budget do you have?
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...sorry, its taken so long to respond to this. I have a very very small amount, only enough to get started with but I am sending out MANY grant proposals. Just sent one to the National Endowment for the Arts...

...and unfortunately, I think this thread has become counterproductive....

--spinner :cool:
 
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SirLaosson said:
Yeah I think so too

Thats good spinner... How big of a budget do you want?
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...well, its ALOT to me, but it can all be justified. I am looking at about $150,000. I can probably find a way to bust it down, but there are things I have to have (accommodations) and there are crew people who have to be looked at and paid and then there is travel. Its seems to be so much and I feel like I am looking for more than I can get, but if you don't ask, you don't get.

...I don't expect AT ALL to get all of it, but I sure could lock in some crew if I did...actually I had crew, and all of a sudden, last week, this comes into question :huh:. Reliable people are so important. So as of now I have crew, but it is shaky crew and that is not good when I am looking to start shooting in a few weeks (sigh)...

--spinner :cool:
 
$150,000 in a few weeks. I feel for ya!

I've been working for eight months on a deal raising $250,000 for a show. I can't imagine how difficult it's going to be to get even close to your goal in only a few weeks.

I, too, wish you luck.
 
vegasindiestv said:
Good Luck with that Spinner.
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...oh, c'mon! You think I expect to get ALL THAT? :rolleyes: I will be happy and grateful to get a fraction of that. I don't by any stretch of the imagination think that I can get that much...


directorik said:
$150,000 in a few weeks. I feel for ya!

I've been working for eight months on a deal raising $250,000 for a show. I can't imagine how difficult it's going to be to get even close to your goal in only a few weeks.

I, too, wish you luck.
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...I will not be able to make that in a couple of weeks. What I do have is a small amount to get me started IF my subjects are agreeable and allow us to come out. I am trying to keep a good thought, but I'm not :crazy:

...what I do have is a camera, a computer which will have Final Cut Pro on it, I hope to get a tripod soon and a good mic. I have to play things by ear and hope for the best and hope my subjects will find it convenient to join them for a while which is what I've been saying all along. What I need now is luck so I'll take it where I can find it...

--spinner :cool:
 
I stop raising money for my projects 2 months ago. I got my teams to work for free on my fillms and games. Spinner just talk to your team. Be that leader thats inside you, and people will work for free just to help you.
 
SirLaosson said:
I stop raising money for my projects 2 months ago. I got my teams to work for free on my fillms and games. Spinner just talk to your team. Be that leader thats inside you, and people will work for free just to help you.
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...thanks for the vote of confidence, guys. I know alot of photogs however they are all married men. Can't exactly shoot for a long period of time away from home when you're married. They are good friends but I can't ask them to take on a project like this for many reasons, they in turn are my moral support as they know what I am up against, but can't help much right now. (maybe later???)

...so, I am working on some other ideas to pull together a crew quickly (I did have crew, but this process takes a while and for them its too long). Maybe its too late in their lives to take a chance like this, maybe it is for me too, but I am jumping off this cliff. Damn if I'm gonna wallow in regret when I turn 70, not that I am anywhere near 70. :D

As for my subjects, well, they have told me that they want to be involved if I can get this off the ground, so I am asking them to put their money where their mouth is as it were. In the meantime, I am talking to some legal for things like release forms, no form, no shootin'.

...I still refuse to say 'die'...

--spinner :cool:
 
I don't know if this has already been said, but in regards to the great difficulty it is getting a film made and then getting it seen - it's always gonna be difficlut.

There is much more to filmmaking than the creativity that goes into all stages of production.

Politics
Stress
Business sense
People skills
Responsibility

Overcoming the obstacles of both Hollywood and Independent filmmaking are how you prove yourself.

But if you have, in your opinion, a great film, but cant get anyone to see it, then youre not trying hard enough. If it's so great word of mouth will eventually catch.

Fighting for your film never ends. Even established filmmakers still go through bullshit politics to get thier films made and seen.

It never ends.
 
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Things will only change if you change them or it will continue to be the same old same old, this is being complacent as to be willing to let others control your film's destiny, if they block the way into their club then find an alternate way to get in or create your own
This thread is counterproductive? This Thread is a reality check,
The Thread was started to discuss a need to start a venue as to getting Independent movies to the public, it is so much focus on the production and financing of these movies in the forum and no discussion about placing the movie beyond a film festival or straight to DVD,
and again I never said for everyone to drop their projects and work on my project, I said if you are in Chicago and interested on working on a project in Chicago and joining a team as to create a new venue in Chicago,
but the discussion switch to creating a venue that expanded farther then Chicago and how everything could be linked up …plus all this resistance to discuss this topic is the fear of reality..
 
Just for the record, I have no problem with the status quo if independent filmmaking.

I kinda want to call it "survival of the fittest." Its a filter prcoess.

I don't mind it at all. I myself don't see a need for change. In fact, I don't know what would change. There are no rules. A film can get made and seen in as many ways as your imagination allows.
 
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hollywood do work on a system of politics, that's how they keep their friends and associate companies working, your company do this in return for us doing that, to let an independent movie come in having not used any of this system's resources is counterproductive to this system, when someone comes up with a movie or concept totally different that would get you in, but it seems that movies are merely clones of each other with no new imagination, art at this stage has becomes stagnet
 
I kind of agree with the Eagle, there.
We just need to get more creative in the existing industry. I think that echoes what Clive was saying before.

We spent $10,000 on a film. Spent $2000 marketing (making posters, renting a theatre, etc).
We had around 500 people show up for the premiere screening. All good reviews. We made the money back for the initial advertising.
Now I've rented another venue for this Sunday, and I spent $12 photocopying black and white posters at Business Depot, and because we got a good deal on the venue, if 100 people show up, not only do we break even, but we make a bit of profit.
We can use that profit have more screenings, and master copies of the DVD ourselves.

We're operating outside the existing industry, and although at this time the profit is nil, and the workload is high, we can be creative with the money we do get and advertise in different ways.

Hollywood isn't going to get between the public and a movie with cult backing. The trick is to have something good enough to stand alone and backing it with an intriguing ad campaign to get to your audience (market).
If the product gets enough attention on the market, Hollywood swoops in and gobbles it up by paying huge sums of money.
This is where you have the choice to either sell out, take the money and try and make a career out of it, or continue your existence on your own terms. But that's a personal choice.

There's TONS of options; you just have to uncover them. Millions of scenarios...
 
GREATwarEAGLE said:
Just for the record, I have no problem with the status quo if independent filmmaking.

I kinda want to call it "survival of the fittest." Its a filter prcoess.

I don't mind it at all. I myself don't see a need for change. In fact, I don't know what would change. There are no rules. A film can get made and seen in as many ways as your imagination allows.
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Though I wish this (and the previous) post had remained unedited, the core is still there.

GREATwarEAGLE and I actually agree on something!
smiley_five.gif
 
again this discussion is not about change, the system works perfectly so why change it, it's about could another venue or network be set up as to get some of the best quality and most entertaining Independent films to a public that otherwise would never see them, there are independent filmakers and others with different resouces that when link together will create this venue instantly,
 
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