Made Feature at 17 and now available for rent/purchase

Oh haha the slogan... "Overall it had great effort" While not the best slogan I guess it could have been worse. :)

Here is my first movie ever as a director. Apparently the post above from me I never cut and paste..https://youtu.be/EqmlYWCrpW4

So, I have learned never to ask a question unless you know the answer but here it goes.....Do you feel like you wasted your money renting Spoilers the Movie?
 
theconnorwilliams said:
Oh haha the slogan... "Overall it had great effort" While not the best slogan I guess it could have been worse. :)

Here is my first movie ever as a director. Apparently the post above from me I never cut and paste..https://youtu.be/EqmlYWCrpW4

So, I have learned never to ask a question unless you know the answer but here it goes.....Do you feel like you wasted your money renting Spoilers the Movie?
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I'll try to answer this in an honest way so hopefully you'll appreciate it.

If I didn't know of you and a friend of mine told me, "oh my god this is the greatest movie under the sun, you need to watch this, even though you've never heard of this director and it's a low budget movie, and the director's a kid," I would have felt ripped off. But you're in good company. I felt ripped off after watching Blair Witch, because my roommate that summer told me "oh my god, you've got to watch this, this is the scariest movie in the universe. I know you don't like scary movies, but this movie is soooooooo scary it will blow your mind." I thought it was good, but I still thought I'd wasted my evening. (although in retrospect, Blair Witch isn't all that bad.

I was watching your film more to see what you did, and the mistakes were as interesting as the story. I make similar mistakes, so it was interesting. There were issues with the story and the characters, and the villain isn't diabolical enough, etc. But that's because I was analyzing it the whole time. So it made it interesting as a learning experience. So would I pay for this particular experience again? Sure. Would I recommend the film to a non-filmmaker who just wants to have a film experience? probably not :tear:. Don't hate me Connor. You could say the exact same thing about any of my movies, and rightfully so, and I wouldn't hold it against you :)

But you'll only get better, and probably quicker than any of us, as you're now in LA, and actually in the movie industry, seeing how other people run their sets.

Give this film a last ditch marketing effort and then forget about it. Move on to the next thing. It'll be a whole lot better than this one. Trust me.

Loved the short :)
 
And Connor, don't worry about my comment about characters. What was interesting watching the film was your obvious youth. It's not a detraction from the script, or from your movie. There were some really funny parts, but overall, whatever the problems, while the script may not be for someone like me, it might still be interesting for high school kids. I've seen this story too many times. So my critique is not really a fair critique. I think if I were in high school I would enjoy the film a lot more. I mean, I was quoting kevin smith movies at one time, and I kind of don't think about those movies anymore.

If I were you, I'd forget about impressing filmmakers, and go after the high school audience. Despite how some people here feel, if I were in high school, and you came and told me you made a feature film, I'd want to be your best buddy, and I wouldn't give two shits about whether it was hollywood quality. Kevin Smith's Clerks, which I quoted religiously at one time (one of the movies that taught me how to curse in the English language), wasn't hollywood quality, but for some reason at one time or another, it mattered to me.

So find your own audience. It's definitely not people like me.

Again, Great Effort :)
 
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I do appreciate it! I remember you as the first person that helped me and guided me with some questions I had. I know you are coming from a good place! But come on man you cant tell people it's the greatest movie of all time? Help a brother out!! ;0

Well I'm the Villain (I didnt want to be) and after memorizing "Peters/Richy rich" role and not finding the right skinhead I shaved my locks. I didn't want to do that either. There is a reason the"villain isn't diabolical enough"I'll shoot you an email on my thinking of this character.

I'm definitely not ready to move away from this film yet. I did take a 2 month break and didnt do anything with it but wait for Film Festival responses. I really really want to get into Bend. But so does everyone else.

I'm not in LA yet. Spoilers plays in Sacramento at 10:00am September 12th. After my Q&A I'm driving down to LA.

Yeah my buddies thought it was the best movie in the world. That lasted for about thirty minutes with the high fives and subway sandwiches and then it went back to normal with a lot of hacky sac and Wiz. When it showed here the first time in the theatre I had about 180 people show up and watch it. Only my closest friends knew what I had done and what I do. People at the school didnt really know I was an actor. I did seem to get more popular with the girls after the showing though. :)

I'm not trying to impress filmmakers. I'm trying to have people rent this thing now.

I'm really torn if I want to make a feature again. I won a grant so it would be foolish not to use it but my thinking is there is only one director but many actors on set. The odds are much greater for me to get an acting job over a Directors job. And i have a great story to tell regarding foster adoption.

Now how do I get it in front of all the high school kids? Suggestions anyone?
 
Have you watched MY movie? Surviving Family has been on iTunes since last August, on Amazon streaming since December, and Amazon Prime (free to Prime members) since July.

You certainly don't owe it to me to watch my movie. But my point is simply that you're asking me (as part of the collective IT community) to do something for you that you are not (as far as I'm aware) willing to do for me.
 
I think it is not so cool thing that you are 17 and made a movie. I get feeling that okey nice, but I don't know/remember anything about the movie. I haven't seen anything about the movie only that making of pic where is 3 people on the line filming. I don't get feeling I must see that. I think you get more easy sold those dvd face to face. You can tell to people what is it about and your story etc. Then you can get that 4-5 dollar for dvd. I was making one movie as camera when I was 17. You can watch it free on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30XJhUVNIio But anyway that age don't tell anything about the movie.
 
theconnorwilliams said:
I do appreciate it! I remember you as the first person that helped me and guided me with some questions I had. I know you are coming from a good place! But come on man you cant tell people it's the greatest movie of all time? Help a brother out!! ;0

I'm not trying to impress filmmakers. I'm trying to have people rent this thing now.
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I don't mean, don't try to impress filmmakers, in a bad way. Indie filmmakers are hard to impress. Most of them are unimpressed by Spielberg and Tom Cruise. Who the hell are you and I? Trying to impress indie filmmakers is an exercise in futility.

Also, I'm the wrong audience. I like movies like "Hunger," which has a 24 minute scene of one conversation where the camera doesn't move.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAkBz9glJFo

I'm not your audience is what I'm trying to say. I would be your audience if I were 17. How you go about finding the high school audience, I don't know. But that's where I'd be concentrating.

theconnorwilliams said:
Well I'm the Villain (I didnt want to be) and after memorizing "Peters/Richy rich" role and not finding the right skinhead I shaved my locks. I didn't want to do that either. There is a reason the"villain isn't diabolical enough"I'll shoot you an email on my thinking of this character.
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The movie is already made, so don't try to fix it or explain it anymore. Just try to sell it.

theconnorwilliams said:
I'm not in LA yet. Spoilers plays in Sacramento at 10:00am September 12th. After my Q&A I'm driving down to LA.
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Congrats!!

Keep trying to sell it!! Any non-filmmaker audience is where I'd spend my time. Just my opinion.
Best,
Aveek
 
Because this included the fact that you made this when you were 17, you should know that it immediately turned me off from even looking at what the film was. I could go into all kinds of reasons why, but I'm not going to. I just feel like helping you because selling a film requires feedback on every aspect.

In a world where media is all over the place in every form and is readily available, your first impression is your only shot at grabbing a potential viewer's interest. With this thread, you made a terrible first impression.

It could be good, it could be terrible, but I have no interest in ever finding out. You didn't even tell us what it was about or what the title was. This further cemented my disinterest.

I just think this information is important for you if you're trying to market this. I also doubt anyone will buy it, especially at that price.

Perhaps it's best for you to chop it into 10-15 minute sections and release it as a webseries. At least with that route you can earn some ad revenue, and if it's actually good, word of mouth will continue to attract viewers
 
mussonman said:
Because this included the fact that you made this when you were 17, you should know that it immediately turned me off from even looking at what the film was.
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I'm going to agree with Mussonman. To me, it felt like you were try to sell the film based on yourself (who I do not know) rather than on its own merits -- which you give very little information about. Your reviews (as was mentioned in an earlier post) are more about you than the movie. Your name is not big enough to draw and audience, you need a compelling story. Asking for us to pay to take a risk on something we know nothing of is a long shot (per AudioPostExpert).

I also, tend to avoid "young artists" type things like the plague. I've been on the back end of too many of those and have too many bad memories and associations from it.

Keep working, and don't rest on this one accomplishment.
 
You might know how to make a movie but sales isn't your strong suit.

What is the movie about? You have 3 seconds. Go! Pitch the movie to the audience. Write a short synopsis that tells the audience what they need to know and hooks them. Open with that.

Where is the trailer? People expect a preview. Besides, you can use the power of editing to make the movie seem a lot better than it is and emphasise the aspects you want.

What is your target audience? You need to play up the aspects of the movie enjoyed by the target audience while minimizing the things that might turn them off.

You need better promotional artwork. The current art looks cheap and doesn't go with the award winning indie thing you're going for.

Quotes from random people don't help. Who are these people? Why does their opinion matter? Unless you have a quote from Steven Spielberg saying "it's fucking orgasmic", don't include it. They only clutter the page.

Also, you are underestimating the amount of traffic you need to sell things online. Here we can apply the marketing concept of click through rates. A click through rate of 2% percent is considered good. So, roughly 2 percent of people visiting your storefront will buy the product if the pitch is good.

This thread has been viewed about 750 times. Assuming everyone is a unique visitor, everyone clicked the link to your storefront page and your sales pitch was good (none of which are true), you could expect 15 sales from this thread alone.

You need to figure out ways to generate more traffic. Send review copies to reviewers and bloggers. Make a trailer that is shareworthy and post it literally everywhere. Figure out how search engine optimization works etc.

Remember, you are trying to sell a movie and not yourself. Let the movie sell you.
 
mlesleman.. "Have you watched MY movie? Surviving Family has been on iTunes since last August, on Amazon streaming since December, and Amazon Prime (free to Prime members) since July.

You certainly don't owe it to me to watch my movie. But my point is simply that you're asking me (as part of the collective IT community) to do something for you that you are not (as far as I'm aware) willing to do for me." No I didnt know you had a movie there. First I've heard of it.

elemental.. "I think you get more easy sold those dvd face to face." I am going door to door to sell it.

Will.. Yes!!

mussonman.. "Perhaps it's best for you to chop it into 10-15 minute sections and release it as a webseries." Interesting..

FatPenguin.. "I also, tend to avoid "young artists" type things like the plague. I've been on the back end of too many of those and have too many bad memories and associations from it." Thanks for responding but I wouldn't stereotype. you might miss something cool from somebody young. It's like me saying i wont watch something from mid twenty people because i know there movie is about a bar scene and 4 dudes cant get their life together and relationship problems. That kind of stuff.

Anonwriter.. Thank you!!!!! Gumroad has how many people have visited. I will give you the percentage. So I'm at 5% which bodes well as I have only mentioned it on this site.
spoilersthemovie.com
6 1 16.7% $6.99
indietalk.com
34 1 2.9% $3.99

Whats more interesting is 750 people only 34 clicked through. But I'm sure they are not unique. I'm writing an article for Stage 32. They came after me and ask I write it. But actually it's more about how I landed the acting roles from a small town than my movie. Which promotional artwork are you referring to? All great things as I move forward to get the word out. Thanks!!
 
I ran a quick search - I've posted about Surviving Family over 100 times in the past few years.

I've started a new thread whenever it's on a new platform (August and December 2014, July 2015). I posted a 99 cent rental special in July. I've posted both trailers multiple times. I post BTS video. I post links to my blog every week, in which I discuss both of my features. I answer other people's questions about getting a movie on iTunes and Amazon, and my impression of Distribber (which I used and like).

So I'll just say again that links to renting or buying the movie are on the website:
www.survivingfamily.us
 
With all due respect after going to your website which is nice by the way you got the script when I was only in the 6th grade.

You made the film when I was only in eighth grade.

Your last post on your website talking about itunes is August 15th 2014. I did not join until later that month in 2014.

When you were making your film I wasnt even allowed to be on the computer without being monitored. :)

I was teaching kids how to make shorts the first two weeks in July and then was cast for 6 weeks after that for a feature. So I think my timing and your posts have been off...
 
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Connor: I had a quick scan through your 146 posts on this site and they're almost all in your own threads, or, those that aren't, are about yourself.

Ultimately, Indietalk is a community, and if you don't engage with the community then you're simply here as a salesman. I think that people have been very accepting of you, but if you continue to treat every thread like a marketing opportunity, then this is the reaction you're going to get. This site is based on human interactions between likeminded people – if you're looking to promote your film here, the best thing you can do is to actually participate in our community and not just keep tapping us to buy your film.

As regards the '17 issue': I think it's a great thing and an impressive selling point. If you bring on a PR or marketing team for your film, they'll push your ages down the throats of the press. It's the most interesting thing about the project. But it's not interesting here. We've seen plenty of people, many of them younger than you, doing equally impressive things, but very quickly they become part of the community and people stop worrying about their age. People on Indietalk get an equal assessment regardless of their age, regardless of their training. You want a free pass for being 17 that we're not going to offer you, and whilst you got a pat on the back the first time you mentioned it, mentioning it in every thread is running pretty much against the entire ethos of the site. I know who the younger/teenage members of this site are (I was once one of them) and I really respect the fact that once they integrate with the community, they stop using their age as an excuse, and we stop using their age as a reason to patronise them.
 
Nick: You went through all my posts? Ok then you can see I do go to other threads but many of my posts were in my own thread answering the same questions from different people. I'm sure you noticed that. As I mentioned most people dont know who I am but when I mention my age they know because the original thread was so long. If my original thread was 4 responses and 20 views like a majority of the threads I dont think you would say I'm jamming it down peoples throats. I've actually only mentioned it a few times!

Again I have one thread about buying my film and it is taking the information and asking what people think? "Should I match redbox?" Then I answer from the feedback. Interestingly, I call that engaging and people helping me but you see it a different way.

Interesting point of view you have though. Makes me really think of marketing. So thank you for posting. Everything helps..
 
I thought at the very least curiosity would get some people to buy/rent the film. I do this all the time.

Not one person from this site has purchased.
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I've told you once, I'll tell you again, pushing the 17yro angle is killing you. Time is the most previous resource in the world. The fact that a 17yro made a film is unlikely to entice people to watch. They can watch millions of films made by teenagers on youtube, for free and most aren't feature films, so less time invested.

people generally don't pay to watch films to support filmmakers, they pay to watch films for their own personal enjoyment/entertainment
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This is key.

I wont post my movie for free.
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One of the most profitable shorts was released for free on iTunes on the first day. Dr Horrible's Singalong. If done correctly, releasing it for free for a limited time may not be the worst idea.

I dont know how to let people know who I am without saying 17
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Which was the last film you went to due solely to the reason the director/actor was [insert age]?

I also think there are a lot of people like me that will support other people just like me
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It's estimated that 10000 feature films are made every year. Some put that number even higher. How many of those 200 (average) films that were released this week did you go and support? How many of the 10k in the last year did you support?

I just have to find a way to let people know I have a movie to be rented. That is the hard part.
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I'm going to throw another idea out there for you to consider. Are filmmakers your target audience? If not, who is your target audience? Have you contacted/promoted to them?

Also, you are underestimating the amount of traffic you need to sell things online. Here we can apply the marketing concept of click through rates. A click through rate of 2% percent is considered good. So, roughly 2 percent of people visiting your storefront will buy the product if the pitch is good.

This thread has been viewed about 750 times. Assuming everyone is a unique visitor, everyone clicked the link to your storefront page and your sales pitch was good (none of which are true), you could expect 15 sales from this thread alone.
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You've failed to take into consideration conversion rates. 2% click through is good. I'd be praying to the gods for a 20% conversion rate considering the target market. Maybe 3 sales would be more the number from an experienced marketer with an optimized landing page.

Thanks for responding but I wouldn't stereotype. you might miss something cool from somebody young.
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The reality is you have to. There isn't physically enough time in the day to watch everything that gets made, even if you limit it to the young.

Good luck with your selling.
 
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