FREE CINEMA NOW

This past weekend I wrote of the newly revitalized underground cinema as being a palpable gateway to the "New Cinema" (Regardless, the New Cinema is organic, ever-changing). That said, I still think it's essential for us independent filmmakers and content creators to start addressing the void in our immediate industry, our immediate culture. That void comes in the misguided collective mindset that ours is a failing or unfulfilled industry . Anyone who entered in the independent cinema game should NOT be surprised when they soon realize that overnight financial gains aren't a realistic feat. We become independent filmmakers because we are first artists. Those who think otherwise should read Ted Hope 's powerful post, "A 'Career' In Indie Film? Better Have That Second Job Lined Up..." In times of struggle and uncertainty--key words for our independent film realm--there lies great potential for reinvention, risk and (hopefully) reward. Wh...

Our current era of independent filmmaking/exhibition/distribution has introduced alternate methods of delivery for the new media content creator. That is to say, the new indie filmmaker has to tell a story with much more frequency, sometimes over longer periods of time. Before, a filmmaker would just make the film and then hope the finished product connects with some sort of audience for fiscal gain (ticket sales, studio deals, yada, yada, yada). But Web 2.0 and the social media revolution have (thankfully) lifted Oz's curtain. Therefore, a revived need for (daily) content has really put filmmakers on the spot. The good news is, is that filmmakers have more power in actually choosing their audience than ever before. The bad news is that this daily content (an active Twitter feed, updated YouTube channels, blogs, etc.) is often free content and therefore returns no immediate revenue for the artist. But don't fret. A post in Filmmaker Magazine -- "The Microbudget Co...

Figuring out how to transform the free online content that we produce (almost on a daily basis) into currency that can someday pay the bills isn't just a growing concern--it's an indie industry-felt dilemma. Yet, for the longest time, I've been insisting that my peers continue to make work (mostly digital shorts, blog entries, images, RSS Feeds, etc.) and just put that content out there--for free. I still feel this is a vital behavioral-business model. Other indie digital filmmakers have actually asked me, "Yes, but how do I make money with my short film?" My answer usually is, "Well, that's a tough question. First of all: Who are you? Do you have a following? Is your work actually good ("good" meaning it's content that is engaging, interesting or of some niche value)?" I think those questions need to be answered first before any artist makes the leap from 'independent creator' to 'financially successful cre...

I need you. And you need me. It's that simple. Our rising new media industry--you know that always changing frontier for independent filmmakers--is going to live or die by our willingness to cross-promote, engage, inspire and sustain work for each other. I'm beginning to sense that something remarkable will happen soon among the independents. What is it? An aggressive, hard-to-ignore community of innovative DIY digital filmmakers will take to the frontlines. It HAS to happen. In his latest Hope For Film post , producer Ted Hope expressed: " I’ve written a lot about the increasing responsibilities of filmmakers and the absolute need to focus on audience/community building.  How to we get our work seen in an entertainment economy that has shifted from being based on scarcity and control, to one of super-abundance and ever-increasing access?  The tools get better daily, and slowly we start to map out a series of best practices." It's a very re...

At a recent film industry event I attended, I found myself picking up my jaw from the ground a lot. I ran into a number of individuals--all indie producers and content creators--who were hellbent on landing that "theatrical run" for their micro or modest projects. The relentless DIY-digital filmmaker inside me kept erupting with "Are you fucking nuts?" expletives. You see, I have a deep concern for my peers not seeing the big picture. Like any other independent artist, I would love to have all of my work tour the nation on big multiplex screens but we know that the current exhibition infrastructure is not built to program all of our work (whether their current programmed content is any good is an entirely different discussion), so why bother with waiting around and hoping to be "discovered"? We know the major film festival route is becoming a slimmer opportunity every year; since when do films that star Tinseltown marquee names earn the label of being...

For this post, I thought I'd let your eyes AND ears have a go at it. In the video below I've juxtaposed images from Stan Brakhage 's Black Ice with interview audio of Harmony Korine from the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival . Consider it another "call to arms" for the emerging wave of new independent digital filmmakers and content creators. Now watch.

Last week when I wrote of the importance of online peer-to-peer content curation , I forgot to mention that we shouldn't lose sight of the communal experience of moviewatching. In fact, because the general mass-going film festival experience has grown too big for its own good, now is the perfect time for to seek or create some niche programmed (underground) film festivals. For example take MoFest , a weekend long festival ( April 16-17 at the Portage Theater in Chicago ) that focuses on the works created by industry folk from the Midwest. This fest describes itself as being "dedicated to the hardest working film crew in the world. We are the people who assist, grip, light, record, prepare, style, sweep, scout, iron, paint, cook, edit, design, drive, sweat, and bleed for other directors’ projects. Now it's time for OUR creativity to take center stage!” A festival like MoFest is the direct offspring of a festival-programming universe that has lost footing with i...