FREE CINEMA NOW

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...

The beautiful and elusive aspect to the golden Hollywood exhibition model is that the work you create could actually be projected on thousands of screens across the country. How about that? But if you're not at the helm of Just Go With It or The Green Hornet or any studio-backed production, chances are you are also amidst the undefined the landscape that is new media independent moviemaking. So where do you go? How do you begin to stake your claim in this market ? For a while now, many of the articles I have published on Cinefile.com have marched to the same beat: Today the notion of DIY is less novel and more necessary. The Do-It-Yourself mentality has (luckily) grown into more of a business mindset and less of a "renegade" or "guerilla" mentality . It was inevitable. When an industry like ours sees less opportunity for independent film to flourish--albeit through domestic sales or production capital--on a mainstream scale, doesn't it seem n...

Focused platforms and niche dial tones are the future. They will integrate networking and cross-channel viral promotion. It's the future of social media. Cinefile.com is prime example of this -- and yes, it holds a dear place near my heart of course! Cinefile.com: The Movie Industry Network from Cinefile.com on Vimeo . And what's the great thing about all of these tools? THEY'RE FREE . Seize the moment.