Categories
Let's Make Better Films Truly Free Film

Does The World Need Another Decent Movie?

By Julien Favre

With the world economy on the brink, the current environment has rarely been so tough for independent filmmakers. To get our films made and, even more so, to see them sold and/or distributed, is getting incredibly challenging. Foreign sales estimates for low budget independent films are a tenth of what they used to be pre-2008, and let’s not be fooled by the numbers. We will be happy if we sell at all, even for symbolic numbers. From a filmmaker’s perspective, we have entered a dichotomous world: a shrinking pool of independent films do well; most don’t make any significant business. It is now as if there is only room for one indie hit per year. If you are not that film that everybody wants, you barely exist and your business footprint will be close to zero.

Now, you can look at this situation in two different ways. One way is to

Categories
Let's Make Better Films Truly Free Film

The Entertainment Economy Is Completely Different Than It Was

Make no mistake: The Entertainment Economy can no longer be predicated on scarcity or control — as it has been for the last 110 years.  We need to rebuild it around concept of super-abundance & access.

YouTubers Upload 72 Hours of Video Every Minute”  That’s up from 48 hours a year ago.  At what age do we reach Saturation Point?  I already have: I have identified every film I would like to see — if I am able to maintain my maximum rate of consumption — to carry me 5 years past my life expectancy.  The very nature of technology indicates that in less than ten years, a twenty year old cinephile will have done the same.  I expect that to happen much sooner though.  Audiences will have no “need” for the new.  We have so many cute animals and children doing silly things after all.  Who really needs an ambitious and relevant cinema?  So why do anything to preserve it (let alone advance it)?  Let’s just bury our heads and try to hold onto what is left of our jobs.  Right?

I am glad there are those that know otherwise.

Categories
Truly Free Film

One Way To Deal With The Intersection Of SuperAbundance & Economic Collapse

I must confess I have developed a Standard Operating Response (SOR) to deal with the fact of my ever growing (& groaning) To Read / To Watch List and my ever dwindling pay check.

“Thanks, but right now we have to concentrate full time on paying work or our own projects. Good luck with it.”

I hope it doesn’t bum the recipients out, but it is a reality.