Forget Osama... It's Pirated Movies That We Should Fear!!!

Yesterday, I woke up and checked out my Facebook account to see something odd and distrubing.  Someone had posted a link to an article about the Department of Homeland Security shutting down 77 sites.  At first I thought, "wow, they found 77 sites involved in terrorism and they shut them down".  Then I read the article.  The Department of Homeland Security shut down, not terrorist sites, but sites that allowed the file sharing of copyrighted material.  http://mashable.com/2010/11/27/homeland-security-website-seized/ Now I understand the concern over pirated movies is seriously impacting the major studios and independent filmmakers... but we need to seriously take a step back an examine what happened.  The Department of Homeland Security, set up by former president George W. Bush, to protect America from terrorists, takes time away from focusing on people who could hurt and kill Americans, to instead track down sites that people use to share copyrighted material.  This would be like the IRS deciding to put federal taxes off their prioritiy list and instead chase down people with speeding violations.  Yes, the IRS has authority... with taxes!  In the same way, the Department of Homeland Security has authority when it comes to terror attacks and concerns about the implimentation of those evil plans.... not pirated movies!

Now with that crazy paragraph out of the way, let's take a realistic view of pirating and the unrealistic realities that the big studios don't want to come to terms with.  Back in 2004 (I think that was the year) I happened to stumble upon a NPR broadcast about the music and movie industry.  The only person I remember in particular that spoke at this broadcast was Justin Timberlake.  Not sure why I can't remember any other names.  It was a discussion on how the music, movie and print industries need to adapt to the changing world.  One of the speakers pointed out to an interesting story about the executives at Disney when the first VCR was introduced to them.

The representative for the company that made the VCR prototype came in, plugged it into a TV and popped in a VCR tape of a film.  The executive responded with, "but how do we control how many people get to see it at a time?"

And that statement "how do we control how many people get to see it at a time?" is exactly what is wrong with the mentality of the film industry.  That word "control" is a very scarry word....  Stalin used that word.  Hitler did to.  So did the robber barons of the end of the 19th going into the 20th century.  We need to use caution when using that word.

The problem isn't with the pirates.  They're are thieves in every industry.  Just because someone steals gas at the pump doesn't mean that the entire oil industry is going to collapse.  You use some restraining power to keep the amount of thieving down, but if you hopped in your car and went chasing them down like some enraged vigilante, then all you'd end up with is someone in a car accident over a few bucks of gas.

My point is this:  If the film industry, especially the major studios in Hollywood, spend all their time chasing the "bad guys" then they'll take their focus off doing their real job which is making "great" movies.  The reason why they are loosing money is that their budgets are over budget while their actual stories are second rate to what they use to be a decade or so ago.

When my wife and I go out on a date, we first go by the local cinema to see what is playing.  In the last few years we've found ourselves looking at all the posters on the cinema wall, outside the building, and then saying, "well... not much of a choice to pick from".  And then we drive over to a local restaurant and eat out instead of watching a film.

The other major mistake in the film industry is that we haven't applied the simple concept of supply and demand to our films.  Why should anyone want to watch my movie when it is done if no one even knew I was making it?

The major studios put all this money out on their films, keep a tight lid on what is going on during production to "keep the magic in the film making" as they say it.  Then when the film is ready for release they create a  trailer that basically show a bunch of flashy shots that fit that genre without really giving us a good reason to even watch the film.

Great example:  The Hurt Locker.  The film industry was enraged when the Oscar award winning film ended up being pirated to death after it came out on DVD.  But the problem wasn't the pirates.  It was the marketing.  You didn't give me (the audience) a good enough reason to get up off my butt to see that particular film.

Another major issue is the price of tickets vs. the average yearly wage of most Americans.  Back in the Great Depression, people went to the movie theaters because they weren't expensive.  The cost of living wasn't blown out of proportion.  Yes, people we struggling worse than we are now, but the cost of a movie ticket wasn't outrageous.  If the movie industry gave deals on tickets, more people would show up, which means more money for the film studios.

To recap, the film industry needs to take a hard look at what it's doing before becoming the police of the world but utilizing the Department of Homeland Security which should be focusing its attention of the real evils of the world.

Game Changer?

GAME CHANGER-

- That’s how James Cameron described his newest film, “Avatar.”  He wasn’t referencing the script, acting, or music; but the way people literally saw film, especially big-box office CGI (3D) driven film. 

In the same way, I believe that THE HOUSE, and the other projects I am currently working on (Utopiland and a project I will call "Untitled")  will be “game changers.”  No, I’m not trying to compete with Cameron and his latest mega-budget film, but I am trying to change the way people perceive independently produced movies with budgets under $1 million dollars.

Typically, people see independent films as “small personal films”…  and nothing more.  Yes, there are many cheap independent horror/slasher films and various shoot’em-up action flicks, but to come up with something that is original, story driven… and has an element of “epic” in it as well?  That’s usually unheard of.  Why can’t an independently produced film be epic-looking in its shots?  Why can’t Indie films compete on the scale and scope of ideas that big studio films do?  Are we really that “small?”  NO WAY! 

When you see my SM profiles on places like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc. I always describe myself not as independent filmmaker but a “revolutionary” filmmaker.  There’s a reason for that: I want to change things!  A Game changer?  Watch the opening scene of THE HOUSE below, and comment on our YouTube video.  We want your opinion!






ps. This isn't just about THE HOUSE, it's about a completely different way of doing things.  I'll go into this more later.  But for me it includes Utopiland and the "Untitled" project (the reaction to the "Untitled" project may possibly change my course of direction on certain films).  This new way of doing things has already radically altered my way of thinking.

American Dreams ...and Filmmaking?

With every film project that I consider, every script I write, I find myself contiplating the universal question: "why?".  Why should I make this into a film?  Why should I even write the script?  Am I willing to spend a year, two years, three years or more to make this a reality?  If this was my last film to ever make, would it be worth it?

Paranormal Activity is gaining attention in theaters across the country and presently has made about 7.2 million in ticket sales and now is being screened at 160 movie theaters.  I applaud their sucess but also find myself wondering... is that it?  Don't get me wrong, I think gaining this much attention for a film is awesome.  But besides watching the film, possibly scaring the crap out of yourself, and going home to have nightmares... what else does the film do?  Will it inspire you to go out and feed the hungry?  Help the homeless?  Change the world?.. or even change yourself?

The other headline I see every night is that unemployment in the US is now at 9.5%.  With unemployment rising, homelessness and financial stress will rise.  I am not stating this to depress you, but instead to mention another project that a fellow film company is producing: 

Someplace Like America 

Basic synopsis:

Paper mill shuts down in New Hampshire and we see the aftermath and how people deal with this dramatic change in the life of the community that relied on the mill to survive.... 

I had heard about this project back in March.  I immediatly found the story interesting.  What I liked was that the company that is producing the film, Either/or Films, isn't interested in just creating stories that entertain, but that also provoke people to think and be inspired.  There's alot of hopeless in this world.  We need to talk about the things people care about like unemployment and the fear of joblessness.  We need to also inspire people to believe that things can get better. 

Check out Someplace Like America here: SLA  and become a fan on their FB fan page.  Please spread the world about this incredible story.  I believe that this could possibly be one of the most important projects of 2010...  What do you think?

My Econimic Stimulus Plan for Indie Films

El Mariachi Meets Star Wars???

by: John W. Bosley

Why is indie filmmaking dying? Why is it that there are more festivals, more content, yet less successful new filmmakers? I have a simple answer: We're not bringing enough to the show.

There is better equipment, but independent filmmakers aren't making better films... They are just making more of them. Imagine a tourist attraction like Six Flags or Disney World. Instead of a bracelet to ride every ride, you have to pay for each one. Tons of people, when the economy is great, are coming to enjoy the rides and every ride is making money... But, when times are tough and if you have to pay for each one, then people are pickier... some of the smaller rides won't make any money.

The definition for independent film is a film done independently of Hollywood money, which can be a little fuzzy... George Clooney can make a film from his own bank account (made by working as an actor on Hollywood films) and it is called an indie film just as much as some kid scrapping together his tax refund to shoot something in his backyard.

What made indie filmmaking different was the so-called "digital revolution?" Cameras became more affordable, people were able to shoot more and risk less. What happened wasn't better content, just more of it.

So how do we change it? Anyone who follows me on Twitter and has read my bio knows that I don't describe myself as an "independent filmmaker," but instead a "revolutionary." This is my reasoning: Indie films have a reputation of being either "small personal films" or "cheap B movies." I hate to be so honestly blunt about it, but I will be. My concern is the audience's expectations. Most expect all independently produced films to look alike. With all the new technology available, "the sky is the limit" and yet we still see the same material.

If you have a great "small personal film" that you believe needs to be made, than please go ahead a make it. Just don't do what many filmmakers I've met via Twitter and elsewhere have done. If you want to make something that looks more like a blockbuster film, don't settle for making a "small personal film" just because you don't think an indie filmmaker can accomplish a blockbuster. --Just do it!

Back to what is killing indies: we can't compete with high concept film ideas with our small concept ideas. It's plain and simple. If an average audience member has only one movie that they can watch, the majority will choose the high concept film over the small personal film. Simple statistics.

It used to be that if you had a celeb in your film, you would attract a larger audience. Both Variety and LA Times have reported that it isn't that way any longer. The only thing drawing people is a really great idea... and I would add also something that looks "hard to make." Since anyone can pick up a DV or HD camera for a few thousand... why should they pay to watch something they "think" they can make?

When I was a kid we were told that books were like visiting another world. I will watch a TV show that looks like my regular life, but I won't pay top dollar at a theater for a film about a regular life. I want LARGER than life.

My point is that you need to make your film feel larger than life. You don't have to change the premis, just give it a grander feel. But that would be too difficult, right? I thought so too... than I decided to "push the envelope" with AMNESIA and realized that when I was done production I could have "pushed it" even more. Trying the impossible, isn't as impossible as you might think. The truth is, my greatest lesson from my project was that "we are only restricted by the limits of our imagination."

A great example of going big was the movie Snow White. In today's terms it wouldn't count for much, but in the 1920's it was unimaginable for someone to make a animated full length feature film. However, Disney figured out that by doing "keyframing" he could make something that large without having to hire all pro animators. [The concept of "Keyframing" came from Snow White. He would have the pro animators draw the "key frames" while having the apprentices do the frames that would be less noticeable within the scene.] By doing this he cut down his budget and created a piece of history.... he just found a way.

What we need right now is El Mariachi meets Star Wars: a low budget film with an grand high concept idea. [El Mariachi was Robert Rodriguez's 7k film that caught Hollywood's attention.] If that happened it would catch everyone's attention.

How can we call it a "digital revolution" if nothing much really changed?

(If you still want to pursue a "small personal film" then I would recommend building a fan base by connecting on sites like Fans of Film or rebfest.com)