Why filmmakers should self distribute on the web

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Permalink Reply by Anthony Kilburn on August 7, 2009 at 9:17am

I don't know if I agree with the whole "audience as collaborators" idea. Realistically, the audience doesn't want to make a film or help with the filmmaking process, or else they'd be filmmakers.

We need to take a look at our precursors, the indie musicians. The way they get their "audiences" involved is through incentivized promotion. In other words, give the fans something they really want, whether it's exclusive works of art, specialized merchandise, or personalized keepsakes (autographed or limited edition items), in exchange for their efforts at "spreading the word".

We need to think of what gets us excited as fans and provide that to those people who take the time to invest in our creations.

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Permalink Reply by Fans Of Film on August 7, 2009 at 9:37am

Very well said and I really agree with autographed and limited editions on items, it helps bring up the true value of items such as DVD's that surly cost more environmentally than the monetary value that is current.

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Permalink Reply by Kerry ODonoghue on August 17, 2010 at 4:23am

We all know that fans like to feel a special link to a film or specific talent associated with it and merchandise worked wonders. This is a Blue Sky warning as I don't know if this would even work but one release of Shrek 2 had a karaoke section for the music how about expanding that concept?

Most of us have seen fan conventions where the fans think that the actors are like the characters they play in real life and they want to interact with that character not talk to the actor as a separate and distinct individual. Given that the Wii is a real time interactive games consul and some PS3 games are voice controlled including 'Tom Clanceys End War' where you can play against an inbuilt AI what about if a section of a film or a spin off could be written so that the fans could play/interact with the story as if they are in the episode or film themselves. I believe the tech is there it may not have been used in this way yet but it may be used in education at the moment. Imagine the PR, hype and money to be made if certain films could have this ability even for one scene. Like I said blue sky thinking.

Another benefit would be it could be used to teach Directing or acting craft and encourage people who may have not thought of working in films to choose this career. The other side of the coin being it show people who think acting is just standing with a bit of paper reading lines that it's not that easy and stop maybe a few people having their dreams shattered when they don't make it.

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