Ben from Shooting People was weighing the piracy issue a couple of weeks ago and its impact on independent filmmakers. The first dilemma is whether independent filmmakers can transition in the way indie bands have to be able to make money in other ways besides money for product transactions. In theory, this seems like it is the wave of the future- Robert Greenwald or Four Eyed Monsters-style. Filmmakers can, in theory, sell events versus selling DVDs, and potentially can make some money. No doubt touring in a bus is not as easy as having some record company shill a CD, either.

There is a part of me that feels a bit sad that there seems to be numbers of films that I think are good that would have a hard time reaching an audience in the emerging climates and I wonder if they will continue to be made. On the other hand, I’ve noticed that the spectrum of music that has awareness in general has really broadened in the past 20 years. The more people feel a direct relationship with the films they are accessing, the more they may be willing to branch out and explore.

Also, Ben suggests filmmakers have nothing else to sell? Why not? They could have games, ala Lance Weiler, cool swag like T-shirts for festivals or the web or speaking engagements for the filmmaker. Online they could give away the film and sell the extras, or create a community for the film with something value-added, or do contests or giveaways. Look at breakfast cereal- companies have been able to charge many times the cost of production because of packaging, extras, and perceived health benefits– filmmakers can learn from all kinds of marketing sources.

That said, it isn’t like a $5 million budget is redeemed with cracker jack prizes, but for filmmakers working on the cheap, making shorts or iTunes-friendly films, the indie rock model may not be that far-fetched.

Back from a great time at Cannes and Hot Docs- somewhere out there, there is footage of the panel I was on in Toronto but I’m not sure if it is essential viewing. The divide between distributable product and the vast masses that don’t fall into saleable niches is growing. Some niches seem to be growing too- given the lower financial commitments of getting films out digitally, perhaps there is a chance for new kinds of risks (though that hasn’t proven true so much yet).

With sales down in Cannes and the specialty film maket suffering, TV/VOD may be the next great hope for independent filmmakers. As far as I know, there are no public figures for the revenue of individual titles on IFC’s Festival Direct or Magnolia’s VOD titles, so it’s hard to get a current read. Films without a theatrical release don’t benefit from press and publicity and may potentially still be tarred with a “direct to video” brush- but times are changing.

Is VOD just another place to sell the film after you’ve made your theatrical and broadcast deals? Could VOD be the first place you sell your film? How can you bring your audience to a VOD broadcast? Does VOD have any specific qualitites to help you build an audience?

HT: Ingrid Kopp