By Luke Taylor & Matthew Helderman
The term “big data” gets thrown around more often in technology circles then within film producing circles — but recently there’s been a shift. A noticeable shift that becomes obvious when a producer steps back and analyzes how the majority of their pre-production, production and post-production problems are solved. Whether it’s financing a new project, searching for potential talent or calculating an ROI structure.
Big data, the practice of organizing large quantities of information, has radically transformed every industry. While the effect on some industries are more noticeable than others — banking and communication — the film business has experienced tremendous changes due to these methods.
In the early 2000’s, information technology became the clear front runner for practices reshaping the economy. Companies like Google, Amazon and Apple utilized practices of mass organization to reshape cross sector industries. Lesser publicly known companies such as Qualcomm and RIM also pushed the boundaries of what was possible in time, space and output.
Information theory in general reshaped business and consumers daily lives. Looking at how we consume media on a daily basis in 2014 versus how we did so in 2000 is scarily different. Similarly, the way a film is produced today (while still owing many of the practices to days past) is progressive in its own right.
At the intersection of media & technology, changes have risen in the form of digital cameras, theatrical projection systems and crowd funding platforms — each enabling mass quantities of information to be processed at levels previously unparalleled. With these advancements, the barrier to entry has become massively lowered and in turn the quantity of content has risen significantly. To be specific – a 500% increase in annual feature film production has occurred from 2000 until 2013 — with a respective 2,000 films in produced in 2000 as opposed to the 10,000 films produced in 2013.
Technology theory and the business of media are now engrained in one another with companies like Netflix and Hulu blurring the lines between Silicon Valley and Hollywood. In doing so, data collection means have become common day practice for producers, start-ups, studios and distributors alike.
Tracking information from script to screen (development through distribution) is not necessarily a new practice, but the ways in which these processes are tracked today versus even a decade ago, is wholly advanced. IMDB for instance, launched in 1990, became an incredibly useful tracking system for all things media. With credits, progress information and company data — the site launched the IMDB Pro service to enable the media community access to even further data; again, an example of the advancing technology theory & big data movement in the media space.
While IMDB continues to prove tremendously valuable to the media community, new companies have entered the space offering additional value.
Slated — the online community for inside filmmaking information and deal making — has spread successfully through the independent and studio ranks as a power player. A mix between social media and information theory organization, Slated is poised to become a hub for developing, discovering, financing and distributing feature film content on a leveled playing field.
Slated is a prime example of using big data and technology to better the film business and filmmaking process. Today, like never before, an investor can find an appealing project and pursue the opportunity. Furthermore – actors, producers, directors, distributors and media companies can partake in the digital conversation occurring with every status update, project upload or new user.
When we set out to build BondIt we looked at the market and analyzed what made Slated so appealing to the film community — which lead us to multiple answers: the strength of the members, the legitimacy of the projects and the simplicity yet true value add the platform offered each user.
At BondIt, we use big data and information technologies in a different way — streamlining the union deposit process to free up producer/production company cash flow. Yet, at its core BondIt continues to grow in to a community of users partaking in a singular conversation — simplicity and ease of use in an age old practices of filmmaking.
We continue to hear producers stories about their experiences with union deposits and financing structures on a daily basis — and it all leads us back to how we can organize this massive amount of information into the most simple and productive tool possible.
BondIt tracks projects early on in the development phase all the way through the return of the deposit from each respective union – and in the process builds a narrative along with each producer. The goal with BondIt is for this narrative to be positive for both the producer & the union – as cash flow accessibility becomes available while the union members remain protected.
While big data continues to reshape the efficiency of the global economy — BondIt peeks through the numbers to find connections with users & their experiences to create the most effective product possible.
BondIt was founded by independent film producers Matthew Helderman & Luke Taylor of Beverly Hills based Buffalo 8 Productions. Having produced 30+ feature films, the team recognized a dilemma in the production process — union deposits — and launched BondIt to resolve the situation to assist producers & union representatives alike.
