by Jen Sall
Rapid advances in technology make it significantly easier and much less expensive to make a film today. A record 12,218 films were submitted for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, 72 more films than the 2013 festival. Of the 4,057-plus feature films submitted, 121 were selected. Of those approximately 15 were purchased by the close of the festival. A few more have been bought in the past few months, not many.
Perhaps you beats the odds (you have around a 4% chance of your film premiering at a major festival and then 10% of distribution deal once it makes the festival) your film premieres at Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, SXSW or a festival with a track record of sales. Lightening strikes a second time and your film is bought. You are in the minority and you can stop reading this article. If you are one of the thousands of other films premiering at a festival with no distribution deal or buyer in sight, a film that has never screened in a festival, or you developing a film keep reading.
By Roger Jackson
The shifting of the global economy in 2008 changed the film business in obvious ways — budgets were slashed across the board, distribution outlets faltered internationally and multi-national conglomerates that owned and operated studios no longer saw a viable risk in the intimate, quirky and character centric independent films of the 1990’s and early 2000’s.
Do you want your film to change the world? Do you want to make money so you can make your next film? Do you have something to prove to yourself? An honest answer in the early stages can do wonders for a filmmaker in finding a workable distribution path, uncovering a forthright story, and figuring out an appropriate amount of money and energy to expend on the project. (Please note: An answer like “I am creative and want to express myself” misses the scope. This is a reflective question for professionals or budding professionals who live in the reality of scarce resources and time who will express themselves creatively regardless of their path).
Deep Metaphors are a concept from Harvard Professor, marketer, and researcher 