Making an independent film profitable requires finding patterns of success in the numbers. For instance, only nine independent films between 2010 and 2011 managed to break $10 million in the box office without appearing on at least 1,000 screens at their widest release. These nine films all were either nominated for Academy awards, based on best-selling books or directed by Robert Redford.
A team from Harvard Business School looked into some of these patterns as they analyzed the independent film market and searched for ways independents could be attractive to studios.
Fresh content and recognizable stars are the key to getting those box office tickets, air time, and downloads. And your strategy to approaching the theatrical run can also determine how a film does in other markets. Speaking with industry executives, it seems that a successful box office run is still extremely important in driving revenues in other windows.
