Good post. Fur a long time I’ve been thinking that the streamers should go á la “Neftlix Indie” sub section. If the studios saw the audiences in the 90s (sony classics, searchlight, fine line), when will the streamers?
I'm just now writing about our Abrazos Tour where we went to 27 cities in 56 days with our film about immigration "BORDERLAND | The Line Within". Like "Union" it's a film that meets the moment. As filmmakers we have to consistently work to connect with our audiences and develop new ways to do it. I call it "back to the future". Think of in the before times, the joy of connecting with and building audiences without the help of big streamers. Now we can leverage the cinematic arts to strengthen the work of organizations at the local and national level, creating a virtuous cycle that benefits the films and local progressive efforts.
Pamela, I love to hear these stories, but my big question is growth and sustainability for these grassroots "back to the future" efforts. How are able to do this in a way that makes the time and effort work for you from a financial perspective?
love these resolutions. putting my energies for making these come true. wrote about #2 myself a few days ago. https://substack.com/home/post/p-153776355?source=queue&autoPlay=false I'm very on the fence with #4 on one hand A24 and NEONs would do well to keep the resources focused on doing what they are doing well right now with production and distribution and grow their companies with theatrical focus vs sidetracked to building a platform. However you're right we do need those indies to be working together with others to build the place for what audiences want at home away from the GSPs. A A24 or NEON tile on someone else's platform could be good. Also feel other "brands" in film like Sandbox, Sundance, Sloan Foundation, Criterion, Janus, and others need to be coming together, or at least someone aggregate well how to see films from their catalogs in an easy way!
thank you for this. incredibly helpful analysis — as a filmmaker and an optimistic field builder this wrap up is a much needed JOLT to me and a vision project i am working on that’s very local and very needed in NYC to be built on, with and around community ( in fact that could be the projects’ tagline). Here is to a new year that defies and reworks convention both at once.
Good post. Fur a long time I’ve been thinking that the streamers should go á la “Neftlix Indie” sub section. If the studios saw the audiences in the 90s (sony classics, searchlight, fine line), when will the streamers?
Great post Anthony!!
I'm just now writing about our Abrazos Tour where we went to 27 cities in 56 days with our film about immigration "BORDERLAND | The Line Within". Like "Union" it's a film that meets the moment. As filmmakers we have to consistently work to connect with our audiences and develop new ways to do it. I call it "back to the future". Think of in the before times, the joy of connecting with and building audiences without the help of big streamers. Now we can leverage the cinematic arts to strengthen the work of organizations at the local and national level, creating a virtuous cycle that benefits the films and local progressive efforts.
Pamela, I love to hear these stories, but my big question is growth and sustainability for these grassroots "back to the future" efforts. How are able to do this in a way that makes the time and effort work for you from a financial perspective?
love these resolutions. putting my energies for making these come true. wrote about #2 myself a few days ago. https://substack.com/home/post/p-153776355?source=queue&autoPlay=false I'm very on the fence with #4 on one hand A24 and NEONs would do well to keep the resources focused on doing what they are doing well right now with production and distribution and grow their companies with theatrical focus vs sidetracked to building a platform. However you're right we do need those indies to be working together with others to build the place for what audiences want at home away from the GSPs. A A24 or NEON tile on someone else's platform could be good. Also feel other "brands" in film like Sandbox, Sundance, Sloan Foundation, Criterion, Janus, and others need to be coming together, or at least someone aggregate well how to see films from their catalogs in an easy way!
thank you for this. incredibly helpful analysis — as a filmmaker and an optimistic field builder this wrap up is a much needed JOLT to me and a vision project i am working on that’s very local and very needed in NYC to be built on, with and around community ( in fact that could be the projects’ tagline). Here is to a new year that defies and reworks convention both at once.