Exploring No-Budget Indie Feature Film Making

In a long article on Esquire, Max Cea says Welcome to the No-Budget Era.

In an era of superheroes and much hand-wringing, he posits that:

“Film’s unlikely hope? A quirky, brilliant wave of directors who are churning out microbudget features that are pushing what’s possible with minuscule funding.”

What about streamers saving the day? He quotes Riel Roch-Decter, co-founder of an indie production company:

“From a producing perspective, if you’re trying to pitch a project to the four or five streaming platforms who actually are able to pay for things, they want what the algorithm is telling them they want. That means more true crime, more Emily in Paris, and not anything that challenges.”

Max digs deep into the DIY filmmaking ethos: can’t get invited to the cool party? Host your own!

He profiles Kentucker Audley, his excellent indie film review site NoBudge and their bi-monthly live screening series in Brooklyn, New York.

And then he explores the unintended potential consequences of making unique, funny, thoughtful indie films:

“At the moment, the ability to make a $50,000 feature that rivals the quality of something made for $5 million is an exciting democratization, but it’s easy to imagine how that advancement might be exploited. ‘The second you tell people who finance movies that they’re paying five million dollars for something they could be paying fifty grand for, we’re just going to continue to erode at the idea that anyone could ever make a living doing this,’ says Free Time director Ryan Martin Brown.”

Max concludes with a hope:

“The sense I get, though, is that the solution — if there is one — will involve theaters. There’s been a lot of hand-wringing over the past decade that streaming has killed the theatrical business for everything other than Marvel movies. Programmers, distributors, and independent studios though, say that that’s not totally true. Evenings like the one I witnessed with The Civil Dead or at NoBudge screenings were doing well, too. In other words: Events. “People really enjoy when there’s a live component,” says Future of Film Is Female Executive Director and longtime programmer Caryn Coleman. ‘I like showing short films before features because you get their whole audience to come in.'”

My take: same as it ever was, to reference the Talking Heads. People need to discover they like the taste of indie film to stoke their appetite and then crave a diet of non-Hollywood film. However, the bottom line is the bottom line. Show business is a business and budgets need to be minimal if a film can only gain exposure. I believe the rule of thumb in old Hollywood was that only one in ten films made money and needed to cover the losses of the other nine. Looking at you, A24 and other indie distributors!

Help define CanCon by March 31, 2023

Telefilm Canada invites the industry to participate in the Canada Media Fund’s newly launched national #CanConDef survey focused on the Canadian audiovisual sector’s views on how the current definition of “Canadian content” could evolve and contribute to the conversation following the passage of Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act.

The 10-15-minute survey is open to all individuals who work in or aspire to work in Canada’s audiovisual production and broadcasting sectors. It’s designed to be widely accessible, regardless of role, level of experience, or knowledge regarding Canadian content policy.

The survey will close on March 31, 2023. Click HERE to fill out the survey.

My take: please fill out this survey as it has the potential to shake up the film and TV scene in Canada for decades to come. Just ask all the Canadian Music Icons who owe their careers to MAPL, also known as CanCon, established in 1971, over 50 years ago. It’s a long survey so have a drink nearby.

How the most-awarded film in history did it

Hilton Dresden tallies in The Hollywood Reporter 2023’s Oscar Wins By Film: ‘EEAAO’ Leads With 7 Statues.

They write:

“As expected, Daniels Kwan and Scheinert’s Everything Everywhere All At Once has come out on top at 2023’s Oscars ceremony, with the most wins of anything nominated. The A24 multiverse dramedy, only the second feature film from the directing duo, took home seven awards: best picture, director, lead actress for Michelle Yeoh, original screenplay, editing, supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis.”

Alex Stedman analyzes on IGN How Everything Everywhere All At Once Went From Intriguing Indie to Awards Juggernaut.

She plots out this timeline:

  • Dec. 14, 2021: Trailer Debuts and Picks Up Steam
  • March 11, 2022: Everything Everywhere All At Once Opens SXSW to Rave Reviews
  • March 25, 2022: Everything Everywhere Opens in Limited Theaters
  • April 16, 2022: A24 Doubles the Theater Count, Continues to Expand, and Cashes in
  • Jan. 24, 2023: Everything Everywhere Scores 11 Oscar Nominations and Begins Awards Sweeps

To date, the film has made almost $108M worldwide on a budget of $25M.

Guy Lodge explains in The Guardian how ‘A24 finds the zeitgeist and sets the trend’: how a small indie producer came to dominate the Oscars.

He writes:

“With 11 nominations, Everything Everywhere All at Once leads the Oscar field; A24, likewise, is the leader among studios, having also secured nominations in various categories for its films Aftersun, The Whale, Causeway, Close and Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. And this kingmaker status has been achieved with surprisingly few concessions to the mainstream.”

He traces the company’s 10-year history and quotes filmmaker Lulu Wang as saying:

‘A24’s brand is intertwined with the identities of the artists that it works with, and [is] known for championing unique voices. At the same time, they just have a really incredible ability to identify the zeitgeist before everybody else has. They set the trend…. The world has changed. Our industry has changed. And who is saving cinema? We have to draw people to theatres. And we don’t want the tentpoles to be the only things on offer. If A24 are able to continue getting independent films made, and protecting the voices that make those independent films, I don’t care if it has to come with a mug.’

My take: Great work, A24! This is evidence the tide has turned and more interesting films are in vogue once again. I guess we’ll know for sure in 12 months.

Physical media continues to make a comeback

Natalie Stechyson reports on CBC News about When everything is digital, why we long for media we can hold in our hands.

Her claim:

“After years of digitizing everything, people are rediscovering the value of physical assets. DVDs, vinyl records and film cameras are all experiencing a renaissance. Even cassette tapes are making a comeback.”

She interviews owner Tom Ivison of Classic Video in Kingston, Ontario, who rents more than 50,000 DVDs and Blu-rays.

She outlines growing interest in vinyl records, CDs and cassette tapes.

She quotes Richard Lachman, associate professor in the RTA School of Media at Toronto Metropolitan University:

“‘More people are spending a lot more time consuming media at home. And they’re building rooms, or are collecting in some way. And DVDs are physical objects. They look nice in a room. The physicality of it is part of the joy you’re getting from the fandom.'”

My take: True, not everything is available to stream. But frankly I can’t remember the last time I watched something on physical media. Oh, it was an obscure British crime drama on DVD from the library last year! I think physical media is very much a secondary market and can’t be a viable means of distribution again; it’s merch. The value for collectors should not be underestimated, though.

More on ad-supported movie distribution

Brian Welk, reports on IndieWire, about Inside the Strange and Prickly World of Ad-Supported Indie Film Distribution.

He writes:

AVOD (advertising-based video on demand) streamers often license unknown or obscure movies in bulk from distributors like FilmRise, Gravitas Ventures, Shout! Factory, Cinedigm, and… Homestead Entertainment, a tiny distributor in Laguna Beach, California that specializes in working with filmmakers to access non-exclusive AVOD deals on dozens of services.”

He adds:

“Also in the game are self-service film aggregators. FilmHub cofounder Alan s’Escragnolle said his company has distributed more than 17,000 movies since January 2020, supplying as much as 15 percent of Tubi’s 50,000-film library. He said FilmHub works with upward of 100 services and claimed distributors have started leaning on them to reach more niche or international streamers.”

Note that at pennies per view, millions of streams are required to make serious money.

My take: this is empowering. It kinda hearkens back to the Roger Corman days when cheaply-made “B” movies connected with their audiences and launched the careers of many directors and actors. The key is to start with the audience, reverse-engineer a riveting story for them and then make the film reasonably. And to stomach ads… gulp!

FilmRise knows what you want to watch

Scott Roxborough reports in The Hollywood Reporter how FilmRise Built an Indie, Free Streaming Network From Unearthing Under-the-Radar Titles.

FilmRise is a New York City film and television studio and streaming network launched by Danny Fisher, Jack Fisher, and Alan Klingenstein ten years ago.

As quoted in the article, Fisher specializes in discovering existing content viewers still yearn to watch:

“‘If I could identify and measure the viewer demand to see content, irrespective of what the industry thinks the demand is, I could find that disconnect between demand and market evaluation…. It really comes down to our algorithms. We’ve found a way to measure audience demand and see where demand for a piece of content is much higher than what that content is being valued for in the market.'”

FilmRise, and companies like it, are fuelling SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand,) AVOD (Advertising Video on Demand,) ASVOD (Ad-Supported Video on Demand) and FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) digital media outlets.

This company is on the ball! Not only are they internationalizing their content for the rest of the world, they’re also repackaging shorter web content into more standard half-hour TV length shows.

My take: Wow! Anyone who’s picked up The Kids in the Hall is all right by me!

JustWatchMe.tv launches in Canada

There’s a new streamer in Canada: JustWatchMe.tv

As reported by Jordan Pinto on C21Media, Michael Dobbin‘s Capital Motion Picture Group has launched Canadian streamer JustWatchMe.tv offering indie films.

He quotes Dobbin:

“If big streamers are like a shiny fast-food chain, where you always know what you’re getting, we’re the food truck parked across the street with daily specials and better ingredients. We’re hoping that JustWatchMe.tv can grow to feel like home for Canadian producers and their content, which we all love but rarely get to see.”

Most content on the service will be free. A premium tier will be $4.99 per month.

My take: Hey Michael, let’s talk about doing a web series!

DGC releases stats: nearly 6 in 10 productions directed by non-Canadians

Late last year, the Directors Guild of Canada released it’s first Director Statistics Report.

This comprehensive study on the engagement of Canadian directors by both Canadian and international producers, studios and networks for 2021, focuses in on region, gender, production type and the entities commissioning film and television production.

Some highlights:

  • 75% of all Episodic work in Canada was from US-based studios and networks.
  • Together, Warner Media and Netflix shot more television in Canada than all Canadian networks combined.
  • Canadian Directors directed on average 41% of the US-financed TV episodes across the country.
  • Across all the DGC Episodes, women directed 43%.
  • In 2021, BC shot almost half of the 1,256 Episodes produced in English Canada, with BC accounting for 43%, Ontario shooting 40% and the remaining provinces and territories accounting for 17% of the episodic work shot.
  • Only 4% of all productions in BC were funded by a Canadian studio or network.
  • Nearly 70% of the CBC’s English language shows are shot in Ontario.
  • Only 39% of the features shot in English Canada were directed by Canadians. Of these, 31% were directed by women members.

My take: this makes fascinating reading! If I understand it correctly, nearly six out of ten productions in Canada are directed by non-Canadians.

Creative Producers seek to remain relevant amid streaming

Chris Moore laments on Dear Producer about The Disappearance of the Hit-Driven Business Model.

Chris has worked in the film and television industry for almost thirty years as a Creative Producer and has shepherded over two dozen projects, including Good Will Hunting, American Pie, Project Greenlight and Manchester by the Sea.

He begins with:

“The nature of the creative producer’s job doesn’t allow a lot of time to stop and ask questions about the changing industry around us. However, over the past few years, I’ve given myself some time to reflect. Between MANCHESTER BY THE SEA being released by Amazon, and the world shutting down due to a pandemic, it became clear that the job I have now isn’t the one I had when I started back in 1994.”

He continues:

“Many producers of my generation had a business plan for our careers. For me, it was directly dependent on the success of each individual film. Not long ago, profit in the film industry was based on a hit-driven business model. If a lot of people bought tickets to see a film in theaters, rented the DVD, or paid for a digital download, it sometimes made a profit, and was considered a hit. At the time, producing a box office hit led to an easier time getting your next project made and usually with a bigger budget.”

More on the good old days:

The 1980s through the 2010s was a great time to be a creative producer. Put deals together, own the library of content, and make big money. I came into Hollywood when this was just exploding, and at the same time, foreign markets were opening up, home video was becoming much bigger with the release of DVDs, and cable allowed for many more channels for a piece of content to reach audiences. In comes windowing, in comes licensing, in comes new markets for content. Speculation became a new business model worth pursuing if a creative producer had the stomach for it; there were new buyers and talent looking for content, and all were free agents. It was awesome.

Then he arrives at the crux of the issue:

“Unfortunately, the hit-driven business model I built a career around is not the reality of the industry we are living in today, and I can finally admit that we are not going back to the way it was. I realized I hadn’t acknowledged how much things had changed. Today, there is a very small speculative market compared to the 1990s and early 2000s, and large companies are no longer driven by the profit of each individual film. The current subscription-based business model removes the opportunity to create a hit. In this new model for storytelling, volume is more important than quality.

He then list the shortcoming of the streaming model in detail, concluding with possible strategies:

“Become an executive. Choose a specific genre. Choose talent to work with. Work inside a production company or become a manager/producer. Work for a non-profit. Take on a larger company’s liability. Or accept that the old version of a creative producer is now a hobby.”

He firmly believes: “We have to be honest with the next generation that the system we are all in right now is not working nor does it offer the life you might have been promised in film school.

His final rallying cry:

“All of this soul searching has led me to the simpler solution which is creative producers need to become part of something bigger than themselves and their projects. Rather than wait around and see if the industry is going to make room for us again, we must take matters into our own hands and find the thing that replaces the hit-driven model. If we want sustainability, we have to create a new business model that works within this new era of Hollywood.

Watch Dear Producer on Vimeo.

My take: a lot of people blame new economic realities when their job disappears. Chris Moore, however, argues that streamers have distorted the free market because it is now impossible to use the box office to measure success (other than for blockbusters and who cares about them.) Perhaps we need a new Streaming Decree that splits production from distribution once again?

Last year’s produced screenplays for your edification

Kudos to Scott Myers for once again collecting the season’s screenplays in one place!

Scott runs Go Into The Story, the Official Screenwriting Blog of The Black List. (More about this list.)

Currently there are links to these scripts, with more being added weekly

  • All The Old Knives (Amazon Studios)
  • Amsterdam (20th Century Studios)
  • Argentina, 1985 (Amazon Studios)
  • Armageddon Time (Focus Features)
  • The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight Pictures)
  • The Batman (Warner Bros.)
  • Bones and All (United Artists)
  • Catherine Called Birdy (Amazon Studios)
  • Emergency (Amazon Studios)
  • Empire of Light (Searchlight Pictures)
  • The Fabelmans (Universal Pictures)
  • Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
  • The Good Nurse (Netflix)
  • Lady Chatterly’s Lover (Netflix)
  • Living (Sony Classics)
  • Master (Amazon Studios)
  • The Menu (Searchlight Pictures)
  • My Policeman (Amazon Studios)
  • Nanny (Amazon Studios)
  • Nope (Universal Pictures)
  • The Northman (Focus Features)
  • Pinocchio (Netflix)
  • She Said (Universal Studios)
  • The Son (Sony Classics)
  • Tár (Focus Features)
  • Thirteen Lives (Amazon Studios)
  • Three Thousand Years of Longing (United Artists)
  • Till (United Artists)
  • White Noise (Netflix)
  • The Woman King (TriStar Pictures)
  • Women Talking (United Artists)

Scott says:

“Reading movie screenplays is critical to your development as a screenwriter. Along with watching movies and writing pages, it is a fundamental practice you should put into place. Make it a goal to read at least one movie script per week.”

He should know. He’s an assistant professor of screenwriting, a working screenwriter and an author. Check out his Twitter, Instagram and Facebook postings.

My take: I will be doing a scene-by-scene breakdown of “Glass Onion.” I’ve done “Palm Springs” previously and can attest that the exercise is very valuable. For bonus insight, I also compare the script with the film and note where extensive changes have been made. So interesting!