How Technology Has Affected Independent Films
How has the role of technology affected independent films and their film-making process?
The distribution of film has changed phenomenally during the last 10 years. Advances in technical equipment have benefitted the film-making process. Independent directors are now able to create high-quality films on a small budget. New technology, such as social media is one of a more prominent mediums used in modern filmmaking. In fact, many modern films choose to market and distribute themselves in this form. Will online marketing and distribution ever take over traditional film watching? The money made at the box office from commercial films still eradicates the level of success that many independent films have. Cinemas still play a large role in the projection of …show more content…
films. Often, cinemas choose to show films which will appeal to the widest audience. Commercial blockbusters such as Paddington (2015) or Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). Furthermore, the role of technology is undoubtedly important but will it ever take over classic film viewing?
Multi platform
YouTube has over one billion users which makes up almost a third of all people using the internet. YouTube also reaches more 18-49 year olds than any cable network in the United States. (found this on youtube statistics on youtube itself). The social networking platform has many features which appeal to it’s audience, such as the thumbs up button. A button which enables users to like or dislike the content thats presented to them. They also have the ability to comment and share. These features encourage users to enthusiastically weigh in their opinions of the trailer or viral video. As a result, giving the engineers behind the films, functional feedback, a main consensus and a prediction for the final popularity of the film itself. Twitter, is another networking platform which film-makers use, can also dictate the final success of a film. Twitter is repeatedly used as a form of social media marketing due to the hashtag feature. Users are able to hashtag the film’s name or a slogan, in order to show their excitement and anticipation for the upcoming movie. This proves how important the role of technology is in independent filmmaking as Twitter can be a successful form of free advertisement for films on a budget. Films which lack the abundance of expensive advertising campaigns that is presented by mainstream films.
Paranormal Activity (2007) was released by independent film-maker, Oren Peli and is the most profitable independent film to ever be made. (http://www.businesspundit.com/10-most-profitable-low-budget-movies-of-all-time/) The film itself was made on an incredibly low budget of $15,000 (estimated) and made over $193,000,000 total at the box office. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/business?ref_=tt_dt_bus). This can be accredited to the films skilled use of modern technology through viral marketing. A viral trailer advertising the film was uploaded to YouTube in 2009, and has over 30 million views. A tremendous amount when compared to most commercial film trailers uploaded to YouTube. The trailer, sells the film by splicing clips of the trailer and footage of a live audience sat at a screening watching the film. The audience appear to be petrified by the horrific events they are witnessing on screen. The trailer/viral video caused a massive amount of buzz around the film and many wanted to watch it at the cinema. Although the film was an independent release and was not originally going to be shown in larger theatres. The movie was placed on a website called Eventful, where viewers request it via an online competition that invites audience to ‘Demand it!’. The demand resulted in Paramount releasing the film the next month, in locales worldwide. This supports the view that role of technology is incredibly important in independent film making in regards to distribution as the films can advertise themselves on a modest budget. Ultimately through the use of technology, independent films can compete with the Hollywood Blockbusters.
Through an effective use of technology, independent films can also produce themselves. For example KickStarter gives a platform for independent filmmakers to pitch their idea to the internet. This is in order to gain funding for the project, from anyone who recognises the filmmakers vision or potential. A recent successor of KickStarter, Kung Fury (2015) directed by David Sandberg is a short comedy film where a kung-fu cop travels back in time to kill Adolf Hitler. The film raised $630,000 through the ‘Public Benefit Cooperation’ KickStarter. This displays how far film production has come. The film came from a small, unknown independent directer who initially aimed for $200,000 to make his idea a reality and as a result of using social media marketing, tripled his target. Regardless of the films humble beginnings, it soon became a KickStarter hit, a Cannes film festival entry and a Hollywood feature. Through the use of modern technology, independent directors, who lack ginormous production budgets, are able to make their creative vision a reality. CEO of KickStarter, Yancey Strickler, believes that KickStarter has “demonstrated that creativity has more value than the market itself” and that through the important role of technology, film making has no boundaries.
New technology has made it fundamentally easier for independent film-makers to make high quality projects that can compete with that of mainstream media.
Tangerine (2015) directed by Sean S Baker, is a feature film about a working girl who is searching for the pimp who broke her heart. The film is shot entirely, on a total of three iPhone 5s’ with the aid of a clip-on anamorphic lens. The technology enables the film to blend in amongst the sea of professionally shot films, proving that “you can make a beautiful film on a shoestring budget” (The verge, sundance film festival tangerine). Not only are modern cameras, smaller, cheaper, superior and more accessible but you can now even create art on your phone. You don’t even have to own a camera. This enables anyone to make a film and expands the previously limited art form, which was only accessible to large production studios with expensive equipment. As modern technology advances, it seems that film will only benefit from the positive aspects. The role of technology in independent film-making is incredibly important, as these low-budget films rely on e-media, social networking platforms and quick advancing technology in order to sell an equally viable
product.
Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have reinvented the way in which we consume films. Subscription-based services, allow people to watch films from the comfort of their own home and rather than heading over to their local cinema, there is now an option for those who wish to stay at home, wait until the films are released online and watch them then and there. These services, which have been introduced by modern technology
However, it can be argued that the money made at the box office from commercial films, still eradicates the level of success that independent films have. Cinemas still play a large role in the projection of films and many cinemas choose to show films which will appeal to the widest audience i.e. commercial films such as Paddington (2015) or Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). Furthermore, the role of technology is undoubtably important but will it ever take over classic film viewing?
Many argue that cultural value is taken from independent films whereas commercial films have not evolved and still follow the same narrative structure. Often Propp theory or Binary oppositions is a main part of the narrative arc, accompanied by predictable dialogue and stars and starlets.
The distribution of film has changed phenomenally during the last 10 years. Advances in technical equipment have benefitted the film-making process. Independent directors are now able to create high-quality films on a small budget. New technology, such as social media is one of a more prominent mediums used in modern filmmaking. In fact, many modern films choose to market and distribute themselves in this form. Will online marketing and distribution ever take over traditional film watching? The money made at the box office from commercial films still eradicates the level of success that many independent films have. Cinemas still play a large role in the projection of …show more content…
films. Often, cinemas choose to show films which will appeal to the widest audience. Commercial blockbusters such as Paddington (2015) or Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). Furthermore, the role of technology is undoubtedly important but will it ever take over classic film viewing?
Multi platform
YouTube has over one billion users which makes up almost a third of all people using the internet. YouTube also reaches more 18-49 year olds than any cable network in the United States. (found this on youtube statistics on youtube itself). The social networking platform has many features which appeal to it’s audience, such as the thumbs up button. A button which enables users to like or dislike the content thats presented to them. They also have the ability to comment and share. These features encourage users to enthusiastically weigh in their opinions of the trailer or viral video. As a result, giving the engineers behind the films, functional feedback, a main consensus and a prediction for the final popularity of the film itself. Twitter, is another networking platform which film-makers use, can also dictate the final success of a film. Twitter is repeatedly used as a form of social media marketing due to the hashtag feature. Users are able to hashtag the film’s name or a slogan, in order to show their excitement and anticipation for the upcoming movie. This proves how important the role of technology is in independent filmmaking as Twitter can be a successful form of free advertisement for films on a budget. Films which lack the abundance of expensive advertising campaigns that is presented by mainstream films.
Paranormal Activity (2007) was released by independent film-maker, Oren Peli and is the most profitable independent film to ever be made. (http://www.businesspundit.com/10-most-profitable-low-budget-movies-of-all-time/) The film itself was made on an incredibly low budget of $15,000 (estimated) and made over $193,000,000 total at the box office. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/business?ref_=tt_dt_bus). This can be accredited to the films skilled use of modern technology through viral marketing. A viral trailer advertising the film was uploaded to YouTube in 2009, and has over 30 million views. A tremendous amount when compared to most commercial film trailers uploaded to YouTube. The trailer, sells the film by splicing clips of the trailer and footage of a live audience sat at a screening watching the film. The audience appear to be petrified by the horrific events they are witnessing on screen. The trailer/viral video caused a massive amount of buzz around the film and many wanted to watch it at the cinema. Although the film was an independent release and was not originally going to be shown in larger theatres. The movie was placed on a website called Eventful, where viewers request it via an online competition that invites audience to ‘Demand it!’. The demand resulted in Paramount releasing the film the next month, in locales worldwide. This supports the view that role of technology is incredibly important in independent film making in regards to distribution as the films can advertise themselves on a modest budget. Ultimately through the use of technology, independent films can compete with the Hollywood Blockbusters.
Through an effective use of technology, independent films can also produce themselves. For example KickStarter gives a platform for independent filmmakers to pitch their idea to the internet. This is in order to gain funding for the project, from anyone who recognises the filmmakers vision or potential. A recent successor of KickStarter, Kung Fury (2015) directed by David Sandberg is a short comedy film where a kung-fu cop travels back in time to kill Adolf Hitler. The film raised $630,000 through the ‘Public Benefit Cooperation’ KickStarter. This displays how far film production has come. The film came from a small, unknown independent directer who initially aimed for $200,000 to make his idea a reality and as a result of using social media marketing, tripled his target. Regardless of the films humble beginnings, it soon became a KickStarter hit, a Cannes film festival entry and a Hollywood feature. Through the use of modern technology, independent directors, who lack ginormous production budgets, are able to make their creative vision a reality. CEO of KickStarter, Yancey Strickler, believes that KickStarter has “demonstrated that creativity has more value than the market itself” and that through the important role of technology, film making has no boundaries.
New technology has made it fundamentally easier for independent film-makers to make high quality projects that can compete with that of mainstream media.
Tangerine (2015) directed by Sean S Baker, is a feature film about a working girl who is searching for the pimp who broke her heart. The film is shot entirely, on a total of three iPhone 5s’ with the aid of a clip-on anamorphic lens. The technology enables the film to blend in amongst the sea of professionally shot films, proving that “you can make a beautiful film on a shoestring budget” (The verge, sundance film festival tangerine). Not only are modern cameras, smaller, cheaper, superior and more accessible but you can now even create art on your phone. You don’t even have to own a camera. This enables anyone to make a film and expands the previously limited art form, which was only accessible to large production studios with expensive equipment. As modern technology advances, it seems that film will only benefit from the positive aspects. The role of technology in independent film-making is incredibly important, as these low-budget films rely on e-media, social networking platforms and quick advancing technology in order to sell an equally viable
product.
Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have reinvented the way in which we consume films. Subscription-based services, allow people to watch films from the comfort of their own home and rather than heading over to their local cinema, there is now an option for those who wish to stay at home, wait until the films are released online and watch them then and there. These services, which have been introduced by modern technology
However, it can be argued that the money made at the box office from commercial films, still eradicates the level of success that independent films have. Cinemas still play a large role in the projection of films and many cinemas choose to show films which will appeal to the widest audience i.e. commercial films such as Paddington (2015) or Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). Furthermore, the role of technology is undoubtably important but will it ever take over classic film viewing?
Many argue that cultural value is taken from independent films whereas commercial films have not evolved and still follow the same narrative structure. Often Propp theory or Binary oppositions is a main part of the narrative arc, accompanied by predictable dialogue and stars and starlets.