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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Independent Distribution Project: 'The Tunnel'

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Ace

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Here's a film project I'm involved in (as online director & E.P) called "The Tunnel", which I have previously mentioned in another thread. It's a special film project in that it has attracted some attention (especially here in the Australia) regarding its distribution method and fundraising platform.

The plan is to raise the movie’s cash budget of $135,000 by selling each frame of the finished film online for $1. (The idea is that a 90-minute film consists of 135,000 individual frames) And once completed, we're releasing it entirely online, FREE via Bit Torrent. (It's currently in post production, so its close).

So far, over 25,000 frames have been sold. And counting. http://www.thetunnelmovie.net/frametally.php

It sounds nuts. But the most significant thing about this project is what it means for independent film-making - It's already attracted interest from some majors, and in what seems to be an unprecedented position, they're actually talking openly (but cautiously) about embracing torrent networks as a legitimate platform for film distribution and marketing. In tandem with traditional distribution methods.

The ramifications of this model for indie film is yet to be seen, but I truly believe that if you create a quality product worthy of its respective audience, and give people the option to pay, they will. With the current state of distribution and marketing for independent films and the proliferation of popular ways to download media, there's never been a better time to put this theory into practice. And many are already doing so.

Here's brief synopsis of 'The Tunnel':

"An investigation into a government cover-up leads to a network of abandoned train tunnels deep beneath the heart of Sydney. As a journalist and her crew hunt for the story it quickly becomes clear the story is hunting them.”

Directed by Cannes winning director, Carlo Ledesma, The film is docudrama style shot from the perspective of the news crew as they are chased through The Tunnels (as found footage) inter-cut with interviews of surviving crew members. One of our leading men, Steve Davis who plays the camera-man is an actual news Cameraman so what you see from his POV in the film is actually him DP'ing. The interview shots are all RED.

Link to watch the Trailer and read more about the project: The Tunnel Movie.


And here's the current poster below. It consists of the names of the first 1000 frame owners of the film...

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I saw the site, saw the trailer, and bought two frames.

:-)
 
David Mullen ASC said:
In the U.S. don't you run into the SEC laws regarding investments if you ask people to put money into a movie if that money is not a donation, but instead, a promise of financial return?
Click to expand...
David,

I wonder if buying "frames" might not be a way around that? Been a long time since I've been involved in what you refer to, but I think there are a number of investors (8 or 16?... come to mind) that can be involved before registering with the SEC comes into play.
 
My understanding is that as long as there's no promise regarding ROI then it's not offside...the project is deemed a donation.

I like the imagination in this...we (and by that I mean independent filmmakers & producers) were lucky to have forward thinking folks at Telefilm Canada sponsor an event last week in Vancouver called "Online Marketing & Multiplatform Strategies".

Telefilm's position is they get that most low budget features they support are not going to get theatrical distribution, so where are filmmakers likely to find their audiences? By building them online...so they had Agentic put on the workshop and they gave us a binder along with tons of examples of successful campaigns.

This is the way it's going.
 
David Mullen ASC said:
In the U.S. don't you run into the SEC laws regarding investments if you ask people to put money into a movie if that money is not a donation, but instead, a promise of financial return?
Click to expand...

From what I understood, in this case, there is no promise of financial return (unless your frame number turns up in their raffle, which would give you 1%). So it is in essence a donation. :)
 
In for five. Will not eat for the next couple of days to make up the shortfall.
 
Albert, Tobias and Elsie, you guys rock! Thank you for participating and the support!

David Mullen ASC said:
In the U.S. don't you run into the SEC laws regarding investments if you ask people to put money into a movie if that money is not a donation, but instead, a promise of financial return?
Click to expand...

Hi David,

The laws are the same here in OZ too. The frame purchases aren't actually a promise of financial return, rather that we're just selecting one lucky frame buyer out of the thousands of frame owners in the end to receive a 1% share in the profits of the film. It's more of a gesture of thanks I suppose.

Cheers,
Ace
 
One more second of the film is unlocked, so keep working...

One of the frames I got has number 18, I hope that it's not a black one... can you confirm that Ace? =)
 
Best of luck to all involved, since this essentially it is similar to what we have been working on for the past
3 years for KETCH ROSSi's PERSEVERANCE, even so much higher Budget and settings ;)

Only complain about this Ace, is the payment method, only having Paypal is not good, in fact I can't buy any
frames cause I have closed my Paypal account and can't re-open one till I get back to Italy ;)
 
Jeremy Torrie said:
My understanding is that as long as there's no promise regarding ROI then it's not offside...the project is deemed a donation.

Telefilm's position is they get that most low budget features they support are not going to get theatrical distribution, so where are filmmakers likely to find their audiences? By building them online...so they had Agentic put on the workshop and they gave us a binder along with tons of examples of successful campaigns.

This is the way it's going.
Click to expand...

Exactly. But if a film picks up enough online demand, the traditional (Theatrical/Rental/DVD) will surely want a piece of the pie and follow too. An audience is an audience. At least thats the sentiment we've been receiving for The Tunnel. So thats not to rule out a theatrical release for a film which does gain critical mass online.

In the end, as mentioned in my first post, its about quality product. Releasing a film online regardless of budget does not absolve a filmmaker of their commitment to producing a good film. Good films will always have commercial success on multiple platforms regardless of initial distribution method.
 
Carl-August Savgård said:
One more second of the film is unlocked, so keep working...

One of the frames I got has number 18, I hope that it's not a black one... can you confirm that Ace? =)
Click to expand...

Hey Carl, Cheers! I don't think we'll include fade-ins :) The first couple of minutes of the film is a cool 911 style call of the on-screen text display of the emergency operator... So that should be cool.

One other idea we might implement is having an option on the finished movie to see each name of the frame owner flickering in the corner of each respective frame as you watch the film. So either way, you don't miss out!

KETCH ROSSI said:
Best of luck to all involved, since this essentially it is similar to what we have been working on for the past
3 years for KETCH ROSSi's PERSEVERANCE, even so much higher Budget and settings ;)

Only complain about this Ace, is the payment method, only having Paypal is not good, in fact I can't buy any
frames cause I have closed my Paypal account and can't re-open one till I get back to Italy ;)
Click to expand...

Cheers Ketch. I know your effort regarding Perseverence, and I hope you get to finally make it. How is it going?

Sorry about the Paypal thing. Paypal was just the easiest way to implement the system within current budget, and there will be other options soon to come...
 
Ace said:
Cheers Ketch. I know your effort regarding Perseverence, and I hope you get to finally make it. How is it going?

Sorry about the Paypal thing. Paypal was just the easiest way to implement the system within current budget, and there will be other options soon to come...
Click to expand...

Thanks Ace, moving along and getting to the big step soon, seen the great job you have done here, we might hire
your services as well ;) Even so again much different Budget, Scale and everything else, also an ApPP. is on the way.

Well yeah too bad for the Paypal thing, but they said that since I no longer have closed the business and registered
for the Business in Italy, now they will not open me an account till we have the business open in Italy,
paypal rules some times SUCK big time.
 
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