Kevin Smith launches Indie distribution

[VinceRocca]

This is posted on http://viewaskew.com/redstate/theredstatement.html

The Harvey Boys have witnessed first hand the vagaries of "studio math" - the byzantine numbers game that sees an uneducated media and public celebrating "huge" openings at the box office while ignoring the obscene marketing costs attached to reach those figures. We believe it's a pyrrhic victory to simply "buy" an opening weekend by pouring millions of dollars into TV spots, billboards and print ads. As storytellers, why not instead use our creative abilities that resulted in a film in the first place to also creatively SELL that film directly to our public?

We believe the state of film marketing has become ridiculously expensive and exclusionary to the average filmmaker longing simply to tell their story. When the costs of marketing and releasing a movie are four times that film's budget, it's apparent the traditional distribution mechanism is woefully out of touch with not only the current global economy, but also the age of social media.

Therefore, The Harvey Boys will not spend a dime on old world media buys (such as TV/Print/Outdoor) as we self-distribute our film, Red State, in an admittedly unconventional, yet extremely cost effective, word of mouth/viral campaign.

Knowledge is power, and we believe in empowering the filmmaker - so the Harvey Boys vow to make the financials of Red State open and transparent from which anybody hoping to follow suit can learn. We will do what no studio has dared: open up our books for the world to see so anyone interested in pursuing a similar independent release strategy has a better understanding of the BUSINESS of Red State.

And if we're successful - or even merely effective - at producing a film distribution apparatus that can stand apart from the cost-prohibitive studio model currently viewed as the only way to get a movie into a theater? It is our intent to use the groundwork we lay with Red State to aid other filmmakers in releasing THEIR films, via our newly launched SModcast Pictures.

Don't hate the studio; BECOME the studio. Anybody can make a movie; what we aim to prove is anyone can release a movie as well

The Harvey Boys
Jon Gordon & Kevin Smith

Kevin announced at Sundance tonight that he is going to self distribute Red State one screen at a time to generate the 2.5 mil needed to do a 1000 screen run in October.

See a list of dates here: http://viewaskew.com/redstate/

Okay so he says he's opening the books. Does this mean we'll get to see all the financials? I've detailed all my movies financials with Warner Bros. in my book and let me say it is a humbling experience, but one I felt was important to aid other filmmakers. I hope he'll be able to share Red States books with us cause it will be a very interesting comparison from a $10k indie like Kisses and Caroms to a $4 mil indie like Red State.

 

[Aaron Champion]

sweet

 

[Kalani Prince]

very interesting indeed. We as humans are headed towards a collective consciousness.. It only makes sense that everything else will become more *
*transparent and accessible.

*See Red : )

 

[Liana]

Kevin announced at Sundance tonight that he is going to self distribute Red State one screen at a time to generate the 2.5 mil needed to do a 1000 screen run in October.

This completely ignores the peril of piracy. A distribution through major studios is desirable because they can release to many screens at once, thereby making sure costs are recovered in the first week. The longer you wait after finishing a project, the greater the chances of it finding its way to the internet for 'free' downloads.

The biggest threat for small indie filmmakers is not competing with big-budget films and their huge marketing budgets, it is making sure they can recover the money that went into making the film before it is available on the internet.

I wish there was something Red or any other company could do to kill piracy, but it is a complex problem that requires both technical and legislative amendments.

 

[Brandon J.F.]

This completely ignores the peril of piracy. A distribution through major studios is desirable because they can release to many screens at once, thereby making sure costs are recovered in the first week. The longer you wait after finishing a project, the greater the chances of it finding its way to the internet for 'free' downloads.

The biggest threat for small indie filmmakers is not competing with big-budget films and their huge marketing budgets, it is making sure they can recover the money that went into making the film before it is available on the internet.

I wish there was something Red or any other company could do to kill piracy, but it is a complex problem that requires both technical and legislative amendments.

Big studio films that are released on thousands of screens around the world opening weekend are the first to end up online in "CAM" versions. An Indie film, like this, released a screen at a time in the US has little to no chance of ending up online unless a DVD Screener copy leaks.

 

[Liana]

You are correct. Some of the smaller budget films have also found their way on the internet when they caught the buzz. It depends on what people want to watch, if a film does not get pirated because no one wants to watch it that is hardly a relief to the filmmaker!

Besides driving from screen to screen to display your film is not a model that will appeal to many filmmakers. Some just want to tell stories through their film, and let the distribution be handled by experts in that field.

 

[Brandon J.F.]

Some of the smaller budget films have also found their way on the internet when they caught the buzz. It depends on what people want to watch, if a film does not get pirated because no one wants to watch it that is hardly a relief to the filmmaker!

As I said, the biggest risk for an indie is a screener copy leaking. Most films that are leaked online while they are in theaters are low quality CAM versions with Telesync audio. "CAM" means someone is literally in the theater or projection booth with a camera recording the screen. This is usually done overseas and not in the US. Telesync audio is recorded directly from an audio source in the theater and not a microphone in the theater. Again, this is not so easy to get away with in the US...

One thing that can be done to prevent the above is use Cinavia Theater Watermark DRM. It's an audio watermark that prevents playback on many devices (e.g. PS3, new Blu-ray players). There is also a Cinavia Blu-Ray Watermark. It would not surprise me at all if this technology, or something similar, is used on all DVD, Blu-ray and Theatrical releases in a couple years. This won't completely solve the problem, but will make a dent.

So, it's not as simple as, "If people want to watch it then it will be leaked online." Also, a lot of indies leak their films online themselves to try to get publicity...

 

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

It's a lost cause to put so much effort into worrying about piracy, it's best to focus on getting as many eyes seeing the film as possible, Touring the movie across theaters and doing Q and A sessions afterwards sounds like fun to me.

 

[PatrickW]

Cheers to Kevin, while I don't expect this to take over the world, I do welcome more of this in the future. Too bad he doesn't have RedRay to distribute on.

I wish there was something Red or any other company could do to kill piracy, but it is a complex problem that requires both technical and legislative amendments.

There is something every filmmaker can do, that doesn't cost millions of dollars for DRM or legal fees to protect their film. Make good films people want to watch in high quality and, connect with your viewers and let them understand the human reasons to pay for your content.

As I said, the biggest risk for an indie is a screener copy leaking.

One thing that can be done to prevent the Also, a lot of indies leak their films online themselves to try to get publicity...

These two statements don't seem to make sense together. I would say the first is inaccurate and that the biggest risk for an indie is obscurity not piracy.

 

[Jeremy Torrie]

One of the biggest distributors in the country believed it would be a 18 months tops before just about every theater is switched over to digital and no film prints...studios are subsidizing the switch by paying for 'print fees' on digital screens. This I'm told is meant to accelerate the change over to digital because it's money is the exhibitor's pocket.

The bigger issue is not these videotaped copies of films...it's the fact so many are badly made (but expertly marketed) in the first place.

Often I wait for it to come to PPV or movie channel subscription. So, ultimately we pay for the film somehow -perhaps just not at full ticket price.

Getting back on the topic of Smith's marketing efforts -it's fresh, and we can learn from this. Though his fan base is certainly massive...so I'm predicting it will be a financial success for him.

 

[Brandon J.F.]

These two statements don't seem to make sense together. I would say the first is inaccurate and that the biggest risk for an indie is obscurity not piracy.

I agree that the biggest problem for an indie is obscurity and not piracy. I did not mean to imply the biggest risk for an indie in general is a screener copy leaking. I was simply saying that the most likely way that an indie film, with limited to no theatrical distribution, gets pirated is if a screener copy leaks.

I like what Kevin is doing and expect it will be successful for him.

 

[Steven-Marc C.]

Haven't indie distributors been doing this since forever in the US (touring with 1 or 2 prints)?

 

[Brandon J.F.]

Haven't indie distributors been doing this since forever in the US (touring with 1 or 2 prints)?

Yeah, "four walling" is certainly nothing new. Being able to inexpensively AND effectively promote your film online is. Kevin has a built a up a brand around himself and he has a huge online following so he is better positioned to do this successfully than most.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_wall_distribution

 

[Brandon J.F.]

Looks like he's managed to piss off a few people :smiley:

http://www.deadline.com/2011/01/sundance-watching-kevin-smith-implode/

 

[Noah Kadner]

I agree that the biggest problem for an indie is obscurity and not piracy.

Exactly- and this is something KS doesn't really have to deal with. People will come to see him do stand up, the movie he brings along is just icing on the cake for his fans. But I don't see how this helps out the rest of us too much...

Noah

 

[VinceRocca]

Besides driving from screen to screen to display your film is not a model that will appeal to many filmmakers.

I'm not getting that Smodcast Pictures will do 4wall Q&A's for every release. He is touring Red State and will do a 1000 screen run in October, all this will increase the profile of Smodcast and make it easier for him to acquire and distribute other (indie) films. This might open a new channel to get our films distributed.

If he is transparent with bookeeping then this might solve the problem of getting screwed by your distributor, because that is the major plague of indie film. You work hard, you make the movie, you work harder to land a distributor and get it seen and these so called "professionals" take every last dime and you have nothing but a story of the experience that you compile into a book in hopes of selling and helping other indie filmmakers... Wait... I've gone off here...

Yeah, "four walling" is certainly nothing new. Being able to inexpensively AND effectively promote your film online is. Kevin has a built a up a brand around himself and he has a huge online following so he is better positioned to do this successfully than most.

Warren Miller made it a profitable business. He'd tour and 4 wall his ski movies building a fan base and paying back the budgets.

 

[Zakaree Sandberg]

once most theaters move to digital, distribution will be a cakewalk

 

[Brandon J.F.]

Exactly- and this is something KS doesn't really have to deal with. People will come to see him do stand up, the movie he brings along is just icing on the cake for his fans. But I don't see how this helps out the rest of us too much...

Noah

He says that he is only making 1 more film and then he wants to distribute films for other indie filmmakers this way. We'll see how that works out...

 

[Brandon J.F.]

I'm not getting that Smodcast Pictures will do 4wall Q&A's for every release. He is touring Red State and will do a 1000 screen run in October, all this will increase the profile of Smodcast and make it easier for him to acquire and distribute other (indie) films. This might open a new channel to get our films distributed.

If he is transparent with bookeeping then this might solve the problem of getting screwed by your distributor, because that is the major plague of indie film. You work hard, you make the movie, you work harder to land a distributor and get it seen and these so called "professionals" take every last dime and you have nothing but a story of the experience that you compile into a book in hopes of selling and helping other indie filmmakers... Wait... I've gone off here...

I really hope he is successful.

By the way, I did buy your book. I'm about 3/4th through it. It's definitely a good read. I've suggested it to a few people I know trying to get started in the film business.

Warren Miller made it a profitable business. He'd tour and 4 wall his ski movies building a fan base and paying back the budgets.

I'm definitely not saying no one has done it successfully. Warren Miller's story is a good one. Here it is in his own words: http://www.warrenmiller.net/j/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=36&Itemid=53

 

[Mike P.]

Yeah, I tend to agree with the 'this whole thing would fall apart if not for the fact that Smith's fanbase is huge and already willing' mentality.

That is to say, Red State will probably do well under this model, but I'm skeptical that whomever Smith picks up under the smodcast pictures moniker will do nearly as well (and if someone tried to do it themselves without smodcast pictures and didn't already have the built-in audience that Smith has, they'd fail miserably.)

On one hand I can see why some people are saying 'shame on you', as Smith was essentially making fun of the same people/distributors that got him to where he is. But on the other hand, I completely understand the massive waste of money going into a (crappy) picture just to have a huge opening weekend.

I mean I'm sure at one point we've all felt that if they have to shell out a boatload in advertising to get people to go to the movie opening weekend (knowing that the movie doesn't have staying power), it most definitely wasn't worth the initial cost of making said movie. Which is a total smash-n-grab, because as soon as that first weekend audience comes out and says the movie was sh!t, no one else is gonna go watch it.