It has though been a common occurrence in recent times for films to fail in the sales market and not be able to find distribution within the studio system. Major film studios, who do demand great return from their films do recognize the importance of independent and specialty film to cinema though in recent times the Global Financial Crisis has impacted on the ability for studios to “pick-up” these films for distribution. This is highlighted by the film “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” the last film that the late Heath Ledger worked on. This would be viewed as a film which would have great financial potential though it languished for months on the sales and festival circuit with no distributer. This is just a small example of how a film with such potential and promise could become the victim of tough times but also the importance placed upon finding a distributer.

Parnassus is just one of many examples of films struggling for distribution

In this time, it is very unlikely and ineffective for a producer to distribute their own film and can sometimes ensure that the film can never find its intended audience, as such one cannot comprehend the importance of finding a distributer that can and is willing to market the film effectively and use the resources required.  A producer if unlucky can be the proverbial man in limbo along with the film they worked tirelessly upon.

This poses the question, do the independent producers of the world give up on their dream and enter the studio system, or jump into the independent market? The answer can only be decided by you (i say jump in!)

For another perspective read the following article:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005595.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1&query=imaginarium

Starting in the late ’80s, the Weinsteins produced “Pulp Fiction,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “The English Patient,” “My Left Foot,” “Good Will Hunting,” “The Piano” and hundreds of other movies, garnering 249 Academy Award nominations and three Oscars for best picture. In one 11-year stretch, they racked up 13 best-picture nominations.

The Weinstein Brothers

Not only were the Weinsteins able to create and market such critical successes, they were able to turn what where niche films into widely accessed and seen films that were indeed huge financial successes. The question that must be asked is how was this achieved and how could it be possibly replicated by others.

Well perhaps it is as simple as a little bit of Gorilla marketing. Many of the films that were released by the Weinsteins during their tenure at Miramax were marketed with a very thrifty budget and focused on bringing the film to the attention of the target audience by narrow marketing, thus reducing cost. Another of the innovative ways in which the Weinsteins were able to market their films was to take them to film festivals and push them during the awards season. This was done to create a launching pad for the film to gain public attention and box office success, this was particularly successful with the film Shakespeare in Love starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, a film turned into a 100 million plus hit with only a little marketing ingenuity.

The small distribution company that was Miramax was quite efficiently able to take on major studios with few resources and bring independent film to the masses. This perhaps serves as a valuable case study for the modern independent producer.

For more information about the rise (and fall, and rise again) of the Weinstein brothers read the following New York Times article

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/business/media/16wein.html

A perfect example of demonstrating just how much Hollywood has changed is looking at Steven Spielberg. His Hollywood powerhouse Dreamworks, creators of such films as Transformers, Saving Private Ryan, American Beauty and Gladiator, this year sought to emancipate itself from its distributor and financing partner Paramount Pictures. Much was made of the issues that Dreamworks would experience due to the Global Financial Crisis that was at its peak during its quest for finance. This though was a non issue when the banking group Reliance of India and provided 500 million dollars worth of funding to the fledgling Dreamworks project.

Dreamworks seeks independence

This new trend though does beg the question, how does this focus on profit, and return on revenue effect the quality and the artistic integrity of the work produced. Is it art, or should it be handled even more like a product. An even more worrying outcome could be the reduction in small independent films made because of the risk involved in the development of those projects and the very possible small return on investment. As an independent producer, the issue of finance will become an even larger issue with studios unwilling to bear a loss, proving the viability of a picture will be the largest role for the producer in the coming years.

For more commentary on the Dreamworks deal read the Variety article below:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117992505.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1