GRAHAM JONES
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Nuascannán

6/22/2015

152 Comments

 


In my native Irish tongue, I fuse the words 'new' and 'cinema' into the expression Nuascannán. Yet this movement is not exclusive to any nationality - it’s a global uprising. One indebted to clans like Italian Neorealism, the French New Wave and Danish Dogme. For in their own different ways, they laboratory-tested an approach to filmmaking which is crystallising on the internet in our time.
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Neorealism was borne of the Italian mid-forties and illuminated a changing mentality in the post-war working class through movies shot on location with non-professional actors. The French New Wave were a group of filmmakers in the late fifties and sixties who despised grand literary period pieces of the day and made experimental films about social-cum-political issues, using portable equipment and sometimes bordering on documentary in terms of style. Perhaps most recently - and didactically - the Dogme manifesto was heralded in the mid-nineties by a few Danish directors who actually went to the extreme of enumerating rules about filmmaking with the hope of grounding balloon-budget cinema in the traditional values of story, acting and theme.

​Every time a breath of fresh air occurred, a kind of backlash followed. This was not least because even the cheapest filmmaking remained expensive -  until very late in the last century one still had to buy/process/print film, rent a movie camera, procure lights and generally source vehicles and crew. Yet in the early years of this one, a deep tectonic shift in the landscape of cinema truly began to occur  -  a shift that might have commenced a few years beforehand in the form of the latter ‘Dogme’ movement, but didn’t quite manage to do so, simply because that category was corralled on primitive standard definition videotape. When the shift truly got underway a few years later, it started to fundamentally alter not merely the fledgling filmmaker’s approach to shooting but also cutting, sound mixing and perhaps most significantly distribution. I’m talking, of course, about the wholesale evolution from celluloid to digital and a spectacle that in some respects everyone has witnessed with perfect lucidity - like roughly a hundred years earlier when people observed 
The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station.

On a deeper level, however, it feels like some have not grasped the ramifications of what is happening.
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I directed my first feature in the mid-nineties on Super 16mm film with heavy lights, generators and a fleet of vehicles carrying
equipment, cast and crew. When the film went on general release around my country, it was blown up to 35mm reels like many an indie movie before it such as The Evil Dead, Leaving Las Vegas or The Snapper. Yet having recently finished shooting my seventh feature, I can also state for the record that all my movies nowadays are shot and released 100% digitally. They can play on big screens - which are predominantly digital screens nowadays - yet be sent to any digital ​screen whatsoever and are created by switching on equipment that is equally digital to begin with. Although I'll always be the first to admit that my work has not achieved a great deal of commercial success, it has received critical praise and is a valid example of how filmmaking is no longer some elitist activity.

Indeed  - when cine cameras get this small it also becomes possible for us to shrink dollies, cranes and even the aircraft that allow them rise above the grounded human perspective and contribute to a story feeling ‘cinematic’. 
A movie production used to look like an invading army, but now more closely resembles Andy Warhol taking his famous Polaroids at cocktail parties. How many cinemagoers know that when Natalie Portman accepted her Best Actress Oscar for Black Swan, she was receiving it for a film partly shot on a DSLR? When filmmakers become this inconspicuous, they no longer need to engage hundreds of extras or build entire sets. The real world can sometimes be used instead. This significantly changes who filmmakers are and what filmmaking is - even if safety regulations and the need for permits remain completely unchanged. An interesting case in point is Escape From Tomorrow, which told the story of an unemployed man’s surreal journey during a family vacation at the Walt Disney World Resort and was championed by Roger Ebert.

Mainstream cinema has certainly been suffering an identity crisis of late and had to ask itself difficult questions. Has everything been done? Will the future merely be truckloads of remakes or reboots or revisionism? Is there a stylistic difference, anymore, between the small screen and big screen? Not to mention the scariest question of all  - are people still willing to fork out money for movies when they are not physically sitting in a public cinema?

Crucially, this century’s technology doesn’t merely encourage us filmmakers to snaffle our movies in the creative sense, but also tempts viewers to steal them in a literal sense. DVD has declined a lot faster than VOD has grown 
-  that’s legal video streaming to the uninitiated. Does this mean people are watching less movies? On the contrary, it means that many people who watch films online don’t grace the VOD party at all, but head straight for the Bittorrent one. In other words, share movies amongst themselves without paying a cent to the filmmaker. In Sweden, the crowd who run sharing site ‘The Pirate Bay’ have successfully registered the act of sharing as a religion and fight the law at every turn. There is a terrible, creeping feeling within the world of movies that people just don’t pay to watch our work anymore. Which is precisely why cineplexes now seem to be orientated around young families -  and why investment for films that don’t fall into that category is becoming even more difficult than it previously was. Ultimately, who can blame cinema audiences and investors for waning when movies can be made and shared with such technical ease? What if those Scandinavian anarchists are right and it’s just not about money!

A backlash is gearing up, as I mentioned it did in the case of those previous waves, but this time it completely lacks force. We can’t stop the revolution. From the perspective of many old school producers, the last ten years have felt like their declining ones and increasingly the best case scenario for the future seems to be entities like Netflix which succeed in squeezing a relatively small - and utterly flat  - subscription fee from audiences. The price we used to pay for a couple of new releases in the video store now buys an entire month of movies without our having to leave the couch. These kinds of flat-fee streaming services and traditional cable movie channels will soon become completely indistinguishable from one another and simply be competing for who can offer the lowest subscription fee. HBO and Netflix have been generating very similar figures in terms of subscription revenue - both easing towards $5 billion annually at the time this blog post is being published - and that’s why a lot of the movie world has appeared to bolt desperately under their tents. Recently, even Amazon have gotten in on the act and started producing their own drama.

Many believe this is fast becoming the only game in town. Digital companies that can still theoretically get millions of dollars out of people every month, spending millions on filmmaking. Heaven knows, one can’t raise the necessary finance by distributing ‘feature presentations’ through cinemas or upon discs anymore and so perhaps these mammoth new online studios are the twenty first century update? Yet while different on the surface, such entities aren't truly different underneath, just a diminished version of what once was: a room of executives still believe they control what goes into production and what does not / what screens and what does not. That is a falsehood, the cultural recognition of which will make a deeper difference. The truth is that filmmakers require no such approval anymore, can make the movies they want and distribute them on the internet just like any other title. Indeed, movies not produced by those mainstream companies may have a distinct advantage because while audiences seem increasingly tired of remunerating big old productions, there is no reason to assume their weariness extends to Nuascannán. In fact, there is ample evidence that a completely new relationship between filmmakers and audiences is burgeoning.

If the media wants to support moving pictures in the 21st century, it needs to report more from this new dimension.



Follow x.com/nuascannan and use #nuascannan hashtag for indie movies made the Nuascannán way!
152 Comments
Alison O'Malley
6/28/2015 05:40:02 am

I agree totally. Hollywood is dead. But a lot of people actually still believe in the myth. That can slow it down. Most interesting movies nowadays seem to come from the indie sector and by that I don't mean "indie"...

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Georga Grivois link
11/29/2015 11:47:33 am

Well worth reading!! It gives me hope that censorship can be thwarted!

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S
3/5/2016 11:05:00 am

Hollywood isn't dead... it is just everywhere now. The CONCEPT of Hollywood is beautiful because it is a dream, a voice from the people for the people that can transform culture and ideology. It is one of the last free speech arenas left that is readily available to anyone who wants to use it. What a gas!

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L
5/3/2016 08:28:21 pm

Grow a brain. You haven't a clue.

george well
4/5/2016 11:26:08 am

Dracula is dead, that's good. Has left a lot of ash of himself in everyone exposed to his movies. De-centralized Dracula.

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Juan De Biase
7/21/2016 12:21:52 pm

Before Hollywood dies, cinema must be put to rest and as main stream and indie productions continue, it'll be a long funeral to wait for.

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Jamus
6/28/2015 08:53:36 am

Excellent article

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George O'Dea
10/26/2015 07:48:09 am

I second that

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James Floros
6/29/2015 11:26:27 pm

People are terrified of this change, there is np doubt about that and I agree with what you said in the video, it's like we are supporting the old guard

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NickEl
8/18/2015 03:55:10 am

Yeah a lot of its just fear, they r scared of change but its coming

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Simone Evans
7/1/2015 11:16:09 pm

I honestly think Sundance is like a studio nowadays. Think about it. They have their own screenwriting lab and even though not all the films that are accepted into the festival have been through the lab, quite a few are and the ones that aren't cannot advocate a totally different approach to filmmaking, at least not more than a few token ones -many of the others are from contacts in the industry. It has it's own channel etc. It's like the new studio. But I agree with some of the points you have made here. The new Hollywood is not anywhere. It's international. It's on the internet. It's wherever the good films come from and they don't have to come from festivals. They can go viral easier actually if they are just available online for people to discover and share. I think we are still in the early stages of the transition you talk about, where most people don't even know this change has happened. It will take some really big movies being discovered online-only and flourishing that way to make people realise the power that now lies in the hands of the new generation of filmmakers. We don't need cinemas, festivals, distribution deals, agents or anything. We just need a camera and a computer. Tomorrow there will be classics made that way. Once people find a few great movies by that route.

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Mary Ann Albright
1/27/2016 05:48:07 am

i beg to differ. Sundance is all about new ways of storytelling.

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Suka
3/5/2016 11:38:45 am

Well put! I concur completely.Yep!

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O.H.E.
7/1/2015 11:18:43 pm

Interesting, but what happens next, is I still don't get

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FD
7/4/2015 09:33:00 pm

I love this theory

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Lorna
7/15/2015 03:51:23 am

Indie movies have always been a passion of mine. I see Hollywood movies as just marketing nowadays. Indie films have a tone I prefer, more real somehow and just better goddamn ideas to be honest. I think it's true what Jones is saying that nowadays they are 'emigrating' onto the internet.

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Mariana link
11/19/2015 04:04:36 pm

I agree - it's funny when you see large productions try and squeeze multiple big names into them to garner enough attention from audiences.

There is a huge, innovative world of new film makers growing, and I do see a trend to much more creativity, in terms of story development and filmography in general, among this sector.

What an exciting time to try this new terrain out.

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Emily
7/19/2015 08:58:43 pm

I don't understand. How are people going to make money from movies then?

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Barry Goldman
7/20/2015 01:34:11 am

Emily, I suggest you read this blog post again. Jones is quite clear about the economics. What isn't clear is how long it will take the establishment to understand them...

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BenY
7/28/2015 12:15:01 am

So many indie films released every month that it's impossible to keep up with them all. New distribution methods make it even easier to find good flicks. In a way, it feels like we are entering a Golden Age, so call it nuaScanan if you like!

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Dandy Sandy
7/28/2015 12:17:03 am

@beny.... Nuascannan

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Noefer
7/31/2015 12:18:49 am

Nuascannan.... mmmmm...how do you pronounce this?

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Carl
7/31/2015 08:50:08 pm

I think it's too early to know for sure - there will definitely be a new financial model, it's like the wild West right now but that will have to change... it's just nobody is sure quite how it will end up

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Jonathan Bishop
8/3/2015 09:00:58 am

Most of nowadays movies are boring - just tie-ins to their personal bloody merchandise. Multimedia technologies makes movies easy for us to watch. This technology brings us all television networks only on a small mobile phone. But the movies themselves are utterly crap. I mean seriously, everyone is going on about how it's all changing but the actual content is worse than ever. Indie films are better, but still they follow a kind of cliched pattern too. What you need to do is start actually focusing on the movies themselves IMHO!

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Alfre
8/13/2015 09:08:11 am

Very few movies have merchandise Jonathan, really only the big ones

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Federica B
8/29/2015 07:45:26 pm

Yes

Carl Bennett link
4/29/2016 09:31:42 am

Movies follow "a cliched pattern"? Surely not! There's nothing thst Save The Cat can't put right! Oh, wait though.....

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Maneman
8/8/2015 05:54:31 am

Good god

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SayDenz
8/10/2015 06:17:48 am

A year ago I would have totally disagree with you, but now I follow what you're trying to say. I think it's gonna take the right little indie classics to make people see, some online-only triumphs

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Alicia
8/10/2015 06:53:57 am

I'm changing my opinion too! The world as we knew it is gone. Exciting times, tbh

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Marc Ford, AH
8/11/2015 09:13:24 am

What do you mean 'online only triumphs'????

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El Sal
8/11/2015 08:44:32 am

@Alicia it's not just the old wine in new bottle?

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Alfre
8/13/2015 09:10:17 am

Online-only triumphs is a good phrase

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Jeremy B
8/15/2015 12:53:37 am

But how can something be a triumph if it's only online??!

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Alfre
8/15/2015 01:00:45 am

Eh, because that's how and where we consume virtually everything nowadays Jeremy?

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Jeremy B
8/15/2015 01:06:51 am

Okay, you're referring to paid consumption? I just want to be clear on this!

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Alfre
8/15/2015 01:23:43 am

Any consumption paid or otherwise - it's where the vast majority of media is consumed, therefore of course something could triumph purely because of being successful online.

However we live in a world still hypnotised by the majesty of 'cinema' or 'Blu-Ray/DVD" or TV or whatever so if a film isn't distributed in that old fashioned way it's not considered real by someone people.

This is a complete illuson.

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George Moore
8/19/2015 07:54:34 am

But maybe the illusion is necessary; a fundamental part of entertainment!!

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George Moore
8/19/2015 07:53:11 am

I'm not convinced anything is really changing, though, folks! The delivery methods are changing -- sure. Watching movies at home used to mean 16 millimetre projection, then TV, then Betamax, VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, Blu-Ray and now broadband. But what's really changed? Does this matter! IMHO it's doesn't really.

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T M link
5/10/2016 01:28:50 am

Notice though, how 16mm was used solely for watching film, and new filmmakers would have to gain access by those who controlled the channels. TV shows movies, but also a host of other programs, so more openness, but still controlled by executives who decide what goes on TV. Broadband is shows movies and tv, and is used to do exponentially more things, there is no executive committee for new creators. The only committee is quality, and ability to market, or be "viral" ugh I hate that word. Things that have gone Viral so far have been images, and short videos. Soon a movie will go viral, that is not made by an executive committee and that a filmmaker says you must pay here to watch it. I think that is the major difference. New filmmakers still compete with the marketing and money power of major studios also vying for more of your internet, but if they have a good story and good angle they can break through.

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Barbara Donen
8/19/2015 08:22:40 am

Only online triumphs, so how do you measure them?

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Muncha
8/19/2015 08:28:23 am

I think he is pointing how this is compared to past delivery methods..
... and he would be correct - it's fundamentally different because of the fall of gatekeepers

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Muncha
8/19/2015 08:29:32 am

(I was replying to George Moore's comment)

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Sabine Au
8/21/2015 03:51:49 am

I've heard people say this stuff for years, but new movies are always within reach, as longas there are creative people out there

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Dupont
8/24/2015 12:26:15 am

But how does the media find out about these new dimensions or movies - I think that is the quesion IMHO. how are we going to bridge the enterainment media and this new wave?

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Tor
10/30/2015 01:47:00 pm

yea that's the point I think, otherwise its just pie in the sky

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Federica Bianchi
8/29/2015 07:44:48 pm

Indie Film is not dependent on Hollywood to thrive, much less survive. In facr, it may be that indie film is not viable as a business model anyway, that all we can do is continue to try new and radical ideas - because from an artist's point-of-view, the reason to make an indie film is not to make money. It's not a commercial enterprise, as the return in indie film is very small and mainly comes in the form of satisfaction at having completed the vision. It's just very hard to monetize..

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J RBlum
9/5/2015 05:04:29 pm

Untrue

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Simona Adamson
9/9/2015 04:54:30 am

That's true Federica, but lets be clear, here: if they can't get people to pay for movies, they will stop making movies (good ones, at any rate)

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J RBlum
9/5/2015 05:03:57 pm

I quote from the New Zealand Cinema Census:-

Online movies will never replace going to the cinema - watching movies at home vs going to the cinema is like a prayer before bed vs a one-on-one with the pope - but it's the future of home entertainment and New Zealand is already into it...

51% of all respondents regularly download movies.
('Regularly' being at least once every two months. 49% download 5 or less per year.)

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Simona Adamson
9/9/2015 04:52:48 am

Film distribution is a crazy business and companies often appear and disappear really quickly. It's the last thing the indie filmmaker is faced with and usually screws up. Some people say filmmaking splits into three phases - pre-production, production and post-production but it can also be looked at in two stages: making a film and selling a film. There's a reason why even the smallest distributors have staffs and companies, i.e. distribution is an enormous amount of work. It's the link between film production and exhibition and if you screw it up, your film basically doesn't exist. I've heard a lot of new theories about where things are going and there is a lot of truth in this article. But lets be clear, here. If they can't get people to pay for movies, they will stop making movies. Or good ones, at any rate...

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JU
9/9/2015 04:56:19 am

People aren't really paying for movies at the moment, Simona and some of the best stuff ever is coming out

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Cassandra
10/23/2015 07:30:09 am

examples? cites?

valeria
9/13/2015 12:26:33 pm

what??

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Jolanta
9/22/2015 02:33:59 am

The landscape for indie filmmaking is changing. Companies have shrunk their operations and really nobody know how they will survive.

There is no easy cure for indie film.

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IndieFilms
9/29/2015 09:01:03 am

thanks for the retweet, love nuascannan xx

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David Berry
10/2/2015 04:32:38 am

I am sharing this - great piece Graham

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Jase
10/4/2015 05:19:22 am

yea indie movies are def going beyond the normal white ppl angsty stuff - now indie movies are what they are meant to be which is lots of stories ya might not a seen otherwise

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Hans
10/5/2015 12:26:34 pm

Hallelujah!!!

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Bernard
10/7/2015 04:31:40 am

I think independent film is a niche sub-culture, to be honest. It's where independent film is headed. Indie music and indie publishing is already this way. I agree that independent film is howenever still in a very strong position.

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Frederick Burr Opper
10/7/2015 12:00:09 pm

Bernard, what the fuck are you talking about?

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Laura
10/8/2015 07:37:59 am

so... I agree with nearly everything stated in this article. Not sure if it's going to happen as easily as all that. Although, maybe the blocks are mental blocks???

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SB
10/11/2015 02:00:12 pm

Small budget films are definitely worth the money

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Lu
10/14/2015 04:27:02 pm

:P

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KoKo
10/19/2015 06:31:05 am

For who - filmmaker or patron?!

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Josef
10/19/2015 06:33:29 am

I don't know. I see the points you are making. I'm not sure what's going to be happen. Time is the best teacher.

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Cassandra
10/23/2015 07:29:47 am

Yeah, time will tell lol :D ;)

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Sidney L
10/23/2015 07:51:36 am

Indie movies are a lot more likely to explore genres and ideas that are of interest to narrower audiences and I salute your support of them,

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HP
10/24/2015 05:45:16 am

i like it

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Ameli
10/26/2015 07:27:15 am

I think movies are getting dumber, actually - and it's the movie stars. I think most people find movie stars attractive, either looks or sense of humor. How can indy films compete?

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Sarah O'Loughlin
10/30/2015 07:04:56 am

count me in :D x

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Carjak
11/3/2015 04:26:03 pm

I couldn't post this as reply, but I agree with the guy who said it's too early to understand and there must be a new financial model.

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Ciaran Marshall
11/4/2015 08:49:24 am

I just watched the video above, you're onto something man

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J Spencer
11/4/2015 03:17:00 pm

mindblowing

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Andrew Wouters
11/6/2015 12:43:03 pm

Check out Volta

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James Norris
11/8/2015 01:05:23 pm

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle

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anon doc maker
11/11/2015 05:19:44 am

Well, I am not going to identify myself by name, but will tell you that making a livelihood out of documentary filmmaking is becoming increasingly challenging. Amateur filmmaking is becoming easier and more professional looking. In fact, I am not even sure terms apply any more. Certainly, Mr Jones, you are a filmmaker of great note. But I do not know what will happen if anybody can make a film. Or, to put it a better way, now that everybody can make films, I am not sure what will become of filmmaking. I confess to some excitement, but also trepidation!!!

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Suka
3/5/2016 11:57:33 am

Fear is the Enemy! What would happen if..... ANYONE had a voice?! What if... ANYONE could publish?! Really!... Film/Video is just a different mass communication medium... for one and all to share... how beautiful! Do not worry... there is enough sand in the box for all... there will just be more veins and avenues of distribution that will grow out of necessity. Maybe it won't be about money, profit and greed as much as it was before... maybe not so unattainable and only available to those of priviledge... maybe it will become the new tool of cultural transformation used by anyone as much as any other commonly used technology. Wonderful!

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Mary O'Driscoll
11/11/2015 05:21:12 am

To the guy who said it's a niche, subculture, I say: it used to be :)

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Seargant H
11/13/2015 01:33:34 am

AMEN BABY

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KO'M
11/15/2015 07:41:39 am

You are right.

The production side of all such movements does have a kind of fraternity about it and in time this kind of moviemaking will dominate.

Bravo.

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Justin Kincaid link
11/16/2015 12:08:51 pm

I absolutely loved this article and the video you made. I couldn't agree more about the dwindling of the Hollywood mythos and how we simply no longer need it to write, fund, produce and distribute films any more.

I do have a soft spot in my heart for the whole Hollywood Paradigm but I've long since moved on in my way of thinking about the film business and how I put together anything I am working on.

With the growth of the internet and the way we have amazing platforms to share and express our work and passions, we are free to explore so many new avenues of film making and storytelling that would otherwise be impossible with traditional studio requirements.

It's an amazing world we live in when we can crowd-source our actors, crew, locations, budget and equipment all without compromising our stories due to the meddling of financiers.

Again, absolutely loved your message!

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Lor C
11/19/2015 12:39:45 pm

Here, Here!

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Godfrey
11/23/2015 01:21:24 pm

Lets EVERYONE PLEASE share this

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Peppone
11/25/2015 02:07:06 pm

Nuascannán. Love it! Now, if the indie film movement will start discussing, and perhaps even encouraging actors to work under FICOR versus SAG when necessary, and think about getting more BitCoin payments into play for cast, crew and vendors, we'll really be a new (old) art form to be reckoned with.

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Hagane
11/28/2015 04:16:11 am

良いです

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klara
11/29/2015 05:12:33 am

??

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Mansour Barzani
11/29/2015 12:24:36 pm

You make a beautiful and strong case

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geraldine
12/4/2015 04:06:11 am

lovin this philosophy

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Matt Milligan link
12/4/2015 11:45:49 pm

Hollywood isn't dead, it's in transition.

The Movie Theater is an event in a person's life & revenue for any film needs to root itself in the box office to survive. Before piracy direct to VHS or DVD release was nearly a death sentence for a career Until made for Cable or made for TV became the next model. After piracy, the way to survive was to make the product available on demand & easily had at a nominal fee. The streaming services now give the customer a product found online w/o the hassle of a Pirate Service and free from viruses or theft of information. Ever try to navigate a torrent site? Did your computer system survive? Wonder why your AMEX bill has wierd charges after using a Pirate Streaming Service?

Piracy has lowered the cost of a subscription, it has forced Hollywood to slim down & eliminate waste. But piracy has not killed Hollywood or broken the box office. What has happened instead, is Hollywood has made a leap, making product more available.

Folks, there are 24 hours in a day. How much time do you have in a given week to read this article, or write a response, much less view online streaming video, or visit the local playhouse to see a play? Did you consider the costs of Broadway on Tour in Omaha, versus the tickets for a Movie Theater?

When a person works 40 hours a week, has chores, or factors the fishing trip in the schedule, what time gets spent on watching a feature film? Does this person watch indie cinema? At some point, you ask this film goer to pick your film, instead of picking the Major Motion Picture. Indie Cinema is a substitute to the larger industry, there are only 24 hours in a day.

When a person weights options for entertainment, he or she weights the value in the experience. They calculate the cost of popcorn at the theater, the hassle of scrambling for choice seats. In some cases, the hassle of going to the theater detracts from the price of seats.

In the new model, Movie Theaters borrow from the Play house paradigm and assign seats at time of ticket purchases. The price of popcorn factors into the model. Que the Pirates.

How much did your laptop cost & after dowloading Ocean's 13 on Torrent Bay, did you discover you downloaded German Granny Porn instead? What were you willing to risk? Did it occur to you that an evil coven of Utah Based Paedophiles mislabel child porn as a feature release on Torrent sites? Did you pay for a pirate site subscription to see Creed and discover that someone rented a car with your AMEX thst ISIS used as a get away vehicle?

Maybe you're "good" at stealing media & check your piracy source...

There's still only 24 hours in a day. Who has time to be a hacker when working a 9 to 5? When the laptop crashes, do they try to steal more cinema? Does the thief actually have time to watch the film?

You still compete for a cinema goers time. The time spent watching your indie flick, must factor against quality big budget films.

If the average person sees one Theater Release a month, your format must be flexible with a persons time. With a glut of media releases on the internet, and people trying to make it by releasing IATSE produced Pilots on "Flippin" Youtube, your content must stack up against all kinds of competition!

The average person who sees cinema, or major motion pictures, doesn't have time to read this post! They don't have time to read a review! Someone asked me if I listen to "authoritative podcasts". Dude, I knowm what they are, and I choose not to make time! Why? 99% of all podcasts SUCK & they are a waste of my TIME!

Radio. When I had a car, I passively listened if my CD Player wasn't in use. Radio at work... Dude, good employees don't have time to listen. Watching trailers for films on break at your terminal? I worked in Legal IT, I didn't have time!

I might actually be the last literate man in the USA. I read the news to skip over crap, the 24 hour news feed tries to brainwash you with. But, there are those who watch the 24 hour news drama unfold. Me, I read the news in a an hour or two and get 24 hours of news reading done my way. In 24 hours do I have time to watch your indie? Was it reviewed in the arts section? Did I make time to read about you on the Sundance feed? Or, did I read about you in Variety? Did I have time?

A rough guesstimate puts Indie Film reviews by average Theater goers at the bottom of the to-do list. When they do see the film, their average impression is " that sucked" because most people have time for one or two theater releases a month. So if the one time they go to Sundance, they spend 4 hours to see a film that was 2 hours too long, what's the chance they'll skip Sundance altogether when the next big film releases are shown on CBS Broadcast or by pay App on the commercial break film trailer?

The Sundance Film Festival mill & filter. Industry insiders spend their waking moments working, and all day at work or at home they do nothing but digest film. When they get vacation, they watch film! If

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Ashrag
12/10/2015 01:42:26 am

I totaly agree

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Sasha
12/10/2015 10:34:49 pm

Graham Jones, very interesting article. Indie film is the wave of the future. Don't get me wrong, there are a plethora of big screen classics that take the cake & the idea of "Old Hollywood" gives this gal butterflies; it's where & why my dreams to become an actress were ignited. However, great storytelling captivating the masses has turned into a story told one too many times. Writers, Directors, Producers tap dancing for studio execs only to have their visions altered. Hooray for those that get a chance but cheers to those that make their own way with little to no compromise. I love that independent film makes no excuses and does not apologize. I've seen such creative, artsy content- some great, some so so, & some down right bad BUT undoubtedly someone's true voice was heard & that's good stuff.

It is absolutely amazing to see what strides technology has taken. To think that from your first feature to your 7th, you are completely digital from start to finish. This concept is however a double edge sword for some; way fewer crew on hand, no outsourced editor or marketing firm, less actors, no distributor....I guess this means I need to take writing & directing classes next but I'm ok with that ;)

Thanks for sharing.

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Daniel Stout
12/24/2015 01:49:00 am

I am fascinated by this, and enjoyed the article.

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isweetan link
12/27/2015 03:26:16 pm

Worth reading, a really good article. Filmmaking as an art has somewhat lost its charm over the years and that's true all over the world. The most promising projects come from independent artists and I believe the problem is "everybody's making a film either short or a feature, everybody's a filmmaker"

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Susan
3/5/2016 12:03:13 pm

Aaaaaw! Waaaaaaa! "Mommy! Mommy! What am I to do? Everyone on the block has a new toy like mine! Am I not special anymore?!" Charm is in the eye of the beholder... "Everybody" IS the Independent Filmaker!!! Punch!

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Somal Thakore
1/13/2016 09:54:08 pm

I agree but I guess it is still a slow process...wait n watch.
Personally I feel it is always about a good creativity & reasonable business that is safest

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Vincenzo guru Iaconianni link
1/14/2016 03:48:42 am

Good article

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Bbb
1/15/2016 10:49:55 pm

I guess indie is realistic.True innovation of the times. Nicer workplace. Does not have deadlines for commercial purposes. As art takes time. It'll be done when its done.

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Dalveed
1/21/2016 11:07:02 am

Viva the revolution!

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Susan
3/5/2016 12:04:42 pm

Yay!!!

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Omnivorous Cinephile link
2/2/2016 07:56:19 pm

This is the next step for independent cinema, and a step away from the studios that took over the movement in the 1990s and exploited it. Think what Cassavetes could have done if he'd had digital equipment in his day.

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Trevor Pacelli link
2/8/2016 10:09:06 am

I certainly agree that movies are now in a worse spot now than it ever has been before. Just take a look at the 2016 releases and tell me it doesn't depress you: Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, X-Men: Apocalypse, Captain America: Civil War, Independence Day: Resurgence, Finding Dory, Ghostbusters (but with women), and that's not even half the movies that are meant to market a franchise. Movies are no longer looked upon by the public as a serious art like it was in the 1970s, but rather some form of recreation a lot like video games, where you can just go and shut your brain off.

But there's good news to this too. The digital revolution and the rise of independent features has led to numerous films that are extraordinary with something valuable to say. For instance: Ex Machina, The Revenant, Birdman, Whiplash, all of which have gained a large enough following that will cause these films to age much better that big budget films made for marketing purposes.

There also has been a significant decline in the quality of recent summer movies, and the public knows it. For instance: Terminator: Genisys and Fantastic Four were both flops both critically and financially, and nobody now is talking about them, except about how terrible they were. Whereas, The Revenant, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Martian have gained momentum both critically and financially, proving to us all that the big, prestige pictures (similar to Gone with the Wind or Lawrence of Arabia) just might make a comeback after all.

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Katty Barbosa link
2/9/2016 02:31:20 am

I really loved the article. I believe the new subscription solution is an emotive future under technological advance. Nowadays everything is digital and that is beneficial for everyone.

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Christina
2/14/2016 01:58:01 pm

For many decades, the content distributors and producers have made the lion's share of any profits, it hasn't been about the creators of content making money (though a select few may). Look at what is at issue with any artist's union strike - usually it's the blue suits not wanting to give 2 cents more to the artists. So to see the break down of the old system, whereby an artist had to be enabled by, if not the studio system than at least the distribution system, does not break my heart.

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guddu link
2/21/2016 04:45:52 am

I agree with you Christina. Indeed the industry is going through such phase where monetary interest by the studios and distributors have compromised the artistic value. The article by Mr Jones has highlighted the glaring reasons behind introducing new platforms of digital distribution and its subsequent viewer ship to the audience who root for indie taste. I think in our near future such blue color suits will have to be sorry for themseleves.

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Cy link
2/25/2016 10:17:13 am

Great article! I guess you could call it a democratic revolution, when Filmmakers can make movies financed by crowds, couldn't you?

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Susan Suka
3/5/2016 11:59:46 am

Yay!

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A zicc link
2/29/2016 07:29:47 pm

Hello beautiful piece on changes so rapid in film & production...Ive had the pleasure to work in front of camera & radio...Ever evolving & rapid growth & change! Thank you for eye opener ! @a_zicc

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Susan
3/5/2016 11:00:58 am

Yeah, like Warner Brothers who think they own you and everything and sit in that board room telling others what they can and cannot do... keeping footage from crew, saying no to cross promotions, etc. Old School Stupid.

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SukaPrima
3/5/2016 11:34:05 am

Poverty breeds ingenuity and resourcefulness. All bets are off when it comes to acceptable formats which renegade moving image makers have known since the 1970's when Public Access cable got started and you could get your hands on video that recorded and then broadcast it locally. I always knew in my heart that format really didn't matter and just yes'd the nay sayer debbie downer belief systems were proselytized to me at the time. It was the content / message that would win in the end and I am happy to see the digital age change everything as I knew it would. This coming from a die hard celluloid fan but firstly and mostly.... from a NO BUDGET producer with a message and passion to produce... so if cave drawings are what's available so be it. Pin Hole Productions anyone? Whatever it takes, whatever works... Renegade Production has been elected and it's day has come... Hallelujiah!

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Suka
3/5/2016 12:11:56 pm

Well Folks! I guess we have entered the era where Film and Video has joined the same criteria as Art.... Is it or isn't it? Art is in the Eye of the Beholder... you can judge what is righteous or worthy but it is only subjective. Remember, your clothes do not fit everyone so keep perspective. All voices can have a platform... wasn't that the original idea anyhow? Film was out of it's league for a while, in the realm of being a "priviledged sport"... "Oh Brad... I dear say, how are you coming along on that documentary on the suffering of elitists since the advent of Louis Vuitton knock offs?" Kids, please get out your pencils, erasers, notebooks and media recorders... this is Art for Art's Sake... please welcome our newest member... CINEMA.

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Al link
3/16/2016 02:51:21 pm

Like many things nowadays. Accessibility and availability of technology have opened doors previously only accessible to certain groups. Now any one with an iPhone can shoot a feature that is very watchable.

There will always be a space for big budget films and movies I think... but the issue now is that there is so much more room for small productions and indie films that can actually compete on the same stage!

This trickles down into all aspects of film making, even sourcing locations. Technology has made everything easier!

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Jason Rosette link
3/23/2016 10:19:47 pm

Here's how we did it folks - it can be done but takes a nearly insane amount of effort and persistence. With ZERO funding and no gear at the turn of the millenium, we ended up with great reviews, significant critical praise and, importantly, enough international sales to make more movies: http://www.amazon.com/10-000-Miles-Go-Filmmaking-ebook/dp/B019RSQXL0

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Stephen Milano
3/23/2016 10:36:27 pm

Just like Washington DC. Hollywood will probably be shocked when they realize what is about to go down. what did they expect?

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Elle Smith link
4/1/2016 07:42:38 am

Totally agree and accessibility will mean that much of the creative talent out there will now reach the public. It is nice to have a breath of fresh air in the film industry, and indie movies are certainly providing this :)

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[email protected]
4/19/2016 07:12:23 am

Great to be a film maker in these exciting times

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Riana
4/22/2016 08:12:08 am

What I want to know is; as a potential screenplay writer and author, how do I know if it's worth the effort and energy? I really believe that I have a few very good ideas, but without the right people who are willing to invest some time and know how in me, my talents will never be unleashed and all my dreams of seeing my hard work entertaining people will go to waste.

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Christopher Chance link
5/2/2016 06:41:08 am

Riana, that question is on everyone's lips because even when you do get published and your screenplay gets 'optioned' you are still in Limbo regarding 'is it worth it'.
My agent told me it can take years from 'option' to the big screen, so just keep writing scripts and have a decent portfolio ready for when you DO get produced.
So do what we all do: dream on and keep writing.
Good luck with your efforts.
Chris.

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Becca
5/24/2016 03:37:56 pm

Raina, I agree with Christopher! As a Writer you Must Write! I am always reminded of the quote "Success is when Preparedness meets with Opportunity"! I often ask myself.... If I am Creative & Never Find Finacial & Professional Success will it have been a Waste, or if I Die having Never Created Anything, would That be a Waste? Keep on Writing!:)

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Jimbo link
5/2/2016 06:38:57 pm

Too many love to talk; too few will listen....

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Becca
5/24/2016 03:31:41 pm

Movies & The Film Industry are being Reinvented Today just like they have always been. Think back to Samual Goldwyn leaving selling leather gloves to go into the wacky risky new business of movie making. Think of all the immigrants who couldn't get decent jobs or weren't accepted into society, so they took on the risks of this new crazy idea of film making & went out to California to shoot out there because the Sun was up longer (pre electric lighting) & they could have ready access to different scenery from Beaches to Mountains to The Desert! We all need to occasionally dust off our old "History of Cinema" Books & Remind ourselves of How it all began...? By Inventiveness & Taking Risks! Let's not be afraid of being Inventive & Lets Not be afraid of Taking Risks! Plus it's important to remember, lest we forget The Past & judge The Current Industry too harshly,.... The Risks of Today will be "The Industry" of Tomorrow!:)

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recently.reaped link
6/10/2016 06:20:50 pm

I think the way of independent film is heading to online streaming services like netflix, amazon, hulu etc. I subscribe to netflix and a Canadian streaming service (from one of the 4 major tv services here) and have found a lot of great independent films on there for my viewing. I don't know if it's as lucrative for film makers but it does provide a way for them to make movies.

FWIW I still enjoy hollywood movies too. They're not all bad, there's still some great movies to sit and enjoy there. Maybe not intellectually great, but still fun. I watch for visceral enjoyment too.

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Alexa Atkinson link
6/16/2016 01:02:57 pm

I completely agree with the basic principle of this article.

Film making AND distribution are both significantly changing; the platforms, for both consumption and marketing, have expanded, but yet completely overlook the independents. The mainstream "blockbusters" produced by the major studios seem to all be similar in concept, rather than thinking outside of the "box-office," which now is completely digitally immersed and tailored to VOD.

I strongly believe the next wave of film will completely dissolve the traditional viewing habits; there will be less and less theatrical release, content will become shorter (for TV specifically) and consumers will be only mobile.

@Christina -- AGREE -- "Indeed the industry is going through such phase where monetary interest by the studios and distributors have compromised the artistic value."

Traditional or New Wave, I'm ready to see what's next. Great article.

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Azelioud
6/17/2016 04:48:02 pm

It has to be realized that things are changing as the pace accelerates. There is a resistance to Indie as a result of current stake holders that do not want change and that could leave some holding the bag if not able to move with it.

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Irhad Mutic link
6/20/2016 07:31:45 pm

Love your work! Would be nice to work with you in the future. Keep it up!

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Nova Phoenix link
1/14/2018 04:47:06 pm

I totally agree with you. Great article. I said the same thing on one of my older blogs on my website. It's just not movies but also information, money, ideas, news, etc. We are living in the digital age where the source of our pleasure and info no longer comes from one entity. It is decentralized. It's important that filmmakers, entrepreneurs and mostly people realize this major turn in our society. Good luck with everything! Let's stay connected.

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Jacqueline Wright link
3/30/2018 12:45:52 pm

informative article - even three years later.

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Samira Wyld link
12/27/2018 11:11:13 am

Thank you for writing this wonderful post. I'm a published author and songwriter and story-telling and music is my whole world. I know where you are coming from. I love the cinema and while the way we view films is changing and would appear not for the best, like you said, there is also a new way of looking at filmmaking and how much more license or easier it is to produce good cinematic stories without huge production sets and even sometimes less overheads which cuts the cost for directors etc. I'm not an expert in regards to that so please forgive me if i have that wrong, but as a songwriter and producing music via live streaming apps like Spotify, I hear you on how things have changed. CD's and vinyl are virtually non-existent except for the hardcore music fans. I'm a hardcore film fan also and to own a DVD or go to the cinema for me is always much more fun than netflix at home. I guess that's bc we're passionate artists. Books have been lost to Kindles, but it's also easier to get our work published even though we sell it for ridiculous prices like $1.99. There are so many advantages and disadvantages and all we can do now is embrace the change and do our best work with the way the world is choosing to view our art. Thank you for an ah-mazing post 🙏🏼

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Isabella Gonzalez
4/1/2020 06:10:23 am

Thank you! This article sums up exactly how I feel about the future of film-making!!!

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Shane O'Broin
5/1/2020 07:51:51 am

I agree

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Thomas Lowry
10/16/2020 03:28:06 am

A quite brilliant and prescient blog post.

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Miranda link
12/22/2020 09:10:19 am

Hi nice readingg your blog

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Jamie
8/5/2021 03:53:15 am

“What the streamers are betting on is that in the next three to five years, there will only be three or four [of them] left pumping content into homes, and they’ll be so powerful that they will be able to push the price down of producing, of paying talent, of paying producers, of paying writers, directors,” says Blum. “I personally don’t think they’ll be able to do it, but that’s what they’re betting on.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-vs-scarlett-johansson-lawsuits-next-1234992368/?fbclid=IwAR0LaCzEoFnD1Y5KrClZCL9lZlxVPzzdWik2xKCvIfqcf8fk3g7RPnF29fU

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Jacks3
10/20/2021 07:22:39 am

as thomas lawry said, it seenm to be more and more relevant, as time passes

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NormanE
3/14/2022 05:22:30 am

Support Nuacannan films everywhere!

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Maura O'Driscoll
6/9/2022 02:56:13 am

brilliant manifesto :)

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William
6/29/2022 02:28:59 am

I believe that all these things eg mumblecore and new waves were just the beginning of the water leaking through and now the dam has finally burst.

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Lorenz
3/31/2023 03:59:21 am

this is like your describing the present, like its happend

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Mia K
3/31/2023 07:59:10 am

Fucking WONDERFUL Manifesto! Thank you !!

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Conor Rossi
4/5/2023 02:38:32 am

I largely agree with this, very well stated.

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Elyna
4/13/2023 09:35:14 am

c'est vrai

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Bee
4/27/2023 12:04:51 pm

Spread the gospel 💚

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Jóska Erika
5/14/2023 04:03:51 am

The broad scope of what defines an indie film is a film made without the commercial backing of a studio - meaning pretty much all movies are indie movies.
So I agree.

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F Schultz
3/20/2024 04:10:36 am

Amen, amen,amen

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SELF denied Holy Warrior for Jesus Holy Trinity
6/1/2024 10:28:31 am

& just cuz "EH" suicide pact's of Deep State-Global Elite's & etc USA-globally of TOP ordering all BELOW THEM daily tick tock 'Time' (day & night, 24/7) amidst-amongst 8,019,876,189 individual human's (as of 1/2024) of 195 individual countries worldwide = 1 all connected whole NECLEUS species-humanity itself CAN DO like past history repeating itself 2 worse Coming of a ALL out across the USA-global board murder-suicide-mutiny, sanitizing, annihilation, genocidal, bloodbath, massacre, eradicating, extermination, Russian roulette NO means ANY 1 should have 2 fear death cuz if U in-of Jesus & U-ANY frets death then U-ANY 1 CAN'T B in-of Jesus via Holy Bible's Luke 9:24!
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Joe TS
7/2/2024 03:43:35 am

I greatly appreciate this philosophyxx

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Frances
10/19/2024 09:11:01 am

amazing and reminds me a lot of the new ave and even mumblecore. more power to filmmakersxxx

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Godfrey Davies
10/19/2024 09:15:38 am

Mr Jones, do you think all this applies to animation? I would be interested to get your views on how the animation world has been impacted by these changes, particularly as some of your own films are animated also !

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Jovana Tomislava
11/1/2024 09:06:23 am

" The truth is that filmmakers require no such approval anymore, can make the movies they want and distribute them on the internet just like any other title." YES!!!!!!!

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LilyB
2/13/2025 03:22:22 am

GENIUS

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