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 For independent filmmakers, the big screen still holds
supreme. But it can also be used to drum up a larger audience on
digital platforms.
The trend comes as digital companies such as Amazon.com Inc and
IAC/InterActiveCorp's Vimeo are looking to acquire movies as
they compete, or partner with, film studios for a bigger
audience share.
Brothers Mark and Jay Duplass, known for movies such as "Jeff
Who Lives At Home," sold three films at Sundance this year,
including "Tangerine" and "The Overnight," and all are heading
to the big screen.
The cost of a theatrical release, including distribution and
spending on press and advertising, raises the threshold for
achieving success. By comparison, a digital release is less
costly for filmmakers and could offer a bigger payout if a movie
becomes a hit.
While "Tangerine" doesn't have big stars, it can grow through
strong reviews, Mark Duplass said. "The Overnight," starring
Adam Scott and Jason, could have gone straight to digital
release, but Duplass said it was worth "taking a risk" on the
cost of a theatrical release.
"When I see a movie that can really break out at the movie
theaters, I feel like I do want to give it a chance," he said.
But a digital release can work alongside a theatrical release
and capitalize on the box office.
The Duplass brothers last week signed a deal to produce four
films exclusively for Netflix Inc's subscription-based digital
streaming service, but with an option to show them at movie
theaters beforehand.
Similarly, talent agency William Morris Endeavor is opting for
theatrical releases in most cases, while also finding ways to
pair with the digital world.
Out of the 16 films that William Morris Endeavor has for sale at
Sundance this year, only two so far have been sold in a
multi-platform deal, in which a film is released simultaneously
in theaters and on digital and VOD platforms.
The rest are all theatrical releases, though Graham Taylor, head
of film financing and distribution at William Morris Endeavor,
is an advocate of narrowing the window between a film's
theatrical release and subsequent digital, VOD and home
entertainment release.
"There is a cost efficiency" to using the money spent ahead of a
movie's debut at theaters to tie into digital release soon
after, he said.
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DOUBLING AUDIENCE ACCESS
Joe Swanberg, director of this year's Sundance film "Digging For
Fire," said he shot it on 35mm film specifically to show at movie
theaters.
But he acknowledged that a digital platform may be the right fit for
certain movies. While his 2014 film "Happy Christmas" made only
$30,000 across nine U.S. theaters, it found its audience on Netflix,
he said.
"Theatrical release is a really nice commercial for your movie, but
also closing those windows between theatrical and digital isn't
cannibalization," he said. "You're just doubling your access to an
audience."
Netflix has 57 million subscribers worldwide and its clients have
watched more independent films than on any other digital platform,
said Jonathan Friedland, the company's chief communications officer.
"The economics of going the traditional theatrical release route are
somewhat unfavorable for filmmakers," Friedland said.
And even as movie theaters remain a favored debut venue for many
indie films, digital platforms offer the advantage of identifying
and targeting a specific audience.
"A lot of people are going direct to digital and this makes sense
for documentaries or films that have a subject that clearly has a
passionate audience dispersed around the world," said Vimeo Chief
Executive Officer Kerry Trainor.
Unlike subscription-based Netflix, Vimeo is an open, high-end video
sharing site that allows people to charge for their content. It has
26 million subscribers.
Director Spike Lee debuted his latest film, "Da Sweet Blood of
Jesus," on Vimeo a month before its scheduled Feb. 13 theatrical
release, pricing rentals at $9.99 and purchases at $14.99.
"This is the future of film distribution. Please join us," Lee said
in a statement.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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