Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Thoughs on foreign & independent distribution....

This is topic Thoughs on foreign & independent distribution.... in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=001645

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 02-27-2006, 09:56 PM:

Miramax - What has happened to this company? In the last year it sems they've only released one or two pictures. I don't recall them releasing anything "huge" in quite some time.

Sony Picture Classics - They seem to crank films out like there's no tomorrow. Vast majority seem to receive favorable reviews. My "favortite" film distributer.

Weinstein Company - "Doogal?!" What is going thru the Brother's Weinstein minds! The poster alone spells [bs]

.

Anyone have thoughts on the recent (and future) of foreign and independent films?

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 02-27-2006, 10:25 PM:

Biggest indie winner? Lions Gate

between Saw and the Madea franchises they're set - $30.5 million from a niche picture "Madea's Family Reunion"? That's HUGE. Both franchises cost about $5 million/film to produce.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 02-28-2006, 10:12 AM:

Hi Mike:

I believe you are correct. I don't really think of Lions Gate as an indie company even though they are one. They have shun the art house industry lately in favor of producing product for the multiplex crowd.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 02-28-2006, 03:28 PM:

You feel Lions Gate is less "indie" than Miramax (or Weinstein Co.)?

Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 02-28-2006, 05:07 PM:

A good read on the topic is Peter Biskind's book
"Down and Dirty Pictures : Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film " (Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2004).

In the early days Miramax was hanging on a thread, they won some but lost a lot. And there's many stories of punch-ups involving Harvey Weinstein against other buyers and filmmakers. Other interesting notes are how Harvey got dubbed by Directors as "Harvey Scissorhands" and that before they could afford the necessary eqiupment they would make cuts to the actual release prints.
It's all pretty funny.

There is talk for the last few years that Digital Cinema will help independents by having easier access to distribution, ie: no need for prints. But I wonder whether this will end up being the case.