I've learned that Independent filmmakers pass on many opportunities to succeed at their craft by following the myth and mystique of the Hollywood golden age. The Hollywood insiders who still have much to maintain in the establishment know this and pedal in the fact by promoting the glam of megastars and how much money they spend on each production (which is always inflated to boost value).
The difficulty of reaching and doing business with the big name actors and directors and studios adds to the marketing strategy of exclusivity, as if no other film or story told without them is a good one. Yes, big budgets allow better production quality, but the filmmakers and players have to be quality themselves or else it's a waste of money on a "flop". But major studios bet their money on big names to sell the end product over interesting content any day. And they decide who will be the big names. Even major players in Hollywood run around for years trying to get their projects funded, and Hollywood dreamers are competing against this.
Have you noticed the "little Hollywoods" popping up in different parts of the US (ex. Atlanta, New Orleans, Florida, Tennessee). That goes to show that the difference between Hollywood and where you are is based on talent, or even drive and determination. Besides the great weather (and the weather is great), the Hollywood district enjoys a a specified film production tax incentive that the draws filming companies to the tax advantages.
Well, up until the pandemic, "Hollywood" was able to keep the consumers' attention aware from streaming their movie content. Now the major studios are producing and releasing indie-type films at a lower cost, taking advantage of the low cost medium of streaming distribution, many just to recoup project investments that couldn't be finished and released in theaters, all the while the still mesmerized indie producers and talent hopefuls are succumbing to the bate-and-switch.
With all this going on, why anyone would put all their hopes and dreams and efforts, time, and resources into Hollywood and dismiss publishing opportunities at their fingertips is illogical to me. Digital distribution/self distribution/streaming platforms haven't been the only way, but I think it's the most intelligent for a serious filmmaker to keep in consideration. For me it's the priority since I have an appreciation for reliability.
A Tone Productions Film Projects
Movie Production Incentives
https://www.change.org/p/movie-production-incentives?recruiter=43262766&...
I must say that, that is very well said, and MAKES SENSE!
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Hey Marcus, how's it going? I have a few project I would like you take a look at on my profile. I'm looking for producers, director's and financing to get them going. The first is a saga called "Warriors of MA" it's a Fantasy / Drama that I know is hot. The second one is " Thug Life" it's a Drama. Both are on my profile, so if you're interested(And I hope you would be)contact me at OpenARK.Ent@Gmail.com. God Bless, stay safe, James Lytle
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Well said! And if we're going to continue paying full-value for productions, let it be because our crew is getting a living wage, not because we were unable to get a decent incentive from the location. If COVID has shown us anything, it's that productions can afford to inflate their budget by 30% and still keep going - if they can do it to say our lives against a virus, then they can do it to save our lives against exhaustion.
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Absolutely!