Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 – 8:23 am
If you’ve been following this blog at all, or posts of mine on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll remember a period where I was giving my films away for free because of what I considered a breach of contract on the part of IndiePix…my former distributor. Well they called my bluff and terminated our agreement. I don’t think either side really had grounds to do anything we’ve done, and seems to be a typical ending to this terrible relationship. For me it spells freedom. A new beginning with all of my films now back in my hands. It’s not what I wanted, but I’ve learned to roll with the punches. For now you can still purchase the films at IndiePix until September 15th. After that you’ll have to keep your ears and eyes peeled for an awesome announcement.:-)
On a lighter note I will be at the Art Center of The Capital Region this Friday night to close my solo show Relative Velocity. Stop by and have a beer with me.:-) I want to thank the Arts Center, Colin Boyd, Sanford Mirling, Jake Winiski, and Ben Hillis for all the help. Couldn’t have done it without you guys and gals. There will be documentation up soon.
If you didn’t get a chance to check out my thesis show at the University Art Museum in May, the film version is being aired on WMHT (PBS) as part of the TVFilm show. There are extended interviews here, and the episode here…just in case you miss it on TV.
You’ll notice on the TVFilm blog there is the trailer to Orphaned. This is my third micro-budget feature film and I JUST finished it a few days ago. Some of you have gotten screeners and preview screenings. Let me know if you want to take a sneak peak…there is a price of admission however…feedback.
Speaking of micro-budget, I’m taking my column, The Micro-Budget Conversation, at Filmmaker Magazine on the road and I need your help. I’m working on putting together a SXSW panel on a culmination of subjects discussed on the blog and I need your help voting it in. Go to THIS LINK and vote. (warning…you may need to quickly create an account…but I super appreciate it:-) Voting determines 30 percent of the results. It’s about time us micro folks were properly represented at an awesome fest like SXSW!
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Cheers!
John
Thursday, July 7th, 2011 – 6:27 pm
So it’s now been almost two years since The Brave and the Kind was released to little fanfare on DVD by IndiePix. It then went on to VOD and iTunes download, but with almost NO mention or promotion. If it wasn’t for a few FB posts by me…no one would even known it was released.
None of this bothers me.
I knew that when someone else paid for the film I was going to be able to take risks, and maybe make a movie that no one wanted to see. As soon as my suspicions were confirmed, I gave the profits of the film no mind; IndiePix didn’t care either…so why should I. If they didn’t want to put any effort into promoting it…no skin off my back…I’m not the one that needed to make the money back. But you’d think they would at least try.
I should rewind a bit.
The Brave and the Kind was made after IndiePix “picked up” my first film, Every Good Thing to Rust. At the time I was inspired by In Rainbows and I was giving EGTTR away for free through the films’ website. IndiePix came to me and said they could help with the DVD distribution end of things. They would sell the DVD at cost (2.99) and I would receive no profits…BUT it would be a way to get disks in the hands of those who were yet to be download savvy…seemed like a win win. IndiePix then financed the no-budget experiment that was The Brave and the Kind. I kept all of the rights to the film and had complete control over it’s content; we then signed a standard distribution agreement. I was not to see any split in profit until the film made back it’s budget, but I completely understood the need for IndiePix to recoup their expenses.
Recently I found that IndiePix is now selling Every Good Ting to Rust for 11.99 a download, 3.99 on VOD, and 4.99 per disk. I’m not greedy, but I see none of that money. When I found this out I immediately asked IndiePix for a filmmakers statement. (basically a tally of units sold for both films) It’s been almost a year of constant emailing and asking…yet no statements. I’ve been told a number of things…one of the most baffling excuses I got was the owner of the company was “reviewing” my statement. Interesting.
So what does this mean? This means as of right now you can go HERE to get a free download copy of The Brave and the Kind, or HERE to get a free copy of Every Good Thing to Rust. How long will this great deal be up? Well…until Every Good Thing to Rust goes back to charging cost for disks, and downloads are free again AND I see an un-doctored statement. In the meantime I get to share these incredibly personal films with new people; film is meant to be watched…not shelved. UPDATE: IndiePix has called my bluff and terminated my contract. As of September 15th they will no longer carry any of my films. Stay tuned for more details.:-)
One might say that this is a shitty thing to do to a company that paid to have my second film made…but I feel that I’ve been taking it long enough. Three years is a long time and they’ve had their chance.
Enjoy!
Monday, May 23rd, 2011 – 8:18 pm
Starting this month I will be co-directing and producing my fourth feature film with one of my oldest partners in crime, Jesse Borkowski.
We need your help.
Right now we are crowdsourcing emotions/memories in hopes of getting a wide survey of humanity and not just our own little corner of the world. Engram’s emotion/memory component is key, and with your help we can make it a well rounded representation of the human race.
Contribute here.
Stay tuned for a call to arms video, more info on how to contribute, and tons of news as we spend the summer getting ready for the first shoot in September.
And check out my interview on the Everything Film Show last week…we talk a bunch about the film and the state of micro-budget.
Cheers
John
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 – 4:42 pm
Grad School. Finished.
Orphaned. Almost Done.
TBTK. For sale.
The Universal. Free.
Next Project. Here.
Blog. Contribute.
PLUS an article! Thanks Mark!
Stay tuned!:-)
John
Friday, December 17th, 2010 – 8:03 am
Hi all, just some quick TBTK news to share. In the spirit of the season IndiePix has dropped the price of TBTK disks (19.95) and added a Digital Download copy (11.99) for even less. Keep your eyes peeled in January when IndiePix will drop it in VOD format (Video on Demand) We also hope to have it out on hulu, iTunes, and Netflix in the comeing year…stay tuned for more details.
In the meantime…HAPPY HOLIDAYS from my family to yours!
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 – 8:59 am
It begins! Or…it’s half done! Either way…we’re slowly chipping away at the Orphaned rough cut. I’ll be disappearing until March and will re-emerge with a fine cut and music…AND plenty of behind-the-scenes for everyone. PLUS…a brand new website for the film!!! In the meantime check out all of our BTS videos and pics below…think of it as an Orphaned x-mas present.;-)
I will also return in the new year (Jan 4th) with a brand new blog that will be posting weekly at Filmmaker Magazine. The blog focuses on the experiences of other micro-budget filmmakers and the climate of our industry in general. BUT, instead of just a blog that talks about business models and all the best/latest gear, it will focus on individual filmmakers, their experiences, and how that relates to the big picture. It’s designed to be a hub of conversation with other micro-budget folks about their views on filmmaking and the state of our micro-budget world. Check it out and contribute! We’d love to hear from you!
Happy Holidays!!!
