ROTTEN TOMATOES: RTIndie: Can Indie Studios Survive Without Big Studio Backing? Comments

RTIndie: Can Indie Studios Survive Without Big Studio Backing?

by RT Staff | October 31, 2006

Summary

With the sale of independent-minded ThinkFilm last week, can indie film distributors survive without big studio backing? Back to Article

(1-4 of 4 posts) | Reply

Baccus83 writes:
on Oct 31 2006 07:35 PM

[b]Oh well.[/b]
Unfortunately it is very difficult for an "indie" film company to survive without major-studio backing. That's just business. Before any new studio can do too well, they are bought up by one of the majors. At least what most people think of as "indie" films belong to subsidiaries of the major studios. It's sad, yes, but what do you expect? The big studios are too big, and no theatre chain (except for a few in the big cities) is going to want to screen the latest indie films when there's Pirates of the Caribean 3 coming out. That's all there is to it.

This is a shame, because some of the best cinema I've seen is independent. This is not to say I'm some kind of movie snob who's out of touch with the mainstream. I just love a good story well told, no matter how much money went into it's making. The real shame in this is exhibitors who don't have the balls to give quality independent cinema valuable screen time. The only way we're going to get quality indpendent cinema to stay independent is if we expose it to people who might not normally have access to it. But perhaps it's a lost cause to think of this as something that exhibitors can change. What with media convergence, the next wave of independent cinema is foregoing traditional methods.

Soon enough we'll have true independent cinema distributed via the internet, available for purchase on DVD. It's the way the industry is going anyway, and it signals a better opportunity for independent artists to get out there and get their stuff seen. I, for one, am excited.

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synergyred writes:
on Oct 31 2006 08:19 PM

I've always wondered why Indie films seem to tend to be better reviewed than mainstream ones. Anyone have any real ideas.

The only one I can think of is that Indie films have to have a good story to survive, seeing as they don't have the cash to get really great special effects or actors that demand millions of dollars for a film. I'm not saying that all mainstream films with special effects or big names are BAD, I'm just saying that Indie films don't have that luxury.

Then again, I know very little about Independant Cinema so anyone that could help me would be great :)

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Hamsack writes:
on Nov 01 2006 01:00 AM

Yeah, for me indie films are better because they don't rely on special effects and stuff to glorify everything
Also, I prefer them because they focus more on characters and story. All in all it feels more "real" to me and I can usually relate to the characters. I guess that's why it's better reviewed, since it's usually something fresh and creative.

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TheIceGhost writes:
on Nov 01 2006 02:21 AM

In reply to this comment (#847791)
Couldn't agree more. It's sad to see how this stuff goes, but at the same time I'm excited to see a 'new age' of sorts in indie film with the help of the internet. Myspace has scratched the surface in indie music, and YouTube has made a scratch in indie film; I can't wait to see what will come out next...and preferrably it'll teach the big boys a thing or two about making movies.

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