This was a letter to FilmDailies.com a filmmaker’s Blog. There had been a flap concerning the length of “Samaritan,“ and that we were taking advantage of the technical “first“ we had achieved to market our baby. I thought some indie folks were missing the point. If your Indie project screens in the forest, and you’re the only one clapping with one hand…does it make a sound? Anyway, I hope this helps some of you get the word out.
Hello Kraz. I am enjoying your site. I have seen a great deal of debate over the length of “Samaritan.” We are just movie makers wanting to create and needing to get the word out like everyone else. I’m puzzled by the controversy regarding the movie’s length. The first reference to Samaritan in the digitalfilmmaker.com story that started it all clearly refers to it as a “micro-feature.”
(From digitalfilmmaker.com)
Samaritan
Digital Filmmaker: “Star Circle Pictures based in Virginia Beach, Virginia has just wrapped production on a micro feature called Samaritan, the third venture for Star Circle, which represents the next chapter in the firm’s evolution. The project was shot for the express purpose of demonstrating the company’s belief in cost efficiency, faster production flow and good quality.
(End quote)
Has Star Circle Pictures pioneered a new phrase as well? I don’t think so,[actually, it appears we did!] but it is clear, Star Circle never referred to “Samaritan as a full length feature. Hopefully, that will help mitigate if not stop the misapprehension.
You made an astute observation:
“Heres an indie producer whos learned his lesson well. This techie interview will probably get him more exposure (at least in indie circles) than all the PR about the movie itself.”
Though Digital Filmmaker is doing a follow up story on the movie — the hard news for their audience was the completion of the first movie to use the Panasonic AG-HVX200.
We believe movies need an audience. Something movie makers need to understand is that in order to obtain that audience, they need to be aware your movie exists. On many levels it is very difficult for an artist to “market” his/her work. Some find the marketing aspect distasteful. You believe everyone should understand that you’re a serious artist who has put blood, sweat and tears into making it, and that should be enough. To a certain degree, this is understandable, but its not a healthy attitude for the life of your motion picture. Some just know how to make the movie, and hope sheer love and passion for the project might rub off on others. I am so proud of my team and its efforts, and am willing to find the angles that will bring my movies to light and thereby light up screens. It is more important to us the independent movie making community when we have launched and even completed a picture. Not as much so for your own local media, much less a national media. To them, we’re one of maybe 1,500 indies a year. [I believe Sundance had 1,700 submissions this past year.] To top it off, unless you come from a major market or at least out of state the fact that you’re a local is usually a hindrance to getting serious coverage. Don’t fight this. Understand it, and work with it. If you’re talking to the Digital Filmmaker and other national media forums understand what that editor knows his core audience is first and foremost interested in. If you’re talking to your local media understand what makes your story news to them, too. Knowing the seven criteria for news will help each movie maker get the word out on his or her film as much as the movie itself. I’m not a proponent of this reality — just a realist.
Here they are, courtesy of Jack Driscoll: Timeliness, Importance, High General Interest to Public, Relevance, Involves Public’s Right to Know, Involves Public’s Need to Know, Whether Story Informs, Educates, Guides or Entertains Reader.
Best of Luck [broken legs] to all our Movie Making Family. May your efforts be rewarding and rewarded.
Ethan
