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THE PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY OF DISTRIBUTING
INDEPENDENT FILMS ON DVD

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_—— -—*_.—— __ __-..

THE PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY OF DISTRIBUTING
INDEPENDENT FILMS ON DVD

BY

Jeffrey W. Hamlin

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTERS OF ARTS
Department of Telecommunication

2004

ABSTRACT

THE PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY OF DISTRIBUTING
INDEPENDENT FILMS ON DVD

BY

Jeffrey W. Hamlin

Independent filmmaking is currently in a state of crisis and
flux. Traditional distributors are no longer acquiring small,
independently produced films. This factor has created a shift in the

market place, where supply has grown greater than demand.

A solution can be found, however, in the form of self-
distributing films on DVD. If approached properly, this method can
produce positive results allowing the filmmaker to garner greater

market awareness and profits.

This thesis will provide a picture of the current landscape
which independent filmmakers face in establishing a market share.
In addition, both traditional distribution methods and case studies
pertaining to self-distribution of independent films in today’s world
will be provided. Based upon thesis’ findings, the author will design,
develop and formulate a distribution plan for his own independent

film’s DVD.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is hard to imagine that 10 years ago I was a sailing bum
living and sailing throughout the Caribbean. My life was simple and
laidback with little in the way of pressure or money. It was a
lifestyle that I fully embraced and did not want to give up. Friends
and family accepted my whim, but always asked the same question

- “what are you going to do with your life?”

I never really gave it too much thought. At the time, I was
content living aboard my small boat and scratching out a few
dollars. Of importance to me was the next port of call - Cuba,
Mexico, the Bahamas, or the Florida Keys. I was driven by

wanderlust and the excitement of what lay ahead.

One day, however, something changed. Something happened
that caused me to stop cold and think. Perhaps it was one too many
storms or the leaky boat cabin or the broken tiller. Whatever it was,

I too began to wonder - “what are you going to do with your life?”

While no answers jumped out at me, I began to realize that

something needed to change. I needed to find direction - a purpose

iii

- a reason. Slowly, over the course of a year, I seriously examined

my life and where I wanted it to 90.

One day my dad sent me some literature from Michigan State
University. It was from the English program. He included a hand
written note indicating that a career in writing may be just the thing
for me. As he put it, I could continue to live the adventuresome life

whilst making a living at the same time.

It sounded great! I was so excited that I read the information
over and over again. The only foreseeable downside was moving
back to Michigan...but with the blessing of my parents (and a free

place to stay) I took the plunge. Thanks Mom and Dad!

I applied and was accepted into Michigan State University.
Upon receiving my acceptance letter, I attended orientation and
looked forward to meeting members of the English Department.
However, while wondering campus, I took a wrong turn and
became hopelessly lost. I ended up asking directions from a curly
haired man named Bob Carlisle. As it turns out, he was an advisor

for the Telecommunication Department and a fellow sailor to boot.

iv

To make a long story short, I never found the English
Department. I followed Bob back to the Communication Arts and
Sciences building and officially became a Telecomm student.
Instead of writing about my adventures, I would document them on
film and videotape. From that moment, my life took on new
meaning complete with a sense of being and direction. Thank you

Bob!

Over the next two years, I worked very hard at finishing my
education. Fortunately, the Telecommunication Department offered
both excellent facilities and instruction. One such instructor, Dr.
Bella Mody, was extremely instrumental in guiding me along the
way. She was incredibly caring and helped me identify a method in
which I could merge my love of travel with my education. For that,

I will always be extremely grateful. Thank you Dr. Mody!

To supplement my formal education, I searched for a
production related job that would give me ‘hands on’ experience.
When an editing position opened at WKAR television I applied and
was given the job. Responsible for my hire was Marge Mooney, a

colorful character that would act as my direct supervisor for the

next two years. In that time, I would gain a better understanding
of both editing and public television. Thank you Marge!

I also took a job at the DMAT lab where I acted as the lab
supervisor. The position afforded me the opportunity to learn all
about the various production equipment ranging from digital video
cameras and XLR cables to non-linear editing suites and patch bays.
Thanks to Rich Tibbals and Gary Roettger, I also learned a lot about

supervision and teamwork. Thank you Rich and Gary!

Upon graduating I took a full time editing job at WKAR
television. Over the next two years, I would gain an incredible
amount of television production experience ranging from editing,
motion graphics, remote videography, lighting, and audio. At one
point, I was given complete creative control over two programs; We
Were Known As and One on One. It was the former that afforded
me the opportunity to define my editing and motion graphic style,

which eventually cumulated into an Emmy nomination.

Of course, I would not have learned nearly as much if it were

not for a handful of talented people. I am very thankful to those

individuals with whom I most closely worked including Paul

vi

Pierantozzi, Mike Lewis, Dick Best, John Moralez, Rob Burke, and

Mike Milhales. Thank You Very Much!

I eventually left WKAR to become a full time graduate student
in the Telecommunication Department where I would study Digital
Media Design and Technology. Thanks to the kindness of Bob
Albers, I landed a teaching assistant position. This afforded me
numerous opportunities and I learned much from the experience.

Thanks Bob!

As a student in the DMAT program, I was fortunate to take a
number of classes taught by Brian Winn. His knowledge and
dedication to the field of technology and teaching were
unsurpassed. He created incredibly positive learning environments
enabling every student to prosper and grow. I am very thankful for

all of his help and guidance. Thank you Brian!

Taking the time to serve on my thesis committee were Brian
Winn, Gary Reid, and Bob Albers. I am thankful for all of their input

and willingness to serve. Thank you!

Of course, I could not have done anything without the loving
support of my wonderful parents, Thomas and Susan. To them, I
will be eternally thankful. Thanks mom and dad! I am also very
thankful and appreciative of my lovely wife Jolee. She is the
bedrock that continues to support me to this day. Her kindness,
friendship, gentle spirit and enduring love have kept me going
through the good and bad. Thanks JoJo! Thanks also to my pride
and joy Harrison, who cannot wait for Daddy to finish his thesis so
that we can play outside together. Finally, thanks to little l-lope who

is busy growing in mommy’s tummy. I love you one and all!

viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES..... ....................... . ................. . ....... xii
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................. xiii
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND.... ............... ....................... 1
CHAPTER TWO
OVERVIEW.......... ............................................. . ..... 4
CHAPTER THREE
DISTRIBUTION. ......... ............ ....... 14
~ Types of Distribution ................................................... . 16
Studio ................................................................ . 16
Independent .................................................... . 18
Sub Distributors ................................................ 20
Wholesale ......................................................... . 21
Distribution Markets .................................................... . 24
Theatrical .......................................................... . 27
Video on Demand ............................................ . 29
Video/DVD ........................................................ . 29
Pay Per View .................................................... . 30
Cable Markets ................................................... 31
Broadcast ......................................................... . 32
Institutional ...................................................... . 35
Internet ............................................................... 39
Distributor Functions ................................................. . 40
CHAPTER FOUR
CASE STUDY........... ...... . ......... . ........... . ..... ..... . ..... 44
Background ..................................................................... 45
Individual Interviews ................................................... . 46
Ted Bonnitt .......................................................... . 46
Key Point .................................................... . 46
Mark Taipo Kines ................................................. 49
Key Point .................................................... . 49
Bradley Beasley .................................................... . 52
Key Point .................................................... . 52
General Findings ............................................................. . 55
Film as a Product ................................................. . 55

ix

Marketing and Promotion .................................. 56

Website ................................................................... . 59
Target Audience .................................................... . 63
Packaging .................................................................. 65
Patience .................................................................. . 66
Non-Ordered Selling ........................................... . 66
CHAPTER FIVE
DESIGN ......... . ......................................................... 68
Menu Styles ................................................................ . 69
Utilitarian ............................................................ 69
Derivative ......................................................... . 69
Conceptual ....................................................... . 70
Finding Fidel Design ................................................... 72
CHAPTER SIX
DEVELOPMENT... ..................................................... 81
Final Cut Pro ................................................................ . 81
Adobe After Effects ...................................................... 82
QuickTime Pro ............................................................... 82
Adobe PhotoShop .......................................................... 85
DVD Studio Pro II ......................................................... 85
CHAPTER SEVEN
SELF-DISTRIBUTING FINDING FIDEL .................... 86
Treat Film as Product ................................................. 86
Identifying Target Audience ..................................... 88
Communicating the Film, Story, and Idea ............ 9O
Utilizing the Web ....................................................... . 92
Budgeting as a Tool ................................................... 94
Distribution Goal ......................................................... . 97
CHAPTER EIGHT
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ...................................... 98
APPENDIX A: Presentation Package Center
For Cuban Studies .............................................. 104
APPENDIX B: ITVS Open Call Submission ........ 109
APPENDIX C: Recruitment Letter ........................ 117
APPENDIX D: Interview Instrument ................. 119

APPENDIX E: Consent Form .............................. 121

BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................. 1 24

xi

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: QuickTime Files ........................................................ 83
Table 2: MPEG 2 Files ............................................................. 84
Table 3: Budget ....................................................................... 95

xii

Figure 1:
Figure 2:
Figure 3:
Figure 4:
Figure 5:
Figure 6:
Figure 7:
Figure 8:

Figure 9:

LIST OF FIGURES
Ordered Selling ...................................................... .
Complete DVD Hierarchy ......................................
DVD Menu Hierarchy .......................................... .
DVD Menu Transitions ......................................... .
Design Model I .........................................................
Navigational Menu Buttons .................................
Title Bar ................................................................ .
Photographs ......................................................... .

Design Model II .....................................................

xiii

26
73
74
75
76
77
78
79

8O

BACKGROUND

In the spring of 2002, I premiered my independent documentary
film, Finding Fidel, A Young Man’s Journey, on the campus of Michigan
State University. The event, which was sponsored by the East Lansing
Film Festival and Kresge Art Museum, drew more than 150 people and
was covered extensively by print and television local media, including
front-page coverage in the State News. The excitement surrounding
the film and its premiere drew a highly captivated audience. Upon
completion of the film, nearly everyone stuck around for an hour Q
and A session that lead to a line of people wanting to discuss
everything from cinematography to wanderlust to politics with the
filmmaker.

In and of itself, the reviews and positive attention were
enjoyable and quite validating. But I soon came to realize that I had I
had done myself a disservice by doing nothing to carry on any
momentum of the moment. For example, many interested parties
wanted to purchase a copy of the film, but none were available. No
contact cards were on hand, and no website information was passed

along. When the event ended, patrons left with nothing in hand and

nothing that would bring them back for more, keeping them abreast of

the filmmaker’s future projects.

Such was the position I found myself in, or more correctly, the
position I put myself in. I was so wrapped up in the creative aspect of
filmmaking that I never appropriately identified the importance of self-
promotion, marketing, branding, and distribution. When a golden
opportunity arose, I was ill prepared to take advantage of it. I left the
experience wondering what had gone wrong, particularly since it
seemed as if the event went well. Therein lies the context in which this

thesis was undertaken.

Like the presentation, the undertaking of the film (Finding Fidel,
A Young Man ’5 Journey) itself was at best an ill conceived and thought
out endeavor. When I began filming, I never envisioned that my
footage would be used to create a film. Consequently, I filmed in a
haphazard manner. I did not consider a script or develop a concept,
clear or otherwise, of future use of the footage. I was filming “for fun,"
and mere entertainment. I never put myself on camera, and I never
treated myself as the subject. I filmed whatever was of interest to me

over a six-year timeframe, never following a story line per say. Of

course, the overall plot of the film ended up being my search for Fidel

Castro, but while filming, I never actually or concretely identified that
concept as the basis for a future film. Not until I returned to the states
and a college setting did I decide to use the footage for a class project.
Even at that point, I had not differentiated between using the footage
for the comparatively simple task of developing an undergraduate
class project versus that of making a feature-length documentary to

increase personal livelihood and edification.

Still, as it worked out, I filmed everything I needed for the making of a
film. Whether it was dumb luck or some guttural knowledge of filmmaking,
my footage all ended up coming together into a coherent cinema verite’ style
documentary. Seeing everything come together helped convince me that I
have a story to tell, and perhaps a talent in which to tell it, too. But, it would
be a long while before I realized the all-important concepts of marketing and
distributing the creative work or before I would see how these tasks should
be at the forefront of a creative filmmaking venture, not allotted to a
secondary or non-existent position, as I had treated them. Again, the

learning experience laid the foundation for this thesis.

OVERVIEW

Every aspiring independent filmmaker dreams of having his or
her work shown on the “big screen." Bringing this dream to fruition,
however, never truly happens without some sort of distribution deal.
Ultra low budget films such as Clerks, El Mariachi, and The Blair Witch
Project are recognizable examples of this notion. Each of these films
had established small scale success; however, without distribution
contracts, the broader viewing public never would have been able to
watch these inventive independent films. The unique outcome for
these films directly relates to the fact that a major Hollywood studio

picked them up for national theatrical distribution.

While Clerks, El Mariachi, and The Blair Witch Project are highly
successful independently produced films, they are the exception. The
truth of the matter is that most independent films will never be picked
up for distribution. The principle factor is that the former titans of the
independent film world, the Miramax’s and the Artisans, have all but
stopped taking risks. They essentially have ceased acquiring small
movies from emerging filmmakers. “It’s times like these when we are

all reminded that this is the film business. The Kevin Smiths [Clerks]

of tomorrow are simply going undiscovered as their little $30,000 low-
budget independents join the mass of Cine-Orphans, basically films

without a home - movies without distribution” (Gore).

This is sobering news considering that nearly four thousand
independent films were produced in 2002 alone (Bosko 153). The
saturated market finds struggling filmmakers throughout the country
desperate to secure a profit making deal (preferably, high profit) and
see that their film reaches the big screen and commercial marketplace
in theaters. The chances of this happening, however, are slim to none.
“It is almost impossible to get a theatrical audience [for independently
made films],” states Lloyd Kaufman, president of Troma Films. “The
Hollywood studios see to that. They control the game, they have the

money, and they strongly prefer to push their own lousy movies."

Ultimately then, desperation prompts many independent
filmmakers to all but give away their artistic creation. They may have
been holding out for the best “deal,” but at a certain point, when it
looks as if the film may never sell, it no longer is a matter of breaking
even, making a profit, or choosing between various pleasant options.
By necessity, it becomes about the filmmaker’s ability to get on

someone’s radar - or, in other words, to get some exposure. In

essence, the exposure itself serves as a stepping-stone in launching

the filmmaker’s career.

The introduction of DVD technology provides a new beacon of
hope for independent filmmakers struggling to achieve successful
distribution of their product. Truly, the technology is changing both the
entertainment industry and the future of filmmaking. As Lloyd
Kaufman states “DVDs have made independent film much more
accessible to the viewing public and given the power back to the
filmmakers. DVDs are going to change the whole game, and for the
better.” Chris Gore, editor of Filmthreat.com agrees, “The time is ripe
for a revolution in independent film and the answer lies in three little

letters... D-V-D.”

DVDs (Digital Video Disk/Digital Versatile Disk) have been on the
market since 1994. At the time, several competing formats were
biding for market share and acceptance. Slowly, common standards
were established. As the technology became standardized, the
entertainment industry began to realize the format’s full potential. One
single-sided, single-layered DVD could hold 4.7GB of material. This

equated into 133 minutes of full motion MPEG-2 video, enough space

to contain 95% of all Hollywood movies. In addition, the picture quality

is greater and the playback ability is more enhanced than VHS.

DVDs furthermore have had a vast impact on the marketing,
sales and distribution of both studio and independently produced films.
The harsh reality is that it is increasingly difficult for independents to
turn a profit in the theatrical distribution market. Even the major
studios have come to accept the fact that 4 out of S, or 80 %, of their
pictures will lose money in the course of their theatrical runs (Simens
pg. 359). Marketing costs to take a film to thousands of screens are
astronomical; however, even lackluster theatrical performance of
studio produced pictures helps in marketing for the home release of
DVD and VHS that inevitably follows. As such, theatrical releases are
more often than not being looked on as mainly a way to promote and
market the upcoming DVD. In fact, 2001 was the first year in which
DVD sales eclipsed the total box office take of all films released to

theaters (Bosko 243).

In today’s market, DVDs are more popular than ever before.
People from all walks of life are buying and using the technology.
According to research presented by the DVD Entertainment Group, an

industry trade organization, 60 million homes were expected to have

DVD players by the end of 2003. Of that number, 29 % would have at
least two players in the home. In addition, 69 °/o of homes with game
systems have watched DVDs on their game consoles and S9 °/o of
homes with DVD enhanced computers have watched a movie using the

PC (Hernandez).

One of the primary factors that enable DVDs to continue their
gain of market share relates to their pricing structure. DVDs were
introduced at sell through price allowing them to blast their way into
the marketplace, blurring the once clear lines between retail product
and rental product. In today’s market, sell through price finds DVDs
often cheaper to buy than rent. As such, the average DVD household
buys about 15 titles per year, more than double the level of VHS

purchases, even at the height of that medium’s sales success.

Another reason for the popularity of DVDs is the flexibility
offered by the format. They afford the consumer the opportunity to
watch a film on a variety of machines, including a traditional DVD
player, a computer, or even a DVD enabled game console. They also
allow for many of “extras” to be viewed on one, self-paced interactive
disk. Besides the actual film, DVDs this often include behind the

scenes documentaries, interviews with filmmakers, outtakes, games,

and much more. This feature has exceptional appeal to film buffs and
other niche audiences that now are able to explore their esoteric

hobbies and interests in a much more flexible and interactive way.

Accordingly, DVDs have become highly collectable. For home
use, they are highly durable and last a long time, and they have a high
re-sale value. Creative artwork and additional inserts add further value
to the product and are most commonly found in “Collector’s and
Platinum Editions.” Ted Sorrandos, acquisition director of Netflix.com,
finds that DVDs have become likened to baseball cards of the old days.
“DVDs are traded extensively and have intrinsic value outside of the
actual film. Their size allows them to be shipped across the country in
quantity as collectors from all over trade and barter their favorite

titles.”

The location in which DVDs are sold is yet another aspect
impacting their popularity. In today’s market, you will find DVDs on
sale at grocery stores, convenience stores, truck stops, and gift shops.
They are set up in displays to create a state of impulse buying. In the
very recent past, buyers would not have seen DVDs or videos for sale
in these establishments. Grocery stores, gift shops and the like were

not in the business of selling movies. Customers had to go to a

specialty shop to buy videos/films. Not any more. As Lloyd Kaufman
states, “Although it is still extremely difficult for our films to get shelf
space in major retailers, we do sell lots of product in big chains such
as Best Buy, Musicland, and Wal-Mart." Don May of Synapse films sees
the popularity and accessibility of the DVD format as having a huge
impact on the independent filmmaking industry. “I believe DVD has
really helped the indie scene,” he says. “I walk into stores like Best
Buy and see loads of smaller, more independent films on the shelves
every day. DVD is catching on like wildfire and the sell-through price
and availability has allowed for independent filmmakers to really

showcase their material into outlets like never before.”

As this trend continues, a handful of small distribution
companies are re-releasing previously undiscovered independent films
on DVD. Companies like Troma, Synapse Films, Indie DVD, and York
Entertainment are taking the lead and getting their products to the
market. By establishing brand names and keeping up with industry
trends, these small independent distribution companies are able to
gain shelf space in the major retailers. Drawing Flies, Toxic Avenger,
and Star Warp’d are a few of the most successful titles, and all have

sold over 35,000 units worldwide (Gore).

10

This example provides a rare instance in which Hollywood
actually followed the lead of trailblazing independent filmmakers by re-
releasing both current and classic studio owned films. It is the ladder
that is making the most noticeable splash on the industry. The re-
release of classics now is seen by many in the entertainment industry
as the bread-and-butter stash, often keeping studios sailing during the
slow times of the year or in between new releases. “I think the classic
DVD market is key to the growth of the format.” Says Bob Chapek,
President of Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Joe Amodie, USA Home
Entertainment executive vice president agrees. "We really look at
classic films as being extremely important for our revenue stream. It
compliments our new-release market and it makes the collection of
movies easier. It keeps collecting alive." Titles such as Gone with the
Wind, Citizen Cane, Casablanca, Ben Hur, and Cleopatra are popular
re-releases and have opened up new target audiences, primarily the

over 40 crowd (Gore).

As Hollywood and independent distributors strive for DVD market
share, a handful of independent filmmakers are tackling the challenge
of distributing their products directly. In itself, this is a revolutionary
consideration. Distribution remains a highly specialized area of

expertise. It is time, labor, money, and mentally intensive. Traditional

11

distributors have established contacts, formulas, marketing resources
and plans, in addition to a beneficial, self-serving expertise in contract
negotiation. As such, the process itself of self-distributing has
understandably scared away independent filmmakers, who tend to
prefer remaining focused on their creative works rather than centering

on the intricacies of business plans and market research.

Still, for an independent filmmaker to reach any semblance of
profit making success, he/she must face the reality that distribution is
paramount, regardless of the decision to self— or studio-distribute.
Both the literature and the author's own experiences irrefutably
confirm this position. The assertion formulates a basis for the
forthcoming thesis. A close examination will follow, including a
literature review of traditional distribution models, and an assessment
of both the challenges and benefits of self-distribution. The unique
attributes of distributing independently made films, specifically in the

DVD format, also will be scrutinized.

In summary, DVDs have expanded the market place for both
mainstream studio movies and independents alike. Unlike the
mainstream Hollywood system, however, independent filmmakers do

not have built in distribution channels or seemingly endless supplies of

12

cash. Their success, if they are to achieve it, depends on identifying
new and innovative ways of distributing their films (DVD’s) to the

viewing public.

13

DISTRIBUTION

From the onset of the motion picture industry, the distribution
process has been a vital link between filmmakers/studios and their
audience. It is, after all, the process by which films are physically
placed before the viewing public. Traditionally, distribution has entailed
taking a finished film and getting it into the nation’s various movie
theatres. Today, however, distribution has gone global. Distributors
find themselves attempting to get films to a worldwide audience by
utilizing every conceivable form of media available. The home
video/DVD market, broadcast and cable television, video on demand,
and pay per view are but a few of the markets that distributors aim to

fill.

On the surface, the distribution process may seem to be a
relatively straightforward process. It is, however, a highly specialized
endeavor that is time, labor, and money intensive, with a seemingly
endless stream of administrative tasks involved, including deal
making, contract negotiation, quality inspections, collection

management, etc. Other intricacies to film distribution entail variables

14

such as geography, season and demographics of target audience,

(Sherman 68).

Due to the nature of the business, therefore, distribution has
typically been left to those studios or individuals with a large bankrolls
and connections within the entertainment industry. Distributors (as
they are known) make it their business to take on the financially risky
task of delivering films to the viewing public. Distributors have
become the de facto gatekeepers of the industry. Without them, a film
typically has no chance to gain an audience. The industry has come to
rely on their expertise, trusting that they can deliver on the promises
they make. Most importantly, experience has taught distributors what

sells, what doesn’t, when to sell, and to whom to sell.

Working with an established distributor has definite advantages
for filmmakers the world over, who tend to seek their services.
Distributors have resources, both financial and otherwise, that they
use to get a film to market. They have both the clout and leverage
within the industry and can command for superior release dates, low
cost prints, and marquee theatres in the most desirable cities.

Distributors are key to the economics of filmmaking as they help

15

ensure that payment is collected and dispersed among all the

significant players (Cones 44).

Types of Distributors

Distributors can generally be categorized into four groups --
studio, independent, sub, and wholesale. Studios are the largest
distributor group, and they have the most resources at their disposal.
Sub distributors, on the other hand, are often small agencies
employing as few as 5 people. While distributors may vary in size and
scope, however, the purpose of each is the same: to make a
completed film available to the markets and venues that may wish to
sell or exhibit it in exchange for an agreed upon portion of the

revenues (Sherman 67).

Studio

These are the big Hollywood players such as Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox,
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios (Buena Vista) and
Paramount Pictures. They are extremely large corporations with huge
operating budgets and offices/staff both nationally and internationally.
Studio distributors, sometimes referred to as “majors," are the most

established and revered in the business, as they have been around

16

since the advent of the motion picture industry. Their primary function
is to release their own product, that is, distribute the films made within

their own studios (Harmon 22).

In a process called direct distribution, the studios work directly
with the large theatre groups across the country and place movies
produced under their trademark on as many screens as possible.
Because they are so powerful within the industry, studios usually have

no problem arranging for screen space at whatever theatre they seek.

However, the number of in-house films that a studio can produce
each year is limited, usually around 10 to 15 (Sherman 69). Therefore,
they often seek to distribute films which have been produced by other
than their production facility. Many times this entails collaboration with

another major studio, or in some cases, an independent filmmaker.

When distributing an externally produced film, many of the
studios use a specialty releasing label, or subsidiary distributor of the
parent company. For example, Fox Searchlight is Twentieth Century
Fox's branch for independent product offerings including such films as

the Full Monty, Antwone Fisher, and One Hour Photo. Another example

17

is Fine Line, the independent branch of New Line Cinema, which

distributed H00p Dreams, Shine, and Gummo.

Through both the size of the companies and the scale of
productions released into the market place, studio distributors
command the industry. Most have long histories in the business and
are very efficient at getting product into every possible market and
territory. Studio distributors usually deal with all other kinds of

distributor to locate and release a steady stream of films (Bosko 70).

Independent Distributors

Independent distributors operate independently of the traditional
Hollywood studio system, yet they seek to accomplish the same task:
to deliver films to the viewing public. Unlike their studio counterparts,
however, independents have limited financial and personnel resources.
Because of this, independents tend to shy away from competing with
studios by focusing their efforts on locating and meeting the needs of

niche markets.

By embracing the niche market philosophy, independent
companies such as Lions Gate, Troma Entertainment, York

Entertainment, Synapse Films, and Regent Entertainment have thrived

18

in the distribution business. Their very names have become
synonymous with the genre they are representing. As a result, the
market knows what to expect from each of their releases. Lloyd
Kaufman explains, “When people hear the name Troma they
automatically know what to expect...bad acting, gore, blood, cheesy

effects, and lots and lots of T and A" (Kaufman).

The majority of independent distributors choose to specialize in
specific genres like horror, sci-fi, and action. York Entertainment, for
example, focuses its efforts on releasing urban action flicks. With titles
like Thrill Seekers and Random Acts of Violence, York has become the
worldwide leader in urban entertainment releasing more feature films

annually than any other independent distributor (Gore).

Another successful independent distributor is Synapse Films.
Based in Detroit, Michigan, Synapse specializes in distributing sci-fi
and horror flicks. They purchase approximately ten films a year and
distribute them to niche markets through the web, magazines, and
video stores. One of their biggest titles is Star Warp’d, an animated

short film parodying sci-fl hits like Star Wars, X-Fi/es, and Star Trek

(May).

19

Like the large studio operations, many independents also
finance, produce, and distribute their own product. The most notable
example is Troma Entertainment. Based in New York City, Troma has
produced over 100 films with titles like the Toxic Avenger, Citizen
Toxie, Tromeo and Juliet, and Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD. These low
budget horror movies are distributed to an international audience, and
they enjoy a cult following. Troma has released many of its films in
regional theatres, but it mainly relies upon the video/DVD market for

profits (Kaufman).

Sub Distributors

Sub distributors are unique in that they do not produce any
films, and they rarely acquire the rights. They are, in fact, middlemen.
Their sole purpose is to work with studio, independent and/or self-
distributors in finding niche, foreign, geographical, and retail markets.
They primarily serve as sales agents working on a commission-based

contact.

Many distributors specifically choose to work with a sub
distributor when attempting to sell a film abroad. By understanding
international policies and practices, sub distributors can cut through

the traditional red tape and get a film into almost any foreign market.

20

They are used extensively, for example, at the Cannes, Milan, London,
Munich, Bombay, and Johannesburg film festival markets (Harmon
29). While in attendance, they represent films by holding screenings
for prospective buyers and distributing all the ancillary information
pertaining to a particular movie. The sub distributor then will receive a
commission if any the film receives any sales, based on the price of

the sale.

Wholesale Distributors

Wholesale distributors are interested only in selling to the
DVD/VHS market, as opposed to direct theatrical release. Wholesale
distributors can be categorized into four distinct groups according to
their products and services -- adult, new product, used product, and
leased product. Distribution wholesalers move large quantities of
product from suppliers to stores. Suppliers can be studios,
independent producers, video stores, or anyone who has a large

inventory of product to sell.

Adult wholesalers deal with adult themed programming including
both soft and hard-core pornography. Because of the controversial
nature of the business fraught with potential for lawsuit, distributors of

adult wholesale materials make it their business to understand federal,

21

state, and local regulations describing how and where their product
can be distributed and displayed. International law also must be
considered since they distribute their product to a worldwide audience.
Nonetheless, if adult wholesalers operate within the parameters of the
law, they stand to reap substantial revenues. The demand for their
product has risen dramatically over the past five years and is expected

to continue to rise (Bosko 73).

An adult wholesaler will obtain product by one of two ways. First,
they may choose to work with an established production company
specializing in the creation of X-rated material. Because this option
gives the wholesaler a great deal of control concerning the number of
pieces ordered, titles, formats, and genres, it is the most popular
acquisition technique. Adult wholesalers also might obtain bulk product
from a fledging video store or production company looking to liquidate
its assets. While this method can produce mass inventory at a very low
price, it leaves the adult wholesaler with little variety. Also, because
much of the material may be used or previously viewed, they may

have to repackage it and sell it at a reduced price (Bosko 73).

New product wholesalers are the bread and butter of the home

entertainment industry. Companies like Ingram, Baker and Taylor, and

22

Video Products Distributors provide retailers and video rental stores
with access to thousands of videos and DVDs. Included in their list are
titles released by Hollywood studios, independent film and video
companies, and additional producers of movies, fitness, instructional,
educational, and do it yourself which have not utilized a theatrical
release. New product wholesalers do not sell directly to the public;
they only operate in a business-to-business manner. In addition to
offering tapes and DVD’s, many new product wholesalers provide
additional service to their customers like web site design and
maintenance, poster packages, and other sales/rental enhancing

marketing and merchandising tools (Bosko 74).

Used product wholesalers concentrate their efforts on buying and
selling used videos and DVDs. Specializing in closeouts, they do
enormous liquidations from video store facilities, video duplicators,
mass merchants and, on occasion, Hollywood studios. In these deals,
videos and DVDs can be retail returns, overruns, discontinued items,
and cutouts with quantities usually reaching into the thousands. Also
known as “secondary distributors,” used product wholesalers cater to a
niche market such as dollar chains, truck stops, rackers, warehouse
clubs, and flea markets. A Florida based company called Distribution

Video and Audio, specializes in distribution to government and military

23

installations including their equivalent of “public libraries”,
governmental agency libraries, embassies, and domestic and foreign
bases. In 2002, the company moved over ten million tapes (Bosko

74).

Leased product wholesalers operate through a revenue sharing
model called pay per transaction, or PPT. Using the PPT system, more
than 10,000 video outlets throughout North America acquire
videocassettes and DVDs from major studios and other suppliers at a
much lower cost in return for sharing a portion of their rental revenue
with the supplier. In this set up, a retailer will pay anywhere from $0
to $8 upfront for the same movie or video that would have cost up to
$65 from a traditional supplier. After all fees and splits, the retailer
keeps about 50% of the rental revenue (Bosko 76). This system is
very popular with small video stores because lower cassette costs

allow for less risk, quicker “breakeven,” and greater cash flow.

Distribution Markets

In today’s market, every conceivable market venue wants access
to movies and their revenue. From television networks to basic cable
companies, video stores, and theatre groups, the list of outlets is ever

growing and changing. As the list grows, the demand for program

24

content (films) becomes even greater. The demand, however, is not
only for content, but also for exclusivity. Exclusivity allows a particular
market to acquire revenues from the screening, renting, or selling of
movies for their specific industry within a specific timeframe (for
example, a television network broadcast, as opposed to a video store
rental) (Simens 357). Granting exclusivity not only allows a particular
market to gather revenues, but the distributor and producers of the
film also may benefit financially. It is, after all, a symbiotic relationship
in which all parties are guaranteed to collect revenue if exclusivity is

maintained contractually.

To assure exclusivity, distributors will release films in a particular
order to various different markets. This process is called “ordered
selling” and is based upon a specific release hierarchy to ensure
maximum profitability from the overall entertainment marketplace.
The order of release follows a pattern, and most markets are
designated with a window. In all there are seven windows; theatrical,
Video on Demand, Video/DVD release, pay per view, pay cable,
standard cable, and television broadcast (See Figure 1). Each window
maintains an agreed upon timeframe, in which each stakeholder
maintains the rights to sell, rent, or exhibit the film (Cones 143). Upon

reaching each of these windows, distributors are apt to approach a

25

handful of markets that fall outside of the windows, but which have a
proven track record of purchasing and product interest. These markets

include public libraries and other institutions, schools/universities.

direct internet sales, and broadcast syndication.

Figure 1: Ordered Selling

 

Domestic Market
15‘ Theatrical
Window 1-2 Months
I
2"" Video on Demand
Window 2-3 Months
rd 1 I .9 Foreign Market
3 VIDEO/DVD
Window 49 Months
I Theatrical
4‘“ Pay Per View I ,
Window 1-2 Months Pay Per View
5th Pay (liable I DVD/
Window 4-6 Months Cable Video
I
6‘" Basic Cable
Window 3-6 Months
I
7‘" TV Broadcast
Window 1-2 Months
I
Syndication

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As stated, if windows are orderly maintained, then each
successive window should have ample opportunity to reap revenue. If
ordered selling is not kept, and a window is offered exclusivity at
random, then the revenue model is shattered, and the distributor will
lose a lot of money. It will also prevent windows higher on the

flowchart from a chance at collecting their share of the revenues.

Theatrical

In the grand scheme of things, most filmmakers and distributors
seek theatrical distribution as the first outlet for the movie. They see
this as the best opportunity to recoup on a films cost and reap a profit.
Theatrical distribution, however, can be extremely risky. High costs of
advertising, promotion, prints, and theatre rentals make the chance
profit relatively low. Even major Hollywood studios loose money on 80
percent of their yearly releases (Simens 359). The one or two
blockbusters that make huge profits are counted on to carry the other,
less profitable movies. If a film is to see a theatrical release, it is up to
the distributor to design and implement the marketing plan. This
includes market research, poster work, creating TV/radio
advertisement and trailers, establishing a web presence, and anything

else needed to promote the film.

27

Next, the distributor works on booking theatres. Theatres range
from national first run chains, which normally only show Hollywood
products, to smaller independent and art house theatres specializing in
independent and foreign films. When booking a theatre, a distributor
will work with the theatre owner (exhibitor) to arrange all the specifics.
The national chains have a central office while art house theatres
typically have a local owner. In both cases, the distributor and
exhibitor will work out a financial contract to deal with the box office
sales. Various types of exhibitor/distributor deals exist. One of the
most common is the 90/10 deal. In this instance, all of the box office
gross is given to the exhibitor until his costs are covered. Then, the
distributor gets 90 % of the remaining profits, and the exhibitor gets
10%. In another arrangement, the exhibitor paysthe distributor an
agreed upon minimum (floor) dollar amount, or a flat percentage of
the box office revenue. As a ballpark figure for all films, the distributor
will get about half the box office gross. For independent films, this

usually amounts to 35 to 40 percent (Goodell 352).

While a theatrical release is usually a money-loosing venture,
the process still plays a crucial role in the overall distribution process.
A theatrical release will raise the price of a film when it eventually is

released to other markets such as video on demand, pay per view,

28

video/DVD market, etc (Weise 226). The theatrical release also gives
the filmmaker a boost in his credentials, so that he can garner more

funds for his next project.

Video On Demand

There are approximately 110 million homes or apartments in the
US. equipped with a television. Of that number, 90 million subscribe
to a cable or satellite service (80% cable penetration) (Whitney).
Video on demand is identical to the in room movie service found in
many hotels, only now it is available in the consumer’s home. Viewers
can watch a variety of programs including new movies, favorite
television programs, concerts, and sports exactly when they want.
New technology even allows the viewer to pause, rewind, restart, and
fast-forward at any time. Like pay per view, niche markets are an
increasing focus of many VOD operators, as the service allows for

economical delivery of specialty programming to a broad audience.

Video/ DVD

Home video distribution refers to selling videos/DVD’s either
directly to consumers, to wholesale and retail sales outlets, or to video
stores that rent videos to consumers. Some movies are made

specifically with this market in mind, but when others go direct to

29

video, this is a sign of failure to find theatrical or other distribution
success. Videos/DVDs are generally released in two stages. First they
are sold at higher prices ($50-$150) to video stores who in turn rent
them to costumers (rental price). After a period of several months, the
price is then dropped to a lower level ($10-$19) so consumers will
purchase videos/DVDs directly for home use (sell through price)

(Goodell 372).

In the past two years, there has been a downward pressure on
prices due to the inundation of DVD market. Studios have dumped
thousands of titles on the market in places like Best Buy, Wal-Mart,
Musicland, and Circuit City. By introducing DVDs with a very low sell
through price (usually below $18), many consumers have been more

apt to buy than rent (Gore).

Pay per View

Pay per view was created for consumers to watch a movie or
special event without leaving their home. Available through all
traditional and digital cable systems and satellite television, pay per
view usually is available on at least six, and sometimes as many as 25
or more, channels on a system. Consisting of mostly new movies,

sporting events, wrestling, adult oriented programs, and music

30

concerts, pay per view is available 24 hours a day. The largest players
in the PPV field are Encore, inDEMAND, Playboy TV, Spice, and Starz
(Stanley). These companies have partnerships with major Hollywood
studios and get most of their contents due to those relationships;
however, they also examine more niche-oriented markets and look to
independent suppliers to fulfill at least a portion of their programming

needs.

Cable Markets (CATV)

With more than 280 national, regional, and local stations, cable
TV may provide the best opportunity for the independent film/video
producers. CATV began in 1948 as an alternative television service for
households where reception of over the air TV signals was poor. Cable
television now has expanded into a multi-billion dollar industry serving
more than 70% of the US. television market. Today’s broadband
infrastructure provides the ideal pipeline for delivery of new and
advanced services including digital networks, video-on-demand,

interactive television, high-speed internet access, and telephony.

National cable networks such as TBS, Discovery, and TLC rely
heavily on originally produced programming. Reaching upwards of 86

million subscribers, the top 25 cable networks work with syndicated

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package suppliers to provide a vast and diverse array of programs
(Bosko 133). Though many of the cable networks support broad
genres, specialty programming is increasingly popular. Specialized
networks have seen tremendous growth and now fill the 500+ channel
capacity of most providers. Some of the specialty networks and
channels include: American Legal Network, Animal Planet, Black
Entertainment Television, Boating Channel, Collectors channel, Hip

Hop channel, Outdoor channel, and the Sundance channel.

Broadcast

In terms of audience size, no other means of distribution comes
close to that of TV. With millions of viewers tuning in each day, even
an unpopular program will have viewers. Filmmakers often complain
that the type of programming on TV is too conservative and fairly
uniform; compared with theatrical distribution, however, TV is a
remarkably democratic medium (Ascher 558). TV viewers will tune in
to many types of programs including public affairs, documentaries,
nature, and dramas, all of which they probably would not go to a

theatre and pay additional funds to watch.

For the purpose of distribution, the broadcast market consists of

three areas: network affiliates, UHF/LPTV, and PBS. None of the

32

national networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB) buy independent
films or videos. They all create their own programming or get product

access through high level studio deals.

Network affiliates are local channels that carry network
programming. They have time slots open for additional programming,
although the slots tend to be the least sought-after (usually very late
at night or early in the morning). Network affiliates do work with

independent producers in a limited capacity.

UHF stations will acquire product for air, but in a limited
capacity. Like Network affiliates, most of their open time slots are late
at night and early in the morning. Many UHF stations are part of a
consortium owned by companies like Infinity Broadcasting and Clear
Channel. Programmers at these stations are often willing to work with
independent film and video makers for one time shot arrangements.
Series programming (hunting, fishing, cooking, home improvement)
sells best because it offers the programmers an opportunity to build an

audience.

LPTV is similar to UHF except that its signal is only transmitted a

short distance. They serve small communities by offering a mix of

33

locally originated productions and low costs syndicated shows. A 24-
hour a day, general entertainment company specializing in family
oriented programming, American One provides many of the syndicated
shows. The company works with over 130 stations nationwide

(Americaone.com).

Created in 1969 to air publicly created and themed
programming, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has grown to
compete with other networks in providing high quality programming in
a non-commercial environment. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the
private, non-profit media enterprise is owned and operated by the
nation’s 349 public television stations. They deliver quality programs
and educational services to approximately 99% of the American
market (Gregory 102). As competition with the commercial stations
heats up, PBS has gotten very selective with regards to the programs
that it is willing to air. While programs such as Pov, Frontline,
Independent Lens and Nova do purchase independent productions,
their standards are incredibly high, and seemingly unreachable for

many independent filmmakers.

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Institutional

The institutional market is comprised of schools, universities,
libraries, and a wide slew of other organizations including prisons,
corporations, and churches. The diversity of this market entails
attraction to different audiences, many of which are interested in
learning, teaching, and examining subject matter or issues relevant to
the group's beliefs or reason for being. (Bosko 171) Therefore,
independent productions concerning very specific topics or specialized,
esoteric interests, hobbies, cultures, geography, or individuals, are

perfect fits for distribution within institutional systems.

Schools/Universities - Across the country, videos/DVDs are
playing a bigger and bigger role in education. Depending on the class
and grade level, instructional, educational, and informational
programming is used to enhance the learning experience. This market
can be further defined by region (local, state, national), audience
served (pre, elementary, middle and high school, undergraduate and
graduate colleges), and subject matter (academics, social skill,
athletics, special interest). A system of specialized educational
distributors serves much of this market (i.e.,

www.teagher§videgs.ggm). These businesses acquire products through

a network of independent suppliers, and sell to schools and

3S

universities with a combination of catalog, on-line, personal calling,

and relationship establishing approaches (Gregory 90).

Libraries - Sometimes referred to as another home video market
since patrons can borrow videos/DVDs along with books, libraries
present the independent film and video maker an accessible and
supportive outlet for their work. Libraries get videos and DVDs from
specialty distributors serving their market. Taking into account the
buyer’s needs, direction, budget, and taste, programming is selected
and purchased on a fairly regular basis. Approved distributors make up
the bulk of video and DVD sales to this market, although the

independent trade is very brisk.

Many successful independents have sold their work directly to
libraries, if only on a small scale. Perhaps the film offers local interest
because of its shooting location, cast or crew. The film also may
appeal to libraries seeking to fulfill their dedication to the promotion of
the local arts. Most regional libraries house extensive collections books
both written about the area and by authors from the area. The same
holds true for independent films and videos. Libraries also tend to be

accommodating when it comes to hosting screenings (including the

36

after screening sales opportunities), particularly if the film has local

interest.

Prisons, organizations, corporations, and other institutions - In
addition to schools, universities, and libraries, a number of other
institutions exist that are viable candidates for videos and DVDs. The
highly populated prison system is just one example. Entertainment,
educational, and instructional films and videos are brought into
facilities for a rental fee. Distributors acquire most of their product
from Hollywood studios, as blockbusters prove to be the most popular
choice with this audience; however, independent fare (both features
and instructional products) has gained an increased presence,
especially in minimum-security environments where inmates have

more freedom and access to entertainment (Sherman 91).

After school daycare, senior centers, churches, mental health
centers, hospitals, and community recreation centers are other

institutional markets aggressively utilizing video to serve their clients.

Professional and/or Social Organizations - Too numerous to
count, organizations are always looking for entertainment, enrichment,

or education to share with their members. Independent videos/DVDs

37

dealing with subject matter close to the group’s interests or goals
usually is well received and used in a number of ways. The material
can be bought for a public showing, listed for sale in a group’s
newsletter, or offered at a meeting. Some specialty independent
distributors exist to serve extremely defined segments like hunting
videos to sportsmen’s groups, nature tapes to environmental clubs,
and war videos to veteran’s associations. As with some other niches of
the institutional market, no official way of doing business is established

currently (Ascher 559).

Corporations - The corporate environment is another market
segment utilizing video in its day-to-day operations. Buying and
renting videos/DVDs mostly for training purposes, companies are
always on the look out for new and improved ways to work, to teach
employees various aspects of managing work, and to orient new hires
in the workplace. The corporate market is mostly served through a
variety of suppliers including specialty distributors and independent
sellers. Most products are purchased through mail and on-line

ordering.

Non-Theatrical - Often called A/V distribution, projects made

specifically for educational, institutional, and/or corporations are

38

considered non-theatrical releases. These include training videos,
curriculum aides, and instructional material. Non-theatrical distribution
is a specialty business with some companies doing this exclusively.
Midwest Tapes, for example, specializes in getting videos and DVDs
into the nation’s libraries. Some theatrical distributors have a non-
theatrical division, while others contract with sub distributors to handle

non-theatrical releases (Bosko, 119).

Internet

In the past couple of years, the internet has become one of the
most important venues in the distribution process. Films are both
rented and sold directly to consumers through the internet. Studios,
independents, and filmmakers have all taken to World Wide Web.
Some, like Synapse Films choose to sell films from a dedicated
website. Others, like Universal and Miramax, sell their product to
Netflix. Netflix is the leading US. online DVD renter, commanding
about a 95 % share of the market (Sorrandos). It makes money by
charging a monthly fee and directly shipping DVDs to customers, who
make their rental choices on-line. Recently, the US. Patent &
Trademark Office issued Netflix a patent that covers its on-line

subscription service.

39

Distributor Functions

The ultimate goal of a motion picture distributor is to get a film
before a paying audience. In executing this task, a distributor must
perform a variety of functions ranging from film acquisition and
promotion to revenue collections and market research. By their very
nature, these functions are time, money and labor intensive. As such,
it is important to note that every decision distributors make in getting
a film to market is based upon that film’s potential profitability.
Distributors are in the business of making money and will not acquire
a film for its beauty or other artful qualities. Their sole motivation is

financial!

One of the first functions a distributor aims to fulfill, therefore, is
film acquisition. Because the market demands a constant supply of
new films, distributors are always on the lookout for the next big hit.
To determine desirable films for acquisition, distributors spend a lot of
time and money searching. Both studio and independent distributors
attend competitive film festivals where they court organizers, solicit
buyers, promote projects, arrange sales, and hopefully acquire the
next blockbuster film. The Blair Witch Project is the most notable
example of an independent film that was signed to a distribution deal

after being viewed at a film festival (Gore 131). It was perceived by

40

distributors as a marketable film, and went on to become a high
grossing hit. When searching for films, marketability is a key area in

which decisions are based.

The marketability of a film is based on both objective and
subjective criteria such as genre, production quality, violence, the
presence and/or absence of stars, sexual content, program length,
soundtrack, market conditions, director, MPAA rating, etc (Rosen 227).
If a distributor believes that a film is marketable and henceforth
profitable, he will offer a contract to the producers/filmmakers, and

the distribution process will begin in earnest.

When the distribution process begins, the duties of a distributor
change as well. Depending on the size of the company, the distributor
starts to function as a marketing specialist initiating several marketing
activities at once. These include market research, promotion, publicity,
and advertising. Each one depends upon the other...”As in weaving a
fabric, each strand must have a relationship to the whole and add to
the total effect or pattern, so as a marketing ingredient, promotion,
publicity, advertising, and research must be entwined and not go

marching off by itself” (Gregory 172).

41

With the tools of promotion, distributors hope to shape the look
and feel of the film, giving it a uniform and commercially viable image.
In doing so, they create key art, posters, logos, trailers, and other
support materials. Publicity also begins at this point: writing, arranging
and planning press releases, interviews, video press kits, and
premieres. Key entertainment contacts are targeted, such as film
critics, entertainment magazine editors and television producers to

arrange for exclusive interviews and other opportunities.

Advertising includes all forms of paid media exposure on radio,
television, newspaper, web, trade journals, direct mail, and billboards.
Most Hollywood produced films run ad campaigns ranging in price from
$20 to $50 million dollars while the average independent distributor
will spend around $500,000 for a large production and as little as
$10,000 for small ventures (Neale 37). Decisions on type, size and
length, look, and schedules are influenced by the forecasted profit of
the project. This forecast is created from distributor-conducted
research on potential audience size, test screenings, screen
availability, competitive products, economic situations, and

sometimes, gut feelings.

42

At the same time, business-to-business materials are crafted.
These are the tools used to sell the film to theatres, video stores, retail
outlets, web sites, and broadcast and cable stations. The tools include
sell sheets, catalog pages, program incentives, movie posters, shelf
talkers, and customer give-aways. Anything that can be used to create
excitement about a film and demonstrate its potential appeal to an

audience is used.

The distributor must find an audience for the film (rental, retail,
broadcast, theatrical, and/or national/international). Doing so
additionally the distributor to: acquire the film and its rights; sell film
units; meet with prospective clients; attend and promote the film at
conventions and film festivals; market the film; manage the physical
distribution of the movie (i.e., shipping, packaging, etc); and establish

methodology of payment collection

43

CASE STUDIES

While traditional distribution techniques are as old as the motion
picture industry, the art of self-distribution is relatively new and
untested. Yet, for an independent filmmaker to get his/her film noticed
in today’s market, self-distribution has become a necessity. Traditional
distributors (from studios and large operations) simply are not buying
independently produced films. This assertion is particularly true for a
first time, unknown, and previously un-established filmmaker. In
addition, the number of peOple making films is ever increasing - in
other words, the competition, from both studios and independents, is
greater. And while self-distribution typically is the least preferred
method of distribution by filmmakers, realistically, an independent has
no other way of getting his film to market. Therefore, the author
herein builds upon traditional distribution models, as explained by
academic and trade publications, by turning to individuals with self-
taught expertise and a proven track record of success in the realm of
self-distribution. These individuals offer the most thorough picture of
self-distribution in the independent filmmaking arena, as the literature

on the subject is pointedly all but non-existent.

44

CASE STUDIES: Background

Before a viable self-distribution plan could be developed, it was
imperative to ascertain more detailed information regarding what
equates self-distribution success in the independent filmmaking realm.
To obtain such a sketch, seven interviews were conducted over a
month with persons having expertise in marketing, distribution,
promotion, acquisition, and utilization of the internet. Due to the
complexity and nuances of self-distribution, it was decided to employ
the expertise of individuals with diverse backgrounds relating to
independent filmmaking. The individual's chosen were:
Lloyd Kaufman - President, Troma Films
Ted Bonnitt - President, 7th Planet Radio Productions
Mark Taipo Kines - Independent Filmmaker
Chris Gore - Founder/Editor, Filmthreat.com
Bradley Beasley - Independent Filmmaker

Don May - Founder/President, Synopsis Films
Ted Sarrandos - Acquisitions Director, Netflix.com

Initially, individual specified case studies will be examined

followed by findings confirmed through all or most of the interviews.

45

CASE STUDIES: Individual interviews

Mau Mau Sex Sex
Get to know independent cinema’s original Butch Cassidy and
the Sundance Kid - Dan Sonney and David Freeman - two
purveyors of sexploitation films who gained fame as “The
Sunshine Boys of Smut.” This critically acclaimed documentary
takes a hilarious and affectionate look at the friendship, families,
and fortunes of two filmmakers who supplied the fervid “reality”
to the forbidden dreams of a repressed society.
Filmmaker
Ted Bonnitt directed, produced, edited, and co-wrote Mau Mau
Sex Sex. The feature length documentary was the first film to be
distributed independently to theatres across the United State on DVD.
Bonnitt also owns a California production company that creates and
produces radio campaigns for major motion pictures, including
Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, and Charlie’s Angels. Mr. Bonnitt has

served as a journalist and has written and produced for CNN, NBC, and

National Public Radio.

Key Point: Revolutionary Distribution Techniques
Self-distribution was not the first choice for Bonnitt. He had been
in negotiations with very notable distributors but decided to pass when

their offers amounted to “exclusive rights for them and no money

46

down for me.” He felt his only choice, therefore, was to embrace self-

distribution and brave the risky waters of all that it entailed.

Because his film was a documentary with no marquee talent
attached, Bonnitt needed to establish a perceived value. “If you want
to make money in the potentially lucrative distribution channels of
broadcast television, cable, and home video/DVD sales, the cache of a
theatrical run will make all the difference in the world.” With that,
Bonnitt decided to shun conventional wisdom and theatrically

distribute his digitally shot feature.

“I decided that if I opened in New York City and got some
positive reviews, it would launch me out of the gate with some serious
momentum.” To accomplish this monumental task, Bonnitt phoned
three Manhattan theatres and offered them VHS screeners of his film.
While the theatres loved his film, they were extremely hesitant to

commit because he did not have a 35mm print.

Bonnitt could not afford to spend the approximately $40,000 to
make transfers and prints. What he did, therefore, was to counter with
a radical idea whereas the theatres would digitally project his

documentary feature from DVD. First, he convinced Sharp Electronics

47

to provide their latest digital projector as a means of promoting their
equipment to theatres. He then persuaded the theatres to pay for the
projector to be shipped and installed. “Necessity is the mother of all
invention. I could not afford to make a print and they did not want to
pass up the chance to make money off of my film.” In the end,
everyone won. Sharp Electronics gained market share and continues to
sell their projectors, the theatres made money, and Mau Mau Sex Sex

received rave reviews from influential New York media.

Mau Mau Sex Sex since has played theatrically before Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle,
Portland, and Salt Lake City. In each case, Bonnitt was on hand to sell
DVDs and further promote his film. Mau Mau Sex Sex continued to
gather rave reviews, which eventually parlayed into a variety of

lucrative national and international distribution deals.

48

Foreign Correspondents
Mark Tapio Kines's directorial debut is a two-part meditation on
love and correspondence. The first, “Dear Jenny,” looks as what
a woman (Melanie Lynskey) does with love letters she gets in
the mail that are really meant for the woman who used to live in
her apartment. “Love, Trevor" examines the choice a man (Corin
Nemec) makes when he visits a pen pal staying in the United
States and finds she needs him to marry her to prevent
deportation.
Filmmaker
Mark Taipo Kines wrote and directed Foreign Correspondents. He
is also the founder of Cassava Films, an independent production
company based in Southern California. Previously, Kines worked in the
Internet industry and was responsible for designing entertainment web
sites. His credits include MADtv, 12 Monkeys, Waterworld, and Star
Trek. He is a graduate of Cal Arts where he received his BFA in Film

with an emphasis on Experimental Animation.

Key Point: Utilizing the Web and Targeting Niche Audiences

In the summer of 1997, filmmaker Mark Kines personally
financed the shooting of his feature length film Foreign
Correspondents. He spent more than $40,000 on 35mm film stock,
camera, light, and sound rentals, actors, food, set design, and crew. A
serious problem arose, however, when he came to the sober

realization that he had no monies left for post-production. In essence

49

he saw no way of finishing his film - no chance of ever recouping his
investment. Ultimately, the web designer turned filmmaker decided to

turn to the Internet for help.

“I thought the only possible chance to get money fast was to see
if I could get the word out about the film.” Therefore, Kines designed
and developed a website for his film, wwwfgmggggm. The site was
user-friendly and comprehensive. It allowed visitors and potential
investors a chance to follow the film’s progress by utilizing bulletin
boards, updates, production stills, polls, and film dailies. Realistically,
however, Kines knew that very few people would ever find his site

unless he found a way of making pe0ple aware of its existence.

Because Kines had cast fairly well known actors including
Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures) and Will Wheaton (Star
Trek:The Next Generation and Stand by Me), he turned to their fan
sites and mailing lists. “I hunted down the people that ran those sites
and said, hey your favorite actor is in my movie.” The word quickly

spread, and before he knew it, Kines and his film had a following.

A couple of months after Kines launched his site, a Canadian fan

of Will Wheaton’s expressed serious interest and eventually invested

SO

$25,000. Another big investment came from a Melanie Lynskey fan
that stumbled upon the site and agreed to contribute $5,000. “I was
surprised to see so many people help a complete stranger, and I
worked incredibly hard to make sure people had faith in me. I would
send them updates and rough cuts, anything I could to let them know
that they were not putting their faith and money in the wrong person.”
All told, 25 web fans sent funds totaling more than $150,000 to Kines

to help finance his project.

Upon completing his film, Kines began selling copies of the DVD
directly from his site, utilizing the web as a distribution tool. “Web
sales were a huge success. I had a lot of very interested people that
could not afford to invest money in my movie but they were willing to
spend $30 bucks to buy a copy.” Kines since has taken his movie on
the film festival circuit, which ultimately helped land him national and
international distribution deals. Today, the Foreign Correspondents

DVD can be purchased at Netflix.com, Amazon.com, and forcor.com.

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Okie Noodling
Noodling, a type of fishing activity that uses hands as bait is the
subject of this engrossing documentary by Brad Beasley. With a
healthy dose of humor and panache, Beasley captures noodling
in all its eccentric glory, presenting it not merely as folly but as a
true sport in Oklahoma, where he trails a band of men (and their
sons) who have taken to “extreme" fishing.
Filmmaker
Bradley Beasley wrote and directed Okie Noodling. He is also the
founder and President of Sage Brush Shorty Productions, a small
independent production company based in Oklahoma. In 2002,
Beasley was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “Top 25 Independent
Filmmakers.” He has a long-term collaboration with the Grammy

award-winning group Flaming Lips, and he has directed nine of their

music videos.

Key Point: Communicating your Film, Theme, and Story

A native Oklahoman, Bradley Beasley is an independent
filmmaker with a passion for his state. He has written and produced
several documentaries pertaining to Oklahoma, covering about
everything from hometown little league games to hand fishing for 200
pound catfish. His films are simple and straightforward and often shot

handheld in a cinema vertie’ style.

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In today’s world, Beasley’s style and storytelling techniques may
not seem like very marketable commodities. Beasley, however, has
developed a tried and true method of communicating his films to key
stakeholders such as film festival directors, Public Television
Executives, and funding agencies. ”When writing a film treatment,
grant proposal, or synopsis, I try to communicate my passion for the
project and why I feel it needs to be seen...and while I write with a lot
of excitement and energy, I strive for complete honesty. Most
importantly though I feel it is imperative to communicate how my

story will be told using style, structure, theme, voice, etc.”

Bradley Beasley has been extremely successful in his efforts. He
has found funding and audiences for all of his films. In 2001, he
received $60,000 from ITVS (Independent Television and Video
Service, a quasi-governmental funding agency for programs
specifically designed for public television) for his 16mm feature length
documentary Okie Noodling. The deal provided Beasley with the
monies necessary to finish production. Upon completion, the film was
picked up by PBS and continues to run in numerous television
markets. “The ITVS deal really helped me, not only in providing
finishing funds, but also in DVD sales. I sell a ton of DVDs each week

from my website to pe0ple that saw my film on PBS.”

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Okie Noodling furthermore has won awards at several prominent
film festivals including South by Southwest and the Toronto
International Film Festival. Because of the film’s success and critical
acclaim, Okie Noodling eventually was picked up by Red Line
Entertainment and is currently being sold at stores such as Best Buy
and Wal-Mart. “I am often asked how a film about hand fishing could
be so successful...what I tell people is that on its own, the film is
nothing. I could not have gotten the exposure I have without writing a

very compelling treatment.”

In 2004, Beasley scored again when he successfully pitched his
latest documentary (The Creek Runs Red) to the LInCS ITVS Funding
Initiative. The initiative receives approximately 1200 submissions, with
10-12 films receiving funding. When asked about his success, Beasley
once more pointed to the importance of a passionate, compelling, and

clearly communicated treatment.

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CASE STUDIES: General findings

Film as a Product
A recurring theme stressed throughout the interviews was that,

from the onset of creation, independent filmmakers need to treat their
film/DVD as a product, not only or simply as a creative, artistic
venture. Filmmakers need to remain cognizant of the end goal -
selling their film. Everything in the making of the film should be done
in order to better the film as “product." Nothing of impact should be an
afterthought (i.e., “oh, we should have taken some stills,” or “wouldn’t
it have been cool to document some behind the scenes footage?” etc.).
Unless the filmmaker is independently wealthy, his/her primary
motivation behind making the film should not be thoughts of their film
as a piece of art. Rather, the end goal of selling the product must
remain the focus. Before the first stage of production, therefore,
filmmakers should consider or identify a variety of factors including,
but not limited to, target audience, marketing, advertising,

promotional plans, and theme.

After planning out the film, filmmakers should do a budget
analysis to examine the costs. As Chris Gore puts it, “I have seen
filmmakers invest all of their money on film, processing, prints, and

actors without having set aside a penny for advertising and marketing.

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I ask them, would General Motors do that? Would they spend millions
of dollars on developing a car and then not advertise it? It would be
corporate insanity.” Ted Bonnitt agrees, “I planned out Mau Mau Sex
Sex very thoroughly and knew upon completing my film that I would
spend $15,000 on the marketing campaign. It is just a part of doing

business.”

To summarize, the experts concurred that a filmmaker
continually must key in on their film as product, considering concept,
design, production and distribution, remaining emotionally detached,
defining the customer base, then keeping that costumer always in
view. Thematically or artistically, new ground can be blazed, but again,
with the guiding precept that people must want to watch the film - in
other words, the film remains a product that consumers will want to

consume.

Marketing and Promotion

“Start marketing your movie the day you decide to make a
movie. Really- tell everyone you know about what you are going
to do. Print up business cards with the movie title and your
name and pass them around. Start planning the poster, tagline,
audience description, concept capsule, media kit, website, media
coverage and sales letter as early as possible” (Gore).

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The only way an independent film is going to get noticed is
through marketing and promotion. Regardless if a filmmaker is
searching for an audience or hoping for media reviews, he/she must
market the product in some manner. Notice, the field experts again
used the word “product" throughout the interview/case studies when
they were describing promotion and marketing of independent films.
Independent films are products and must be thought of as such to
market them to respective audiences with any semblance of success.
Without knowing things like who is the target audience and what are
the demographics of the target audience, it is impossible to clearly
define who wants to view or purchase the movie. Without this market
research, it is even tougher to identify appropriate promotion plans for
the film. If a film is not promoted correctly (and to the appropriate

market/s), it will never get noticed.

The interviewees mentioned the following specific techniques

relating to promotion and marketing:

Grass Roots- While the benefits of a promotional website are many

and obvious, both the DVD and the site must be pushed relentlessly.

Troma owes much of its success to its grass-roots campaigns in which

57

fans spread the word on the web through emails, posts, message

boards, and blogs (Kaufman).

Unconventional Marketing- “Dress up in character at a niche
convention” (Kaufman). Troma goes to the Cannes Film Festival and
takes a bunch of ‘crazy’ young adults that dress up to in costumes to
draw attention to Troma and its films. Kaufman further claims that
scantily clad women never seem to hurt the process (in other words,
sex sells). The same principle would work at comic book conventions
for movies that were targeted to persons with related interests. At
Sundance, the producers of Memento passed around flyers that looked
like “Wanted" posters saying “someone killed my wife, help me find

him."

Word of Mouth/Get a Champion- Find someone who will champion the
film. This should be someone with credibility and/or celebrity status. In
the case of the former, find a film critic, for example, to write a great
blurb that can be used on the website, DVD cover, print and electronic

media, etc.

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Website
“It does not matter how many people want to rent
Troma movies, they won’t be able to if store owners
refuse to buy them {...} Newly important in the sell-
through market, and to the continued survival of

independent film is the world wide web.” (Kaufman
194).

Kaufman’s alludes to the fact that the Internet offers the best
opportunity for niche marketing, especially for small and limited
audience movies and videos. Before use of the internet reached critical
mass in both homes and offices, a film marketer had to promote to
broad audiences in hopes of finding his niche in the whole. In many
cases, a filmmaker could only hope that the niche audience actually
“found" the film - in other words, a vocal, connected source got wind
of the befitting resource, and inadvertently helped spread the word.
Now, with the popularity and use of the Internet, a film marketer can
directly approach niche audiences via connections on the web. Utilizing
listservs, posting on message boards, “talking" in chat rooms and
directing media and promotions to these specific venues (and their
subsequent supporters) will make marketing efforts all the more
effective than simply trying to send the same film out to a general
audience. “You may not become a big star, but the project may

become a big event within these niches" (May).

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“Creating and maintaining a website is an absolute necessity in
the world of independent filmmaking. It is the vital link between the
audience and filmmaker (Bonnitt).” The website adds another avenue
of marketing that is both accessible and tangible to the audience, or
consumer. In addition, it provides another sales outlet and the ability
to control content in a manner that is not possible with emails,
message board updates, and blogs. The marketing message can

remain “pure,” according to the webmaster/filmmaker’s specifications.

In or by itself, however, a website is not the saving grace of a
movie’s marketing venture. In today’s day and age, a lucrative website
must be employed, but it is still one of many promotional venues that
should, in most cases, be used in conjunction with other avenues. It is
simply yet another tract that an independent filmmaker must pursue
along with market research, identifying a target audience, etc., even if

it is a very important tract in the world of independent filmmaking.

The web is increasingly important in letting peOple know
practical information, such as when and where films are playing. Such
information may be the single most important thing that an indie film
site can provide to viewers. In addition, case study interviewees

conceded that it is valuable for the independent filmmaker to get

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creative with the site, creating an experience for the surfers. Try and
do something different to get noticed. The Memento website offers a
valuable example. The film centered on a puzzle, and the website
incorporated that theme by offering online games. Such resources got

people talking about the film.

The best example of a notable independent film utilizing the web
to its full marketing potential is The Blair Witch Project. The
filmmakers used creative techniques to draw viewers to the film for
more than a year before its release date. Authentic looking newsreels,
interviews, police reports, and diary entries all were utilized. At it
grandest, the site was viewed 2 million times a day. The site became
an extension of the movie, and the movie went on to gross 150 million

dollars.

The film and its presence on the web created a crescendo effect.
Websites were fashioned introducing back-stories, subplots, character
development, fan created scenarios and alternate endings. In addition,
a plethora of other internet resources centered on the film, including
blogs, surveys, screen savers, film trailers, games, music downloads,

product sales sites the list is endless.

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It also is interesting to note the successful, early-on marketing
and promotion that the filmmakers of Blair Witch entailed. While
promotional efforts related to this film were tied largely to the web,
much of the film’s box office success is tied directly to the attention its
filmmakers paid to early promotion and establishment of a market
presence, regardless of the message’s venue. Its success pointedly
confirms the necessity and usefulness of checking out market interest
- in the case of Blair Witch, the initial and chief market consisted of
teens, college students and urbanites. As stated earlier, promotion

started early and hard.

Several of the interviewees made individual points pertaining to
web presence that were true in their particular situation. Bradley
Beasley (okienoodling.com) conveyed that he made a large contract
deal pertaining to the general marketing of his film, but he kept
ownership of the film’s website so that he could control its content. His
website also provides a successful sales outlet for many units even
though his movie additionally is sold in Best Buy, Music Land, Wal-
Mart, Amazon, and Netflix. Lloyd Kaufman (troma.com) states that he
heavily relies on a movie’s website. He makes the most of the site to
build excitement, recruit actors, give information about upcoming films

and tours, etc.

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Ted Bonnitt (maumausexsex.com) released his movie in stores
but he still sells many units on the film’s website. He claims that the
site builds excitement and adds to his film’s credibility in the eyes of
many consumers. Bonnitt furthermore tracks user information via the
web, such as geographic location. The site posts show times, premiers,
and touring information. Bonnitt asserts that numerous deals were

made “right off of website.”

Mark Taipo Kines (forcor.com) asserts the benefits of getting
people actively involved via the website. For example, he involves

people through polls, design contest, updates, and sales promotions.

Target Audience/[den tifiable Niche
“You have to market to your niche. You must have a
core audience to launch your film/DVD. It may broaden

out from there, but you have to go after the niche first.
Whatever your niche is, hit it hard” (Gore).

Identifying a target audience should be one of the first steps in
the independent filmmaking production process. A “niche" audience
may be identified as such depending on numerous factors. In addition,
a core audience may consist of a niche that is distinguishable by any

single factor or by multiple factors (i.e., senior travelers vs. young

63

travelers; sexual orientation and the church vs. the death penalty and
the church (or religious perspective concerning the death penalty). A
film’s target audience may consist of a distinct niche or the film may

be appealing to a handful of niche audiences.

The following list offers a sampling of personal descriptors that
may used to represent a niche audience; it is by no means exhaustive.
The listing is meant to offer examples of different niches to which a
film may be targeted, and it is derived in part from case study
examples:

Sexual Orientation

Political or social issues

Religion

Local or regional interest

Hobbies

Seniors .

Travelers, “real” or the armchair variety

Age - Generation X, Generation Y, Baby Boomers, etc
Demographics (socioeconomic, etc)

Race

When identifying a target audience, a filmmaker must consider
the marketing techniques and venues that are most appropriate to
that particular group or groups. For example, arguably, persons of
Generation Y, followed by Generation X, are considered the earliest
adaptors of technology. Such information may indicate that the web as

a promotional tool may be most appropriate to audiences that consist

64

of these age groups. Ask, is this group most likely to hear about the
film through radio, television, periodicals, newspapers, etc? Which

newspapers, periodicals, stations, etc?

Packaging

The importance of packaging is irrefutable. Of course, how the
product is packaged should be tied heavily and consistently with its
marketing concept. For example, to whom is the product being
marketed? In general, what is appealing to this particular target
audience? Product packaging should have a look and style consistent
with other promotional materials such the webpage, posters,
giveaways, etc. A similar vein of color, style and text should be used
for anything that describes or promotes the product. Again, the film is
a product, and the marketing and packaging should treat the film as
such — a product desired by consumers. If available and appropriate,
review comments are a positive touch for the package’s cover.
Consider whether the packaging is conducive to merchantability. In
other words, are UPC codes present? Is the wrap bulky and difficult to
shelve, or is the package shrink-wrapped and potentially easy for a
store to shelve? Would the packaging help or hinder small or major
mailing projects? Packaging should be protective of materials,

especially when a product is being used in high use settings (such as

65

video rental stores or libraries). Follow standards if they exist, again,
making the handling of product as simple as possible for the potential
purchaser. Any text presented on the physical DVD should be printed,
not adhered by a label, since labels are more prone to damage user
machinery. Take these factors into consideration, and attempt to make

the packaging as merchantable as possible.

Patience

All interviewees noted the importance of patience with the
distribution and selling process. They explained that an independent
filmmaker should not expect to make a million dollars or sell
thousands of copies (even hundreds) on the first day of film’s release.
Distribution and profitability takes a long time, and involved parties
should be prepared to stick it out for the long haul. The case studies
advised against such practices as maxing out credit cards because
money will not be made fast enough to cover such expenses. The
more patience a filmmaker has, the stronger his/her position will be to

negotiate.

Non-Ordered Selling
Unlike the major studios, independents can not afford to release

their DVDs in stages. They should be prepared to sell the DVD

66

whenever and wherever the chance arises. If a filmmaker is holding a
premiere or showing, he/she should take a substantial number of
DVDs along. Do not run out! Everyone in attendance should know that
copies are available for purchase. The same concept holds true for any
TV/cable showings. Arrange to plug the DVD via a tag at the end of

the program. With that, let viewers know where they can purchase the

DVD directly (i.e., www.whatever.ggm).

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DESIGN

While content may be the main attraction of a DVD,
menus play a vital supporting role by providing cohesion
and structure to the entire production. A menu adds
interactivity to the disc -- a virtual tool that allows the
viewer to explore and control the digital environment
(Williams 114.)

In preparing to design the menu and interface for Finding Fidel,
much time and energy was spent analyzing both Hollywood (studio)
and independently produced DVDs. Such analysis allowed for a greater
structured understanding and appreciation of the different options
including menu style, navigational tools, features, themes, and overall
functionality. This highly beneficial process allowed for the careful
examination of over 35 unique menu layouts. To gain the greatest
exposure, a variety of genres were cross-examined including Sci-Fi,

Horror, Comedy, Documentary, Action, Foreign, Mystery, and Drama.

Upon viewing, it became apparent that no two DVDs were alike.
Of course, the visuals included on each menu were unique to the film's
content - each film contained its own photographs, video clips, and

theme. The menu content consistently differed, although all the DVDs

68

shared common design principles. The principles could be categorized
into three basic menu styles; utilitarian, derivative or conceptual

(LaBarge 14).

Utilitarian Menu

A utilitarian menu solely exists to provide navigation of DVD
content. In its most basic form, utilitarian style displays little or no
intent to acknowledge the disc’s unique content either visually or
conceptually. This menu style is most frequently used in non-
commercial ventures such as home movies or corporate produced
DVDs intended for internal use. Often times, the menu includes only
text buttons on a single color and motionless background with no
sound. REASONS TO USE: economical; requires little effort and talent;

practical.

Derivative Menu

The most common type of professional menu design is the
derivative menu. With this style, the majority of the graphic and video
elements used in a menu composition have been lifted or derived from
the main video content of the disk. A deliberate, literal connection

exists between what is seen in the menu system and what is seen in

69

the video (content) itself. The video content placed in the menu may
be in the form of still images, key motion clips, or audio extracted
from a movie. These components then are used as the basis for a

menu background.

Most Hollywood created DVDs use derivative menus in some
form. The menus function as a kind of preview for the video content
and usually depict some of the most exciting or representative scenes.
Such ties offer the most obvious way to ensure a meaningful
connection between the menu system and the movie. REASONS TO

USE: consistency, convenience, cost, visual interest

Conceptual Menu

The most ambiguous design style for a DVD is the conceptual
menu, which requires much more effort to create, but often provides
the most interesting visual experience. This style consists of original
visual elements conceptually related to the disc’s content. The new
imagery is suggestive of the overall character and spirit of the video,
but unlike derivative menus, the imagery is extracted is not extracted
from the film directly. Conceptual style visuals are unique to the menu

system itself and are not repeated anywhere in the video content.

70

 

Conceptual menus are both fun and challenging to create
because the designer is not limited to pre-existing visuals. The
imagination can run wild, allowing for the creation of fresh imagery
that expands and builds on the themes presented in the movie itself.
Conceptual menu systems can take on many forms such as a virtual
world that contains the DVD navigation. These worlds, or menu
environments, use visual metaphor of three-dimensional space in
which the DVD viewer can move around and interact. Navigational
buttons are made to appear as an integrated part of the virtual scene,
rather than superimposed over a background image. For example, in a .
menu environment designed to replicate the interior of a futuristic
spaceship, the buttons might be shown as a three dimensional toggle

arranged on a high tech panel.

Conceptual menus can be based on 3D animations, still
photographs, motion graphics, or even hand drawn illustrations. To be
effective, the menu scene should have some connection, however
loose, to something present in the main video content. The best DVD
designs use a visual style that is well matched with the content to

inspire and delight the audience (Williams 133). REASONS TO USE:

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Creativity, enhances perceived value, provides a theme, suited to

content

FINDING FIDEL DESIGN

Various menu styles were analyzed, personally and
academically, allowing for informed decision making when designing
the Finding Fidel DVD interface/menu. From the onset, the overall goal
was to create a visual interesting, conceptual set of menus. An
important assumption was that the menus were to contain motion
graphics, text, photographs, and video. Furthermore, it was highly
desirable to keep the overall look and feel as clean and simple as

possible.

Another essential design factor concerned usability. It was
important for menus to be easily understood with clearly defined,
consistent, and organized interfaces. Users must be able to navigate

the menu system in a logical and straightforward manner.

To ensure organization and consistency, it was necessary to map
out the DVD hierarchy (Figure 2). This initial step was crucial to the

design process because it helped ensure that all necessary elements

72

 

and information would be included on each menu. For example, on the
set up menu, the hierarchy made it clear that 4 items needed to be
included in the navigational menu -- English Narration, Spanish

Narration, Director’s Commentary, and Main Menu.

Figure 2: Complete DVD Hierarchy

I I MAIN MENU I

I 7 I I

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

        

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scene Special .
Selection Features Set Up CIEd'ts
Scenes Filming A English . ,
1-4 Scene Narration F'Im Credits
Bonus Spanish .
Scenes Footage Narration Main Menu
5-8 1 l
Filmmaker Director's
Interview Commentary
Scenes 1 1
9-12
Film Trailer Main Menu
l
Main Menu Filmmaker
Interview
1
Main Menu

 

 

 

Once the cdmplete DVD hierarchy had been established, the next

step was to narrow down the hierarchical structure to include only the

73

 

DVD menus (Figure 3), or those only that needed to be designed and

developed and put onto the DVD.

Figure 3: DVD Menu Hierarchy

I I MAIN MENU I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I 7 l W
Scenes Special .

1_4 II Features I II Set Up I II Credits I
Scenes

5-8

 

 

scenes
9-12

 

I.

Next, necessary menu transitions were identified and mapped
(Figure 4). Again, this was a very critical step involving the design and
development of all transitions. A clearly organized hierarchy allowed

for and supported an organized workflow and consistency.

74

 

 

Figure 4: DVD Menu Transitions

-M. .. cnes

Set Up - I 1_4
Credits MAIN I" ‘ '“ cenes

I Specuai W .W .. cenes
Features . In

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C NOLIJSNVBJ. >

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the hierarchy mapped in detail, an initial design model
could be sketched out and created (Figure 5). The model had an
aspect ratio of 720x480 and consisted of text, photographs, and
motion graphics. The design model (design model I) would be used as
a template for the main menu, special features menu, set up menu,
and credits menu. As a working and functional template, content could
be added or subtracted depending on the menu. Three distinct design
areas were created -- photographs, title bar, and navigational menu
buttons. The distinct design areas were conceptually beneficial
because they allowed for content to be added while maintaining
characteristics across all the menus ie, font type, color, size, scrolling

speed, rotating speed, drop shadows, etc.

75

Figure 5: Design Model I

480

 

COMPOSITION WINDOW

/1

 

 

 

 

f/
NAVIGATIONAL pH \
MENU BUTTONS rinOTOGRA I

" /I

/
/_

A j

W1

TITLE BAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Navigational Menu Buttons

In creating the menu buttons (figure 6), the primary goal was to
make them clearly legible for use as navigational aids. A bold san-serif
type font became an important font choice because it is capable of
being viewed on a variety of monitors. It was also decided, to use a
white as the primary font color with a slightly blurred black drop
shadow. The placement of the text was consistent across all the

menus and was located in the left quadrant of the screen.

76

Figure 6: Navigational Menu Buttons

480

 

COMPOSITION WINDOW

 

NAVIGATIONAL
MENU BUTTONS

720

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title Bar

The purpose of the title bar (Figure 7) was two fold; decorative
and informative. To a certain extent, the title itself, FINDING FIDEL, A
Young Man’s Journey, was decorative. In keeping with the overall look
and feel of the DVD menu system, the font was bold san-serif. The
informative nature of the title bar found the specific menu title (MAIN
MENU, SPECIAL FEATURES, etc) scrolling horizontally across the
screen, providing users with a clear navigational label or marker. Like

the other text, it too was san-serif. The placement of the title bar was

77

consistently located in the bottom quadrant of the screen across all

 

menus.

Figure 7: Title Bar

480

 

I composmon wmoow

720

 

TITLE BAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photographs
The purpose of the photographs (Figure 8) was purely
visual. They existed to provide a colorful, rich experience for the
viewer. The photographs are suggestive of the overall character and
spirit of the film and are intended to illicit a visceral reaction from the

viewers consistent with the film’s overall tone. To further convey the

78

conceptual look, the photographs would be set on a white background, I
L

symbolizing the look of a scrapbook or travelogue.

Figure 8: Photographs

480

 

COMPOSITION WINDOW

720
/
Lat-'7"

 

 

 

In creating a model for the scene selection menus (Figure 9), a
necessary design consideration was that video clips would be utilized.
In constructing this model, the area previously reserved for
photographs was replaced by four video clips. The other design areas
remained the same (navigational menu buttons and title bar) with the
exception of the content being included in each. The video included in

each of the buttons would represent the DVD chapters from which

79

 

 

each of the videos would originate. Furthermore, the videos would be

 

set to loop after a period of 30-45 seconds.

Figure 9: Design Model H

480

 

COMPOSITION WINDOW

 

NAVIGATIONAL
MENU BUTTONS

720

 

 

 

 

 

TITLE BAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

80

 

DEVELOPMENT

The development process began with the identification of
necessary authoring tools. The project’s nature made it essential to
choose professional software packages capable of digital video/audio
editing, motion graphic/video compositing, graphic design, MPEG
compression, and DVD authoring. The programs needed to be Mac OS-
X compatible and able to be run on an Apple Powerbook with lGhz
processor/1 Gig of RAM. As such, the following tools were eventually
identified and purchased:
Final Cut Pro IV
Adobe After Affects 6 Professional
Adobe Photoshop 6

DVD Studio Pro II
QuickTime Pro

Final Cut Pro (FCP)

FCP was crucial to the development process, as it allowed for full
frame (NTSC 29.97) capture, playback, and editing of digital
video/audio. FCP was utilized to digitize footage from both the Finding
Fidel master and source DV-Cam tapes. Captured/Edited footage
consisted of:

. Finding Fidel (Main Film on DVD)

81

Directors Commentary (DVD Set Up)

Filming a Scene (DVD Special Feature)
Interview with Director (DVD Special Feature)
Video Buttons (Scene Selection)

Upon completion of both the capturing and editing, footage was
exported from FCP as self-contained movies and saved to an external

hard drive.

After Effects

After Effects was chosen due to its powerful compositing
capabilities. The software allowed for various graphics, video/audio,
photographs, and text to be assembled, modified, pre-composed and
eventually output as a single QuickTime movie. In all, 23 separate
movies were created, including 7 motion menus and 16 transition
movies. All movies were rendered and exported as full frame

QuickTime movies. Each movie had an aspect ratio of 720x480.

QuickTime Pro

Before the rendered movies could be utilized in a DVD authoring
program, they had to be converted from QuickTime files (Table 1) to
MPEG 2 files (Table 2). QuickTime Pro was used to accomplish this
task. Within the program, the 23 QuickTime movies were opened and

saved as MPEG 2 files. The compression setting for each was a value

82

of 7, as per the compression scheme. The files were rendered out as

separate audio/video files.

Table 1: QuickTime Files

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAME». ~ . 1 r , LENGTH- SIZE: », 1 FORMAT ,
mainmenumov :45 sec 308.1 MB QuickTime Movie
Special.mov :47 sec 307.0 MB QuickTime Movie
scene 3 (9-12).mov :37 sec 255.8 MB QuickTime Movie
scene 2 (5-8).mov :37 sec . 252.5 MB QuickTime Movie
scene 1 (1-4).mov :35 sec 236.2 MB QuickTime Movie
setup.mov :34 sec . 188.3 MB uick‘fime Movie
Credits.mov :21 sec 88.5 MB QuickTime Movie
3-2.mov :4 sec 28.3 MB QuickTime Movie
2-3.mov :4 sec 28.2 MB QuickTime Movie
3-1.mov * :4 sec 28.0 MB QuickTime Movie
1-3.mov :4 sec 27.9 MB QuickTime Movie
2-1.mov . . :4 sec 27.8 MB QuickTime Movie
scene3-main.mov :4 sec 27.8 MB QuickTime Movie
1-2.mov ' . ' _ :4 sec 27.7 MB QuickTime. Movie
sceneZ-main.mov :4 sec 27.6 MB @ickTime Movie
Scenel-maianov :4_sec f 21.2 mg ‘ QuickTime Movie
main-special.mov :4 sec 24.5 MB QuickTime Movie
main-scene.mov :4 sec 24.2 MB »QulckTime Movie
Special-main.mov :4 sec 23.7 MB QuickTime Movie
maln-setup.mov :4! sec 23.0 MB QuickTime Movie
main-credits.mov :4 sec 22.9 MB QuickTime Movie
setup-maimmov :4. sec. 21.9 MB QuickTime, Movie
Credits-main.mov :4 sec 19.0 MB QuickTime Movie

 

83

 

Table 2: MPEG 2 Files

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAME - * " LENGTH 1 FILEsIzE ‘ FORMAT? " ‘
mainmenu.m2v :45 sec 38.8 MB MPEG Movie
mainmenu.aif :45 sec 8.0 MB AIFC Audio
Special.m2v :47 sec 40.0 MB MPEG Movie
Special.aif :47 sec 8.4 MB AIFC Audio
scene 3 (9-12).m2v :37 sec 34.0 MB MPEG Movie
scene 3 (9-12).aif :37 sec 6.6 MB AIFC Audio
scene 2 (5-8).m2v :37 sec 33.1 MB MPEG Movie
scene 2 (5-8).alf . :37 sec 6.6 MB AIFC Audio
scene 1 (1-4).m2v :35 sec 31.7 MB MPEG Movie
scene 1 (1-4).aif :35 sec 6.2 MB AIFC Audio
setup.m2v :34 sec 27.2 MB MPEG Movie
setup.aif :34 sec 6.1 MB AIFC Audio
credits.m2v :21 sec 11.9 MB MPEG Movie
credits.aif :21 sec 3.6 MB AIFC Audio
3-2.m2v :4 sec 3.7 MB ’ MPEG Movie-
3-2.aif . ,4 , _ . :4 sec, 752 KB , AIFC Audio
2-3.m2v :4 sec 3.7 MB MPEG Movie
2-3.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
3—1.m2v :4 sec 3.7 MB MPEG Movie
3-1.alf . :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
1-3.m2v :4 sec 3.7 MB MPEG Movie
1-3.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
2'-'1.m2v ~ :4 sec 3.7 MB ~ MPEG Movie
2-1.aif; , :4 sec, . 752 KB AIFC Audio
scene3-main.m2v :4 sec 3.4 MB MPEG Movie
scene3-main.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
1-2.rn2v :4 sec 3.7 MB MPEG Movie
1-2.aif . *:4:sec . 752 KB AIFC Audio
scene2-main.m2v :4 sec 3.4 MB MPEG Movie
scene2-main.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
scenel-main.m2v- - :4 sec 3.5 MB? » MPEG Movie
scenel-main.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
main-Special.m2v :4 sec 3.5 MB MPEG Movie
main-special.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
main-scene.m2v :4 sec 2.5 MB MPEG Movie
main’sceneaif. ‘ :4ksec7 * ‘ 752 KB AIFC Audio
special-main.m2v :4 sec 3.5 MB MPEG Movie
special-main.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
main-setup.m2v :4 sec 3.4 MB MPEG Movie
main-setup.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
main-credits.m2v :4 sec 3.4 MB MPEG Movie
main-credits.aif :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio

 

84

 

Table 2: MPEG 2 Files, Continued

 

 

 

~setup--m:::in.m2v * ' :4 sec 3.4 MB . MPEG Movie
setup-main.aif ' :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio
credits-main.mov :4 sec 2.9 MB MPEG Movie
credits-main.mov :4 sec 752 KB AIFC Audio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop was employed to create the menu overlays to
be used within the DVD. The overlays were created for all the
navigational menus and scene selection video boxes. By using screen
captures of each menu, the necessary alignment of the overlays could
be determined and developed. Once accomplished, the files were

flattened and saved as psd files.

DVD Studio Pro II

The final program to be utilized was DVD Studio Pro II and with
it, all of the design elements would be imported and authored into a
single sided DVD. In authoring the DVD, a number of tasks needed to
be accomplished ranging from setting chapter markers and menu
overlays to linking menus and setting their hierarchy. Upon completion

the DVD was built and authored to disk.

85

WM

SELF-DISTRIBUTING FINDING FIDEL

Ultimately, it was decided that the best approach for distributing
Finding Fidel would be primarily through the use of a well-designed
self-distribution plan. The plan combines components of both
traditional distribution models and key points from the case studies.
These key points are addressed below and pertain specifically to self-
distribution and/or independent film/DVDs. A noteworthy byproduct of
a quality self-distribution plan may be to get picked up by a large
distributor, but the only way this would happen for a so inclined
independent filmmaker is by getting noticed through a successful “go”
at self-distribution. In other words, to establish market success, an
independent filmmaker must undertake some level of self-distribution.
All decisions about the self-distribution plan rest on a overriding posit:
treat the film as a product. This hypothesis is consistent with
traditional distribution models, as covered by the literature, and with

findings from the case studies.

Treating the Film as a Product
It is imperative, from day one, to treat a film as a product. This

insight not only will lead to a better film, but also will allow for the

86

successful marketing, promotion, and distribution campaign.
Unfortunately, in the making of Finding Fidel, this notion was not
realized early on or prior to production being completed. Otherwise,
steps would have been implemented earlier in the filmmaking process,
such as photographing production stills, utilizing listservs, creating an
earlier web presence, identifying a target audience and generating
publicity within that group, etc. While the aforementioned techniques
have since been implemented into the current distribution model, the
point nevertheless cannot be overstated that they should have been

applied from day one, not years into the process.

Additional efforts have been employed to date in an endeavor to
transform the film into a marketable commodity. Specifically, a
website has been designed and developed; a presentation package
was created; a target audience has been identified; Iistservs have
been joined, with active participation taking place; sales letters were
produced; a DVD was designed, developed, authored, and packaged;
and (both solicited and unsolicited) positive media reviews have been

received.

87

Identifying a Target (Niche) Audience

Due to the subject matter of the film, identifying a primary
audience -- Cuban-Americans -- was a relatively straightforward
process. Demographics specific to the group were examined
thoroughly. Through the use of the U.S. Census Bureau data, it was
ascertained that, statistically, Cubans have the highest level of
education of all the nation’s Latino groups. Cuban-Americans also are
the oldest (40 years, as opposed to 24) and have the lowest poverty
rate among the country’s Latino population. The majority of Cuban-
Americans live in and around large urban areas including Miami, New
York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Smaller pockets of the
population also live throughout the U.S. in midsize urban communities.
Furthermore, Cuban-Americans are predominately white Catholics, and

evenly distributed in terms of sex (US Census Bureau).

With a clearly defined primary audience, the next step was to
consider the methods necessary to reach that group. Through careful
examination, several large organizations were identified that are
appropriate for targeting, including The Cuban American Foundation
and The Center for Cuban Studies. These organizations are extremely
well known and hold sway in the Cuban-American community. Also,

such groups have a digital presence on the web and utilize that stature

88

to communicate to members and the community via electronic emails
and listservs. They also hold a number of structured, formal events
that provide a venue for networking and dissemination of information
among the Cuban American community. Quite often, the events focus
on Cuban culture as represented through film, photography, poetry,

song and dance, and food.

These events also provide opportunities to reach secondary
audiences. Essentially, the secondary audiences are comprised of
people interested in Cuban culture and other Latin American
immigrants. While many cultural differences exist between Caribbean,
Central, and South American nations, the film offers a thematic
perspective that offers common appeal to persons from all these
geographic areas. Finally, the film has a general and broad appeal to
people with interests in culture and travel. Forty years of an economic
and travel embargo have isolated Cuba, leaving many American

citizens curious about the island nation.

Certain characteristics of both the primary and secondary
audiences make them ideal candidates for marketing of films on DVD.
Few films are geared specifically towards Cuban Americans. Coupled

with the fact that Cuban Americans have a higher than average

89

household income and education level, they are more likely to have
DVD players in their homes and the funds necessary to purchase them
than many other Latino populations. In addition, secondary audiences
who have an interest in culture and travel, and frequently are in a
young demographic group are statistically likely to have DVD players
in their home or to have ready access to such equipment. Their level
of disposable income usually allows for easy purchase of DVDs, and a
frequently a desire to take something home from cultural events
exists. The small, affordable, interactive nature of DVDs provides an

ideal combination.

Communicating the Film, Story, and Idea

As part of the overall distribution strategy, it is essential to
communicate with passion and clarity the unique story and idea
specific and distinct to the film. In addition, an independent filmmaker
generally has a vested interest in conveying this message to certain
stakeholders, such as funding agencies, film festival audiences (which
contain decision-making, purse-string holding stakeholders), local
PBS-affiliates and other local organizations that financially support art

and cultural ventures.

90

Finding Fidel finds itself at the early stages of this process. Exact
steps undertaken have included approaching the Center for Cuban
Studies (see Appendix A), ITVS (see Appendix B), and the MSU Kresge
Art Museum, in conjunction with the East Lansing Film Festival. Future
plans include contacting several film festivals and public broadcasting
stations, and identifying key funding agencies. In doing so, it will be
essential to keep in mind the importance of communicating the film,

its story and idea.

In addition, calendar houses theatres will be approached with
diligence. These theatres lean toward “art house" ventures, and they
importantly have members and reputable media coverage. Such
stakes allow for built in, in house advertising and publicity through the
membership and media supporters. In addition, such establishments
tend to have big followings with pointed interest in “something
different” and independent films. In Michigan, the Michigan Theatre in
Ann Arbor is but one well-known example. On a similar, but often
smaller vein, universities, public libraries, and social clubs (such as
Kiwanis or Community Education Foundations), also have many of the
same characteristics — a built in audience and advertising lines; a
willingness and eagerness to support and participate; and an interest

in independent and/or cultural ventures. These paths may offer sales

91

ventures and opportunities for either fee-based or free viewings. Even
in environments in which the viewings would be free (for example,
public libraries), the atmospheres tend to be quite supportive and
willing to allow for sales prior to or after aforementioned viewings they
options should not be overlooked. In addition, since attendance peaks
interest and provides free, word-of—mouth promotion in a ready made
group, these options should not be overlooked. In approaching all of
these groups, the significance of communication the film, its story and

idea cannot be overlooked.

Utilizing the Web

As the film will be self-distributed, it is vital to utilize the web.
The venue is not only extremely cost effective, but through its use, a
worldwide audience of millions may be reached. As such, the web
provides a virtual storefront that allows potential customers
opportunities to purchase the film/DVD, interact with the filmmaker,
learn about the film, and find useful information such as film showings

and speaking engagements.

A website for the film was created (wwwfind'mgfldehggm) and

launched in March 2003. The multi-page site includes; information on

92

the filmmaker, the film, and Cuba; video clips; an electronic press kit;

 

a bulletin board; an interactive slide show; and a point of purchase.

As part of the overall distribution strategy, attempts will be
made to make the site URL known to as many potential costumers as
possible. Primary and secondary audiences will be targeted via well-
known and highly frequented sites such as W and
www.9af.grg. To accomplish this, direct links, bulletin boards, and
listservs will all be utilized. To reach a broader audience metadata will
be employed and key words and phrases will be inserted heavily so
that search engines may pick up Wm. The site URL
will become disseminated to larger audiences if it is listed in a
national, regional, or local papers, or magazines, especially if the title
is available on the web and is indexed by established resources.
References to the site URL in will be included in all literature,

communiqués, business cards, emails, treatments, etc.

Attempts will also be made to sell the film directly to and
through web businesses such as W , WEI
and W . As the industry leader in on-line DVD rental,
Netflix is constantly seeking to expand its product base. Accordingly,

the company often purchases DVDs directly from independent

93

 

filmmakers -- that is, of course, if the DVD is professionally packaged
and authored. If so, a first time documentary filmmaker can expect to
sell 50 to 100 copies for approximately $5-$10 each. If the filmmaker
has more “notoriety” (for example, through film festivals, media
reviews, or publicity), Netflix will purchase more units at a higher

price.

With E-Bay, all of the pertinent functions, such as listing the
item, collecting monies, shipping the product, etc, must be handled by
the filmmaker. The number of units that can be listed at one time also
is limited. Amazon, on the other hand, will handle a majority of the
pragmatic duties, and the company only requires that the selling party
be able to supply a steady stream of packaged product. Because
Amazon handles so much of the process, they take a greater share of
the gross. For example, on a $20 DVD, they will collect little more than
half. E-Bay, on the other hand, charges a small fee for each sale,

usually around $1 for products selling for under $20.

Budgeting as a Tool
A realistic, well-thought out budget (Table 3) creates an
immeasurably valuable planning tool. It contains sales goals, which in

turn are based on all necessary costs in creating and distributing the

94

film, including salaries and break-even points. The budget offers
guidance throughout the entire filmmaking and distribution process.
Funding sources, such as grant making agencies, may require a
detailed budget as part of their consideration process, and the ability
to produce a complete, realistic plan concretely displays to such
sources that they are dealing with a party that is capable of carrying
through the project. In addition, when addressed and considered from
the beginning, the budget assists the filmmaker in consistently

treating the film as product, not simply or only a creative venture.

Table 3: Budget

 

PRODUCTION BUDGET

TITLE: Finding Fidel, A Yeung Men’s Jeurney
WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER: Jeff L-jemlin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acct. Number Description . Budget
01-00 ‘ ' Producer $30,000.00
02-00 Writer $10,000.00
03-00 Director $20,000.00
04-00 Narrator $1500.00
05-00 Music Rights $12,500.00
TOTAL ABOVE THE LINE (Pm-Production) $74,000.00

 

 

 

awn”. 0..., i“."¢,.‘. «w

 

BELOW-TH E-LIN E

 

06-00 Tape Stock $1500.00

 

 

 

 

 

95

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

07-00 Camera/Tripod $3500.00
08-00 Air Fare $2000.00
09-00 Food $4500.00
10-00 Lodging $2500.00
11-00 Visas $350.00
12-00 Boat Trips/ Gas $2500.00
13-00 Legal $2500.00
14-00 Medical $250.00
15-00 Audio Microphone/Cable $400.00
16-00 Miscellaneous $1200.00
TOTAL BELOW THE LINE (Production) $21200.00
POST -PRODUCT ION N W
17-00 Edit Suite Rental (in-kind) $8000.00
18-00 Sound Mix (in-kind) $500.00
19-00 Audio Studio (in-kind) $500.00
TOTAL POST-PRODUCTION $9000.00
DVD REPLICATION/‘P‘ACKAGING WNW ““ EMF W
20-00 3000 DVD-R (includes artwork and $7500.00
packaging)
TOTAL DVD REPLICATION/PACKAGING $7500.00

 

 

 

M'vyvvvw- ~r~u~..~~ «. tv w. hvfl~0~ .. v. ... .. .—

 

TOTAL BUDGET

 

 

 

96

 

Iwfi'.A‘-h.\ .ut- mww Amman.

$111,700.00

 

Distribution Goal

The overall distribution goal is to sell a total of 5585 units over
a period of two years. If 2185 units were sold in this timeframe, the
filmmaker, whom is the sole stakeholder, would break even. 2185
units sold, however, would not address any salary costs for the
director, writer, or producer. This figure is based on total expenses of
$43,700., which addresses actual costs incurred. To recoup a salary,
and in essence gain this amount as profit, the aforementioned 5585
units must be sold, with an average unit price of $20 (5585 * 20 =

$111,700).

97

CHAEIEBjIfiflI

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: What I have learned, what I would
differently

As a result of my personal experiences and research, I have
concluded that to be truly successful, today’s independent filmmaker
must recognize the importance of treating their film as a product. I
have come to realize that doing so only increases the overall
creativity, quality, and ultimately, the marketability, of their film.
While I stated this posit earlier, and hold it as the guiding principle in
distributing an independently made film and as my primary lesson

learned.

Had I treated my film more like a product from its formative
stages, I would have been in a better position to sell copies at the
premiere. Obviously, ifI had the opportunity to undertake the process
over again, I would do things differently, assuring that I was better
prepared for selling at the premiere. I would have created a mailing
list, I would have used the event as a parlay into a college tour, I
would have recorded and saved the media reports for future press
releases and publicity. In other words, I would have taken much better

care to treat the overall film and showing as a business endeavor.

98

While I have several other examples of lessons learned from my
experiences and research, they demand no particular order. Still, an
important - and truly tough one for me to absorb - was the realization
that a certain level of self-confidence is absolutely necessary. No one
is going to be as passionate about your film as you are. Therefore, you
need to be to be able to self promote the heck out of it without being,
or sounding like, a totally self-absorbed jerk. While it is acceptable to
“be yourself,” which may mean being shy, timid, or eccentric, you
must be able to put aside any self esteem issues that hinder you from
being able to sell your film, which equals “selling” yourself, or your
image. You need to be able to ask people for $20 per copy without
being ashamed, self-deprecating, or flinching. If you treat your film as

a product, the self-confidence falls into place.

Another important lesson that I have learned is that nothing
will ever be perfect. Trying to make everything just right has
paralyzed me at times. The perfect becomes the enemy of the good
when you become so focused on perfection, that you never are able to
finish a project, film, DVD, etc. Perhaps, if I had spent more initial
time on planning, the fixation on perfection would not have become
such a stumbling block. I now cannot understate the importance of

proper Planning, planning, and planning In creating the DVD, I spent

99

 

a great deal of precious time doing double work. Had I spent more
time at the beginning of the project, simply planning, sketching, and
storyboarding, I would have saved myself a great deal of grief later in

the process.

I also found that to be successful, an independent filmmaker
needs to be a jack-of—all-trades. He/she needs to have a serious
understanding of audio, video, compression, design, budgeting,
marketing, etc. While no one person can be an expert in everything, a
broad base area of knowledge is important. That is not to say that I do
not believe in working with others. In fact, I would argue that one
should work smarter, not harder. If you can find someone to do quality
work (audio recording, for example), great -- they probably have a
better understanding, a broader skill set, more tools, etc. Your broad
knowledge of the filmmaking techniques, however, will allow you to

ask exactly for what you need, saving time and money.

Looking back, it would have been nice to budget money for an
original musical score for both the film and DVD. I also would have a
budgeted for a “known" voice to be the narrator, perhaps someone
with a connection to Cuba, such as a celebrity like Andy Garcia or Pico

Turino. Overall quality and marketability would have been enhanced

100

with an additional “in” to the greater Cuban community and resellers
like Netflix, Amazon, etc. I also would have budgeted for marketing,

promotion, etc - a novel concept.

The last piece of advice that I would pass along to aspiring
independent filmmakers is imperative: spend time researching the
market. Spend a lot of time and energy on identifying your audience
and the ways of getting your film to them. I would go so far as to
recommend that no film be made unless a specific audience can be
clearly identified. My reasoning is this -- anyone can make a film. As
the thesis pointed out, 4000 independents were on the market in
2003. The trick is to make a film and sell it to an audience. Better yet,
find an audience and then make your film! To become prepared, I
would recommend taking marketing classes, researching marketing
techniques, and gathering as much information on the topic as
possible. Look at what others have done, and glean from them what
will work for you. While I would encourage everyone to follow his or
her dreams, I also would suggest keeping a realistic goal in mind. Find
an area of interest and pursue it with the maximum amount of time,
energy, and money possible. Nothing is going to drop in your lap, so

you must be willing to work extremely hard in going after your goals,

101

whatever they may be. Anything worthwhile is going to take a long

time, for if it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

102

 

III I

 

APPENDIX A

103

APPENDIX A
Presentation Package Center For Cuban Studies

Carmen Garcia

Center for Cuban Studies
1500 18‘“ Avenue

New York, New York. 10027

Dear Ms. Garcia,

Have you ever thought of traveling to Cuba on a 25ft sailboat for the purpose of
finding Fidel Castro? Jeff Hamlin did...

"Hey mom and dad...I'm going to Cuba. Probably be back in a week...or two.
Love you" And so begins the feature length documentary, Finding Fidel. After
leaving his parents a quick and cryptic phone message, Jeff Hamlin embarks on
an adventure of a lifetime. What begins as a sailing trip to communist Cuba
becomes a six year adventure as a young man becomes obsessed with tracking
down the infamous Cuban dictator; Fidel Castro.

Directed and Produced by Michigan native Jeff Hamlin, Finding Fidel has recently
been released on DVD and will undoubtedly appeal to your audience. The film has
received critical acclaim before sold out audiences at both the East Lansing Film
Festival and Kresge Art Museum. However, while highly successful, the film has
never been marketed commercially. Now is your chance to reap the financial
benefits by offering this unique product to your costumers. For only $49.95 per
copy, you can purchase the rental rights to Finding Fidel. For re-sale purposes,
additional copies of the film may be purchased for $12.95 each.

The DVD includes a feature length narrative documentary in addition to several
special features: Directors commentary, Spanish/English Narration, Interview
with the Director, a Ten Minute Film School, and Interactive Menus. The DVD has
been professionally packaged and comes with unique artwork imprinted upon
color inserts as well as color silkscreen DVD faces.

While titled Finding Fidel, much of the narrative documentary focuses on Cuba,
its people, and their colorful way of life. Hamlin includes vibrant images of
carnival in Santiago, musical groups playing rumba and sol, traditional santeria
ceremonies, and first hand footage of Cuba's infamous “Nuclear City." And a
young man's journey becomes much more than a trollop through an unknown
country. His journey leads to self-discovery and coming-of-age in the classic
sense and he finds much more than a charismatic leader complete with both
fallacies and fluff. In the end, he discovers the exuberance, perseverance, and
joy of the Cuban people and culture.

For more information about the film including video clips, press kit, reviews, etc.,
please visit www.findinqfidel.com

Sincerely,

Jeff Hamlin

104

APPENDIX A

Finding Fidel Fact Sheet

Movie Title: Finding Fidel

Year: 2002

Theatrical Release Date: None

Film Festival Debut: March 2003
DVD Release Date: May 2004
Director: Jeff Hamlin

Producer: Jeff Hamlin

Production Company: Fej Films, LLC

MPAA Rating: None

Genre: Documentary

Keywords: Cuba, Fidel, Castro, Carnival, Santeria, Trinidad, Havana, Santiago,
Moncada, Revolution, M26, Rumba, Sol, Documentary, Travel, Adventure.

DVD Technical Details:
0 Region 0 (all regions)

. Faux Letter Box 1.33:1

- Color

. 4 Audio Tracks

0 Feature Runtime: 60 minutes

. Special Features: Animated Menus, Directors Commentary,
Spanish/English Narration, Interview with Filmmaker, and Ten Minute Film
School

0 Number of Disks: 1 single sided/single layered

. Languages: English/Spanish

. Subfifles:None

. Closed Caption: No

0 UPC: 8033236100298

Brief description I (60 words): Finding Fidel is a narrative documentary that
takes you on a visual journey from Havana to the interior of Cuba, experiencing
the faces, customs, and rhythms of its people. What begins as a spur-of—the-
moment trip by sailboat to find Fidel Castro becomes a life-changing event that
spans the course of six years and is indeed, the journey of a lifetime.

Brief description 11 (120 words): Finding Fidel is a narrative documentary
that takes you on a visual journey from Havana to the interior of Cuba,
experiencing the faces, customs, and rhythms of its people. What begins as a
spur-of—the-moment trip by sailboat to find Fidel Castro becomes a life-changing
event that spans the course of six years and is indeed, the journey of a lifetime.
And a young man's journey becomes much more than a trollop through an
unknown country. His journey leads to self-discovery and coming-of-age in the
classic sense and he finds much more than a charismatic leader complete with
both fallacies and fluff. In the end, he discovers the exuberance, perseverance,
and joy of the Cuban people and culture.

105

APPENDIX A

 

TREATMENT

About the Film:

Finding Fidel is a digitally shot documentary that was filmed over a period of six
years (1994-2000). Directed and Produced by Jeff Hamlin, the film takes a
unique look at Cuba, its people, and their dictator - Fidel Castro. While shooting
the film, Hamlin chose to live amongst the Cuban people, which afforded him the
opportunity to gain a true insight into their colorful culture. During his travels,
Hamlin was fortunate enough to film numerous historic events including Pope
John Paul’s trip to Cuba, the “special period”, and numerous speeches by Fidel
Castro. However, Hamlin’s favorite subject was the Cubans themselves and his
love of the people comes through via his colorfully composed images; children
smiling, couples dancing, and families playing together.

Adding to the colorful images of Cuba and its people, Hamlin includes archival
footage of the U.S.S Maine in Havana Harbor, Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough
Riders, San Juan Hill, Flugenica Batista, Fidel Castro and his revolution, and the
Bay of Pigs Crisis. Edited into the film, the footage plays an integral part in
helping to establish the history and events that lead to Fidel Castro’s rise to
power.

The musical score of the film was composed and recorded by Cuban born
musician Celia Gonzalez. Ms. Gonzalez has performed with Gloria Estafan and the
Miami Sound Machine and is recognized for her powerful singing voice and
dazzling guitar play. Furthermore, she has played backup singer for Celia Cruz
and several other Cuban performers.

The narrator of the film was John Morrison. Mr. Morrison is a professional voice
over artist and has performed on award winning documentaries including Dent de
Lyon and The Lottery for life.

The film was completed in 2002.

Target Audience:

The target audience includes the Cuban community living in the United States.
This community has been underserved as few films have given a voice to their
unique and diverse culture, heritage, traditions, beliefs, and values. What
programs do exist tend to focus on pre-revolutionary Cuba and or the Cuban-
American community, a conservative political action committee seeking to restore
their positions of power and prestige in a post-Castro Cuba. The average Cuban,
whether a naturalized citizen of the United States or a recent immigrant, has little
to view in the way of programming that offers a true expose‘ into their culture.
So frequently, Cuban Americans must hold their heads in shame under the
prevue of popular culture and political representation within the United States -
they either are deemed corrupt Batista supporters or closet Castro confidantes,
neither of which offers a kind or fully human representation beyond a stereotype
or a caricature. The movie attempts to embrace Cubans as Cubans - full humans,
with experiences, lifestyles, cultures, joys and tragedies that transcend political
agendas.

106

APPENDIX A

In addition, the film may have particular, yet secondary, appeal to this country’s
growing Latino culture in general. As with the Cuban American population, these
persons also tend to be underserved. While many cultural differences exist
between Caribbean, Central, and South American nations, the film offers a
thematic perspective that may offer common appeal to persons from all these
geographic areas.

Finally, the film may have a general and broad appeal to the viewing public at
large. Forty years of an economic and travel embargo have isolated Cuba, leaving
many American citizens curious about the island nation.

Target Platform:
The target platform is a DVD readable by all North American Players.

Scope:

Finding Fidel is an interactive DVD that contains a feature length (60 min)
narrative documentary film. In addition to the documentary, the DVD also
contains: Directors commentary, Spanish/English Narration, Interview with the
Director, a Ten Minute Film School, and Interactive Menus. The DVD has been
professionally packaged and comes with unique artwork imprinted upon color
inserts.

Video/Audio Elements:

The film was shot with a digital video camera and has exceptional resolution and
quality. The video elements within the DVD are the sole property of Jeff Hamlin
and were recorded by him while in Cuba. The DVD does contain archival footage,
which is public domain and was obtained through the Library of Congress and the
University of Miami Special Collections Library. The natural sound of the film is
the sole property of Jeff Hamlin and was recorded while on location in Cuba.

Cuban born composer Celia Gonzalez recorded the musical elements within the
film. As such, the rights have been purchased and secured allowing for worldwide
distribution. The rights have also been secured for the voice over narration,
which were recorded by John Morrison.

Defining Elements:

The defining element of this project is the unique nature of the documentary. It
tells the story of a young American student who throws caution into the wind and
actively searches for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. While filming, the American
lives amongst the people allowing him to film the “real Cuba." The film covers a
six-year time span and takes the viewer into a world rarely seen before; the
world of every day Cubans and their colorful culture and spirited way of life.

107

 

 

APPENDIX B

108

 

APPENDIX B '
ITVS Open Call Submission ,

 

PART I: COVER SHEET

CONTACT INFORMATION

Name: Jeff Hamlin

Production Entity: Fej Films

Co-Applicant:

Mailing Address:

2813 Greenbriar Ave.

Lansing, MI 48912

Daytime Phone: 517.483.1981 Evening Phone: 517.267.8770
Fax:

Email: hamlinj1@msu.edu

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Gender:

Ethnicity/Race:

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Program Title: Finding Fidel: A Young Man’s Journey Through Cuba
Brief Summary of Program

What begins as a sailing trip to communist Cuba becomes a six-year
adventure as a young man becomes obsessed with tracking down Fidel
Castro.

If this is your first time applying, where did you hear about ITVS Open
Call?

Yes. I heard about it through the Independent Film Project

Length: 56:40

Genre: Documentary

Shooting Format: DV

WORK SAMPLES

1. Completed Work - 1 copy mandatory

Title: We Were Known As: African Americans in Lansing
Applicant's Role: co-producer

2. Work-in-Progress - 1 copy required

Title: Video Selects of Proposed Program (Finding Fidel)

Length: 14:29

Applicant's Role: producer-director

BUDGET INFORMATION

TOTAL BUDGET: $111,700.00

TOTAL SPENT TO DATE, IF ANY: $30,000.00

PENDING FUNDS: $0.00

CASH SECURED: $0.00

REQUEST TO ITVS: $81,700.00

109

APPENDIX 8

LEGAL INFORMATION

I certify that l have reviewed the guidelines and warrant that I meet all ITVS
eligibility requirements. The information in this application, including all
attachments and supporting materials, is true and correct to the best of my
knowledge. If funded and contracted by ITVS, my proposed program will be
completed within one year.

 

APPLICANT SIGNATURE DATE SIGNED

 

CO-APPLICANT SIGNATURE DATE SIGNED
Above applicant(s) will be signatories to ITVS contracts, if offered.
MAIL ALL MATERIALS AND TAPES IN ONE PACKAGE TO:

ITVS

OPEN CALL 2004 SPRING REVIEW
501 YORK STREET

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110

ALL MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED AT THE ITVS OFFICE BY 5 pm.
February 12, 2004.

* ITVS will NOT accept applications that are faxed, late, incomplete or
not prepared according to guideline specifications.
* ITVS is not responsible for loss of or damage to application materials

due to shipping, storage or presentation.
* DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE to inquire about the status of your

application.
* NOTIFY ITVS of changes on your mail address, telephone and email

address ASAP.

110

APPENDIX B

PART II: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
A. Synopsis

“Hey mom and dad, I am going to Cuba. Probably be back in a week or two.
Ok, love you lots. . . ”

...And so begins the narrative documentary Finding Fidel. After leaving his
parents a quick and cryptic phone message, filmmaker Jeff Hamlin embarks
on an adventure of a lifetime. What begins as an unplanned and illegal sailing
trip to communist Cuba becomes a six-year life and perspective changing
adventure as a young man becomes obsessed with tracking down the
infamous Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro.

Although titled Finding Fidel, much of the documentary truly focuses on Cuba,
its people, and their colorful way of life. And a young man’s journey becomes
much more than a trollop through an unknown country; his journey leads to
self-discovery and tells a coming-of-age story in the classic sense. The
filmmaker ultimately “finds” the charismatic leader, complete with both the
fallacies and fluff that go along with being a dynamic, undisputed, loved and
hated leader. Ultimately, though, he discovers and portrays much more - the
exuberance, perseverance, and joy of the diverse Cuban people and their
culture.

B. Treatment

The documentary film begins showing a young American man setting out on
an inquisitive and illegal sailing journey to Cuba, and chronologically follows
his exploits in the island nation over a six-year period of time. Throughout this
time, the young man’s love for the nation, its people and culture grow. He
realizes that much of what he has heard in his own country regarding Cuba
provides a single viewpoint, frequently laden with propaganda. He becomes
enraptured with the dynamic, charismatic and much admired dictator, Fidel
Castro, and begins the pursuit of “Finding Fidel.”

However, throughout his journey, he unknowingly and unwittingly becomes
connected, enamored with the Cuban people; living with them, staying in their
homes, sharing their meals, tickling their babies, and flirting with their
daughters. Slowing Ieaming, but also being accepted into, their culture.
Barriers of capitalist America and communist Cuba are slowly eroded away,
and he discovers the humanistic face of the Cuban people. The Cuban
people also discover a free spirited, friendly face rather than a bullying,
wealthier neighbor from the north.

111

APPENDIX 3

During his journey traversing the countryside to Find Fidel, key events
undermine the filmmaker’s idealistic view of not only the nation’s enigmatic
and admired leader, but also of the oftentimes tyrannical system which
ultimately provides a duplicitous front to “the people” for whom the revolution
was meant to serve.

He finds Cubans being detained for having a few ounces more than their
allotment of cheese and being discriminated against because they are
Cubans, rather than higher paying tourists. He finds himself having more
rights than the average Cuban, and is stunned and dismayed by the
hypocfisy.

And yet, despite the obvious and sometimes mammoth shortcomings of living
in Communist Cuba, the filmmaker discovers what is behind the visceral and
profound reverence in which Castro is held by his people. Regardless of the
societal discrepancies which the filmmaker faces and sees Cubans facing,
Cubans remain ever faithful to ‘el jefe’ because he gave them what they for so
long wanted most - freedom and independence from foreign domination. And
more importantly and compelling than that, he gave them pride in being
Cuban!

These are longings that we all have at our core - to have freedom, and
independence from oppression, a certain quality of life that does not
necessarily add up to money in the bank or a certain food on the table.
Ultimately, this film addresses the Cuban version of this theme, in addition to
telling a coming-of-age tale of a young, American man.

During the course of filming, the filmmaker embraces a stylistic approach in
which he fully engages with his subjects, allowing him to capture up close,
intimate, and realistic vantages of their lives and culture. This style of
shooting is significant to the film because it lends to the filmmaker’s credibility
as he portrays a deep involvement, empathy, and knowledge of the people
and culture. It also creates an environment for the viewer to become fully
involved and attached with the Cuban people and their lives.

To capture this stylistic approach most effectively, the filmmaker chose to
utilize a Mini-DV camera. The small format camera diminished the physical
barrier between filmmaker and subject allowing for the recording of very close
and intimate images. The smaller format also afforded the filmmaker the
opportunity to attend several Castro speeches. Its demure nature made for a
less imposing presence at the highly secure venues.

The proposed running length of Finding Fidel 56:40. This format will best

allow the filmmaker to tell the six-year story in an evenly paced and timely
manner. The time frame also helps maintain the continuity of the stylistic

112

mm . I

APPENDIX B

approach, whereas images are presented methodically and rhythmically,
symbolic perhaps of day-to—day Cuban life.

C. Target Audience

The target audience includes the Cuban community living in the United
States. This community has been underserved by public television, as few
programs have given a voice to their unique and diverse culture, heritage,
traditions, beliefs, and values. What programs do exist tend to focus on pre-
revolutionary Cuba and or the Cuban-American community, a conservative
political action committee seeking to restore their positions of power and
prestige in a post-Castro Cuba. The average Cuban, whether a naturalized
citizen of the United States or a recent immigrant, has little to view in the way
of programming that offers a true expose‘ into their culture. 80 frequently,
Cuban Americans must hold their heads in shame under the prevue of
popular culture and political representation within the United States - they
either are deemed corrupt Batista supporters or closet Castro confidantes,
neither of which offers a kind or fully human representation beyond a
stereotype or a caricature. The movie attempts to embrace Cubans as
Cubans — full humans, with experiences, lifestyles, cultures, joys and
tragedies that transcend political agendas.

In addition, the film may have particular, yet secondary, appeal to this
country’s growing Latino culture in general. As with the Cuban American
population, these persons also tend to be underserved. While many cultural
differences exist between Caribbean, Central, and South American nations,
the film offers a thematic perspective that may offer common appeal to
persons from all these geographic areas.

Finally, the film may have a general and broad appeal to the viewing public at
large. Forty years of an economic and travel embargo have isolated Cuba,
leaving many American citizens curious about the island nation.

D. Program Relevance to Public Television

In keeping with the goals of public television, Finding Fidel seeks to bring
forward the voice of a people too often represented from a single viewpoint.
Through a creative and sometimes risky manner, the filmmaker presents a
unique look into communist Cuba and its culturally diverse people.
Furthermore, the program seeks to foster public discourse by drawing into
question America’s foreign policy and xenophobic writing of history.

113

 

 

APPENDIX B

The filmmaker believes that the vision of public television and the scope of his
film are much aligned. Public television, therefore, offers the most compelling
venue for this story.

E. Project Status

The project is currently in post-production. As such, the film has been edited
to content but is still in need of a narration track.

PART III: PRODUCTION PERSONNEL

Jeff Hamlin is the writer, director, producer, videographer, and editor of
Finding Fidel. He is a graduate of Michigan State University where he studied
Digital Media Design and Technology. While attending Michigan State, he
was active in the filmmaking community and worked extensively with the East
Lansing Film Festival. Since graduation, Hamlin has worked for a public
television affiliate and as a freelance producer, allowing him to focus much of
his time and energy on Cuba. He is currently employed as an instructor with
the Motion Picture Program at Lansing Community College where he is able
to share his passion and love of filmmaking.

PART IV: SAMPLE WORK AND WORK IN PROGRESS TAPE

Sample Tape:

The sample work tape includes a program entitled, We Were Known As:
African-Americans in Lansing. The film provides a nostalgic snapshot of
African American life in Lansing, Michigan from the mid-1930s to the mid-
1970s. In conveying the story, the filmmakers chose to utilize archival
photographs and film, formal interviews, b-roll footage, and motion graphics.
The length of the sample tape is 26:46

The sample tape relates to the proposed program in a few manners. Both
films represent diverse cultures from a particular geographic setting. Both
films also speak to communities that traditionally are underserved. On a
broader note, the sample tape represents a well-received program that was
successfully produced for Public Television audiences. In addition, the
filmmaker’s role in the making of this program was critical. He served as Co-
Producer, Editor and Motion Graphics Artist.

Work in Progress Tape:

The work in progress tape is comprised of select video clips that are
representative of the master source tapes and filmmaker’s stylistic approach.

114

APPENDIX B

 

The work in progress tape also includes some archival footage that will be
used in the completed program. Below is a list of video selects:

Traditional Afro-Cuban Dance (Niquero, Cuba)
Carnival and Conga (Santiago, Cuba)

Musical Group (Cienfuegos, Cuba)

Rumba Dance (Cienfuegos, Cuba)

Castro Speech (Santiago, Cuba)

Street Scenes (Trinidad, Cuba)

Archival Footage

Musical Montage

115

 

 

APPENDIX C

116

 

APPENDIX C
RECRUITMENT LETTER FOR FILMMAKERS/ INDUSTRY
PROFESSIONALS

Dear Mers.

 

My name is Jeff Hamlin and I am a graduate student at Michigan State University studying
Digital Media Design and Technology. As such, I am in the process of conducting research
for my written thesis. The title of my work is entitled “The process and methodology of
distributing independent films on DVD."

In researching this project, I have concluded that interviews with industry experts, such as
yourself, would allow me to further understand the nature of the motion picture industry and
to set a benchmark from which to establish my own theoretical model.

With that said, I would like to know if you would be willing to participate in my research
project. My research will be in an interview format and should last 20 to 30 minutes. If the
interview goes longer than that, a break will be provided so that fatigue does not become a
factor. The interview will be conducted between you and l and will be audibly recorded so
that I can review your answers carefully. Depending on your desire, the results of our
interview can be reported so that you receive full accreditation or remain anonymous. Also,
as per University guidelines, the audio recordings will be kept for a period of three years upon
completion of the thesis. To protect your confidentiality rights, the audiotapes will be kept in a
locked cabinet accessible to only the primary and secondary investigators.

Finally, if during the interview there are questions you are not comfortable answering, you are
free to skip them. You may also choose to terminate the interview at any time you desire.

WM

20-30 minutes in length

Audibly recorded

Performed via the phone

Conducted between Jeff Hamlin and yourself
Strict confidentiality or full accreditation

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as a study participant, or are
dissatisfied at any time with any aspect of this study, you may contact - anonymously, if you
wish - Peter Vasilenko, Ph.D., Chair of the University Committee on Research Involving
Human Subjects (UCRIHS) by phone: (517) 355-2180, fax: (517)432-4503, email address:
ucrihs@msu.edu, or regular mail: 202 Olds Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824.

I hope you will consider my request to participate in this project. If you are willing to be
interviewed, please review the attached consent form and fill it out in its entirety and fax it to
(517)483-9781. I will need a signed copy before we can proceed further.

Thank you for your time and I look fonivard to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Jeff Hamlin

117

 

 

APPENDIX D

118

10.

APPENDIX D
INTERVIEW INSTRUMENT

How important do you believe the lntemet is to self-distributing independent films?
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

In your opinion, what genres are the most marketable, horror, action, comedy,
documentary, drama, etc? FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

How important do believe it is for an independent filmmaker to have an identifiable
target audience in mind before he/she starts filming? FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

In you opinion, what is the most difficult facet of self-distribution? FOLLOW-UP
QUESTIONS

Do you believe that shooting formats make a difference when it comes to self-
distributing an independent film? FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

What is your opinion on film festivals as it relates to self-distribution? FOLLOW-UP
QUESTIONS

To make a DVD more marketable, what do you believe are the most important
features an independent filmmaker should include? FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

Concerning ordered selling, should a self-distributor follow this established industry
norm or think more out of the box? FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

How much of an independent films total budget do you believe should be spent on
marketing, advertising, and promotion? FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

What advice would you give to an independent filmmaker thinking about self-
distributing his/her film on DVD? FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

END OF INTERVIEW

119

 

APPENDIX E

120

I
1:2:

Ti n A1o

 

APPENDIX E
Consent Form

PROJECT TITLE: The Process and Methodology of Distributing Independent Films on
DVD

Principal Investigator: Secondary Investigator:
Brian Winn Jeff Hamlin

420 Communication Arts Building 1239 Blake Ave.

East Lansing, Michigan. 48824 Lansing, Michigan. 48912
(517) 353-5497 (517) 267-8770
winnb@msu.edu hamlinj1@msu.edu

Purpose of the Research

You are being asked to volunteer for a research project. Your experience as an independent
filmmaker and/or a professional working within the motion picture industry gives you expertise
that will assist in my exploration of the distribution process. The research will be conducted
via telephone interviews and should last no more than thirty minutes.

A total of ten independent filmmakers and/or professionals from the motion picture industry
will participate in the interview sessions.

Procedures

The secondary researcher will ask you a series of questions pertaining to the distribution
process. You will be encouraged to elaborate as much as possible on each topic or as much
as you deem fit to provide an adequate response. The session will be audibly recorded so
that your answers may be more carefully examined. As per University guidelines, the
audiotapes will be kept in a secure location for a period of three years upon completion of the
project. In that time, the audiotape will only be available to the primary and secondary
investigators. After a period of three years the audiotapes will be destroyed.

Foreseeable Risks or Discomforts

Participation in this research poses minimal risk to you. If you feel uncomfortable at any time
during the interview, you may immediately end the discussion with no questions asked. All
efforts will be made to keep the interview less than thirty minutes.

Benefits
This research will give you the opportunity to assist in the development of research that could
be beneficial to both educational and professional communities.

Voluntary PartlcipatlonNVithdrawal

Your participation in this interview session is voluntary. You have rights as a research
Volunteer. You may refuse to participate before the study begins, discontinue at any time, or
skip any question that makes you feel uncomfortable. There will be no penalty for refusal to
participate.

Please feel free to ask questions concerning the study, both before agreeing to participate
and during the course of the research study.

Confidentiality

Your privacy will be protected to the maximum extent allowable by law. Your name will not be
associated with the detailed findings and all original recordings will be kept in a locked desk
drawer.

121

rub-0s;

 

APPENDIX E

Confidentiality Altematlve

Although it is normal for research results to be reported anonymously i.e., via a fictitious first
name, you have the choice to be cited/accredited by your real name. If you would prefer to be
cited by name rather than by a fictitious first name in reporting of the interview case study
results, please indicate by placing a check mark on the appropriate line at the bottom of this
consent form. If you choose to be cited by name rather than by a fictitious first name, the
researcher will verify this preference once more at the end of the interview.

Audio and Video Recording

The interview will be recorded on audiotape and kept in the possession of the secondary
investigator. Only your first name will be used during the interview. When writing up the
results, real first names will be replaced by fictitious first names.

Contact Persons
If you have any questions about this study, please contact the principle investigator:

Brian Winn

420 Communication Arts Building
East Lansing, Michigan. 48824
(517) 353-5497

winnb@msu.edu

If you have questions or concerns regarding your rights as a study participant, or are
dissatisfied at any time with any aspect of this study, you may contact - anonymously, if
you wish - Peter Vasilenko, Ph.D., Chair of the University Committee on Research
Involving Human Subjects (UCRIHS) by phone: (517) 355-2180, fax: (517)432-4503,
e-mail: ucrihs@msu.edu, or regular mail: 202 Olds Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824.

Statement of Consent
l voluntarily agree to participate in this study.
I am willing to have this interview session recorded on audiotape.
l consent to have my comments included in the written summary of the session.

Select only one
I consent to have my real name included in the written summary of the session.
I consent to be identified by a fictitious name in the written summary of this session.

Name:
Signature:
Date:

 

 

 

You will receive a copy of the signed and dated consent form.

122

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

123

 

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