Expert: Alessandro Machi - 9/3/2007

Question
WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT FILM MAKER

Answer
Hello Derrick

Independent filmmaking has grown rapidly in the past 10-15 years.

In the past independent filmmaking usually meant that funding for the film came from somewhere other than the movie studios and usually the budgets were under 10-15 million dollars, sometimes as low as 300,000 dollars.

Nowadays, independent filmmaking can mean shooting with a Mini-dv Camcorder or Prosumer Hd camcorder, or it can also mean finding well known actors to be in the movie for S.A.G. (screen actors guild) daily minimum wages but the film will still be shot on 35mm film, 16mm film, or HD.

Usually the purpose of an Independent filmmaking experience is to follow a script the way the director, writer, and/or producer wants to have it interpreted from a visual and narrative point of view.  Independent filmmaking can also mean the filmmaker could not get financing from the movie studios and instead will attempt to make their own film for considerably less money than if the studios were backing the project.

Independent filmmakers will usually rely on publicity generated from film festivals that will screen their movie.  The Sundance Film Festival and Cannes are probably considered the nirvana of all independent film festivals. If an independent film is screened at Sundance or Cannes and generates "buzz', the possibility of finding a distributor or movie studio interested in distributing the movie increases.

I don't know the percentage but I would take a guess that over 90% of all independent films don't get sold right away.