my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Thoughs on foreign & independent distribution....

Author Topic: Thoughs on foreign & independent distribution.... Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 02-27-2006 09:56 PM                     Miramax - What has happened to this company? In the last year it sems they've only released one or two pictures. I don't recall them releasing anything "huge" in quite some time. Sony Picture Classics - They seem to crank films out like there's no tomorrow. Vast majority seem to receive favorable reviews. My "favortite" film distributer. Weinstein Company - "Doogal?!" What is going thru the Brother's Weinstein minds! The poster alone spells . Anyone have thoughts on the recent (and future) of foreign and independent films?  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-27-2006 10:25 PM                        Biggest indie winner? Lions Gate between Saw and the Madea franchises they're set - $30.5 million from a niche picture "Madea's Family Reunion"? That's HUGE. Both franchises cost about $5 million/film to produce.  |  IP: Logged Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 02-28-2006 10:12 AM                     Hi Mike: I believe you are correct. I don't really think of Lions Gate as an indie company even though they are one. They have shun the art house industry lately in favor of producing product for the multiplex crowd.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 02-28-2006 03:28 PM                        You feel Lions Gate is less "indie" than Miramax (or Weinstein Co.)?  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 02-28-2006 05:07 PM                     A good read on the topic is Peter Biskind's book "Down and Dirty Pictures : Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film " (Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2004). In the early days Miramax was hanging on a thread, they won some but lost a lot. And there's many stories of punch-ups involving Harvey Weinstein against other buyers and filmmakers. Other interesting notes are how Harvey got dubbed by Directors as "Harvey Scissorhands" and that before they could afford the necessary eqiupment they would make cuts to the actual release prints. It's all pretty funny. There is talk for the last few years that Digital Cinema will help independents by having easier access to distribution, ie: no need for prints. But I wonder whether this will end up being the case.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.