1. J412/512 11/26/13

2.  Describe at least one way in which it could be said that Miramax contributed to the death of American independent filmmaking. (according to the chapter in American Film in the Digital Age)

3. Why do independent filmmakers have such a difficult time getting their films out into the world? Why do they keep making films?

4. Technology/innovations Participants News stories Always new films … and continual speculation Gov’t/organizational involvement

6.  “Not funded by a major studio”  “No big money supporting the film”  “Filmmaking done outside the Hollywood studios”  “Being independent of demands made by the large studios and commercial enterprises”  “Making movies not in the major LA studio system”  Independent filmmaking is filmmaking with no studio backing”  “Creating films regardless of, and without support of the Hollywood system (studios, execs, etc.)”  “If a studio doesn’t finance your film, then you can call it independent”

7.  Filmmaker has full creative and distribution control;  Investors have no involvement with the film outside of strictly providing financing; and  Filmmaker undergoes substantial risk to produce and distribute the film.

10.  Risk = High  Creative control = full  Investor involvement = none  Distribution control = full “Since my films are so low budget, I put the money together myself and, if people do give me money, it is more that they are pre-buying tickets to the premiere or personal copies of the films upon completion.” --Kelley Baker

11.  Demands creative control  Felt disconnected from distribution strategy  Some investor involvement  “I have not gone totally ALL-OUT as far as my risk…”

12.  Given $1 million budget  Little control over some parts of production (casting, editing, script changes)  Mediocre theatrical release  HBO show = Nominated for Emmy

14.  9,500-13,000 films produced every year

15. Features Shorts Live-action Animated Experiment al Docs

17.  Founded in 1974  First hit, Squeeze Play- $300,000 budget, made $10-18 million  Most famous character: Toxic Avenger (“Toxie”)

18. Important to acknowledge the dynamic contribution of regional filmmakers These are segments of the American film industry that are prolific and that are under-recognized Significant and important contribution to American cultural production  Diverse voices to represent the American experience

20. “They [many independent filmmakers] live in this isolated bubble…They still live in the ’80s idea of independent filmmaking, where oh, you make a little film, you put it in the festival circuit, you get attention, you get into Sundance, and you got it made. That’s such a myth… those are powerful stories.” – Robin Oppenheimer

21.  “I think that independent film is used a lot as a marketing term. For instance there's an awards show called the Independent Spirit Awards. Some of those films just defy the whole notion. Some of them have distribution deals in place at the time that they are made. Some of them are made for relatively big dollars. It’s hard not to be a little bit cynical about that. It’s a tool used to market those films.” --David Cress, Producer

23.  “[Financiers and distributors think] that we’re all young and hungry and eager and I’ve done young and hungry and eager and I don’t want to be young and hungry and eager anymore. I want my professional experience to be valued. I want people to think, “Oh yeah, she’s worth it because she is a great storyteller and she makes a great film.” --Beth Harrington, documentarian 600 film production and film studies programs in U.S.; 230,000 students applying every year

26. 9,500+ independent films

28. Best places in America to make movies and to call home (MovieMaker Magazine, 2012) New Orleans, LA Austin, TX Albuquerque, NM Seattle, WA New York, NY Boston, MA Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL Richmond, VA Wichita, KS Factors: Professional film workers Tax incentives Equipment (production, post-production) Accessibility Etc.

32.  Out-of-state (usually Hollywood)  International  Indigenous

33.  Personal reasons  Community  Accessible equipment  Tax incentives “Los Angeles is such an industry town. Everything is eat, sleep, breathe filmmaking. You didn’t have any of that in a place like here in Portland. You have people who have interests in mountain biking, waterskiing, outdoors things, those types of things. Cultural things. Artistic things. People had other careers as artists. All of those things, I think, contributed back to the people we worked with.” -- Will Vinton

34.  Oregon Production Investment Fund (OPIF) Rebates for 20% of goods/services and 10% of Oregon-based payroll Must spend minimum of $750,000 in state  Greenlight Oregon Labor Rebate Rebates for 6.2% of payroll Must spend minimum of $1 million in state  Indigenous Oregon Production Investment Fund (i- OPIF) Rebates for 20% of goods/services and 10% of Oregon-based payroll Spending = $75,000-$750,000 in state Must hire at least 80% Oregon crew Overview of other states: http://mpaa.org/policy/state-by-state