Comments on: Finding Your Audience (The Filmmaker and Criticism)

By: Joe Avella

Joe Avella — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:16:07 +0000

I try to make my films as specific to my tastes as possible. Most people don’t like them, but the ones who do, love them. They’re the ones who subscribe on youtube or read every blog post. I love talking with those fans because the connection is so strong. They’re the small group who ‘get you’ which is so much more rewarding than a large audience that all think you’re ‘OK’. There are too many movies/filmmakers that are just ‘ok’.

By: david

david — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:04:07 +0000

I have come to realise you have to make the film for yourself. Sure, you can still package it a little, like the way I want to do genre flicks with personal theme, fresh spin on them, but ultimately, you have to love the film you made.

Thats the beauty of the web now. I would rather have a global minority audience that love the film I love, than a mass of people who just like it, but I made it for thr suits.

I think filmmakers really have to analize themselves though on why they make films today I mean it is a pretty odd biz where in the past you make a film, then give it away to distributors for nothing! Its a very very bad biz model doing that, but thankfully times are changing.

I could not care less if I never attract Hollywood, as I want to find my audience for my indie projects now. I really believe social media and affilate partnersing is the way forward. http://bit.ly/koitj http://www.magicrock.com/ It’s obviously a lot more hard work, but I now can’t imagine making a film and just handing it to others to profit from it. Thats such bad biz sense. A Hollywood flick, yes, indie, no.

Great blog

David

By: grking

grking — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:15:35 +0000

“You need to be your film’s greatest fan.” — Well said John. Thanks for the comment! And I appreciate the support for the upcoming Flyway screening.

By: John W. Bosley

John W. Bosley — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:24:45 +0000

I like this blog post. The simple fact that you take all this time and money and heartache to make a piece of art and show it to the world…. if you don’t like it… what was it really for? Film seems to be one of the most demanding, critical businesses in this world… second only to politics which isn’t suppose to be a business but has similarities. Both of them you make statements and the bolder the statements the better chance that you will both be loved and hated at the same time.

Hollywood would pitch to filmmakers to make everything “kosher”, to use that word. They want something that is acceptable to as many people as possible. But in that attempt they, many times, loose the essence of what art trully is. Art should be an expression of the artist’s sould and a reflection of the world around them… If you make a film that tons of people love, yet you don’t really love then what was the point. You need to be your film’s greatest fan.

Great post, good luck with reactions at Flyway.