Hollywood Vs. The Indie Filmmaker

These days we have so many big budget blockbuster films hitting us at every angle, that the true unseen genius passes us by almost without a thought. The art of independent film making has turned into the last bastion of true original content for filmmakers, and those of us who want to see something more original. Don’t get me wrong, the Superhero Blockbusters and Science Fiction Epics are fantastic to watch and experience, but the love of originality is fading from Hollywood. The suits in Hollywood would rather latch onto a title that has already been made once, or onto a Comic Book or some other form of written word for their next film, instead of looking to those in the Indie world for new and original content.

 

We have filmmakers out there however, like George Cameron Romero, Michael Junkin, Matthew Ward, Conrad Faraj, Itai Guberman, Kyle Hester and so many others, that see the issue and are all working towards bringing more new and original content to the people. I for one cannot wait. Cameron Romero, just announced “Rise of the Living Dead”, a prequel to 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead”, which was filmed by his father George A. Romero. Cameron aims to show us a film that is right up there with Night, and with George A. Romero, calling the script “genius”,  I think it is a safe bet that that will be exactly what we get. Matthew Ward just wrapped on his latest Feature film, “The Rave”. He had Conrad Faraj (“Little Thieves”, “The Colours of Desire”, “You Will Go Darker”) working on Camera, and Michael Junkin as his Second Assistant Director. I for one was on set for several scenes and I can say “The Rave” Will be a true Indie offering. Michael Junkin is as well writing shorts and features and I am quiet sure they will be excellent stories brought to film.

 

So what is an Independent Film and what is a Hollywood Blockbuster? The main difference comes down to budget and resources. A Hollywood film can get upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars and all the resources they need, just a phone call away, while Indie filmmakers have more obstacles to deal with. Obstacles like having to crowdfund your entire film project, or endless meetings trying to find investors to help reach the budget as well. Once you get the budget, there is still the fight of getting everything you need together. The cast, the cameras, lights, audio recording gear, the list goes on and on. So a Hollywood film can get a massive budget and a nice length of time to film in, while an Indie project may only get a few thousand dollars and have to film everything in 14 days. The challenges offered to Indie Filmmakers, means they are going to pour more heart and soul into their production than most Hollywood films would even attempt today.

 

One of the biggest areas for Indie Film making falls in the Horror Genre and there is no shortage of ideas out there. Its getting them filmed and distributed that is the biggest obstacle. An obstacle I see several filmmakers dealing with for whatever projects they are working on. You can find an active GoFundMe for Kyle Hester’s “Preacher Six” at the Preacher Six GoFundMe you can even find a Patreon account where you can learn and get tips from George Cameron Romero over at George Cameron Romero’s Patreon, where getting in on one of these would be a great thing for any budding filmmaker.

 

You want to know the great thing about Crowdfunding an Independent film? Its a way for the little guy, the viewer, YOU to get in on the ground floor of a movie! Depending on the level you pay in on the film, you can get all kinds of sweet benefits. Name in Special Thanks, your own Producer Credit listed on IMDb, walk on rolls, speaking parts, signed copies of scripts and so much more. Now, I’m not telling you to not watch your favorite Superhero, or to go enjoy a couple of hours watching dog fights in space between awesome star fighters. I’m merely suggesting you take some time and go outside of your comfort zone and watch an Indie film. You might be surprised how a film that only took $5,000.00 can touch you even deeper than a $50,000,000.00 film can.

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