Frame Rate

I heard an interesting comment this morning while listening to the Filmmaker Central podcast, hosted by Dave Basulto. His guest on this particular episode was Stephan Manpearl, a veteran in the area of film marketing and distribution. They discussed things that new, independent filmmakers should be aware of when trying to find distribution for their projects. One of the phrases Manpearl used was that filmmaking is called “Show Business,” not “Show Art.” That has two connotations. First, a filmmaker should not be so consumed with the creative process that he fails to learn anything about the business of filmmaking. Second, for a film to gain an audience, it needs to have some inherent marketability. I’ve seen too many films that are abstract, ambiguous, and art for art’s sake. However, the films that I like to make (and the films that I’m drawn to) are those with a strong core story.

In my little part of the world, film fanatics just aren’t exposed to much independent cinema. So, they want to know, “Where can I go to find documentaries?” “Where can I go to find movies that aren’t part of the mainstream?” “Where can I find funny movies — comedies other than the usual films that play every weekend on TBS?”

I recently came across a website that offers filmmakers the chance to self-distribute their work. It’s called CreateSpace. I mentioned this site in an earlier post during a discussion on my efforts to self-distribute my short, Collection. However, the site also offers movie-lovers the chance to browse thousands of independent titles and make purchases. This is a great site if you’re interested in finding films that you just might not find anywhere else.

Thousands of films are made every year, but only a small fraction enjoy a wide release in theatres nationwide. Some enjoy limited release in major markets, meaning that people in Small Town, USA will probably never see them. Others go straight to DVD. Some find success on the film festival circuit, but go no further. Sometimes it’s difficult to find great, original films with summer blockbusters and Hollywood remakes taking up precious cinema space. However, Web 2.0 has made it possible for filmmakers to get their work out to audiences. The latest online service that I’ve come across is SnagFilms.

I first read about SnagFilms in The Birmingham News. In the Tech Report section I saw an article by Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal giving readers the low-down on this website. Essentially, SnagFilms exposes the viewer to all kinds of documentary film that otherwise might never be seen. And it’s free to use. Viewers can even place these full-length docs onto their favorite social networking site, like Facebook. You can view the films full screen if you like and some provide links to external sites where you can purchase DVDs.

Let’s face it - with higher and higher ticket prices, crowds, inconsiderate patrons hitting your seat, people talking, sticky floors, concessions that cost two-week’s salary - wouldn’t everyone be better off investing in a nice home theatre system and watching films in the comfort of their own living room? Recently my dad went and up-rooted his money tree, hauled it off to Circuit City, and proceeded to buy…

1. A 52″ HDTV
2. A 22″ HDTV
3. A new TiVo with 180 hrs. capacity
4. A Playstation 3

Couple that with his amazing surround sound system and dad has his own home theatre (He just became my new best friend). I might find myself visiting good ‘ole mom and dad a little more often.

But this trend is something that theatres and studios are battling. “How do we keep people coming?” I will say that the new digital projectors in many theatres today is an incredible exhibition improvement over the grainy, scratchy prints of just a few years ago. But there can be a downside too. Consider Scott Simmons recent experience watching The Dark Knight, as noted in his blog, The Editblog.

 

The Dark Knight was a very good film. Amazingly well made and a very complex story to boot. It took quite a while to actually see the film last knight though. We arrived for the 4:15 show at our neighborhood Carmike theatre, they have digital projection and a matinee price that is $6.75 and doesn’t end at 3:00 pm like Regal Cinemas, and I noticed something strange during the trailers. I looked as if the picture was scaled up about 25%. Besides all the noticible film grain, the dead give-away was the trailer for Step Brothers. Will Ferrell’s credit looked like this:

I went out and told the kid taking tickets and he said he would tell someone. So the movie starts and it is the same way. I go back and and tell him again and he seems frustrated they haven’t fixed it and leaves his post to tell the manager. About 10 minutes into the film it is still not fixed so I go out again and he informs me that is the way it is supposed to be. “It was filmed in IMAX so that’s the way it is on a regular screen” he says. I proceed to tell him that the director didn’t intent for his character’s chins and forehead to be cut off and to have framing so poor that one character be half-way off screen when talking in conversation. He says I should talk to the manager. She begins by telling me the same thing and that that is part of digital distribution. When I explain the above reasons to her she finally admits that they have a tech scheduled to look at that projector and we can move to the 5:00 screening, which we did. It was better except for the 2 kids who talked the whole time.

Couple things like this with all of the people who check their brightly-screened cell phones during a movie these days and it is no wonder many people prefer to watch at home in their own home theaters. It’s sad that so much care is taken during the production and post of a big feature film only to have so little care given to the exhibition. When I was in film school we once had a speaker, a retired gentleman who had owned a small theater chain and donated the seating for the schools screening room. He spoke at length about how exhibition was one of the most under-appreciated and misunderstood parts of the filmmaking process. When he owned his theaters he checked the picture and sound quality of his screens on an almost daily basis. But he sold the chain when the costs got too high. Now all that most of these chains care about is selling concessions. That 100-inch LCD can’t come along soon enough!

What do you think? It used to be that people went to the theatres for the experience of a big screen and big sound, sitting with other movie fans. But has the romance worn off, due to today’s home theatre technology? Are theatres worth the price of admission?