Logan Russell's Solving the Problem

After I turned in the last batch of assignments, I found myself disillusioned with my idea; it was too broad and I couldn’t seem to pick out a specific problem to write an opportunity about. I knew that I wanted to stick with the film industry, the relationship between studios and independent filmmakers in particular, but I couldn’t narrow it down enough to isolate a functional idea. But that all changed when I asked Dr. Pryor himself for assistance in taking my topic of film industry dynamic and uncovering a strong opportunity from that, and what we came up was truly amazing. Together we discussed the opportunity of how independent filmmakers not backed by studios do not have the financial means to distribute their film, meaning they can’t afford to advertise the project or put it in theatres. This is a real problem because this means that being aligned with a studio is the only effective way to give a film a wide release, which isn’t fair at all for anyone not a part of that group. While certain film festivals, such as Cannes, host executives who can choose to distribute films they screen, a lot of movies don’t get the traction necessary to even make it to the festivals themselves. 

My solution is to create a service that allows independent filmmakers of all calibers to find possible investors for their work; think of it like a gofundme just for films. Films have been made in the past through funding sites, a prominent example being Super Troopers 2. Having this service will allow those who previously didn’t have the financial means to make and distribute a film the opportunity to do just that. On top of that, the service would provide, grassroots screenings for these movies for all to see, sort of like a “Woodstock for movies” as Dr. Pryor so aptly put it. This solution has the potential to really change the dynamic of the film industry as a whole should it find success.