Logan Russell's Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Interview #1 Chuck Russell My first interview was with Chuck Russell, a filmmaker, screenwriter, and my father. He has been working in the film industry for more than 30 years and has had every experience a filmmaker in Hollywood. I valued his opinion in a particularly high regard, as he has the most insight into what I am trying to solve due to his work and wisdom as somebody who has worked both independently and with studios. My first question which was how often do films not associated with studios get wide releases and distributions, was met with the expected answer. He said that films not associated with studios rarely ever get wide releases or distributions, because every year it becomes more expensive to distribute a film, meaning those without the financial means to do so can’t afford it. My second question was how hard is it for a film not associated with a studio to get a wide release and distribution, and he answered similarly, saying it is becoming impossibly hard due to studio competition and the price tag. Lastly, I asked him what was the most common way for an independent film to get a wide release/distribution he said it was through either having a big-name star attached to the picture, or being picked up at a festival. When I discussed my idea with him, he said that while it was good intentioned, it would change the dynamic of the industry of a whole, and he said that I could make it happen with enough effort, but is a shot in the dark overall. 

Interview #2 Danny Kaufman My second interview was with Danny Kaufman, a friend of mine who also knows a thing or two about the dynamic of the film industry, studio-independent filmmaker relations in particular. My first question for him was how often do films not associated with studios get wide releases and distributions. He responded saying that it was a rare occurrence, due to all of the distribution attention going to studio films such as the Marvel movies, which he added has changed the industry dynamic as a whole. My second question for him was how hard is it for a film not associated with a studio to get a wide release and distribution. He said it was incredibly hard because people don’t catch word of the works of independent filmmakers because they cannot afford typical advertising. My final question was what was the most common way for an independent film to get a wide release/distribution. He said the most common way was that films that go to festivals like Cannes and Sundance, and that it was also pretty much the only feasible way. When I discussed my opportunity, he thought that it was a great idea, but that it would need a lot of time to gain traction, time which filmmakers and filmgoers may not have

Interview #3 Will Sykes My third interview was with Will Sykes, a friend I grew up with in Los Angeles who also has a family member who is a producer, who plays a great deal in securing distributions and global releases. While that family member was not able to be reached for this assignment, Will is the next best thing. My first question for him was how often do films not associated with studios get wide releases and distributions. He responded saying that it all comes down to how renowned it can become before any possible investors come into the mix; he said some films get picked up pretty fast from word of mouth alone, while others wallow for years. He said overall it was a matter of luck and connections. My second question for him was how hard is it for a film not associated with a studio to get a wide release and distribution. He said it was incredibly challenging, as the dynamic in the film industry means that studios are the big fish with all of the deals, and the independent filmmakers are the guppies getting the scraps. Basically, he’s saying that it is incredibly hard for in independent filmmaker to secure a distribution deal. My final question was what was the most common way for an independent film to get a wide release/distribution. He said the same thing that my other two interviewees said: festivals the independent filmmakers attend with their projects have the best chances of getting picked up there. But he also added that a strong overseas release could also justify a distribution agreement. When I discussed my idea with him, he said it was strong and could benefit many filmmakers and investors alike. 

Interview #4 Madison Cole My fourth interview was with Madison Cole, a production intern on one of my dad’s recent projects. She was responsible for a lot so her input was also quite valuable to the progression of this project. My first question for Madison was how often do films not associated with studios get wide releases and distributions. She said, as someone who had worked on sets of both independent and studio films in the past, that it is a rare occurrence that an independent film gets a sizeable distribution, mainly because investors are primarily looking to put money into projects with guaranteed success, like superhero films. My second question for her was how hard is it for a film not associated with a studio to get a wide release and distribution. She said that it is incredibly challenging, simply because, like she said before, no one wants to look at these smaller films when films as big as studio ones are around. My final question was what was the most common way for an independent film to get a wide release/distribution. She said that, like everyone else, film festivals provide indie filmmakers the best shot at getting picked up for distribution. She positively received my idea, thinking that it had enough people who could benefit from it. 

Interview #5 Ricky Acosta My final interview was with Ricky Acosta, a sound engineer/boom mic operator I met while shooting a student film many years ago. He has since moved to LA and is doing well for himself there. My first question for Ricky was how often do films not associated with studios get wide releases and distributions. He said it didn’t happen very often, as indie filmmakers don’t have the means of putting their work out there the way studios can with their projects. My second question for him was how hard is it for a film not associated with a studio to get a wide release and distribution. He said it was incredibly challenging, as the average film needs $20 million to get a strong distribution, and most indie guys could only dream of seeing that much money. My final question was what was the most common way for an independent film to get a wide release/distribution. He agreed with everyone else in saying film festivals are the best option for independent films to get the necessary exposure needed to get a distribution deal. 

	Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who is…	Anybody who wants to make a film of any scale or capacity can use this service. Anyone who is looking to give money to those wanting to make films are also inside the boundary, along with people. who would like to view the finished product.	Anyone who is not doing what is listed inside of the boundary should be considered outside of the boundary.
What the Need is/isn’t	The need is independent filmmakers needing funding for films and distribution deals that couldn’t afford them without the help of outside investors.	This is not a way to combat the big studios, but is simply a way to give independent filmmakers the tools and resources they need to see their cinematic visions through.
Why the need exists	The need exists because there are hundreds if not thousands of filmmakers who cannot support the creation of their films, or secure proper distribution, because there isn’t a platform for these people to communicate with possible investors	Alternatives: Another reason why this exists could be because of the investors themselves ignoring independent filmmakers altogether.

Summarization: Overall, the interviews made me want to pursue this idea further than I ever thought; I knew when I came up with this with Dr. Pryor that it had crazy potential, but now I fully understand what I have on my hands. There is an unmet need out there so powerful that it has become a part of an industry standard. It will not be easy, but with the right ideas, motivation and hard work, this idea could succeed and redefine the film industry dynamic as we know it.