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More Silence Before The Storm? - Motion Film Festival 2010 Announcement
Sunday, August 22, 2010 - 10:54 AM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault
Preparing My First Underground Film Festival, And Other News.
I’m currently
preparing for my first underground film festival, the Halloween Drive-In,
which was cancelled last year and moved to this year. The Halloween Drive-In
will be my first official film festival, underground or conventional,
and it will be the first of many different film festival properties, both
stand-alone and series.
The Halloween Drive-In, which is going to be pretty much exactly like
the one which was scheduled for last year, will be my “film festival
in a car”. I should have my indie filmmaking equipment for my short
films shortly, so I’ll be able to cover this first film festival.
The Halloween Drive-In will be held at a secret location in the Tampa
Bay area. The film festival will be covered on Tampa Bay Film, with an
official film festival site on the Tampa Bay Film Tampa Film Festivals
site.
Underground film festivals, to most of you who have been reading the Tampa
Film Blog the past few years, are the most cost-effective film festivals.
With proper coverage, which they have with Tampa Bay Film assets, they
are just as effective as conventional film festivals, but can be done
with a fraction of the resources. Underground film festivals have a purpose,
and are also used to market, and lead-in, to conventional film festivals.
Tampa Bay Film, my event planning company, and my stage production company
are readying a network of Tampa film festival which will be superior to
every film festival in the Tampa Bay area. We will be showing the other
film festivals how it should be done, as well as teaching the organizers
of the defunct Tampa Film Review monthly film festival how they should
have done their film festival series. Possessing this dominant network
of film festival and other indie film events will give my indie filmmaking
endeavors, and the efforts of our allies, leverage, and the advantage
in Florida independent film. As an example of what has already been done,
the Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival, which spun off from the main
Tampa Bay Film site and became a stand-alone web site on October 10, 2008,
has exceeded all of its goals, and is now the most effective film festival
in Florida. As predicted, it is now more effective as a marketing and
promotion platform for indie films than all of the film festival events
in Florida, combined, and easily outdoes all of the Tampa film festivals.
We beat them all with an online film festival, and we haven’t even
started on the film festival events, yet.
While I do not have anything against Tampa filmmakers, the organizers
of the present film festivals, and the Tampa film commission, in my opinion,
are not getting it done. We have filmmakers out there who are trying to
emulate Hollywood, and are wasting resources as they fail to make great
indie films. Those filmmakers, in my opinion, may have a good handle on
things technically, but they are missing the big picture, and they don’t
know how to get things where they need to get. The film festivals, on
the other hand, in my educated opinion, have agendas which are not as
supportive of indie filmmakers as they claim (and, I do not entirely blame
them. With crappy indie films from clueless filmmakers, I can see why
Tampa indie film is not being respected. It deserves it, currently); this
does not make the pretense, and the misleading spin, right, however. The
Tampa Film Commission, which is behind at least one of the largest Tampa
film festivals, isn’t exactly supportive of independent film in
Tampa, either, in my opinion (and I love seeing them branding themselves
as “Tampa Bay Film” on twitter, and on their web site. Nice,
guys, you’re certainly not making any friends here, and you don’t
have my respect. You know who Tampa Bay Film is, and it’s not you.
It’s my brand! If you blatantly disrespect my rights by doing this,
how do you ever expect to earn my respect? I promise you, those efforts
of yours will become a PR issue for you in the future, and a new generation
of Tampa indie filmmakers knows you by what you do!). Think about this:
The film commission is a part of the tourism industry, and their job is
to get large movie productions to bring money and jobs to local markets.
How does that support indie film here, especially when those large productions
take the resources away from local filmmakers who cannot compete? Another
misleading spin that I see, in my opinion, which pisses me off is that
they “support” Tampa indie film as a token gesture, and get
local filmmakers to support them in their agenda to attract competition
here. That is not cool!
As for the current filmmakers who are too ignorant of the politics, and
the agendas, and who blindly support the film commission, and sell-out
film festivals which actually support the agenda of the film commission,
as well as try to make their crappy films and do films the way that Hollywood
does them, well, those filmmaker are doing more harm than good. Tampa
indie film will NEVER get on the map with those clueless, sell-out filmmakers
at the helm.
We need a new generation of filmmakers here in Tampa, innovative indie
filmmakers who will put the sell-outs out of business. That’s my
agenda. I could care less how successful I am as a filmmaker, or how much
money I make. As long as I can make a living doing it, and make films
the way that I want to, I’m fine. My agenda is to completely overhaul
the Tampa indie film scene by inspiring an army of new filmmakers to make
innovative indie films, to support them with a superior infrastructure
of web sites, film festivals, and indie film events, and to help establish
the first Tampa indie film community. This is why I have put so much work,
and effort, into Tampa Bay Film, and other resources. I didn’t do
all of this to not do anything with it.
So, who cares about the current indie film scene? I really don’t,
anymore, with all of the unprofessionalism, slander, and petty stuff.
It’s time to start over.
Here’s how it will go down:
1. The Tampa Bay Film sites will expand.
Yes, I know that it has been a slow year for the Tampa Bay Film sites.
It won’t always be like that. We did all of that work in late 2009
upgrading, and synching, the existing Tampa Bay Film sites to Super Raptor
Class sites, and then launched some more, making eight sites in total.
Think of each site as a channel of Tampa Bay Film, and expect more content
on all of them later in 2010. There will be a ton of content added in
2011, for sure.
2. Passinault / Dream Nine Studios short
film portfolio to be established and built.
My indie film production companies will create a portfolio of short, innovative
indie films. The films will cover a lot of ranges, showcasing my ability
to make a variety of different genres. These films will be done inexpensively,
and will make other Tampa indie films look a lot less cost-effective in
comparison. As a result, I will become the best investment for investors,
in the future, when I’m ready to create groundbreaking feature films,
all made with the latest, state of the art equipment. This is how all
filmmakers should do it, instead of going into serious debt working on
large feature film which will be hard to sell. Also, do you think that
I will take the risk with expensive feature films? No. Why should I? My
investors will know exactly what they are getting into, because my portfolio
of films will show them what I can do as a filmmaker. Also, I will be
a good investment for a number of reasons, including the fact that it
is in my own best interest to keep doing good films. I also have other
investment options, too, which I will not go into yet (I explained those
options to Tampa filmmaker Chris Woods, and he seemed very intrigued).
At any rate, regarding the state of the art equipment, that equipment
will be budgeted in with the cost of the production, and it’s mine
to keep afterwards. Works for me. Right now, the best indie film camera
is the Red Camera. I expect to have several of the best cameras, which
will be Red cameras if they are still the best, available to me when I
start doing budgeted feature films in a few years. For now, I’ll
create my portfolio of short films using the best value equipment possible
(an excellent balance between low cost and good quality.... I will prove
that anyone, with talent, can become an indie filmmaker, and make good
indie films, for less than $1,000.00- or even next to no money, as some
people will already have the equipment which they need; part of that cost
is the computer itself), which will also inspire people to go out and
make films.
It should be noted that this “portfolio and sell” strategy
has worked well with my photography company, and it is the reason that
I get clients when most don’t. I know what I am doing, it works,
and I’ll keep proving it. This strategy will work with indie film,
too.
3. The Tampa Bay Film sites will be utilized
for their dominant position as the premier promotional and marketing platforms
for indie film in Florida.
The Tampa Bay Film sites will promote every aspect of my indie film projects,
getting the word out regarding exactly how the films were made, and inspire
others to make indie films.
And some people wondered why I put so much hard work, and effort, into
the Tampa Bay Film sites before I was actually making films of my own.
It’s called building, and establishing, support infrastructure.
Do you think that I’d have an advantage in getting my films seen,
and in marketing to investors, if I didn’t have the proper support
infrastructure in place? I will also say that this support infrastructure,
which I invested in for myself, is also available for other filmmakers,
as I don’t have a problem with helping others. If it’s good
enough for me, it will be good enough for you, as I will be using the
Tampa Bay Film sites myself, and I’m not holding anything back.
Any filmmaker who does not take advantage of the offer of allowing Tampa
Bay Film to help is a fool, in my opinion, and so far, most Tampa filmmakers
have been fools, selling themselves short, or out, because they have petty
hangups, or don’t have a clue about what they are trying to do.
Too bad, as I know who you are, and I won’t be so supportive in
the future (read on for more about what is going to happen to those filmmakers).
4. The largest, and most effective, network
of film festivals in Florida.
A series of interconnected film festivals and indie film support events,
in concert with the Tampa Bay Film sites, will support the growing indie
film revolution in Tampa. Most current film festivals in the Tampa Bay
market will be unable to compete against one of my film festivals, let
alone an armada of them, especially when their investors happen to discover
that mine are the best investment. They will be rendered irrelevant not
just because of the actual superior film festivals that they are going
up against, but because they will be vastly outnumbered. I will take the
Tampa film festival market.
5. The first professional indie film community
will be established in the Tampa Bay area.
Well, this is a given. Currently, Tampa Bay Film does not recognize any
film community in the Tampa bay market. A film community has not been
established here, yet. Yes, there is an indie film scene, but it is composed
of fragmented cliques, filmmakers who try to make films, but who only
succeed in making poor films which serve limited, niche markets, and other
filmmakers who try to emulate Hollywood.
Yes, there are filmmakers making indie films in Tampa Bay today, but most
of those will be irrelevant in the new order. What will happen is that
my indie film portfolio will demonstrate that good films can be made inexpensively,
and that the way to go is to build a portfolio of short films to sell
feature film projects to investors. Those short films, made with basic
equipment, will make most of the other indie films being made in the Tampa
Bay market look bloated and less cost-effective; those filmmakers who
try to emulate Hollywood, sinking a lot of time and money into film projects
which may or may not sell, and who make it difficult for others to see
their films, will not be able to compete with what is coming. Once word
gets around that good short films don’t have to be expensive to
be good films, a new generation of filmmakers will enter the scene, and
a wave of innovative indie films will flood the market. The old filmmakers
will look like they are sitting still, if they can be seen at all, and
they will be outnumbered. The new generation of indie filmmakers will
band together and form the first indie film community in Tampa Bay, and
this will happen with, or without, the participation of current filmmakers.
The first film community will not need, or require, the participation
of current filmmakers, as they will be an impotent minority in the new
order.
Who do you think that Tampa Bay Film will promote, and support? The Tampa
Bay Film sites, our armada of film festivals, our film events, and our
projects will be the most effective resource for filmmakers, as well as
dominant. Those who opposed us in the past will pay for their short sightedness,
their un professionalism, and their pettiness. They will become obsolete.
One of our Tampa Bay Film sites, Tampa Film Community, is set up to support
what is to come. The site will have community support resources, profiles,
networking features, and other benefits, such as the most comprehensive
indie film message board in Florida. All of the published content, and
the films playing on the online film festival, will refer to this message
board for feedback. That Tampa Film Community site, and its resources,
will become the official site of the Tampa indie film community.
Like I said, infrastructure. We already have it prepared to support what
is to come.
6. A new generation of Tampa filmmakers will
make innovative, creative indie films that cannot be ignored (with promotion
and marketing enhanced by the support infrastructure).
This new generation of filmmakers will greatly outnumber the current filmmakers,
and will drown out those who stand in the way of progress in Tampa indie
film. The Tampa indie film scene will finally get on the map.
7. Instead of attracting competitors here
to compete with Tampa filmmakers, the Tampa film scene will attract investors
and distributors.
This part is one of the big keys. How, exactly, will Tampa indie film
be on the map, and become a leader in the independent film market worldwide?
Do you think that it’s going to be all me? Well, if it were just
me, and even if I were to make the best independent films ever made, it
still wouldn’t happen. I can’t do it alone. You know all of
those new indie filmmakers running around, building innovate portfolios
of short films at modest cost? You know the new filmmakers that I will
inspire through my own efforts, and indoctrinate through the Tampa Bay
Film sites, my film festivals, and my indie film events (such as the Tampa
Film Conference, which will be critical for this agenda)? Well, they will
be force multipliers, doing like I’ll do, and using those portfolios
to convince investors to invest in ambitious feature film projects. You
know all of the current Tampa filmmakers who are trying to emulate Hollywood,
and who do flawed films? Well, they are going to have a much tougher time
getting funding, as the new breed of filmmaker, filmmakers who show that
they can make good films with minimal resources, will prove that they
are a much better investment (I won’t shed a tear when Joe is no
longer able to make his crappy films. This neurotic man, in my opinion,
is everything that is wrong with Tampa indie film. As one prominent actress
told me, he is a joke, and I share her opinion). Now, you need to comprehend
something, right now, to get what this key is. I never said that you could
make feature films that people will want to pay to see, or buy, with basic
equipment, and at low cost (although, if the short films are good, then
you will be able to sell them, too). That part, making a portfolio of
short films with basic equipment for under $1,000 (Actually, the under
$1,000.00 is the initial investment for the equipment which is required.
After that, those short films can be made for less than $100.00. Case
in point: Spaventare. Spaventare is one of the best films ever made in
the Tampa Bay market, and the total cost was a large pizza for the cast
and the crew of 6 people!), is to build a short portfolio which will show
the genre range, and the ability, of the filmmaker to make good films,
and selling those short films is not critical (although not impossible.
I will be making money with my short films, and I will be more than happy
to share with indie filmmakers how to do this.... and I am not talking
about selling short films such as Alarum, which is actually a great film,
for $15.00 on DVD. I like Alarum, but I don’t want to buy it at
that price, especially since I can get the latest blockbuster Hollywood
feature film brand new on DVD for the same price. I can buy Alarum used
for $10.00, but it’s still too much for a short film, and the filmmaker
won’t make a dime from a sale of a used DVD. Alarum for $5.00 or
$6.00 on DVD? Sold. Alarum as an iPod-optimized digital download for $2.99?
HELL YES! I’d pay for it, and download it, right now! Just keep
in mind that Alarum is a short film, and not a feature film, which dictates
the price. Keep the overhead low, keep the pricing appropriate for the
delivery, and make up those sales in volume!). Using those short films
to sell the filmmaker is. The main, and most effective way, to make money
as a filmmaker, and to make a living doing what you were meant to do,
is to make feature films, and those films will not be inexpensive, especially
since they do not have to be. At that point, once the credibility is established,
and the filmmaker is able to show investors what they can do, they can
get the money that they need, the resources that they need, and the state-of-the-art
equipment that they need to make the films that they should be making.
I’m not saying that filmmakers need to be greedy, and to pour money
into their films at this point. The point is to be smart with the investment
that the investors have made, and make marketable feature films that are
the best VALUE for investors.
Oh, and another thing with that genre range thing. What is that? Well,
plain and simple, if a filmmaker only makes one kind of film, they aren’t
going to demonstrate that they are as good as an investment than those
filmmakers who can make films in several different genres. Those filmmakers
are NOT going to be able to compete with more marketable filmmakers, and
they will not become major players in the future Tampa indie film market
(the only reason that they are any kind of deal right now is that they
are the only thing going on. People are starving for any kind of decent
indie film made here in Tampa Bay!). Great filmmakers have good range
in different genres. If every Tampa filmmaker were to make horror films,
we would never get on the map, and would not set standards in independent
film.
The key is providing good value for investors by demonstrating that you
can make good films in a wide variety of different genres. Be an innovative,
well-rounded filmmaker!
With hundreds of talented, innovative filmmakers making films like this
in the Tampa Bay market, do you really think that we can be ignored, or
disrespected? Of course not! We can take this market, and make it our
own! We can also put most of the current filmmakers out of business in
the process, and this will be icing on the cake for me, as most of these
so-called filmmakers have proven to me, time and time again, that they
do not deserve to be in business! Playing their unprofessional games,
they don’t play anyone but themselves!
Eventually, with all of this going on, the Tampa indie film scene will
finally attract investors and distributors instead of competition.
8. Those who sell out Tampa filmmakers will
change their tune.
The film commission and surviving film festivals will be forced to support,
and respect, Tampa indie film. Their focus will switch from getting large
out of state productions here to attracting investors and distributors,
as they will see which way the wind is blowing. The current filmmakers
who have sold out their filmmaker brothers, and who have undermined progress
in Tampa indie film, as well as undermined the participation of filmmakers
and the formation of a film community, will either be forced out of business,
or they will fill minor positions in the new order.
9. Most of the current filmmakers and others
who now sell out Tampa indie film, and undermine progress, will be rendered
irrelevant.
They will either adapt to the new market conditions that we have created,
or they will not be able to compete with everything that is going on.
10. Tampa Bay will become an innovator, and
a leader, in indie film.
Tampa indie film will become a major player, and a leader, in the independent
film industry. The world will watch what happens here, and take their
cues from what we do. We won’t need Hollywood to come here when
we can make our own industry, instead. Tampa indie filmmakers win!
Maybe the people out there
who spread rumors about me, attacked me, and threatened me picked the
wrong person to pick a fight with? I won’t shed a tear if those
sell-outs go out of business.
I’ll post more about this, later. Also, I realize that all of this
is taking a bit longer than I originally planned, but you can count on
this happening sooner, rather than later. It will happen.
In other news, posts on most of my blogs will be slow until the content
can be properly organized. Currently, the Tampa Film Blog is nowhere near
as effective as it needs to be in SEO the way that it is organized now.
Properly organized, it will be the dominant Tampa indie film site, and
will supercharge the search engine profiles of all of the other Tampa
Bay Film sites. There is a ton of content here, and I’m trying to
organize it now.
Well, that’s it, for now. I need to get back to work. A revolution
is ahead.
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