The Graduates Blog

Hulu hearts The Graduates...

2009-11-10T13:04:00.001-05:00

@hulu thanks for the continued love...3rd or 4th time The Graduates featured on Movies front page...we heart Hulu... http://tiny.cc/BckzW

Hulu Front Page AGAIN!

2009-11-10T13:03:00.002-05:00

@hulu thanks for the continued love...3rd or 4th time The Graduates featured on Movies front page...we heart Hulu... http://tiny.cc/BckzW

Response to Filmmaker Magazine article...

2009-10-19T21:13:00.002-04:00

This is a response to filmmaker magazine article and discussion going on at The Workbook Project on VOD deals for indie films... It always irks me when these deals and predictions of a brighter future through certain extremely exclusive outlets are discussed, as if they're something every indie can take advantage of... the bottom line is an IFC deal or CableVOD deal is not a reality for most indies... so much more productive to discuss how to exploit available models Anyways, here's the post:

We do NOT have a cable VOD deal, our VOD is all online, and the percentages are much better than what you outlined. On the other side, a cable VOD deal looks better especially with IFC’s name attached. That’s the trade-off for indies- you (currently) have to take shitty deals for exposure.

IFC’s 15K “digitization fee” is brilliantly titled. Assuming the filmmaker sends IFC the requested deliverables, you’re just paying for the privilege of having cable VOD and using IFC’s name (ie: not for “digitization” of anything). But there’s not an alternative (that we’ve found).

Filmmakers, if they’re smart, can use that to their advantage though, and treat the cable release as advertising for DVD sales, theatrical runs, etc. It’s a model a lot of people are talking about now, using release avenues with weak percentages to promote more traditional release avenues.

Just one example- our Hulu release, where anyone can watch for free, is helping DVD sales and ticket sales on our ongoing theatrical run, though the actual streaming does not return a huge percentage per viewer.

This is just my take, but the IFC model isn’t really a helpful discussion because the vast majority of indies will never have to decide if that’s a good deal or not. The average indie doesn’t get into Sundance, doesn’t get attention form IFC, etc… and focusing on these models can distract from preparing a competent or hopefully sophisticated strategy for release, using all the available tools.

We go through IndieFlix, who takes 30% flat. For that we have good real estate on AmazonVOD, Hulu, and iTunes, and soon in some brick and mortar stores and RedBox. Because of their relationship with these companies (and because the companies often look for seasonal or themed promotions), we’ve been featured on the front page of these outlets at different times, driving very good traffic. For us it’s been worth the 30% fee. After the digital outlets take their cut, we walk with 20%-30%. I’ll take that over 6% any day. I wouldn’t mind IFC-level exposure, but I’m a lot more inspired by 25%.

iTunes and cableVOD outlets are still more exclusive: iTunes charges $700-$1000 to place a film on its site. Depending who you go through (we use Tunecore) this includes encoding to their specs. It’s complicated, but for 700-1000 you can be on iTunes in two-three months. So, still huge barriers to entry: money and time. Clearly it’s worse with cable.

If the cost of delivering digital content drops by 50% every year (which is what we’ve heard over and over again), then the cost to filmmakers should drop as well. However, outlets and aggregators have a strong, strong hand because they control so much traffic, that they will be able to squeeze indies for many years to come. iTunes should drop their fees and bring on a lot more content, but it seems like they’ve deemed that bad business for them, for some reason.

IFC knows it’s name and access is worth quite a bit. If filmmakers want to circumvent weak deals like that (and often a deal like that isn’t even on the table), the solution is sort of simple. You have to get really good at driving your own audience to your film. The actual cost of delivering your film to an audience is cheap, and it does drop every year, especially if you: release digitally; prepare for audience building with lots of free content; and devote time and energy to a long release window. I think this would be a much, much better focal point for the average indie.

I could go on and on, but I wanted to jump in and hopefully steer the average indie away from worrying about IFC and cableVOD, when the reality is going to be AmazonVOD, Hulu, iTunes, Joost, etc. for soooo many filmmakers.

More Good News for Indies

2009-10-16T13:52:00.001-04:00

More Good News for Indies
The sniping rages on between bloggers and print critics. The biggest winner: indie filmmakers.

Eugene Hernandez wrote a post this week for IndieWire titled Critcs (Still) Matter, breaking down the sniping between bloggers and traditional print critics.

The Basics
It's identical to the sniping between politcal bloggers and traditional print reporters. In fact, every subset of Media is having this exact same argument:

The traditional media (inaccurately) label the online guys 'amateurs' and accuse them of lacking intelligent criticism. The bloggers (accurately) label the traditional media 'dinosaurs,' and point to their diminishing audience as proof of their outdated approach to gatekeeping.

Where should Indies stand on this?
Traditional media- just like traditional distribution models- has been a giant iron roadblock to anything indie reaching an audience.

Every single indie filmmaker in the world should rejoice at the crumbling of traditional media. Period.

This explosion of online criticism is FANTASTIC for independent artists. The more divided the gatekeepers are, the more your film can pass through the gates. Think about it: Would you rather rely on one major review, or dozens of small reviews read and passed around by loyal readers?

Or, another version: Why would you, as an indie filmmaker, hand over the success of your film to a small handful of reviewers who have been entrenched in the studio releasing system for decades?

Everybody still wants a NY Times review, and it looks great on your poster or in your media book, but there is no correlation for a true indie film between a major review and generating an audience. This myopic view is similar to how indies view major festivals. But as powerful as those festivals are, why should they make or break your film?

And think about how many indies have found success without those fests, without the NY Times reviews, without "traditional" exposure? To go after traditional reviews exclusively, or to continue to treat them as the gatekeeper, is to give them too much power and to ignore your own.

Bottom Line
The game has changed. Indies can and must build their own audience. And the the explosion of online critics and film bloggers is a huge advantage to indies in this pursuit.
Like I wrote last week, the internet is the single greatest tool indies have ever had, and the more bloggers build their own audience, the more you can, too.

How can YOU take advantage of this?

1. Read film blogs: become a part of the audience. Bloggers are the future of film criticism. If you want to participate in the future of film, you need to know your contemporaries

2. Watch the films: bloggers' power will increase in proportion to the audience they can drive to a film, so go see the films they champion, and let people know why you went.

3. Reach out: ask if you can send your links, trailers and press releases. Every blog wants to receive material in different ways, so ask them how/if they want to receive your stuff. They may not always be interested, but I guarantee they will write you back sooner then the dinosaur at the NY Times ;)

More Good News for Indies

2009-10-16T13:28:00.004-04:00

Every single indie filmmaker in the world should rejoice at the crumbling of traditional media. Period.

1. Read film blogs: become a part of the audience. Bloggers are the future of film criticism. If you want to participate in the future of film, you need to know your contemporaries

2. Watch the films: bloggers' power will increase in proportion to the audience they can drive to a film, so go see the films they champion, and let people know why you went.

3. Reach out: ask if you can send your links, trailers and press releases. Every blog wants to receive material in different ways, so ask them how/if they want to receive your stuff. They may not always be interested, but I guarantee they will write you back sooner then the dinosaur at the NY Times ;)

Indies and the Internet

2009-10-12T09:19:00.000-04:00

The Variety headline reads:

Indie Filmmakers Still Looking for Internet Equation

In other words, indies can't seem to figure out how to leverage all the amazing free or cheap tools online to sell their movie, leaving them (still) at the mercy of festivals, distributors, sales reps, bookers and others.

I've done about 75 or 80 Q&A sessions and interviews following screenings of my movie, The Graduates over the last year, and every single conversation involves the following question in some form (also from the Variety article):

The power of the Internet was supposed to level the playing field on which independent filmmakers and studios compete for audiences. So what happened?

The implication is that "level playing field" really means, or was supposed to mean "equal returns" or "massive audience" or "guaranteed attention." In short: we indie filmmakers want the same things for our films that we see studio pictures receiving: money; audience; reviews and buzz...

When I do interviews or Q&A's, Indie filmmakers and even indie film fans ask me how we do it, and how they can do it. The problem is, their eyes usually glaze over, or the hope and optimism is drained out of them when I give my answer, which is similar to another line in the Variety article:

One thing the Internet has clearly changed, observes distribution consultant Adam Chapnick, is access to an audience. "But having easy access to the global audience doesn't get anyone to see your movie," he says. A solid marketing strategy, whether traditional or digital, is still essential.

He's right- though digital platforms can make your film available anywhere, they can't (or, more accurately, won't) drive the audience to your film.

I can't outline in this one blog post all the things we've done- and all the things other companies have done for us and with us- to build our audience, but I will outline many in upcoming blog and vlog posts.

But before you dive further into what we've done on The Graduates, there are three really important things to remember:

1. Like the article implied, nobody wants to see your movie. Yet.
It is up to you to build your audience from essentially zero. Your family and friends don't count. They're important, but they are not an audience, they're more like a birthday party. Sure they'll show up, and they'll be really supportive, but they're not going to bring tens of thousands of people.

2. Audience building starts in preproduction
Matt (my brother and producer on the film with me) and I started preparing for self distribution and audience building in preproduction. Though we had the usual hope of getting a distribution deal and having the hard work done for us, our success was not going to depend on any other person or company's help. You have all the resources you need to develop huge amounts of multimedia promotional content right now, so start immediately.

3. GREAT NEWS: The internet does, in fact, level the playing field
Digital platforms and free social media make it possible for you to drive a national audience to your film without spending serious money. To be clear, I'm not talking solely about digital release platforms like iTunes and AmazonVOD. 99% of the equation is the audience building that takes place online through free social media like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other sites. If you don't have an audience, your digital availability is worthless.

So what did we do for The Graduates? In short, we created tons of free additional content on set and following production, and we continue to do so today. I'll outline a lot of ideas, both good and bad, in upcoming blog posts, starting with ideas for audience building in preproduction.

Just know that there is hope for indies and DIY filmmakers, but there is no magic digital platform that will guarantee success, income, digital prominence... The internet is the single greatest, most powerful tool indie filmmakers have ever had. The trick is fully exploiting that tool to bring the widest audience possible to your digital release.

I'll probably update this a few times a week with blog and vlog posts, so sign up for the RSS Feed if you don't want to check back, or become a fan on Facebook or Twitter to get updates when we post something new!

The Graduates on iTunes

The Little Film That Could!

2009-09-21T13:23:00.001-04:00

The Graduates is still in the Top 10 of all comedies on Hulu! Not bad for a tiny little indie made for 95K.

Watch it right here, for free:

OR:
Buy it right here on iTunes...

Watch The Graduates for FREE right HERE:

2009-09-09T18:33:00.001-04:00

Watch The Graduates for FREE, here:

2009-08-29T17:47:00.002-04:00

Download for iPod:

HULU hearts The Graduates!!!

2009-08-27T15:14:00.001-04:00

HULU loves The Graduates! Watch it for FREE:

2009-08-27T15:02:00.001-04:00

Here's a special treat for all our fans...

Watch The Graduates for FREE, right here:

Enjoy!!!

We're in the Urban Dictionary

2009-08-18T07:29:00.003-04:00

A word I coined is in The Urban Dictionary. My life is complete. It's from a very R-rated short film I did, Tony & Cal, which is available on The Graduates Two Disc DVD.

"Goosebump" http://tinyurl.com/oufvvx

Here's the link to Tony & Cal if you're interested (R-rated): http://tinyurl.com/pohlyb

Cut Your Own Trailer

2009-08-13T08:21:00.002-04:00

Indie Film Fans and Filmmakers: we love making The Graduates more and more interactive.

If you want to play with some cool footage and interact with the movie on a new level, just go to our homepage: www.thegraduatesmovie.com and click on "Cut Your Own Trailer" at the bottom:

Tons of footage and music from the movie will download, along with some basic concepts on cutting trailers.

When you're done, just upload your trailer anywhere on the net and we'll link to it all over the place.

Tons of people will see your work, and we'll even send you a free Graduates DVD!

Super Awesome Film Show interview online NOW!

2009-08-10T10:50:00.002-04:00

Super Awesome Film Show interview about The Graduates ... http://tinyurl.com/m64vs2 ... talked financing, production, indie film marketing...

Two Awesome New EPs

2009-08-09T08:38:00.003-04:00

Two of our soundtrack artists have new EPs, and they are truly awesome:

Sonia Montez: http://ping.fm/4ILEg

Seth Freeman: http://ping.fm/FbtMq

Give them a listen, awesome stuff...

The Graduates BAND COMPETITION!

2009-08-05T12:59:00.008-04:00

THE GRADUATES BAND COMPETITION HAS LAUNCHED!

In the last year we've introduced the bands on Volume 1 of our soundtrack to TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. Volume II launches this fall, and you're invited to submit your music for inclusion!!!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, HEAD OVER TO OUR BANDS PAGE AND DOWNLOAD THE FLYER!

Submit links only (no MP3's) to:
music@graduatesmovie.com

THE GRADUATES SKYROCKETS TO #4 ON AMAZON.COM

2009-07-17T10:00:00.008-04:00

Last week, we asked our fans to rent or buy The Graduates from AmazonVOD. In 24 hours we skyrocketed from the #22 Comedy to #4! We also skyrocketed to the #11 movie of all movies on Amazon.

THANKS TO YOU for three days straight we were ahead of Slumdog Millionaire (Best Picture 2008), Marley & Me, and even Twilight. This is unheard of. We were the only true independent film in the Top 50, and the only film made for under $10 million.

So how did The Graduates, made for a paltry $95,000 skyrocket to the top of Amazon.com?

BECAUSE OF YOU: OUR FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND FANS

If you haven't seen The Graduates yet, please consider downloading it from iTunes today. We want to make the same push on iTunes, and we know WITH YOUR SUPPORT we can crack the Top 10.

Here is the link:

THANK YOU!!!

Add The Graduates to your Netflix qeue TODAY!

2009-05-29T13:35:00.002-04:00

Want to see an incredible indie comedy right freakin now? Add us to your Netflix qeue TODAY!

Become our friend on Netflix!

RG Interview On The Beach

2009-05-28T13:19:00.006-04:00

Every week this summer we're going to post different interviews with people involved with the film- me, Matt, the interns, the cast and crew... This week we start with me talking about what inspired the movie, and why/how I got into movies (I promise future interviews will have nothing to do with me!):

Indie Filmmaking Tips & Tricks 5: Hygiene

2009-05-26T10:54:00.002-04:00

Indie Filmmaking Tips & Tricks 5: Hygeine from Ryan Gielen on Vimeo.

Indie Filmmaking Tips & Tricks 5: Hygiene

Our Summer Interns Could Kick Your Summer Interns Asses (video)!

2009-05-21T22:20:00.002-04:00

THE GRADUATES OPENS in MARYLAND MAY 15th!

2009-05-05T17:41:00.005-04:00

The Graduates will have its first theatrical run in... wait for it... MARYLAND, BABY!

WHAT: The Graduates World Premiere, Maryland
WHEN: May 15th - May 20th
WHERE: R/S Hollywood Cinema 4, Arbutus, Maryland
TICKETS: Advance tickets available at the box office Monday, May 11th

Screening times:
Friday, May 15: 7pm, 9pm
Saturday, May 16: 1pm, 7pm, 9pm
Sunday, May 17: 6pm, 8pm
Mon, May 18: 8pm
Tues, May 19: 8pm
Wed, May 20: 8pm

Tickets: 8$ adults, 7$ Students

R/C Hollywood Cinema 4
5509 Oregon Ave.
Arbutus, MD 21227

Movie Line: (410) 242-1188
Right next to UMBC

WORLD PREMIERE ANNOUNCED ... NYC ... MAY 1 & 2

2009-04-22T21:45:00.006-04:00

It's official! THE GRADUATES will world premiere at The Astoria Beer Garden's historic 250-seat theater!

The Graduates.
Beer.
Vintage German Decor.

Let the endless summer begin!

INFO:
Friday, May 1st & Saturday, May 2nd
Astoria Beer Garden
2919 24th Ave
Astoria, Queens 11102

TICKETS:
$10 online
$12 at the door

THESE SCREENINGS WILL SELL OUT, PLEASE BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE:
www.thegraduatesmovie.com/showtimes

The Graduates College Tour!

2009-04-05T00:12:00.004-04:00

The Graduates College Tour kicked off last week at Fairliegh Dickinson with a packed house and a TWO-HOUR Q&A! I introduced the film and said we'd stick around until everyone's questions were answered, and I meant it. We love to talk about our film.

The rest of the tour (updated as we finalize each school):
George Washington University
Purdue
Michigan
Penn State
Washington & Lee
Carnegie Mellon
Johns Hopkins University
George Mason
Georgetown
UMBC
Texas A&M
School of Visual Arts
Columbia University

For a full list and screening times, please check out our SHOWTIMES page.

To book The Graduates for a screening and Q&A at your school, please email holly@graduatesmovie.com

I can only hope every college audience is as fun and engaging as FDU was. We're trying to create a new model here- not only will we stick around for as long as the audience has questions, we'll also be at every screening of the film this summer to do Q&A's and meet n' greets nearby. For instance, when we open in NYC this May, I'll personally be at every screening (around 30-35 screenings) to do a Q&A with the ticket-buying audience.

We want you to see the film, and we love to hear your thoughts and questions. Can't wait to see you at a screening soon...

Click to watch the first Cut Your Own Trailer!

2009-03-20T10:20:00.004-04:00

This is our first fan trailer. It, of course, rocks:

Thanks, Jazzmie08!