Spring In All Its Various Colors
by Robert Profusek on May 9, 2013 in International Circuit New Media/ Cross-Platform
As the weather turns from a chilly gray to a warm yellow, spring in New York makes me think about a few things – picnics along the High Line, the start of weekend excursions with my dog AND the Tribeca Film Festival. I’ve always loved Tribeca for its documentary films, the identity that it provides downtown New York City, its year-round initiatives that support filmmakers of all styles and its new foray into digital. Tribeca has been in NYC for nearly the same amount of time that I have, and to a degree, I think that its evolution somewhat tracks my own as a creative professional (of course, mine on a much smaller scale).
I am lucky to have Executive Produced two films that premiered this year at Tribeca. Rob Meyer’s BIRDERS GUIDE TO EVERYTHING and Neil Labute’s SOME VELVET MORNING. Previously, I also participated in Tribeca All Access in 2010, and for the first time last year, as an audience member, I was influenced and motivated by many personal anecdotes and insider histories from participants on various panel discussions during the newly christened Interactive Day.
You might ask, great, but what does this all mean?
– The traditional differences between being a film or television or digital producer versus a creative content creator are dissolving. Instead, I see myself more as an entrepreneur and product manager within the creative arts (commercial and otherwise). While sticking to its film festival-centric core, TFI has worked to ensure its relevance within a quickly changing entertainment landscape through programs that include grants and labs, newly developed distribution vehicles as well as an embrace of technology and a dialogue around interactive. Holding on to an old model seems shortsighted and may eventually lead to obsolescence.
– You are your own brand. It’s not just the creatives but also the producers and other supporters who can and should be instrumental in helping guarantee a successful Kickstarter raise, an engaging and growing social media presence or a hybrid distribution program that seeks to engage its core audience … and beyond. To guarantee success in any capacity, I believe it is necessary to build off of current and past platforms, helping redirect audiences and open them up to new creative exploration as opposed to starting anew each and every time at bat.
– I feel one of the most important lessons from this convergence of media type is a democratic philosophy among all creatives and content providers to support each other while navigating the sometimes turbulent waters of creation. Whether formally championing a new project or screenplay or lending a hand with free equipment donations or other services, more now than ever projects can only be successful through a community of supportive and giving individuals who are committed to a greater ideal than their own resume. Nobody can do this on their own and as they say, it takes a village!
Today, I’m engaged in both the traditional film world and the evolving digital entertainment landscape. Based on some of my thoughts above, the similarities and differences between all types of content in terms of how it’s developed, produced, marketed and distributed seem to be more obvious. In my own experience, I’ve seen this reflected in the four recent film projects I’ve produced, the documentary WITHOUT SHEPHERDS (which premiered this year at Slamdance and is currently represented internationally by ro*co), the Tribeca Film Festival premiers of both BIRDERS GUIDE TO EVERYTHING and SOME VELVET MORNING and the IFP Narrative Lab graduate BASTARDS OF YOUNG (still currently in post-production). On the other end of the spectrum, the web-series THE 3 BITS (currently distributed independently),TWENTY FIVE (currently in production) and I AM ECO WARRIOR (currently in post-production) along with two mobile applications (in development) have illuminated the challenges (and again, the similarities) between film and other forms of digital entertainment.
On the similarities front, I’ve noticed the following:
– Good content is where it always begins; story and character development is always king. If you start with a broken screenplay or script, you’re bound for disaster from day one.
– Finding a passionate crew trumps in many cases the accolades of somebody’s resume. Passion, fearlessness and commitment can guarantee success.
– There never is enough money, period. I know, I know.
– You always have to be resourceful with everything from in-kind services, favors and other out-of-the-box thinking that ensures you will reach the finish line.
– Even at 6:00 AM, you never have as much fun professionally as you do when you’re on a set for the first day or even on the 18th day.
– Don’t be afraid in the edit to let the footage speak to you, regardless of what the written word says. Having a trusting team around you will hopefully guide you in this direction, as well.
On the flip side, some of the differences include:
– Within the short-form digital world, it appears that one is able to pivot creatively or even distribution/marketing wise more easily than on a feature film. While this is not an absolute point, the window for success within the feature world is somewhat more limited, especially when using a festival-based premier strategy.
– Within the new media world, you might be able to get away with a smaller budget and crew, but the experience on set (or in studio) might be more frenetic.
– Even if you decide to distribute on a DIY basis, don’t ignore more traditional distribution avenues, especially as you reach a critical mass.
– There’s arguably more forgiveness within a feature film for a slower start or initial audience apathy than within short-form serial content when capturing the audience’s attention from the get-go is crucial.
So I ask again, what does this mean? I think it means certain truths remain consistent regardless of whatever medium you choose. It also means that the lines between content types and audience viewership are blurring. Television that streams exclusively on the web, films told in episodic formats, mobile applications that emulate game shows but demand live audience engagement all are part of today’s entertainment zeitgeist.
by Robert Profusek