New label focuses on DVD first
Filmmaker James Bolton Is hoping he has found a way to help himself as well as his fellow indie creatives-going out on his own.
Bolton and producer Herb Hamsher have opened Indie-Pictures, a DVD label and future theatrical distribution venture, and the co-presidents believe they have developed a new and improved way of giving life to indie films.
For their newest film, The Graffiti Artist, “we had a number of terrific offers from great indie distributors, but we thought it would be more exciting to try a model that we really believed in,” said Bolton, whose earlier film, Eban and Charley, was distributed theatrically by Picture This!
Eschewing Hollywood’s adopted model of encouraging a big first-week opening in theaters-and now on DVD-Bolton and Hamsher plan to release indie titles first to DVD, help them build slowly, then take them to theaters once they have a fan base.
“We don’t believe that going to DVD first undercuts theatrical, because people who love the film will love to see It in theaters,’ said Hamsher, adding that many indie fans can’t make it to festivals and look out for indie product on DVD.
Artist, which Hamsher exec produced, will be Indie-Pictures’ first release. About two young taggers who challenge each other through their street art, Artist had its world premiere at the 2004 Berlinale film festival and screened at other festivals. It bows on DVD only on May 3 (prebook April 12) priced at $29.95. Extras include interviews and bios.
Bolton and Hamsher are building relationships with retailers to get their product in stores, and the DVD will be available on the company’s Web site (www.indie-pictures.com).
They already have other films in mind for release through Indie-Pictures, but deals with those filmmakers have not yet been signed. In the future, however, Bolton and Hamsher plan to be festival regulars, searching for good indie filmmakers and offering them the Indie-Pictures distribution model.
‘We want to work with festivals to make it an advantage to them to offer something to filmmakers who are coming to the festivals,” said Hamsher.
Like other distribution deals, Indie-Pictures will acquire the films it puts out but for shorter terms than usual, going back to the filmmaker to extend if the title is doing well.
“We want to do deals for very small periods, because that’s what I would want as a filmmaker,” said Bolton. “It really is at its fundamental level, working with the filmmaker to come up with the best plan for distributing the film.”
Hamsher believes this method will give filmmakers more money in the long run as well as the opportunity for more control than if they sold their film to a bigger distributor.
Filmmaker James Bolton Is hoping he has found a way to help himself as well as his fellow indie creatives-going out on his own.
Bolton and producer Herb Hamsher have opened Indie-Pictures, a DVD label and future theatrical distribution venture, and the co-presidents believe they have developed a new and improved way of giving life to indie films.
For their newest film, The Graffiti Artist, “we had a number of terrific offers from great indie distributors, but we thought it would be more exciting to try a model that we really believed in,” said Bolton, whose earlier film, Eban and Charley, was distributed theatrically by Picture This!
Eschewing Hollywood’s adopted model of encouraging a big first-week opening in theaters-and now on DVD-Bolton and Hamsher plan to release indie titles first to DVD, help them build slowly, then take them to theaters once they have a fan base.
“We don’t believe that going to DVD first undercuts theatrical, because people who love the film will love to see It in theaters,’ said Hamsher, adding that many indie fans can’t make it to festivals and look out for indie product on DVD.
Artist, which Hamsher exec produced, will be Indie-Pictures’ first release. About two young taggers who challenge each other through their street art, Artist had its world premiere at the 2004 Berlinale film festival and screened at other festivals. It bows on DVD only on May 3 (prebook April 12) priced at $29.95. Extras include interviews and bios.
Bolton and Hamsher are building relationships with retailers to get their product in stores, and the DVD will be available on the company’s Web site (www.indie-pictures.com).
They already have other films in mind for release through Indie-Pictures, but deals with those filmmakers have not yet been signed. In the future, however, Bolton and Hamsher plan to be festival regulars, searching for good indie filmmakers and offering them the Indie-Pictures distribution model.
‘We want to work with festivals to make it an advantage to them to offer something to filmmakers who are coming to the festivals,” said Hamsher.
Like other distribution deals, Indie-Pictures will acquire the films it puts out but for shorter terms than usual, going back to the filmmaker to extend if the title is doing well.
“We want to do deals for very small periods, because that’s what I would want as a filmmaker,” said Bolton. “It really is at its fundamental level, working with the filmmaker to come up with the best plan for distributing the film.”
Hamsher believes this method will give filmmakers more money in the long run as well as the opportunity for more control than if they sold their film to a bigger distributor.
‘This is not about making money; it’s about supporting indie film,” Hamsher said.
—Samantha Clark
