Survival Tips for the Aging Independent Filmmaker

Yes. You know who you are.

I refer you to a very interesting New York Times article by John Clark revealing survival strategies of our favorite filmmakers during some very lean years. You remember those years, don't you?

The full text can be viewed here. Below is a snippet.

Quote:

"If I were starting out now, I would be a producer for the Internet," Mr. Hope (producer Ted Hope, ed.) said.

Snip

The indie-film godfather John Sayles ("Return of the Secaucus Seven") takes frequent jobs as a script doctor for other people's films, just because they pay the bills. Other filmmakers, like the documentarian D. A. Pennebaker, eke out a living from the royalties on their earlier work. Mr. Pennebaker said that he and his partner Richard Leacock for years lived off the proceeds of their music documentaries "Don't Look Back" and "Monterey Pop."

"They kept us in business," said Mr. Pennebaker, now 81. "Still do. How we made it through the 70's is a mystery to me. I don't know how we survived."

I hope you are encouraged to read the full article. It appears as a text document in my online word processor for accessibility reasons.

IFC Offers Indie Films Via iTunes Store

Don't overlook the Independent Film Channel for distribution of your films. They recently signed a deal offering their films for download from the iTunes store.

Digit Online

snip:

IFC Entertainment includes IFC Films and IFC Productions. The company also runs a cable television channel, the Independent Film Channel. Their recent productions include Wordplay, a documentary on New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz; and SherryBaby, a drama featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal. Past IFC Films work includes the Oscar-winning Hilary Swank film Boys Don't Cry and Touching the Void, a documentary about two climbers who came close to death in the Peruvian Andes.

I'll be posting more about how people are "publishing".

Send me your blogs and website links so I can add them.

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