I've looked into some unique cases of how some recent movies have made it to the big screen; such as the way James Wan and Leigh Whannell managed to get funding for the first Saw movie -- They wrote the entire screenplay, then recorded a 9 and a half minute short depicting the reverse beartrap scene from the original movie. If you haven't watched it, it can be viewed on YouTube here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PpjwLN-6mPE
They used that short to gain the interest of actors and studios, and it worked; they got something along the lines of $4.3 million in funding and well, the rest is history. Saw went on to be one of the most successful horror movies of all time... all this came from two virtually unknown young filmmakers.
Another example is the recent film "Michael Clayton" by Tony Gilroy. Granted Gilroy is one hell of a writer, he wrote the Bourne Trilogy, but he has never directed anything before.
Gilroy played it smart, he used the screenplay (and probably the draw of his previous writing success) to get George Clooney to agree to star (and produce) the film if Gilroy could secure funding. With Clooney's name attached, it was a lot easier to secure private investing.
Gilroy made the film and did as many private screenings as possible to get good press from critics. With that good press in hand, he (supposedly) created one hell of a bidding war between studios, eventually signing a distribution deal with Warner Bros.
Basically, Gilroy managed to create the film his way. He didn't have the studio breathing down his neck to make changes and he didn't have to suffer through having his work rewritten over and over by other writers. He played the game his way, I have utmost respect for him for doing so; his end result is a pure masterpiece of film.
So, my question is: Does anyone think taking similar routes will become easier for new filmmakers?
I personally believe the industry is changing, and it's changing FAST. More and more filmmakers are coming out with commercially successfully movies on shoestring budgets (Eli Roth for example). We're going to get to a point where Venture Capital firms aren't going to be afraid to invest $5 mil or less into indie films that look like they can get distribution, so the type of routes these filmmakers have taken may end up becoming the norm. I know I'm definitely looking forward to it.
They used that short to gain the interest of actors and studios, and it worked; they got something along the lines of $4.3 million in funding and well, the rest is history. Saw went on to be one of the most successful horror movies of all time... all this came from two virtually unknown young filmmakers.
Another example is the recent film "Michael Clayton" by Tony Gilroy. Granted Gilroy is one hell of a writer, he wrote the Bourne Trilogy, but he has never directed anything before.
Gilroy played it smart, he used the screenplay (and probably the draw of his previous writing success) to get George Clooney to agree to star (and produce) the film if Gilroy could secure funding. With Clooney's name attached, it was a lot easier to secure private investing.
Gilroy made the film and did as many private screenings as possible to get good press from critics. With that good press in hand, he (supposedly) created one hell of a bidding war between studios, eventually signing a distribution deal with Warner Bros.
Basically, Gilroy managed to create the film his way. He didn't have the studio breathing down his neck to make changes and he didn't have to suffer through having his work rewritten over and over by other writers. He played the game his way, I have utmost respect for him for doing so; his end result is a pure masterpiece of film.
So, my question is: Does anyone think taking similar routes will become easier for new filmmakers?
I personally believe the industry is changing, and it's changing FAST. More and more filmmakers are coming out with commercially successfully movies on shoestring budgets (Eli Roth for example). We're going to get to a point where Venture Capital firms aren't going to be afraid to invest $5 mil or less into indie films that look like they can get distribution, so the type of routes these filmmakers have taken may end up becoming the norm. I know I'm definitely looking forward to it.