Production, Distribution, and Exhibition Blog Post

Production paragraph:
What scale of production would you want your film to be?
Would you want it to be financed by a studio or be independent?
Who would you want to star in your film?
Any other details you think are relevant to discussing production

    During the production phase of this project (if it was to be created into an entire film), preproduction decisions would need to be grounded and envisioned before shooting and filming begins. First, the genre could be some sort of small town mystery, taking place in a city of around 20,000 residents, with areas like a downtown area of small businesses, shops, and lively spaces of a small town atmosphere. The premise would be teenagers in high school, dealing with the stresses, positives, and experiences of life as they stumble upon a mystery at their school and notice something is quite off, but cannot be pinned down to what it exactly is. If the final project movie opening sequence was to be completed into an entire film, I would plan to have this stay a small scale and independent like production to capture the spirit of grassroots and independent filmmaking. The budget would be financed from mostly independently with no plans to rope in a studio or outside entity to assist and finance. To portray the characters and personalities, using friends, peers, and those I know would be helpful to keep the independent filmmaking/small scale atmosphere rather than hiring any well known actors, which could also mean this film would be more of a fun passion project that everyone can enjoy rather than a production that is designed for big studios who are seeking to generate good returns. Being a small scale independent film with limited financial assets, utilizing the surroundings and available resources would be vital to maximize the production. Location scouting, scriptwriting, and planning elements like mise-en-scene would also be required for the production. Filming would probably be done on either a photography based camera (for all intensive purposes, lets use a Canon EOS R100) or a phone to keep with the independent filmmaking theme, since dedicated professional camera setups, rigs, and equipment would probably be extremely expensive. With pre-planning complete, production would entail multiple takes per scene as needed to ensure an availability of options for editing. Production would most likely the most difficult and time-intensive part of producing this given the limited budget and availability of everyone who could want to be involved.

Distribution Paragraph:
Depending on the scale of the production you chose, who would be distributing your film?
Who do you think would make the most money off of the success of your film based off of who is distributing the film?
What kind of release would you want your film to have?
How would you want your film promoted?
Any other details you think are relevant to discussing distribution

    Considering this is a small scale independent production, the film would probably be distributed by the producers ourselves on a platform like YouTube or Vimeo. However, it would not hurt to try to ask local, smaller movie theatres if they would be interested in showing the independent film where local eyes may want something to watch if they have a free evening such as on weekends. Realistically, there would not be as much financial gain compared to major films but making some money back from production costs would be beneficial and morale-boosting given it was intended as a passion project. The film would most likely have a small-scale release in a local theatre if possible. It would not hurt to try to ask a slightly larger theatre, but the chances of making onto more screens could be miniscule given big box office titles will most likely be dominating major theatres. This film would have the vibes of a film festival production for smaller scale films rather than anything serious that is intended to bring home big paychecks for studios and actors with massive budgets. The film could be promoted in the local area with ads, flyers, and possibly appearances on local news channels if the pitch is allowed to make it on air. Also, using local community events such as a street bash community event could be helpful where awareness is raised to the showing of the film made by local individuals, taking place in the local area, and intended for local audiences to appreciate their surroundings that the small scale film takes place in. The use of social media, such as X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. could also be beneficial to raise awareness about the film being shown in theatres if it is possible to do so. It would be intended to try to distribute the film in a small local theatre first, or perhaps a film festival, and then post it onto YouTube for the general public to view. 

Exhibition Paragraph:
Based off of the release you chose, how would people see your film?
What would the success of this release be based off of?
Who would receive money from the success of the production before and after you?
What ancillary revenue sources would you expect to make money off of with your film?
Any other details you think are relevant to discussing exhibition.

    Assuming that this film would be shown in a local small-scale theatre, people could see it on a movie screen. Another alternative solution could be some sort of film festival where similar independent-like productions are shown, and show it to a general audience there for reception. Later on, a release onto platforms like YouTube would be how audiences could view the film. The main "success" in this case would not be necessarily pulling a profit (if it somehow happens), but rather if audiences enjoy the film, the messages it conveys, and how the local area is portrayed in a positive way to generate positive views of a local area. In turn, it could theoretically boost interest and tourism for the area, helping small and local businesses. Due to the limited income expected (if any) for the passion project's final cut, money could be distributed evenly among those who participated in the film if they want a share of the profits. Realistically, there is no ancillary revenue sources such as merchandise or streaming services. If posted on YouTube, there is a possibly that there are views, but the generated revenue would probably not be so great given possible difficulties for the video to reach a good number of views. As a result, it cannot be depended upon to create significant revenue on the scale of the small production, but would serve as an medium for storing the film and it's creative vision. 

Disclaimer: this blog post is being interpreted more as a creative exercise and not so much as what the final project will actually turn out to be.