Karina on SpoutBlog

Since the conversation about internet and day-and-date distribution really started to heat up in 1995, the alternatives to theatrical distribution have seemed to only multiply and evolve, while the general perception of public exhibition has remained about the same: filmmakers like it, but in terms of bottom line, it’s only useful as an extended commercial for ancillaries such as DVD. But is that perception changing? Two related quotes of note popped up in the feeds this morning.

First, Jamie Stuart at Stream:

More and more independent producers and distributors with years of experience are trying to convince indie filmmakers that theatrical distribution isn’t that important…Unfortunately, the thing that most filmmakers understand — and this has nothing to do with advocating the communal experience — is that by going theatrical, the movie is given a credibility that it would otherwise not have…

…does anybody believe that if the IFC Center hadn’t screened its mumblecore series in 2007, the “movement” and its filmmakers would’ve attained the same level of credibility? The three best-known voices from that scene — Andrew Bujalski, Joe Swanberg and the Duplass Brothers — have all received some level of theatrical distribution, whether it’s micro or day-and-date. Are these three great filmmakers? I think the jury’s still out on that. But, by going theatrical, they’ve legitimized the whole handheld DV film festival movement — a movement that until recently, had critics, journalists and distributors constantly complaining about the amateurish production values of the movies flooding fests. Theatrical alters people’s perception. Theatrical makes it a real movie.

And then, screenwriter John August [via The Circuit] whose directorial debut The Nines attracted “buzz” at Sundance in 2007, but failed to make much noise when it was released last year. He’s written a long list post about his experience, in response to Mark Gill’s “the sky is falling” speech.

Theatrical release is kinda bullshit…Even while I was making The Nines, I knew that the vast majority of viewers would ultimately see it on the small screen…It didn’t feel like it at the time, but the theatrical release was really a token, contractually-obligated gesture. We were getting our hand stamped before the DVD…New York and Los Angeles gave enough national exposure to drive the DVD release, which was where they hoped to make their money.

[But] the DVD should have come out much sooner, maybe simultaneously. Because of Ryan’s relative star power, we were able to generate a ton of national publicity. He went on TRL and Conan and every other New York outlet you can think of. But making a college student in Iowa aware of a movie that will never play Des Moines is useless. He’ll forget about it in a week.

So the smart thing would have been keeping our New York and Los Angeles dates but having the DVD come out immediately. I know that invokes the stigma of straight-to-DVD, but if it means that potential viewers nationwide can actually see the movie, hooray.

The shortening DVD windows are a legitimate concern for mainstream Hollywood movies, but for indies, I don’t think it’s even worth serious objection.

Despite August’s use of the word “bullshit”, he doesn’t seem to be seriously suggesting that his film would have done better on DVD *without* a theatrical release. But then, an “indie” starring Scarlett Johansson’s fiancee, with a budget for national promotions an access to shill spots like TRL is in a very different boat than The Puffy Chair, let alone an even smaller film like Finally Lillian and Dan, which is able, through its loose association with mumblecore “hits” to take at least one or two steps out of total obscurity.

Thoughts?