I'm not angry, I don't think Certified is either, it's just a matter of answering your question. There isn't enough data to have an opinion.

To answer a thread (instead of starting new ones which will make people angry) you click the right-most of the three icons ontop of each post. This is the "reply with quote". You can delete the quote if you want but that's how to reply within the same thread.

I'm not sure how a permanent film festival is different than Youtube except you'll have judging of course, and probably pull the films after the initial showing.

You might try something like quarterly contests instead of all the time. It allows a build up and a deadline and a break afterwards and prevents a billion people winning so that winning becomes more valuable. You might also consider having two layers of judges. Professional staff judges (or just you) and amateurs who pay so much for the ability to vote (American Idol charges $.99, you'll want it to be cheap as well). The staff judges votes would be worth more. Far more. The other is used for an audience selection type vote.

Depending upon the number of entries you could have shorts and long-form films as well as different genres. Prizes should be comparable to other contests, so you'd need to look them over and base your entrance fee and such on the kind of numbers you'd expect.

Anyway it sounds like a decent concept with a bunch of ways you can take it. Good luck.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

quote:

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Originally posted by rjschwarz

I'm not angry, I don't think Certified is either, it's just a matter of answering your question. There isn't enough data to have an opinion.

To answer a thread (instead of starting new ones which will make people angry) you click the right-most of the three icons ontop of each post. This is the "reply with quote". You can delete the quote if you want but that's how to reply within the same thread.

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But on to the concept.
I'm gong to try to answer here, but I'm still not sure how to do this.
The festival concept isn't exactly what I'm thinking of, but I don't know how else to describe it. The filmmakers may not have to pay to be in the festival, merely submit their films for review and if they are chosern they will be shown. Viewers will pay a very nominal fee to view a film, but they will be viewed in many outlets. Depending on how popular the film is judged, determines how many places it gets shown.
nan
I'm not sure how a permanent film festival is different than Youtube except you'll have judging of course, and probably pull the films after the initial showing.

You might try something like quarterly contests instead of all the time. It allows a build up and a deadline and a break afterwards and prevents a billion people winning so that winning becomes more valuable. You might also consider having two layers of judges. Professional staff judges (or just you) and amateurs who pay so much for the ability to vote (American Idol charges $.99, you'll want it to be cheap as well). The staff judges votes would be worth more. Far more. The other is used for an audience selection type vote.

Depending upon the number of entries you could have shorts and long-form films as well as different genres. Prizes should be comparable to other contests, so you'd need to look them over and base your entrance fee and such on the kind of numbers you'd expect.

Anyway it sounds like a decent concept with a bunch of ways you can take it. Good luck.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

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quote:

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Originally posted by nan and pajama

quote:

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Originally posted by rjschwarz

I'm not angry, I don't think Certified is either, it's just a matter of answering your question. There isn't enough data to have an opinion.

To answer a thread (instead of starting new ones which will make people angry) you click the right-most of the three icons ontop of each post. This is the "reply with quote". You can delete the quote if you want but that's how to reply within the same thread.

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But on to the concept.

I didn't get that answer in the right place and I'm not sure this is either.
I don't think u-tube or facebook are anything like what I'm thinking of, because they are on a computer and this is on a big screen(and could be in DVD form). The movie going experience is a totally different one than watching on a computer or even a TV for that matter. TV is or can be closer to a movie screening, because more than one person can comfortably watch a TV, especially the big screen ones. Anyway TV is a whole other concept I am thinking about.
By the way, is there a cable station for independent movies? What is it? What's involved? Who runsit? How do movies get on it? Any info would be appreciated.
THANKS. Nan

I'm gong to try to answer here, but I'm still not sure how to do this.
The festival concept isn't exactly what I'm thinking of, but I don't know how else to describe it. The filmmakers may not have to pay to be in the festival, merely submit their films for review and if they are chosern they will be shown. Viewers will pay a very nominal fee to view a film, but they will be viewed in many outlets. Depending on how popular the film is judged, determines how many places it gets shown.
nan
I'm not sure how a permanent film festival is different than Youtube except you'll have judging of course, and probably pull the films after the initial showing.

You might try something like quarterly contests instead of all the time. It allows a build up and a deadline and a break afterwards and prevents a billion people winning so that winning becomes more valuable. You might also consider having two layers of judges. Professional staff judges (or just you) and amateurs who pay so much for the ability to vote (American Idol charges $.99, you'll want it to be cheap as well). The staff judges votes would be worth more. Far more. The other is used for an audience selection type vote.

Depending upon the number of entries you could have shorts and long-form films as well as different genres. Prizes should be comparable to other contests, so you'd need to look them over and base your entrance fee and such on the kind of numbers you'd expect.

Anyway it sounds like a decent concept with a bunch of ways you can take it. Good luck.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

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Okay, I think I understand your concept a bit better. You're thinking something a bit closer to Spike & Mike's Animation Festival.

http://www.spikeandmike.com/

There are a couple of independent film channels. IFC and Sundance come to mind.

http://www.ifc.com/
http://www.sundancechannel.com/home/

You'll have to ask them about how they pick and choose their programming.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

I deleted the other four threads about the exact same thing. Let's keep the discussion here, okay?

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

quote:

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Originally posted by certified instigator

I deleted the other four threads about the exact same thing. Let's keep the discussion here, okay?

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

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I'm not getting the feedback I am looking for, so I guess this isn't the right site to reach film makers. I have heard from 2-3 people, but not enough to get any real idea of how many are out there and want to show their films.
Nan

Or...

Your request is kind of vague. You are in the planning stages and
unable to tell filmmakers what service you will be offering. I don't
understand what you mean by "a sort of film festival of sorts". So
I can't tell you how open I am to a thing like this with no understanding
of what the thing is.

I'm sorry that you guess this isn't the place to reach filmmakers. But I
can tell you the pool of films out there is huge. According to IFP more
than 100,000 short films are finished each year. And I would bet that
all of them want to show their films.

Most of the folks on this site are concentrating on getting their film completed rather than distributing and marketing it. If you look at the number of posts for each section you'll see:
Pre-Production: 3219 posts
Production: 3236 posts
Post-Production: 2308 posts
Newbie: 8782 posts
Distribution, Marketing & Exibition: 404 posts

So distribution is not the strongest category here. Also I think you've provided minimal data giving people nothing to respond to. Yes they want to show their films. That's a given so the question causes people to shrug. Would they prefer to show their film in your festival over Sundance, or a horror specific festival, or a dozen other possibilities? Well people would have to know more about all of the possibilities.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

quote:

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Originally posted by rjschwarz

Most of the folks on this site are concentrating on getting their film completed rather than distributing and marketing it. If you look at the number of posts for each section you'll see:
Pre-Production: 3219 posts
Production: 3236 posts
Post-Production: 2308 posts
Newbie: 8782 posts
Distribution, Marketing & Exibition: 404 posts

So distribution is not the strongest category here. Also I think you've provided minimal data giving people nothing to respond to. Yes they want to show their films. That's a given so the question causes people to shrug. Would they prefer to show their film in your festival over Sundance, or a horror specific festival, or a dozen other possibilities? Well people would have to know more about all of the possibilities.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

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Sorry I can't be more specific, because I'm just planning this concept and don't have specifics yet. The general idea is more like a film festival club--with venues all across the states. We will have to start in one area--the north east, N.Y. first and then start spreading out. I am not trying to cheat anyone or send them astray--just want to see everyone getting a fair chance to get their films out there to be seen.

I understand that but you should understand that the lack of details is probably responsible for the lack of response to your initial question.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

quote:

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Originally posted by rjschwarz

I understand that but you should understand that the lack of details is probably responsible for the lack of response to your initial question.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

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quote:

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Originally posted by rjschwarz

I understand that but you should understand that the lack of details is probably responsible for the lack of response to your initial question.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

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The last response I gave was incomplete, because my computer froze. I wanted to add that as this venue develops and gets started, the vision is to have these club-like festivals(I don't know what to call it yet) going on all over at the same time and continuously--not like a festival that is once a year for a short period of time. All I am looking for from you people, is some idea of how many of you exist and how large the pool of films to choose from may be.Also there will be money involved--we will charge the public a small fee to see the films and there will be some of that which will be used for payment to the film maker. If it works the way I want it to, the film maker will get some money--I have no idea how much at this early stage in the planning. We will want to show full length films and perhaps we will include a short or two.
I hope this answers some of your questions, but sincerely I can't tell you more as it isn't planned yet.
Nan

Dear Filmmakers,
I never heard from more than two or three of you, so I'm thinking this is the wrong place to contact film makers, or at least those interested in a format to have their films seen by the public, where they don't have to pay to show them and they will get paid something for their films being shown. Sorry to have contacted the wrong site.
Nan