As we stated in the previous section, our focus right now is music. Beginning in spring 2016, we will start pre-production on a film. We have experience in film; whether it's pre or post production, editing, scoring, producing, directing or packaging. Some years ago we produced and edited a film directed by Chazz Menendez from Up Against The Wall Productions. This film ("Oh Promise Me'") was a featured film in many film festivals including the Big Apple Film Festival and the film also won an award at the Mountain Film Festival. So we are no t green by any stretch of the imagination.
An important point to make is that we not only know how to make a good film but we know how to do it without spending millions of dollars. There have been many films created without a huge budget and they went on to make money.
Some of the most successful indie films
Just a few indie films listed here to show you how little they were made for, how much money they made, and how successful they still are today.
Paranormal - It was made for 11 thousand dollars, it made 77 million the first week it opened, and it made over 200 million so far. Paramount/DreamWorks acquired the U.S. rights for $350,000. To date it is probably the "king" of movies in terms of return on investment. This movie will continue to make another 100 million at least in the next 5 years.
The Blair Witch Project - This film was in the Guinness Book Of World Records for "Top Budget:Box Office Ratio" (for a mainstream feature film). The film cost $22,000 to make and made back $240.5 million, a ratio of $1 spent for every $10,931 made.
Pink Flamingos - Directed by John Waters
John Waters got a loan from his parents for $12,000. This crazy little movie shows you what an insane script, shock, and a 300 lb. pound transvestite can do for an investor. The film became a cult hit making more than $6 million dollars. This gives it a cost to gross ratio of 500. Just for comparison, Titanic's cost to gross ratio is 3. According to production designer, the art department's budget was about $200. Half went to purchasing the trailer, half to decorating it.
El Mariachi - Directed by Robert Rodriguez
This film initially cost $7000 to make. Director Robert Rodriguez raised $3,000 of the $7,000 by volunteering to be a human "laboratory rat". He was used to test a cholesterol reducing drug. Paid $100 a day for 30 days, he wrote most of the script while locked in the lab. One actor was a fellow "rat", but could not speak Spanish. He delivered his lines from card held in his hand or out of shot. The film to date has made millions.
Clerks - The cost of obtaining the rights to the soundtrack (approx. US$27,000) outweighed the entire production costs for this film (approx. US$26,800) - a first in motion picture history. The movie made over $3 million at the box office.
Other interesting examples:
