What are Indie Movies?
When researching the terms Indie Movie or Indie Film, two of the most frequently searched questions are “What are indie movies?” and “What’s the definition of an indie movie?”.
When we look at the definition given by Wikipedia, we learn that Independent Movies (short Indie Movie or Indie Film), are short or feature films that were produced outside of the major film studios, such as Hollywood. Moreover, it is stated that they are often characterised by three main aspects:
- Working with a low(er) production and promotion budget
- Mainly shown in smaller local cinemas
- The content and style of the movie clearly represent the filmmakers’ artistic vision
But why exactly are they called independent movies?
The term independent is used as these movies are not produced in the larger commercial film industry and therefore ‘independent’. Therefore, this category includes any sort of film making which is being created outside of this mainstream industry, regardless of topic, genre and duration.
Moreover, one of the independent movie’s main traits is the distinctive representation of the writers’ and directors’ vision, an opportunity given by the fact that they are working independently. This gives them the freedom to create the movie in any way they would like, as they do not have to oblige to given rules or expectations of a major film studio.
This creative freedom is also what makes independent movies more risky, which in return is the reason why many larger film studios do not want to produce them, as they fear that the movie’s risky nature will lead to a loss in revenue.
Why work on an independent movie?
Every aspiring director or actor has to start somewhere. It is close to impossible to come into the business and immediately start by directing the next Avengers movie.
Therefore, many directors start by producing and directing their own independent little movie, hoping that it will help create a name for themselves. Having experience and especially success is what is needed for a filmmaker to receive future financial support from large film studios.
Moreover, by working on their own project, they are able to freely express themselves and to really create a movie that represents themselves as a creative.
Can indie movies ever become as successful as a big blockbuster movie or are they dependent (see the word play here) on being supported by these major film studios?
The answer is yes, indie movies can become a huge success, however, it is of course difficult to achieve. The low budget not only makes the production difficult, but the promotion as well. Many indie movies have little to no budget to accurately promote their movie, meaning that they are depending on the audience to find the movie and have an interest in viewing it.
But, there have been a few indie movies which have become huge successes.
- The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project was an indie horror movie produced in 1999. With an original production budget of $200.000, the producers Robin Cowire and Gregg Hale were able to create a movie about the recovered film footage of three student filmmaker, who were camping out in the woods. Even though the film was produced on a low budget, the movie ended up being a huge hit, grossing over $250 millions. The immense popularity of this film even led to the creating of a several sequels and books, turning the project into a full franchise. To this day, the Blair Witch Project is one of the most successful movie to come out of the indie genre.
2. The King’s Speech
The King’s Speech was an indie historical drama released in 2010. With a budget of $15 million, the movie starred famous actors such as Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, who told the story of Britain’s King George VI. The director Tom Hooper was able to astonish the audience with a great story, supported by spectacular costume and set design.
Even though the movie was created on a relatively low budget, it earned a total of $414 million, however, this also came due to the ownership and therefore strong promotion of The Weinstein Company.
While some indie movies feature known actors, the majority of the project feature lesser known actors or actors who are trying to step into the industry. This choice is often due to the low budget, which does not allow for directors to cast major actors for their projects.
But why do known actors often shy away from indie films?
I believe that every actor will give you a different answer to this question, but one main aspect is definitely the money. Indie movies generally generate a lot less revenue, meaning that the actor will get paid less as well.
Moreover, actors have to be willing to, not only work with the director’s vision, but to also be willing to work with directors who are oftentimes inexperienced. I believe that this creative freedom and possible uncertainty about the work environment/capabilities is why some actors might shy away from such an opportunity.
However, it is important to note that not all actors refuse to work with indie producers, on the contrary, many well known Hollywood actors have worked on indie movies. Some examples would be Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds, George Clooney, Emma Stone, and Robert Pattinson.
Having a known actor cast in your movie does not only enhance your budget, as many production companies will be more interested in your project, but they also bring an audience with them. This audience can help support and establish, not only your movie, but you as a director.
To sum up, creating an indie movie might be difficult and you might be facing various challenges such as a low budget and low promotion abilities, but the only thing that matters for fans, is that we can see your heart and soul in your project. Because as long as you do what you love, we will enjoy it to the fullest.
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Now that you have learnt a bit more about independent movies, we want to ask you to suggest and tell us, in the comments, about your favourite indie indie movie.
On Monday, announced on our Instagram, we will then pick one of them to use as next week’s discussion topic.
- Tuesday: Plot Discussion
- Thursday: Character Discussion
- Saturday: BTS and Director Discussion
Please also make sure to check out our Instagram @indie.film.club
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