Cinema is going through a similar death the way that theatre had about 20 years ago. The majority of Broadway plays/musicals are now based on IPs. Back to the Future, Beetlejuice, The Notebook, “the musical” etc. Broadway had to adapt to spectacle. Of course there is still off-broadway plays that still challenge their audience.
Now AI is coming. The audience will now custom make their own fantasies, dreams, nightmares, and bypass the filmmaker. Add a prompt with your top 10 films, favorite actors, and AI will analysis the scripts, facial expressions, and boom your movie will come out in a few hours!
So how do indie filmmakers compete? We never mastered email lists, affiliate marketing, the way other industries did. The most niche things you can think about are making 6 figures every single year. Also there are minuscule case studies on self distribution.
Only thing we have left is telling bold stories. Be bold with our cinematography, cut budgets drastically and keep the same production value. Go back to why stories still matter. I’m going down with the sinking ship! My 2 cents. No refunds.
