As Filmmaker Sean Wang explained on NPR’s WEEKEND EDITION SATURDAY,
It seems like the industry is in a very uncertain place, not just in terms of sales and acquisitions. You know, you hear every other day that all these studios are letting go of hundreds and hundreds of people. You know, new heads come on. They’re having to reimagine their whole infrastructure. And it’s a big question mark.
del Barco, Mandalit, host. Wang, Sean, guest. “At Sundance, filmmakers say the space to get indie films made is shrinking.” Weekend Edition Sunday, Movie Interviews, NPR, 24 January 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/01/27/1227397177/at-sundance-filmmakers-say-the-space-to-get-indie-films-made-is-shrinking.
You don’t need to be a movie producer to notice the downward trajectory of the Hollywood movie industry. A quick Google search reveals a notable pattern. Major film studios have been relentlessly producing sequel after sequel, with each new installment receiving a lower rating than its predecessor.
Source: The Daily Shot
More often than not, these new entries are perceived as blatant efforts to exploit and profit from established fan communities. However, it appears that the mainstream audience has largely overlooked the few unique movies we’ve seen in the past two years, such as “American Fiction,” “The Adults,” and “When You Finish Saving the World.” Does this trend imply that we are prone to rewatching movie classics or simply settle due to low expectations?
Fortunately, there’s an exciting new approach on the horizon: decentralized filmmaking. Platforms such as Film.io promise to shift the power dynamics away from traditional hierarchies and into the hands of the people, providing a collaborative path towards creative content.
What’s Stopping Good Movies from Being Made?
In order to better understand how decentralized filmmaking can improve the current movie scene, let’s first examine some of the problems currently plaguing all TV creators and filmmakers.
Financial Risks
The current trend with movie sequels is intentional. Investors in the movie industry prefer low risk investments and high return opportunities. While from a financial perspective this approach secures profit, it leaves audiences with less engaging content and a worse experience, overall.
Also, the rising production expenses have stifled creators’ ability to realize their projects and burden them with limited options. As challenging as it is to secure funding for films in the current market, this often means that creators surrender creative agency and expose their projects to various commercial pressures.
Commercial and Creative Pressures
Maintaining creative control is a significant challenge for creators in the film industry. Because movies are primarily seen as investments, many filmmakers are pressured to change their projects to ensure they are profitable and have global appeal. This commercially-driven creative censorship can limit the diversity and depth of stories that are told.
The struggle for creative control can be particularly challenging for new or independent filmmakers who may not have the leverage to defend their artistic choices against studio demands. Often, the creators’ vision is compromised by studio interventions. Within this structure, executives may demand changes to a script, cast, or direction to align the film with formulaic market trends or the studio’s interests.
Market Transparency
The lack of market transparency in the film industry is another key obstacle for creators. Information about audience preferences, market trends, and the performance of similar films is often not readily available and can be guarded by studios and distributors.
Without access to comprehensive data, creators may struggle to understand what type of content is likely to succeed. This can lead to missed opportunities and potential financial missteps. It’s important to understand that when filmmakers decide to produce a movie, they’re committing years of effort, substantial financial resources, and are often risking their personal credibility. Having access to accurate and meaningful data is crucial for filmmakers.
Resource Accessibility
Access to resources is another critical factor in the production of quality films. This includes not just financial resources but also access to talent, equipment, and distribution channels.
Lack of resource accessibility can limit the scope and scale of a film, and often forces creators to compromise on their vision. It is essential to bridge this resource gap to foster a diverse and vibrant film landscape where more voices can be heard and more stories can be shared.
The Potential of Decentralized Filmmaking
During 2023, more than 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA, together with more than 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America, were on strike. This highlighted the burdening misalignment of the industry and creators, writers, actors, and everyone involved in the creative process.
“When employers make Wall Street and greed their priority and they forget about the essential contributors that make the machine run. We have a problem…”
Drescher, Fran. “Fran Drescher: SAG-AFTRA strike is a fight against Hollywood studio bosses’ greed.” People’s World, 14 July, 2023, https://peoplesworld.org/article/fran-drescher-sag-aftra-strike-is-a-fight-against-hollywood-studio-bosses-greed/.
Given the shortcomings of traditional filmmaking that are underscored by the Hollywood strike, it’s evident that a systemic overhaul is necessary, now more than ever.
Film.io aims to overcome the hurdles currently experienced by the creators, fans, and investors by providing a great foundation and an equal opportunity to make creative ideas a reality.
Let’s see what solutions Film.io offers.
Advantages for Creators
1. Decentralized Financing
Decentralized financing in filmmaking revolutionizes how projects are funded and resourced. This approach allows creators to access funds directly from a community of fans and investors without relying on traditional financing methods that can come with many strings attached.
By way of blockchain technology, financing is transparent, secure, and an efficient way to raise capital. It enables filmmakers to retain creative control and financial independence.
2. Giving the Power Back to Creators
Decentralized filmmaking significantly reduces the external pressures often exerted by traditional studios and financiers.
In this decentralized system, creators have more freedom to execute their vision, from concept to completion, ensuring that the final product remains true to their original idea. Film.io empowers creators by giving them the tools to make key decisions about their projects. This encourages creators to focus more on creative decisions and direction, without the need to conform to the expectations of a few dominant financiers.
Moreover, Film.io DAO 2.0 allows creators and fans to be involved in a decentralized autonomous organization, where they can actively participate in the governance and decision-making processes of the platform.
3. Inclusivity & Diversity
The decentralized model inherently promotes inclusivity and diversity. By removing the traditional gatekeepers of the industry, a wider range of voices and stories can find their way to the big screen.
This model removes barriers to market entry and validation, and encourages participation from underrepresented groups in the film industry.
4. Go Score™ – Providing Data-Driven Insights
Film.io’s Go Score™ is a novel feature that provides data-driven insights into a project’s commercial viability. This proprietary algorithm and AI assesses fan engagement and market potential, helping creators understand how their projects might perform under real market conditions.
Such insights are invaluable for making informed decisions about project development, marketing, and distribution. The Go Score™ system effectively bridges the gap between creative intuition and market realities and enables creators to fine-tune their projects for maximum success.
5. Intellectual Property Protection
Film.io offers robust IP protection mechanisms, ensuring that creators’ original ideas are securely recorded and protected.
Technologies like blockchain create immutable records of creative works that safeguard them against plagiarism and unauthorized use. This protection is vital for creators to maintain ownership and control over their work, and it fosters a safer and more trustworthy environment for creative expression.
Advantages for Fans
1. Community Support & FAN Tokens
FAN Tokens serve as a tool for fan engagement and participation. These tokens can be used to vote on project decisions, support favorite films, or gain access to special features and content. This token-based system democratizes the filmmaking process, aligns the interests of fans and creators, and ensures that the most supported content is produced.
This global reach provides a larger pool of opportunities and access to a diverse range of film projects.
Active involvement in the greenlighting process gives fans a voice in shaping the entertainment landscape. Their engagement and reactions serve as valuable indicators of a project’s potential success, making fan input a key component of the decision-making process in film production of the future.
2. Access to Exclusive Content
Film.io also provides fans with access to exclusive content. This can include behind-the-scenes footage, special screenings, or early access to new releases. For fans, this is a unique opportunity to delve deeper into the world of filmmaking and gain insights into the creative process.
Such exclusive content not only enhances the viewing experience, but also strengthens the creator-audience relationship.
How Can You Be a Part of The Filmmaking Future?
Whether you’re a creator or fan, Film.io can be your stage to bring visionary projects to life, support creativity, and directly engage with projects you love.
Be a part of the filmmaking future by becoming one of the early members of the Film.io ecosystem. Connect with a diverse, global community of film enthusiasts to collaborate, share insights, and be part of a movement that celebrates creative freedom and innovation.
Decentralized filmmaking marks a transformative shift in the movie industry, challenging traditional norms and opening doors to a more inclusive and diverse cinema landscape.
Each individual’s contribution, be it as a creator, fan, or investor, becomes an important part of this exciting journey and forges a path towards a more dynamic and democratized film industry.
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