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Phil Hall is constantly on
the fringes of the independent filmmaking business and
he shows it by updating his pretty lengthy tome of an
encyclopedia for all aspects of independent film and
independent film distribution. The Second Edition of
"Independent Film Distribution" is an updated guide on
the cusp of the new developments in indie film and
spotlights three new facets of the business, one of
which is the burgeoning strength of video on demand
which is proving to be a very valuable tool to the
independent film business where directors are fleeing
for distribution where movie theaters and DVDs are
letting them down. "Independent Film Distribution" is
still a very informative and enlightening read and will
prove to be a great and blunt guide for any
self-respecting independent filmmaker intent on marking
their movie for an audience instead of just screening it
for their friends and family. Another new aspect is the
inclusion of Facebook and twitter as essential tools in
marketing and networking, which has been a growing
resource for people lacking actual representation from
folks like CinemaLibre and the like. Phil, always being
the pragmatist, offers these elements as an option and
not as a bare essential presenting the reader with this
opportunity but also calling it in to question. |
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Through this, he provides
interviews with various noted professionals in the
industry who discuss the new elements as a way of
helping and hurting the industry and how it can best
benefit or destroy you if not played well and
efficiently. Especially when it comes to the use of
Twitter, some of whom proclaim it as god's gift to the
indie filmmaker looking to keep their audience in the
loop, while others think of it as a cheap form of
information that stifles expression and news. I tend to
agree with the latter since Twitter has mainly been a
tool for delivering something of a vague snippet of a
sentence without ever actually allowing visitors and
followers to sit back and soak in the knowledge that its
host can provide them. "Independent Film Distribution"
should be a text book and one that's consistently
updated since indie film is a rapidly changing and
morphing medium that deserves to be given as much
consideration and respect as mainstream filmmaking
because it is the life blood of film culture where true
artists struggle. Hall never plays his readers for saps,
giving them instructions, and advice while also telling
them deep down "Odds are you may never be successful,
but it's worth a shot." And that's all any good
filmmaker can aspire to. For a shot. Phil Hall gives
them that shot and allows them the luxury of this
valuable tool. Give it a whirl, because with the new
faces of film rising more and more there's bound to be
four more editions up the road somewhere soon. |
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