Research with an example of how an independent film made

 Today I will doing research with an example of how an independent film made - Kevin Smith Clerks, The Blair Witch Project.

'There was no grand film career plan for me after Clerks', said Smith. 'The plan was to direct it. Making this movie meant we could show it to other people and get a little money for our next movie.We didn't think it would go out and hit a bunch of screens. I didn't think as many people who saw it would see it. I didn't think it would travel internationally.(Swinson,2020)

I like the system by which Smith works.Usually he starts with very long drafts and whittle them down to more manageable, shootable drafts.While working on scripts, Smith then starts to cut pages, sharpen the jokes, and change, or sharpen points of view. 

The film was shot for $27 575 and during this time director Smith was working in real life to raise this money. I can say his hard work and perseverance paid off and the film Clerks marked the beginning of his career in cinematography. The film received positive reviews and reached over $3 million in theaters.

Smith clarified, 'I make Indie films. I'm used to making what I want to make. Not everyone gets it, but I get to make what I want to make.

This example shows that simple things like making Clerks, seem simple but yet, there are many obstacles'.

Another example of independent filmmaking is The Blair Witch Project ,directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. They conceived of a fictional legend of the Blair Witch in 1993. They developed a 35-page screenplay with the dialogue to be improvised. A casting call advertisement in Backstage magazine was prepared by the directors; Donahue, Williams and Leonard were cast. The film entered production in October 1997, with the principal photography taking place in Maryland for eight days.About 20 hours of footage was shot, which was edited down to 82 minutes.

This is a fictional story about three student filmmakers who set out on a hike through the forest hills to shoot a documentary about Blair Witch. And suddenly they disappear and their equipment and footage are discovered a year later.

The budget for the film was $35 000 -$60 000 and after post-production edits it cost $200 000-750 000.

In my opinion this horror movie terrified audiences who weren't so sure it was fiction. It was just edited footage and the film was look completely real.

Reference

Tzioumakis, Y. (2017) ‘American Independent Cinema’ .Edinburg: Edinburgh University Press.

Swinson, B. (2020) ‘Kevin Smith celebrates 25 years of screenwriting and making indie films’.

[Online] Available at: www.creativescreenwriting.com [Accessed:08.11.2021].

NYTCo (2021) ‘The Blair Witch Project' at 20:Why it Can't Be Replicated’

[Online] Available at: www.nytimes.com  [Accessed:08.11.2021].

Stitney,P. (2002). ‘Visionary film:the American avant-garde,1943-2000’. New York.

Oxford: Oxford university press.

Valentini,V.(2020) ‘24 of The Best Indie Movies of All Time’.[Online] Available

at: www.esquire.com   [Accessed:08.11.2021].