In the Ring: Hollywood Mega Budget Films vs. Independent Mid Budget Films

"That's the big danger, and there's eventually going to be an implosion — or a big meltdown. There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen mega budget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that's going to change the paradigm."

Steven Spielberg

It is no secret that the film industry has undergone drastic changes and advances in the last 20 years. Today, with all of the incredible technology we have available at our fingertips filmmaking is the most accessible it has ever been, yet we face two major threats: implosion, as Spielberg and Lucas predict and the death of studio produced mid-budget films. With these threats looming, there has been a particular dark horse running in the races for years with the major studios making desperate strides to be a top contender for the attention of the world’s audiences. Who is this dark horse? They are many, varied and brimming with original ideas: they are independent filmmakers.

Looking back over the last 5 years, more and more big budget films are not bringing in the revenue expected – in fact, not only are they not bringing in revenue, but that in fact are generating major losses for the studio making them. This continuing trend is forcing Hollywood to examine their structure and is opening doors for mid budget films (with wonderful and original stories) to come to life on the big screen and gain distribution.  

Box Office Bombs

Not to beat a dead horse here, but Hollywood is continuing to pour money into the sequel and remake mega budget market instead of producing their own mid budget original dramas. Not so recently, Huffington Post published an article written by Tribeca Film explaining the shifts in Hollywood and the films the studios are pouring their money into, "Due to Hollywood’s increasing reliance on tent pole projects, fewer and fewer films like Signs and My Big Fat Greek Wedding are getting opportunities to do the kind of business that would put such a film on a year-end list of the highest grossers—which means those kinds of films are becoming less appealing for studios to make.”

If you are like me, I am sure you are thinking: what does this mean, for me – a young, independent filmmaker? Put simply, this great shift means that it is time to get creative, to use your originality, to work your fingers to the bone to craft a story that the world will connect with, a story that excites, creates word of mouth and is so good that you are the “indie mid budget film” that the studios want to distribute. This is an exciting time to be an independent filmmaker. Sure, there is the daunting notion of how do I get the money to make my movie, but to that I say: think outside the box, seek investors, investigate crowd funding, find a group of angel investors who believe in you and your story. The opportunities are endless and the race is a foot! Best of luck, my fellow dark horse filmmaker!


Curious about this whole financing your independent film thing? Producer Cassian Elwes is here to help!