The New York Times
“Independent filmmaking has never been for the faint of heart,” writes Manohla Dargis in The New York Times. “But the consensus is that the past few years have been especially brutal. Sales have slowed, deal prices have dropped, and most of the major studios have retreated from the independent scene, closing or scaling back divisions like Warner Independent Pictures and Paramount Vantage, which released the kinds of movies that win critical hearts and awards. And good films are going unsold. For consultants like Peter Broderick and filmmakers like Jon Reiss (the documentary Bomb It) the answer lies in self-distribution, in filmmakers doing it themselves or, more accurately, doing it themselves with a little or a lot of help from other people, including consultants.” Other factors that have lead to the “D.I.Y. drumbeat” growing louder is major studios backing away from the independent sector and the inexpensive cost of editing software and digital cameras. Read more at the above link.