Essay Example: How Independent Films Achieve Culture Value

Cultural values refer to the main principles or ideals on which a community depends. They are based on customs, beliefs, rituals, traditions, and values. Independent films are a feature of a short film that is produced out of a major studio system. It can also be produced and dispersed by other entertainment companies. An independent film is usually distinguishable due to its unique style and content as well as by the way the filmmakers and individual artistic vision are realized. Sometimes an independent film is considerably made with a lower budget as compared to a major studio. The marketing of an independent film is usually categorized by the limited release at independent movie theatres. On the contrary, independent films can also utilize marketing campaigns and have a wide release of films. They are often screened locally, nationally, or internationally in film festivals before they can be distributed. Independent films at times can rival mainstream films if they have enough funding and a wide area of distribution (Kinney,2019). Some of the great independent films include Reserved Dogs of 1992, Slacker (1991), Black Swan (2011) and The Wrestler (2009). One of the greatest independent films recognized by many people is Easy Rider.

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Thesis statement

The paper seeks to critically evaluate how independent films achieve cultural value in addition to commercializing their indie films.

Graphic on Maison Heinen

The world market of the film industry has been a strategic site that examines the global influence of different media culture. By use of a database which was compiled by a European observatory showed that in the world film market comprises of about 34 countries which produces about 25films in a year. The cultural policies in a nation indicate that the film industry leads to the success of most national film industries, and does not lead them to challenge the dominance of the United States (Schwartz, 2020). In aspect for Hollywood’s desire to achieve global receipts has made it to change the content of its films to become deculturized as well as transnational so that they can trend and be equally accepted in other countries.

Independent films give information concerning human experience in addition to how to survive in this crazy world. They are driven by a vision in artistic values and not by the box office. Independent films analyze stories that people internalize, making them emotional (Cameron, 2019). They also educate the public on socio-political issues because they are based on real-life critical events. The films carry out entertainment roles because they can shock or amaze the viewers. In independent films, producers are free to express themselves because they do not have to follow the demands of the big box films. They are not censored, which makes them be honest, sensitive to issues and explicit. Their content is not diluted or sugar-coated (Sancho Rodriguez, 2018). They are a form of art where artists have freedom of expression and can analyze life issues more freely. They involve everyone despite their race, gender or social class.

Independent films produce cinemas which are community-friendly as well as environmentally friendly. The filmmakers are supportive, especially in their projects, because they understand how difficult it is to work on a low budget. In most cases, they collaborate so as to work together (Florence,2018). They have a smaller market compared to the big box film; hence they create a more friendly environment which gives them a chance to meet and discuss films with others. Indie films integrate cultural values in different types of general media. Indie culture is composed of a wide variety of expression, media as well as experiences. Indie culture gets its meaning and distinction from the broadly appealing media which uses different modes to deliver their message. Indie culture gets its identity from a group of ideas on creativity in production and also experience. Indie cinema is appealing in authenticity, opposition and autonomy. Their authenticity is functional in a relative term as opposed to mainstream culture.

The commercial advantage in the indie film business

In addition to having cultural importance, indie films are also of great commercial values, especially to the artists and producers. Artists make a living from their work and creativity. Some become wealthy because they take control of their work and fully exploit their potential in the film industry. Indie film business has brought about big opportunities for both the filmmakers and their producers either directly or indirectly (Baron & Tzioumakis, 2020). It is possible for independent film artist and producers to create a wide market without much competition. For the filmmakers to succeed in the commercial field, they should invest in their own films and develop a sense of understanding of how to value their film (Masterton, 2016). There is no magic bullet for success for the film industry. Filmmakers are self-appointment entrepreneurs, investors and founders of their own firms. It makes them achieve higher profits by exploiting their shares in the product market. Independent films get funds from private investors such as business owners, entrepreneurs or doctors where many of them contribute to see the success of the production. It is almost impossible for a producer or artist of an independent film to get money outside of either friends or family. Indie film festivals are organized to create an audience for indie films. Examples of the indie film festivals include Sundance dance and Venice film festival.

According to Masterton (2016), reviews were done in order to codify and identify independent film values in their own models and how different stages of film development work. The stages emphasized are production, exhibition and distribution. He noted that it was important for independent filmmakers to have a chain so as to avoid massive digital as well as cultural disruption. He made attempts to represent and identify the current state of any independent films value change. He emphasized on marketing and advertisement to build a wide market and also capture the attention of a large audience.

Independent films contribute greatly to cultural production by providing a theoretical and highly sophisticated analysis in the world of art as opposed to reductive or linked social interpretations. Several artists have majored in cultural production, thereby supporting recognition or prestige in some related cultural values. It hence creates a great opposition between commercial advantages and art. The artistic values bring about a wider economic and social effects as compared to commercial value. Cultural production in the independent film can be divided into two that is a field of small-scale production and a field of unrestricted production. In large scale production, there is a less commercial advantage because it is based more on promoting cultural values and reaching a larger audience. Small scale production emphasizes recognition and approval of like-minded producers and not necessarily for the large catchment area. The difference between the two fields is similar to Hollywood and indie films opposition.

Independent films are based on passion by the filmmakers and extreme to pass a certain message or give a particular story. The heat of passion which drives independent artists and producers is usually opposed to the need for cash. Passion creates contrast in mechanical film making and indie films. Passion talk is common in independent films where producers and artists are out in most cases to promote their cultural values as opposed to creating wealth (King, 2019) Therefore, many independent artists and producers make films to satisfy their desires and people in their circle who share similar taste.

In conclusion, independent films at the start people thought they were basically cast to show the different culture that was present in our communities but as time went by the producers of these films needed financial support or even financed to produce more and more of these films. Therefore, the producers had to start charging their casts to the citizens in order to get cash out of it so as to help them manage the film production. Even though independent films evolved to become commercialized, they still promoted the cultural values in our societies. Several indie films have elaborated several cultural norms and values that are there in our society.

References

Baron, C., & Tzioumakis, Y. (2020). Acting and Aesthetics in American Independent Cinema. In Acting Indie (pp. 45-73). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Cameron, D., 2019. Pastiche: Reservoir Dogs & The House that Jack Built.

CortésSelva, L., 2020. Women and Cinematography. The International Encyclopedia of Gender, Media, and Communication, pp.1-4.

Florence, E., 2018. Rural Migrant Workers in Independent Films: Representations of Everyday Agency. Made in China (a quarterly journal on labour, civil society, and rights), 3(Winter).

Groves, D., 2019. Distribution: Looking back at eOne. Inside Film: If, (188), p.32.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/436849232580516251/Jeong, Y.K., 2020. Cultural Trends of Visual Arts in Mexico on Modern Era: Retrospective and Prospective of Film Industry. , 11(1), pp.121-141.

King, G., 2019. Positioning Art Cinema: Film and Cultural Value. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Kinney, K., 2019. Facing the Camera: Black Actors and Direct Address in Independent Films of the 1960s. JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, 59(1), pp.66-88.

Larsen, M., 2020. Sealing new truths: Film adaptation as cultural capstone for 101 Reykjavík. Journal of Scandinavian Cinema, 10(1), pp.25-44.

Masterton, K., 2016. Two Components of Commercial Success in The Independent Film Business. https://assemble.academy/components-for-commercial-success-in-the-independent-film-business-bdd7625b01b2

Mostowfi, A., 2019. Autism spectrum disorders: a close-reading of four independent films (Doctoral dissertation, Bilkent University).

Nelson, J., 2009. Film Review: The Wrestler. https://www.screenhub.com.au/news-article/reviews/film/josh-nelson/film-review-the-wrestler-176525Nwonka, C.J., 2020. The protests over George Floyd’s death show how film and culture can be tools of anti-racism, but we must continue to value them beyond this moment. USApp–American Politics and Policy Blog.

Potter, A., 2020. Globalizing the local in children’s television for the post-network era: How Disney+ and BBC Studios helped Bluey the Australian cattle dog jump the national fence. International Journal of Cultural Studies, p.1367877920941869.

Rentschler, E., 2019. An Elegy for German Cinema: Dominik Graf’s Doomed Loves and Open Wounds. New German Critique, 46(3 (138)), pp.207-233.

Rowin, M.J., 2017. Slacker. Film Comment, 53(1), p.63.

Sancho Rodriguez, E., 2018, January. Slacker cinema revisited: political subjectivity after postmodern authenticity in American independent cinema. In Film-Philosophy Conference 2018.

Sancho Rodriguez, E., 2018, January. Slacker cinema revisited: political subjectivity after postmodern authenticity in American independent cinema. In Film-Philosophy Conference 2018.

Schwartz, M., 2020. The (Delicate) Art of Bureaucracy: Digital Transformation with the Monkey, the Razor, and the Sumo Wrestler. IT Revolution.

Wang, X., Pan, H.R., Zhu, N. and Cai, S., 2020. East Asian films in the European market: the roles of cultural distance and cultural specificity. International Marketing Review.

Watkins, G., 2016. Report from Sundance 2000: Religion in Independent Films. Journal of Religion & Film, 4(1), p.7.