So,

Despite almost everyone claiming to be the soothsayer and the person resonsible for the resurgance of India Independent cinema, I would like to challenge that notion that the Independent cinema never went anywhere and the studios actually vanished long ago, both the RK Studios and the Mehboob Studios, were more Film Studios as opposed to the BIG STUDIOS, which take over the entire production and distribution of film, like Pinewood in UK and the Warner, etc of LA.

That being said there are TWO things that really changed over the last decade.

Firstly the economy took off and perhaps as a result of that (since business started getting easier to get created), the multiplexes came in. So more films were required, unfortunately while we have gone from no industry to industry we have become too obsessed with Theatrical numbers ignoring the LIFE BEYOND THEATRICAL and more importantly the PROFITS BEYOND THEATRICAL, cause say what you like, BUSINESS breeds more films and more creativity (yes, yes, I know there will be a million folks challenging this, but the fact that you have time to challenge means your basic economic needs of life have been met and the computer and the Blog and those Google ads on this site are all indicative, that business success drives everything else).

So here are some numbers for the “smaller” filmmakers to consider:

Foreign Sales: For some reason not known to me, Mithunda films in Russia and Rajnikant films in Japan and a film with ANY INDIAN WOMAN (and I am not being disparaging, I am merely stating what I am seeing) in the Far East (Koreas, Thailand, etc) are a RAGE, more than AB films.

In the recent American Film Market held in Santa Monica every beginning of every calendar year the following were the numbers for a film made in the $750K to $ 1 million category (not the full list, just an extract) China - $20K - $30K, Israel $10K to $20K, Middle East and Pakistan $15K to $30K, South Africa $15K to $20K, Russia $15K to $25K, All Latin America (specifically Arg/Urg/Parq/Bolivia/Peru/Ecuador/Brazil/Chile/Columbia/Venez/Mexico- total of $70K to $100K, Far East (Japan/Malaysia/HK/Korea/Taiwan) $140-$250K

Don’t ask me why they work there. When my Japanese American friends or my Siberian American friends want to know why the Rajni film worked, I say, don’t look at me, I suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD, and I do), I cannot see a movie in sub titles and the only time I don’t need to do that is when i watch an English, Hindi or Punjabi film, hence I don’t see Regional cinema so can’t say what works, but the numbers above do work!!!, that I can say.

DVD: Warner Home Video, Universal Home Video, etc, home video rights for the most average south asian indie film, if you negotiate well and don’t spend all your US trip time, visiting the non business aspects but concentrate on the deal making, can get you anywhere from $60K to $100K upfront and then royalties. Add to this Netfilx and Blockbuster and this is only the US. Likewise for other populous South Asian markets like UK, Middle East, Australasia, Africa, North Pole (chances are desis are there too), etc

Paycable/Network/TV: Similar numbers to the DVD, anywhere from $60K to $100K upfront and then royalties (and just as a FYI, people do indeed pay Royalties here in the US, not sure what the scene is elsewhere). Again other South Asian predominant places on this universe are fair game too.

Syndication: Small market, but it does exisit, anywhere from $20K to $50K

Airlines Sales: In Dec 06 when I was flying back from Delhi to Los Angeles I had like 14 hrs to kill, so I switch on the inflight entertainment and see one of the crappiest movies in a long time called My Bollywood Bride and I am thinking, one smart cookie is really smiling while I am being subjected to this and that is the person who sold this film to Thai Airways…average sale price..anywhere from $20K to $200K depending on how many airlines you sell too.

Limited Theatrical: Personally as I go about developing my first project I’ll be ecstatic if I can run in 5-7 theaters in India for ONE WHOLE WEEKEND…anything else is cream and sugar…or actually I would prefer…wada pav from Zunka Bhaker right across from VT station…or the cold, sweet paan from Warden Road…chalo Baida Roti from Bade Miyan behind Taj, cause in my mind Theater is the Advertising Board for the real money…the DVD/Cable/Foreign Sales and as a wise young man once said, some years ago

IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVING YOUR INVESTORS!!!!

Everymorning I do pooja of Investors and then go about my day oh and also of the Television set….cause if they go then i will sing ..>Tumese Milne Ko Dil Karta Hain…. aur jeb (pocket) bhi!!!

So the way I look at it, I can show vulgarity in my movies, throw in four letter expletives with the intent to shock, etc, etc and still deliver a flop, or I can have no nudity/sex, no expletives but try and sell to the world which is non theatrical and still be a happy soul….but then what do I know….I am just an ADD sufferring, NRI eletist Accountant, under the guise of a screenwriter……..

The truth hit home a couple of years ago when I interacted with a short filmmaker whose film had made it to the Oscars and I heard about creativity and also about art and Fellini and etc, etc…

and then I aslo heard in the same breadth about …

”organizing investor meetings and how the Oscar would open up funding doors and how we would split revenue if we hosted his dvd on our site and how he wanted to get his bhai bandhu and how business class airfare would be the way to go…….”

Some people admit that it is about the bottom line on the top, some top of their admission on the bottom line under the guise of “but art is what it is about.”

Ab yeh baat samajh mein aaye tu bhi apne jaisa…paisa, paisa, paisa…..

Sincerely,

Vivek “if festivals like my film I will feel very insulted, cause that will mean that I have missed the boat with the real folks who drive this industry, the average Joe or Jaspal or Janvi or Jane or ….” Kumar