The Revenge of Hal Roach
If you’re an ambitious filmmaker looking to get in on the action, you shouldn’t let the big boys in marketplace discourage you. The profit to cost ratio that makes for a short film success doesn’t fit the way giant media conglomerates operate. Just as the micro production studios of Mack Sennett and Hal Roach were once able to dominate the short subject market in spite of the major studios best efforts; today’s short film entrepreneurs will be able stay in front in a market that today’s majors are still wary of.
''I don't think it's a wise idea to throw everything at the wall.'' Fox entertainment’s president, Peter Liguori, said in a recent interview. ''We're taking a more measured approach to what works and what may not work.''
He means that the profit margin on a 60-second short subject, doesn’t exactly make it worth the time of one of 24 or The Shield’s Emmy award winning writers. My time on the other hand, comes considerably cheaper. Considering that the average locally produced short costs between $1,000 and $2,000 and can be licensed to an international television or online distributor for between $5,000 and $50,000, its easy to see how a boutique production company boasting a slate comparable to AtomFilm Studio’s two to four dozen projects per year, could turn a healthy profit.
Until now, short films have been considered little more than expensive “business cards” for US-based filmmakers, but even the international theatrical market is open to them these days. According to shorts distributor Apollo Cinema’s president and founder Carol Crowe, "The majority of overseas territories are purchasing shorts by the minute. A 30-minute short has the potential to make $30,000 plus.”
Typical of online short subject distributors, AtomFilms pays as little as $500 per film, up front. But Atom also offers filmmakers a cut of the advertising revenue generated by their films. According to Atom Entertainment CEO Mika Salmi, popular shorts have made more than $200,000.
To Be Concluded . . .
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