The indie sphere may be entering the mainstream. C-19 still stands as an obstacle for the entire film industry, but independent movies have seen rising popularity. Small studios such as A24 have been creating quality content and are now gaining attention equal to industry giants like MGM. While filming in popular locations such as Los Angeles and New York City has resumed, a series of strict guidelines have been implemented to keep the virus at bay. But according to attorney David A. Pierce, independent filmmakers “actually have a leg up on the studios” because they are smaller in size. In other words, the smaller the studio, the smaller the risk and cost.
What’s happening to the popular independent film studio A24?
We all know that the New York-based A24 doesn’t stick to the status quo of Hollywood. Since its creation in 2012, the studio has built a reputation around producing edgy, authentic and aesthetically beautiful films: The indie studio is responsible for “Moonlight”’ “Lady Bird” and “Hereditary,” to list a few.
Well, you might be shocked to find out that the studio has started exploring a possible sale, as Variety announced earlier this month. The magazine claimed the studio is asking for a price between $2.5 billion and $3 billion (a third of the amount Amazon paid to acquire MGM in May). As of now, the potential suitors are Apple, Amazon and Disney. The speculation has sparked controversy: How will a shift as big as this alter A24’s independent image? A24 is yet to confirm or comment publicly on the matter, but if this buy were to go through, it would definitely change the landscape of the indie film industry.
A unique window of opportunity
Given that the whole world was on hold for most of 2020, we saw a lack of new movies in the marketplace. However, if the film industry taught us anything, it’s that independents don’t take no for an answer. In fact, they work ten times harder to be seen, and while that doesn’t always work, it demonstrates a work ethic that’s bound to show success down the road. And A24’s popularity may encourage indie filmmakers to seek out new forms of distribution.
Streaming services and OTT (“over the top”) platforms—such as Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Hulu—have proven to be a beneficial avenue for many independent filmmakers who need to tap into online revenues. Not to mention, smaller OTT platforms are also providing marketing strategies for content creators and filmmakers. So, if you’re an independent filmmaker and you’re considering the gamble of making your movie before finding someone to distribute it, this distribution strategy may be something to consider. You may not know how your movie will perform, but they will.
