dimanche 31 mai 2015

How To Enjoy Indie Movies Online

By Ericka Marsh


By definition, any film made in the US outside of the major Hollywood studio network will be classified as an indie film. Practically speaking, it represents a large section made up of nearly all films produced outside of the major Hollywood studios. Movies like this face steep obstacles blocking their distribution, even in the big coastal cities, with their established film cultures. Those seeking these hard to find gems need to cuddle up with indie movies online.

From the standpoint of quality, one should bring certain expectations. The films aren't typically just low budget versions of the same old Hollywood formulas, but typically explore themes and techniques the can't usually be found there. They take advantage of the fact that they don't have to earn one hundred million dollars, and try to appeal to a smaller, more discriminating audience.

Perhaps the backbone of independent film is the indie filmmaker, often possessing a Master's degree from one of the growing number of film schools. Frequently, these films are also the work of undegreed, guerilla filmmakers. These types blur together almost seamlessly, with the latter group perhaps a bit more likely to emphasize genre like horror.

The nature of entertainment nearly dictates that there are going to be genres that almost never hit the marketplace jackpot. First among these is the documentary. Documentaries are of out-sized importance in the indie film market. They have a rare capacity to shine a spotlight upon issues that are ignored by Hollywood, and which are ignored by the nightly news as well.

Documentary films have become a weapon of resistance for the powerless living in untended corners of the world, places like Indonesia and Rwanda. At home, they have been a tool for giving attention to impoverished or otherwise marginalized groups of people. The camera counterbalances the advantage in resources possessed by multinational corporations and oppressive regimes.

Since the independent film world is full of film school graduates, dedicated websites serving this select audience are also fine sources for movies film-makers use to learn their art. They generally carry foreign language films, and many of the sites are genuinely committed to representing as many nations as possible. Many also carry silent films, one of the world's unacknowledged treasures almost completely unwatched by the sugar-stimulated 21st century audience.

Minority communities have a special relationship with independent films. These movies help form an alternative media reality to go with their distinct lifestyle. Perhaps first among these people are gays and lesbians, a community with a standing need to see representations of romance that do not reduce to the standard, heterosexual story of a boy and a girl.

Another community is made up of evangelical Christians and other traditionalist groups, including a new wave of Mormon filmmakers. These groups often feel that the values of mainstream, Hollywood media fare too rarely reflects their values, and are building their own media environment one movie at a time. The reasons to invest a little time, and possibly just a little money, finding independent films on the internet grow each year.




About the Author: