KAM: For any of our readers who might be interested in going the InDex route, what sort of price range would they be looking at to have InDex load their film onto a deck for the sort of six-week tour you did?
LW: I think the InDex is about $300 a week, I think. You have to check with InDex, because I was doing the testing and the prototype. They let me take it out on the road, and I was kind of a guinea pig for it. The thing is amazing; I’d use it any chance I could get. I can’t speak enough positive things about it; I think it’s phenomenal. I worked, it’s easy, and the image is pristine. So, if anybody’s looking to try to get the best digital projected image they can, I think it’s just a matter of time film festivals are doing all their films that way. They won’t be using tapes, because what you can do with the InDex box, is you can create a playlist. You can have the ability to time out at a certain time. So it’ll just run and it’ll automate itself. It’s pretty cool. Plus, it allows you to do close-captioning or subtitling without having to turn on to the actual film. So, you just do it as an XML file, so you can always change it or you can add a language. It’s great, I think it’s really cool.
KAM: Do you have any additional words of advice for readers who are thinking about self-distribution?
LW: It’s a lot of work. It usually requires a degree of tenacity, persistence. And then not being afraid to think outside the box. I think that the most valuable thing that anybody can do when they’re thinking about distributing their own work –and I think this is something that is just not hammered home enough—is it’s never too early to start thinking about how you’re going to hit your audience or get your movie to your audience. And people who say, “ Well, I know there’s an audience out there because I like this film, and there’s got to be other people like me who like it”, that’s not enough anymore. And I hate to say that making a good movie isn’t even enough anymore. ‘Cause…with thousands and thousands of films flooding the marketplace, the old adage of “quality floats to the top” becomes a myth. So I think the earlier you can think about how you’re going to reach your audience, the better. You know, who is that audience, and how are you going to get the movie to them? ‘Cause the sooner you know that, you can be taking advantage of the opportunities that come your way. You might not be even seeding [it] until after you’re done. And then when you’re done, you say, “Okay, now it’s time to market the movie, what are we going to do?” And you’ve missed the opportunity to start seeding it way in advance. So I’d say that that’s probably the biggest tip. Obviously, self-distribution is a lot of work and you should have a lawyer that you can work with that you have a good relationship with; because [you need them to examine] any deal that you sign–I don’t care if it’s a deal with a theater to whatever it ends up being. [Also] just look to other filmmakers because they’re excellent resources. You know, the more that [we] talk to each other, the better it is for everybody.
KAM: Well, thank you for letting us interview you! We really appreciate your time! And we look forward to your next project!
