Formula for success
Genre pics pay off for indie studios
While directors such as Quentin Tarantino carry the independent attitude, others live by the rules of the game, and none more successfully than Roger Corman, whose Concorde/New Horizons company continues to thrive. But nearly rivaling Corman in longevity is Manhattan-based Troma, which for 26 years has produced and distributed such outrageously over-the-top epics as "Killer Condom," "Cannibal! The Musical" and "The Toxic Avenger," its signature creation.
"Troma is probably the only studio other than Disney that has got a public awareness of the brand," says Lloyd Kaufman, the company's president and primary director.
Producing 35mm theatrical films on budgets of $250,000 to $500,000, Troma takes its independence seriously, evidenced by its having started its own festival in Park City -- Tromadance.
Among the biggest challenges for indies is distribution. Conglom-controlled theater chains have squeezed out independents to the point where some, such as Hollywood-based Full Moon Universe, which has scored genre hits with the "Puppet Master" and "Subspecies" series, no longer bothers with theatrical distribution, opting instead for video, DVD, cable and foreign markets.
"It's pretty suicidal to release these kinds of movies theatrically today, because most of the major tentpole A films are essentially the same pictures we're making, but with $100 million budgets," says Full Moon president Charles Band, whose company recently went public.
Taking a cue from A.I.P., which often sold its films on the basis of posters, Full Moon sells pics through a marketing campaign, then "backs into" a script. While the company has an ambitious 2001 production slate of 24 films, many of which will be filmed overseas for about $600,000, Band says even video distribution is tricky for an indie not aligned with a major studio.
"If Blockbuster for some reason doesn't put your product on the shelf, that's a big hit," he says.
For director Fred Olen Ray, whose company Synthetic Filmworks produces films in the $1 million to $2 million range, the key to survival is to trade up.
"The days of us making a picture for $125,000 is rare nowadays," says Ray, whose past films have included everything from campy R-rated horror flicks such as "Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers" to kids films like "Invisible Mom."
Now partnered with Venetian Pictures for films like "Venom," with Treat Williams; "Submerged," with Coolio; and "Act of Stealth," with Daniel Baldwin, Ray's films are low budget, but more mainstream.
"They look better because we're spending more money," Ray says. "Having the right wardrobe, art department, lighting package, and being able to afford real locations and enough extras makes a big difference."
