It’s been fascinating to track writer-director-producer-actor Edward Burns these last few years as he has plunged headlong into ultra low-budget filmmaking. First there was Nice Guy Johnny which I covered a lot on GITS including here. Now the followup film Newlyweds:
A newlywed couple’s honeymoon is upended by the arrival of their respective sisters.
Here is the movie trailer:
When I say ultra low budget, I mean it: Nice Guy Johnny had a production budget of $25K. Newlyweds supposedly cost less.
Burns’ approach is not just budgets: These films bypass theatrical release entirely. For example, when Newlyweds comes out on December 26, you will be able to watch it on VOD, buy a digital download or DVD, or rent a digital copy.
One way Burns keeps the cost down: He writes the script and directs the movie himself. And in the case of Newlyweds, he’s also one of the lead actors. He relies heavily on Twitter for many aspects of the process including marketing, sourcing original music, soliciting one-sheet proposals, etc.
So basically Burns is not only into profit on the first day of the movie’s release, he also owns the copyright.
Wave of the future?
For more information, you can visit Burns’ site here.
Also if you Google search GITS using “edward burns” and “nice guy johnny,” you will find a bunch of posts with links.
Saw this at Tribeca, closing night – it’s a solid film. I’m a huge fan of the way that he just goes out and makes his films, without waiting for anyone else to give him permission. I wish him the best with this one and many, many more!
Agreed, Shane, and one of the reasons I’ve been tracking Burns so much the last two years, perhaps the front edge of the next wave of DIY filmmaking. Financing, marketing and distribution have been the kicker in indie film world for years. He takes care of financing by the stories he chooses to tell (small casts, minimal locations, no travel costs, short script, tight shooting schedule). Distribution is all the digital platforms available to all filmmakers. Where Burns differs from Regular Joe Filmmakers is he has a name. Burns can get on Good Morning America to promote his movies. He has enough of a following he can use social media to good effect. That is still an issue for unknown filmmakers, and may be always come down to the uniqueness of story concept, performances of actors, buzz movie generates, and so forth. But as discussed, Burns is carving some sort of path through all this, hopefully expanding the playing field.
Very intriguing and very cool. But yes, in terms of the non-star filmmaker, would be much tougher to do without the social media base and ability to draw publicity to the film.
How is he into profit though from the get go? Are you just saying bc the budget is so low he’d only need like 2000 rentals/buys?
Yes, Vince, his out of pocket costs are so low that Nice Guy Johnny was into profit almost from Day 1. There was production cost $27K. Then no marketing dollars. No out of pocket distribution dollars. Assuming he had some net or gross participation deals with talent, that could cut into his own profit, but in terms of the movie being in the black, yes, NGJ was there from early on after its release.