Washington Business Daily

How does Film Franchises negatively impact independent films?

I was curious as to how Film Franchises (ex. Shrek - Burger King, Online Games, etc.) negatively affects domestically produced independent films?

Public Comments

1. Independant films need lots of marketing push to get noticed, otherwise no ones evens knows about them unless they made a huge splash in some high-profile movie festival or award ceremony. in addition, Indie films are usually not meant for audiences at large, meaning that a dsitributor would not be able to find a large financial niche for it to make profit. Hence,, distributors rarely take a chance onthem other than limited release to get a chance at the Oscars. Franchises, on the other hand, are pre-sold money makers. People KNOW about them, and are ready to pay ticket price even if its a bad movie - because it offers the comfort and security of familiar territory. Distributors aren't afraid to release them widely because they'll mostly make money whatever the critical outcome. So franchise entries flood the market for being surefire moeny makers, and make sure that films with more controversial and riskier subject matters produced on smaller budgets and marketed with even less have little to no place at the multiplex.
2. A big name HOLLYWOOD major studio franchise film like Shrek which has endorvcements from Burger King, M & Ms, games,etc is different from an indy film like the Visitor (which is NOW on DVD--and you should get)/ The indy film used to be an ary house film. Those type of films use to win awards and not have great runs. Some art house films like My Fat Greek Wedding and Clerks has become main stream films. So it has not been negative, it just a different marketplace