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Entrepreneurial Challenges in the Current Philippine Independent Cinema Scene

Carlito P. Casaje

Abstract This paper sought to research the probable ways by which independent films can be successfully marketed and become a potential moneymaker despite its seemingly non-commercially viable and hardly explored marketable qualities. It was also tackled in this paper out-of-the-box entrepreneurial strategies in promotions, marketing, advertising, sales and distribution of these independent films. It also analyzed the experiences of producer/filmmakers who continuously do their best to reconcile the aesthetic and the commercial aspects of the film in order to survive box office challenges, not to mention formulations and implementations of a specialized cooperative which has so far gained ground in displaying entrepreneurial promise for the future of independent cinema.

Keywords:

cinema, entrepreneurial strategies, independent cinema, Filipino filmmaker, Philippine cinema

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Introduction According to Tioseco (2009), One beautiful thing about the world of cinema today is that the borders that separate us are becoming thinner and thinner. As the speed and ways by which we communicate become faster and more sophisticated, so too does the transmission of culture-of images and sounds, news and art. I tackled in this paper the reason for which the Philippine Independent cinema scene started almost accidentally, or rather coincidentally, with a very casual and nonchalant whimper. For almost half a century, the Philippine Mainstream Cinema as an industry has dominated film audiences and consumers through veritably guaranteed box office success until during its comatose phase, when in the late 90s, film piracy became a major revenue depleting culprit not only in the global film arena but also in the Music Recording industry. In fact, the Music Recording industry was adversely affected by this phenomenon first before its wrath caught up with film, through the sudden downtrend of sales in the record bars and movie houses. Consumers would just be contented in buying pirated CDs and DVDs or download them absolutely free from popular service providers in the internet. Why buy a Compact Disc (CD), Digital Video Disc (DVD), or a movie ticket if the film or music could be seen or heard for free through Ipod or laptop or if not, buy a pirated but equally clear blue ray or high definition version of it but at 50 to even 70% less than its original price? Rock Star Bono in one interview was quoted saying that, Downloading films from the internet may soon be faster than you think, maybe even faster than my three minute rock song. Discussion Comatose. The inevitable near death experience of Philippine Mainstream Cinema came caused by film piracy and the death of intellectual property rights in cyberspace. But arent these the same culprits
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worldwide? Yes, but theres more to these usual suspects in the Philippines than anywhere else. The stiff amusement tax imposed by the government is one significant factor. Another is the deregulation of Hollywood films being shown in nationwide cinemas which exposes the Filipino Film as failing miserably when compared to such synergistic entertainment packages as Spiderman or Transformers. Renaissance. Yet little did we know that the genius of digital technology would be the saving grace of Philippine Cinema, although not yet fully realized. Categorically yes, digital cinema has revived the Philippine Cinema Scene. But the Filipino moviegoers mindset, quite sadly has sputtered in Dengue infested stagnant waters. It is very true that Digital filmmaking has reduced the amount of production cost in half, but highly bankable stars rather act for the major networks television (TV) melodrama serials because they are assured of a more stable income as opposed to the measly rates they receive in doing indie films. The result then is the non-commercial viability of independent films due to their featuring of non-bankable stars. Filipino film audiences refuse to watch films whose actors are not popular enough for their taste. The film becomes a box office letdown which eventually leads to the producer losing their one and only shirt. Compromise. The Filipino film moviegoers think that independently produced films or indie films, as opposed to the commercial films produced by big time and high risk producers, are small films. They are small in terms of budget requirement and allocation, small in terms of scope, (because one cant really do a colossal epic with a shoestring budget anyway), small in the choice of casting bankable stars, and small in terms of storyline. But what moviegoers dont know is that what defines the smallness or bigness of a film is its ability to tell the truth truthfully, and the ability to share both the real and the imagined with some sense of believability. That is what most, if not all, indie filmmakers
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are doing now to show only one genre the truth, which now goes without saying that the Filipino Film Industry has indeed awaken itself from its comatose state, and thus has transcended in a different light. Such transcendence cannot be quantitatively measured in peso or dollar signs but rather in something intangible, and something more meaningful than the fullness of an ATM account. But then again, we cannot for all intents and purposes, rest on such transcendence or at the very least transition if we dont consider the commercial aspects of the art. The Filipino independent film sector has to survive, and with that, we are beholding a threshold of possibilities. One such possibility for its hopeful revival is the launch of the Filipino Independent Filmmakers Multi-purpose Cooperative (IFC). The filmmaker as entrepreneur. A word from the wise. According to Lee (2009), when you produce a movie, you get all the right people to work on it, and work on it with love. You get friends and family to invest quite a immense sum in it. The ample love and the substantial production budget show in the final product - what a good work it is. In terms of material, its accessible enough to a wide audience, and then it is a popular genre movie. Definitely, you are sure people will like it. Lets use that word: its commercial! Brass stacks. This filmmakers cooperatives objectives are: (1) to provide independent film services such as, but not limited to production, distribution, exhibition, marketing, importation and exportation of film equipment and facilities and other similar activities; (2) to generate a source of loans for filmmaking and the welfare of its members; (3) to provide training and education programs in filmmaking aspects; and (4) to procure and sell goods and services for the benefit and use of its members. Marketing paradigm. The marketing paradigm that the Cooperative which Im representing is called niche marketing or rather alternative
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marketing, as opposed to mass marketing. We have long identified the market (schools, film enthusiasts) and this is the market were generally looking to tap into right now. The vision. The cooperatives vision is to have an empowered and ethical cooperative of committed united, independent filmmakers, artists and workers, bound by common dreams and advocacies, trust amidst diversity; managed with passion, determination and creativity; sharing resources and nurturing skills, towards the propagation and sustainability of Philippine independent cinema. The mission. The drives and objectives of the Philippine Independent Multipurpose Filmmakers Cooperative (IFC), based on the forum with other non-member filmmakers held during the 2010 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in July of this year are: 1. to unite the industry; 2. to fight for the filmmakers rights and demands; 3. to look for alternative theatre venues; 4. to lobby for legislation (slashing amusement tax rate/amusement tax rebate proposal, among other concerns); 5. to conjure a proper set-up (Indies on Demand or how much are you willing to pay? scheme) during private screenings, or that which is within the context of why it is being screened rather than for its mere entertainment value inside a movie theatre; 6. to further bond/unite the indie filmmakers since there is more power in such bonding; 7. to serve as conduit/support to the filmmaker/producers online and offline bookings (amazon.com, etc.), distribution, production (Cineluwagan), marketing, promotions, distribution and advertising; 8. to act as a collective spokesperson to government and non-government agencies and networks associated with
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film production, booking and distribution, such as the Movie, Television, and Radio Classification Board (MTRCB), (Movie Workers Welfare Fund (MOWELFUND), Film Ratings Board (FRB), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), Philippine Association of Talent Managers Inc., (PAMI), Metro Manila Theatres Association (MMTA), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Commission for Higher Education (CHED), Department of Education (DEPED), among others; and 9. to apply the educational components and rationale of the art and craft of film as technical tax shelter. The indiesine. One of the IFCs main drives is to provide venues for indie filmmaker to exhibit their films. IndieSine is a response to the growing clamor for a theatre that caters exclusively to the rare and usually inaccessible indie movies. The theatre that caters to digital films dubbed as Indiesine located inside the Robinsons Galleria Mall in Ortigas, Pasig City is the currently identified specialized venue for such film format. Though the SM Megamall along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Mandaluyong City also welcomes digitally produced indie films, their reservation for not exhibiting Rated-18 rated films or films rated for adults only still stands firm. This managerial prerogative was implemented during the late 90s and such a prejudicial policy has remained steadfast up to the very date of this paper, which to the filmmakers point of view is anachronistic and contradictory to the very essence of independence in independent filmmaking. This policy also holds true for Filipino mainstream films. What is even more irritating is the same managements hypocritical bias in R-18 Hollywood films being given priority over all locally produced films through their theatre exhibition distribution and bookings. The poor independent Filipino filmmaker is in a bind. He or she is at the mercy of big time theatre owners who can whimsically change policy as a sleight of hand. Thus, we see the kind of lukewarm support being given by the government because they think that they have no capacity to come in and arbitrate at the very least, if not meddle in settling the issue.
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The Indiesine cinema at Robinsons Galleria is not catering to Filipino indie films. The management is now using it to exhibit commercially produced films, mostly Hollywood imports. In short, the venue itself is now just one of the regular theatre venues in the mall. The name does not hold any meaning for the moment. According to management, there are not enough indie films worth exhibiting commercially. Well obviously, that of course is a purely subjective as well as self-fulfilling comment. I hope it lives up to its name soon. But with all these problems and concerns that Filipino independent filmmakers face, I guess that as a filmmaker myself, it is only in our undaunted and relentless attitude as artists which keeps us ever resilient in battling the forces of commercial expediencies. Yet, the fact that we are even talking of entrepreneurial innovations appears ironic. Conclusion and Recommendation According to Lee (2009) a good movie of more modest means, on the other hand, can open moderately and still, thanks to word of mouth, work its way to box office success. You just have to light the match that will start the wildfire. There are at least five ways by which an independent filmmaker can recoup, if not earn revenues, from his or her investment as a producer. I am saying this for practical reasons, or reasons that could still be considered valid to an artist willing to strip for his art. But that, of course should not be the case for I believe that there is always a solution to everything, especially to anything that is quantifiable. These ways are as follows: (1) revenues incurred from premier and regular theatre box office sales; (2) revenues from group, package or individual ticket sales incurred during university tours, or rather, sales for taking the film to schools for aesthetics and production appreciation seminar-workshops where a questionand-answer forum culminates with the educational component of the viewing experience; (3) revenues incurred from television rights; (4) revenues incurred from cable rights; and (5) revenue incurred from video rights, which by the way, should be the final
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scheme to employ, because once the film is finally released in the market through the video stalls and shops, there is absolutely no possible way by which one can apply the other previously mentioned schemes. Another offshoot scheme is to enter the films in film festivals here and abroad, although not all festivals, in fact most of them, grant monetary awards as prizes. The mere prestige of the award is in itself a great publicity, promotional and marketing plus, especially if the awards come from prestigious international festivals such as in Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. These strategies are also being applied by the mainstream or big time movie producers (excluding the university tour scheme) but others are already slowly getting the hang of it on a case-tocase basis, or when they think that their films genre is generally fit for educational instruction or anything for that purpose. The other non-traditional strategies and concerns relevant to the entrepreneurial thrusts and objectives of the Philippine Independent Filmmakers Multi-purpose Cooperative are: 1. to network and partner marketwise and promotions wise with different media organizations and the academe; 2. to identify and underscore academic links via zone mapping (Calabrazon, etc.); 3. to continuously instill film consciousness and awareness by discussing film as an insightful tool in imbuing life affirming and probably rehabilitating moments, if applicable, and to likewise discuss film as a form of discourse and as a kind of cognitive experience; 4. to focus on school tours as an educational component in blended and dual learning pedagogy; 5. to represent the producer/filmmaker in film exchange programs, festivals and invitational film screenings here and abroad; 6. to represent the producer/filmmaker in the facilitation of requirements, such as in the securing and issuance of MTRCB permits, documents, etc.;

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7. to erase altogether audiences impression of independently produced films as small films; 8. to utilize the Cooperatives (IFC) website in the marketing of indie films; 9. to dispel biased ratings and impressions unfairly linked with indies; 10. to further enhance its advocacy in the mixing of sound business with corporate social responsibility (CSR); 11. to facilitate in the proposals for grants or requests for grants from government and non-government agencies, networks, embassies, etc.; 12. to encourage socialized marketing in matters of ticket, group and package pricing, percentages, granting commissions, case-to-case sharing schemes as opposed to flat rates; and 13. to encourage schools in the putting up of film clubs and of holding regular film screenings as part of their film appreciation program. When it comes to concerns on the intriguing mix of business and art, there are basically two types of independent filmmakers, at least in the Philippines: the art house filmmakers, or filmmakers who focus more on the aesthetics and craft of filmmaking and in which case are more experimental and non-traditional with their works; and the crossover filmmakers, or the filmmakers who are used to the rudiments and practice of mainstream filmmaking since they have already experienced completing projects for giant commercial film producers. They are the filmmakers who once in a while cross over to independent filmmaking and back by either producing or co-producing their films. Expect an interesting clash between the general views of these two types of filmmakers. Art house filmmakers are mostly out-of-the-box thinkers who dont care if they strip or not until its far too late for them to produce their vanity films. Crossover filmmakers are more careful when it comes to their choices in casting, subject matter, and genre and film style. They know more or less the general pulse of the Filipino audience. They know what the audience wants because they know what it takes to at least
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get a return on investment (ROI) if not earn some money and are also aware of stripping if theyre not careful enough to listen to what the audience wants. Thus, depending on the filmmakers personal intention(s), the amount of compromise may or may not come in, or rather, if this premise is posed as a rhetoric or a question, it would have been posed as, how much compromise are you willing to let go in exchange for your integrity as an artist and fulfillment to your personal vision, craft and artistry? In cases when art and business are fused together, the art of compromise naturally comes in. I call it an art because it is always a wonderful challenge to toe the line, or rather, walk over this very thin tightrope between losing money, getting it back or profiting from it at the end of the day by either sacrificing a fraction of your art or fighting for it as an all or nothing proposal. I think that this paper should only deal with those who are willing to sacrifice on losing these fractions, regardless of how big or small, and how much ones artistic pride is possibly hurt. References Baumgarte, T. (Ed.). (2007). Kino-sine: Philippine-German cinema relations. Manila: Goethe Institut Manila and Anvil Publishing. Cinemalaya 2010 IFC Forum: A Cooperative for Independent Filmmakers, July 2010, Silangan Hall, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Pasay City, Philippines. Indie Bravo: IFC Newsletter. (2009, October). Cinemanila 2009 goes to Taguig. Pasig: Philippine Independent Filmmakers Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Lee, R. (2009, October). Indie marketing: The KimmyDora experience. Indie Bravo: IFC Newsletter. San Diego, B. (2010, March 14). Forum: State of IndieSine. Philippine Daily Inquirer. San Diego, B. (2010, May 17). Dolores versus the giants. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Tioseco, A. A. (2009, October). Criticine 1. Indie Bravo: IFC Newsletter.

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