Independent Films: The Influence Of An Independent Film

Independent film is in many ways, an oxymoron. At one point the well-known independent films truly were independent from the influence of the major studios. They were creations from the artistic ideas and expressions of persons free from the influence and oversight of a studio. While there still is a plethora of independent filmmakers throughout the country and worldwide, the independent films that receive the most exposure tend to at some point receive support from a major studio or one of the studio’s distributors. The problem with independent film is the label people associate with it. What constitutes an independent film? Is it total creative autonomy free from a studio, and inevitably, free from the financial support that studio and their

Some examples of this include Samuel Goldwyn belonging to MGM, Fine Line belonging to Time-Warner, and October belonging to Universal. While not all consumers viewing a film may not at first make the connection that a company such as October belongs to Universal, the major studio influence is at play. Major studios also acknowledge that there is a market appeal to producing independent films. Often times the audiences for these films are more mature, older adults than the demographics many summer blockbuster films are marketed towards (How Indies Can Survive and Even Thrive in a Blockbuster World.). This more mature demographic is valuable for the studios to acknowledge since they tend to have more disposable income than the younger audiences and by generating content that is more palatable for this more mature demographic, the studios continue to expand their market

Many of the major studio horror films are marketed towards a PG-13 through R audience. The genre has evolved over time where it is at a point that the blockbusters seem to follow a basic formula that is easily replicated. Jump scares and loud noises are common throughout many of these films, which tend to be released in mass as the years start to reach the autumn season. Sequels and reboots to the major horror franchises are also commonplace for studios, one such example is the Saw franchise. Independent horror films differ from this strategy. Typically they rely on either a unique character or focus on building elements of suspense. They don’t often rely on jump scares, rather opting for an emphasis on acting, direction, editing, and a cohesive script. One such example of a successful independent horror film would be El Orfanato, which New Line Cinema eventually purchased the rights of the film after its release in American