Creator of Small films

Greater appeal

With production houses backing their stories, films with novel narratives are getting a shot in the arm, and film-makers can heave a sigh of relief, that their labour of love will indeed see the light of the day. Hence, a small film like Filmistaan was able to make its presence felt when it released simultaneously with an Akshay Kumar-starrer, Holiday A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. “Independent film-makers have the liberty to experiment with novel ideas, something that is not possible in a big star movie,” said Ajay Bahl who directed B.A. Pass. While a few years ago, it was difficult to convince production houses to finance their projects, with the growing exposure to the internet, the market for such films is growing. Made on a small budget, with a limited marketing strategy, such films when released pick up through word-of-mouth publicity or when it is discussed on the social networking sites. “Content driven films rely more on word-of-mouth and that is why it’s important to show the movie to the right influencers who can spread the initial word,” said Guneet Monga, co-founder of Shikhya Entertainment.
Arun Rangachari of DAR Motion Pictures, however feels that, “Small films still have to put up a fight to make themselves commercially visible. Films like Shahid need a backing from big production house in terms of marketing and promotions in order to make their mark at the box-office. Films like The Lunchbox, Ship Of Theseus are a few films that did well commercially. But even those films are watched by a niche audience.”
When a production house backs a small film with good content, it also adds to their repertoire, when these films are showcased at film fests abroad. “Earning a profit, is of prime importance for studios. Therefore, any film that is marketed and distributed by them is based on their calculation of the potential of a movie, irrespective of what budget or scale it is made on,” said Monga. However, once the movie hits the theaters, it is the audience that decides the fate of the movie, be it a masala entertainer with an A-list star cast or a movie made with newcomers with a storyline that manages to grab the viewers attention.

Giving a push

With production houses easily accessible to independent film-makers, Bahl opines, “When small films are encouraged, budding actors like Rajkummar Rao are discovered.” With the backing of a production house who ensures a good commercial release, not only the maker but also the actor gains recognition for his talent, opening up avenues for future projects. When Ragini MMS became a commercial hit, it paved the way for its sequel, thus turning it into a profitable franchise for ALT Entertainment. “Creative liberty is given by a production house to the film-maker as they have confidence in the vision of the maker. Also it is a boon when a production house is backing your film as it gives the required exposure to the film” says Kanu Behl.
Besides, with big production houses in a stronger position to negotiate with the exhibitors, small films backed by them automatically stand to gain as opposed to an independent film-maker who has little or no standing power in the market. “UTV Motion Pictures can club a small budget film along with their big ticket movie like P.K. if they are planning to release a small film and help it get better screen space. The production company can also negotiate in a better manner with the exhibitors for the satellite rights,” said Rangachari.

Marketing strategy

With marketing and promotion becoming vital aspects in the process of film-making, big production houses with their infrastructure and manpower are also in a better position to market such films. No doubt the pressure to market such films with fresh faces is difficult, the challenge lies in their marketing strategy and how successful they are in capturing the audience attention. “Promoting any film in todays time is very difficult and you have to be innovative because we have a discerning audience who is intelligent and interested in watching a good movie” says Behl. Rangachari feels that, “The current controversial poster of Filmistaan was a good marketing technique and played on the comic element, which is the genre of the movie.”
Deciding on the marketing budget for a small film is also very important, as the risk of recovering the cost is high. “Films that are more content driven and not led by stars do face a challenge of raising the basic level of awareness. Hence, the emphasis is more on coming up with a key idea that is unique and one that grabs attention. Since most of the times resources are also limited, the marketing spends need to be more judicious,” added Monga.
With Indian movies making a mark on international shores and given the general mood prevalent amongst the masses, high quality content and experimental cinema that promises to entertain are emerging as the deciding factors that define the course of film-making today.