While Microsoft-backed Slate continues to be a little unclear on any specifics about its plan to charge readers, a smaller grass-roots online publication is launching headfirst into the subscription arena. indieWIRE, an independent film news service, sent out its last free email Friday; as of 5 January, it's being reinvented as a full-fledged filmmaking community topped of by a US$35-a-year news service.
"It's not any easier to be an independent filmmaker than it was a few years ago, but slowly and surely it's at least becoming easier to find and share information," says Eugene Hernandez, editor in chief of indieWIRE. "The growth of the Internet is an incredible resource to independent filmmakers, not only with regard to finding information about film festivals to apply to."
Hernandez sees great opportunity on the Net for supporting the community that indieWIRE has built.
indieWIRE started as a side project in spring 1995 by Eugene Hernandez and Mark Rabinowitz, independent filmmakers who had met at Sundance film festival. The indieWIRE editors compiled updates of film festivals, interviews with independent filmmakers, insider gossip, and industry news into a daily email; at Sundance, they produce a paper newsletter that has managed at times to scoop industry trades like Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety. A year and a half after launch, they are working on it full time, have more than 6,000 subscribers, and their Sundance newsletter has pulled in sponsors like Absolut and Miramax.
On 5 January at the Sundance Film Festival, the editors will debut indieWIRE 2.0, a relaunch intended to start paying the bills and develop a more interactive community center. A new Web site will focus on discussion forums, features, interviews, and a DIY section where known filmmakers like Sarah Jacobson (director of Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore) will dispense advice on how to get a film made and distributed. Global Media Design, will co-produce the Web site.
The daily email news service, in the meantime, will be revamped into two versions. A full subscription version, similar to the one currently dispensed for free, will be available for a $35 yearly subscription; but for those short on cash or unwilling to spend the money, a "summary" version will go out for free 12 hours later, and will link back to articles housed on the Web site. The news service will also be pushed out over PointCast, Netcaster, and a Microsoft ActiveDesktop channel.
Hernandez says it's important that the indieWIRE maintain as much free content as possible. "We're talking indie film here - people don't have much money to spend on anything, let alone information," he explains. But beyond the loyal - and broke - community of filmmakers, he's hoping that the healthy dose of current indieWIRE subscribers who work at major companies like Miramax, Fine Line, or October Films will be willing to pay to get the scoop faster. "The value of email is the convenience of having it delivered to you, and seeing it first."
A number of enthusiastic indieWIRE readers believe the gamble just may work. Currently, indieWIRE has little to no competition: trades like Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety may cover independent film, but from a Hollywood perspective, hidden by a huge amount of mainstream news. The only other resources for indie film news are a sprinkling of online weeklies (such as CineZine), or monthly magazines like Filmmaker. As filmmaker Doug Wolens points out, indieWIRE is one of the few places where filmmakers can consistently and reliably keep on top of often-ignored small film festivals, what films are opening, and what other filmmakers are thinking.
"For people who do read the trades, they can afford it, so why not support it?" says Adam Pincus, producer for the Sundance Channel's online venture. "I think it's a potential pitfall, but a lot of people will probably subscribe out of loyalty. I certainly will."
Meanwhile, others in the independent filmmaking community are eyeing indieWIRE's new subscription fees in the hopes that if it works for indieWIRE, maybe it could serve as a revenue model for their online projects too.
"The issue of economic models in cyberspace is really critical to small enterprises - you can only run on volunteer energy for so long. You have to have money to keep going," says Ruby Lerner, executive director of the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers. "We all have to ask, how are we going to sustain ourselves?"
