Interesting read, I love seeing the way many indie artists are embracing the new platforms that enable distribution of their work and generate income doing so.
Living in New Zealand not only are we one of the more isolated countries to operate in, pre-internet we had a small audience with a total population which has just hit 4 million in recent years. It was very difficult for performers or creatives in any genre or discipline to survive. The internet meant instead of a local niche market, kiwi artisans can now work into a global niche, so a few thousand potential audience/customers is now millions.
Yes the overall spends and incomes may be growing but the scruples of those at the controls need to be more transparent. I can draw on my experience as a featured actor in Lord Of The Rings as anecdotal evidence. NZ is being sold as a destination for Hollywood and other global film making studios. Instead of enjoying a residual income from merchandise bearing my characters likeness in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, we were advised by New Line and partners that they had in fact made a loss after selling over US$11 of merchandise bearing my characters likeness!
These companies will do whatever it takes to wrest money away from the independents, the Kim Dotcom case in NZ being a perfect example of the influence they can call upon and power they yield. The increase in box office etc does not automatically translate into a healthier industry unless there is transparency in the accounting at the business end.
I'm raving, it is a bitter pill to have had to swallow, being significantly involved in work that generates billions of dollars and then to have to continue to survive on a month to month basis.
Keep up the great work Twchdirt
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Re: MPAA, experience from Lord Of The Rings
Interesting read, I love seeing the way many indie artists are embracing the new platforms that enable distribution of their work and generate income doing so.
Living in New Zealand not only are we one of the more isolated countries to operate in, pre-internet we had a small audience with a total population which has just hit 4 million in recent years. It was very difficult for performers or creatives in any genre or discipline to survive. The internet meant instead of a local niche market, kiwi artisans can now work into a global niche, so a few thousand potential audience/customers is now millions.
Yes the overall spends and incomes may be growing but the scruples of those at the controls need to be more transparent. I can draw on my experience as a featured actor in Lord Of The Rings as anecdotal evidence. NZ is being sold as a destination for Hollywood and other global film making studios. Instead of enjoying a residual income from merchandise bearing my characters likeness in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, we were advised by New Line and partners that they had in fact made a loss after selling over US$11 of merchandise bearing my characters likeness!
These companies will do whatever it takes to wrest money away from the independents, the Kim Dotcom case in NZ being a perfect example of the influence they can call upon and power they yield. The increase in box office etc does not automatically translate into a healthier industry unless there is transparency in the accounting at the business end.
I'm raving, it is a bitter pill to have had to swallow, being significantly involved in work that generates billions of dollars and then to have to continue to survive on a month to month basis.
Keep up the great work Twchdirt