cinema ARG

Cinema ARG - Philadelphia

By lw ⋅ November 18, 2007 ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

The HEAD TRAUMA cinema ARG started as an alternate soundtrack project. Similar to the effect of lining up Pink Floyd’s Darkside of the Moon with the “Wizard of Oz,” we created an alternate soundtrack that could replace HEAD TRAUMA’s original soundtrack.

The soundtrack was released by Park the Van records two weeks after the DVD release of HEAD TRAUMA. The project helped to create press and awareness for the film with music fans.After a 17 theatrical release and a national DVD release, I thought that taking the alternate soundtrack on the road and combining it with theatrics, gaming and tech would be an interesting experiment. The first version of the cinema ARG (alternate reality game) took place in Philadelphia. The event was a collision of movies, music, gaming and theatrics.

In a previous post I questioned the viability of traditional theatrical releases for “truly” independent films. The cinema ARG has promise and event driven theatrical experiences could in fact become an interesting model for independent distro.- The event attracted regional and national press. Not only reviews but a collection of articles that explained the event. Even though I received press during HT’s theatrical release in Sept. 06 the mashup resulted in even more press.

- The ticket price was $14 dollars and over 150 people attended the event

- one night was better than the average gross of each of HT’s traditional theatrical week long runs. The event also allowed me to sell DVDs, Posters, and copies of the HT soundtrack.

- The HT mailing list grows as audience members sign up to receive updates about the film

- The evening was recorded and now there are more promotional materials for the film

- a behind the scenes doc, a new alternate soundtrack that syncs with the movie and a couple hundred photographs

- National press leads to a number of amazing opportunities. I’ve been contacted by managers, agents, advertising agencies, additional venues and sponsors that are interested in taking the cinema ARG on the road.

- The success of the first Cinema ARG leads to bookings in NYC, London, and San Francisco

- The Cinema ARG is picked up by a number of trend tracking firms who have the following to say:
“Director Lance Weiler has created a remix presentation of his cult indie horror flick Head Trauma, the result of which sounds like a good approximation of the future of film. …As theatres increasingly compete with home entertainment, we believe live film presentations such as this could be a way to keep audiences going out to movies.”

- Wired sends a reporter to the event.

Filmmaker Mashes Horror Flick With Live Music

Todd Jatras

Lance Weiler’s first film, The Last Broadcast — often called the original Blair Witch Project — was shot for less than $1,000. Yet it grossed $4.5 million and became the first film to be transmitted via satellite directly to theaters.

His encore? A traveling live-music mashup involving cell phones, big screens, indie rockers and meandering actors. The project showcases his latest film, Head Trauma, a tale of psychological horror involving protagonist George Walker (shown), a drifter who has inherited a condemned house. “This is one of the only films where you’ll be asked to keep your cell phone on during the screening,” says Weiler.

Director Tommy Pallotta, who produced A Scanner Darkly, likens Weiler’s work to early Roman Polanski, “the Repulsion, Rosemary’s Baby era, very unlike movies like 300, which is a perfect example of how attention is focused on the technology that shows up on screen.” Weiler’s work is in-your-face horror created with guerrilla tech techniques like off-the-shelf cameras hacked for particular shots.

Starting this summer, Weiler plans to take his live mashup — dubbed Version 1.0, or Beta — on the road with a multi-city tour and a revolving cast of musicians and actors. Version 2.0 will likely roll out in New York and London before moving on to Los Angeles and Ohio later this year. He’s currently in negotiations with New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of the Moving Image about performing the show for their crowds.

Read More and See Photos at Wired.

OVERALL: Even though it was a lot of work, I think an event based theatrical model can be the right answer for films looking to stand out in a crowded market. The important element is finding the right event to center around your work. A good starting point is to identify your film’s hooks. What is it about your film that people will find interesting? Once you figure out the hooks then you can start to build an event. If you do move forward with an event based screening we’d love to hear about it. Send your emails to work [@] workbookproject.com