I’m Sick of This Trend
Look, I’ve been in this industry for 20+ years. I’ve seen trends come and go. But this one? It’s gotta stop.
I’m talking about Hollywood’s obsession with either blockbusters or micro-budget indies. Where are the mid-budget films? You know, the ones that cost $20-30 million to make? The ones that actually tell stories?
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and I heard a studio exec say, “We’re not making those anymore. It’s either $200 million or $2 million.” I mean, come on!
I get it. Studios are scared. They see a film like The Room make a killing, and they think, “Let’s just make a bunch of those.” But that’s not cinema. That’s exploitation.
But What About the Numbers?
Okay, fine. Let’s talk numbers. I’m not great with spreadsheets, but even I can see that mid-budget films used to make money. Like, alot of money.
Take Sideways. It cost $6 million to make and made $71 million. That’s a succesfully film, right? Or Little Miss Sunshine. $8 million budget, $100 million gross. Boom. But now? Forget about it.
I was talking to a friend of mine, let’s call him Marcus, over coffee at the place on 5th. He’s a producer. He told me, “Studios are scared to take risks. They’d rather bet on a sure thing, even if it’s a $200 million sure thing that might not even break even.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But that’s not how art works. Art is about taking risks. It’s about exploring new ideas, new stories, new perspectives.
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on Streaming
Oh, and streaming? Don’t even get me started. I love streaming. I’m a huge fan. But it’s killing mid-budget films. Why? Because studios think they can just churn out content and hope something sticks. They’re not investing in stories anymore. They’re investing in algorithms.
I was at a party last Tuesday, and I ran into a colleague named Dave. He’s a screenwriter. He told me, “I used to pitch scripts. Now I just get emails asking for ‘content.’ It’s dehumanizing.”
I mean, come on. We’re talking about people’s lives here. We’re talking about stories that matter. We’re talking about art.
But There’s Hope
Okay, okay. I’m not all doom and gloom. There’s hope. There are still people out there fighting for mid-budget films. Fighting for stories.
Take Parasite. It cost $11 million to make and won the Oscar for Best Picture. Boom. Or Get Out. $4.5 million budget, $255 million gross. Boom again.
And there are still studios out there committed to telling stories. A24, Focus Features, even some of the bigger studios are starting to see the light.
But it’s not enough. We need more. We need studios to commit to mid-budget films. To take risks. To tell stories.
And if you’re an aspiring filmmaker, don’t let anyone tell you that your film is “too mid-budget.” Fight for your vision. Fight for your story. Fight for your art.
And if you’re thinking about starting an e-commerce business to fund your film, check out this e-ticaret işletme kurma rehber. I mean, why not? It’s a crazy world out there.
A Tangent: The Rise of the Algorithm
Speaking of algorithms, have you noticed how everything is starting to feel the same? Like, we’re all just feeding into this big machine that’s spitting out content. It’s kinda scary, honestly.
I was watching TV the other night, and I realized I had seen the same joke three times in one hour. Three times! On three different shows! It’s like the algorithms are just recycling the same stuff over and over again.
But I digress. Back to mid-budget films.
So What Can We Do?
So what can we do? We can support mid-budget films. We can go see them in theaters. We can talk about them on social media. We can write about them. We can fight for them.
And we can demand more from studios. We can tell them that we want stories. We want art. We want cinema.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. It’s about telling stories. It’s about connecting with people. It’s about making art.
And we can’t let algorithms and spreadsheets take that away from us.
So let’s fight. Let’s fight for mid-budget films. Let’s fight for stories. Let’s fight for cinema.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson has been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years, working with major publications and covering everything from Hollywood blockbusters to indie gems. She’s passionate about storytelling and isn’t afraid to call out the industry when it’s dropping the ball. When she’s not editing, you can find her at her local film club or ranting about the latest streaming trend on Twitter.
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