Amazon is Looking to Produce Feature Films that Come from You
Amazon.com is expending their horizons. The website site is mostly known for selling pretty much everything you want or need online. Now they are looking at getting into the film business. They just launched a new website called Amazon Studios.
It's at this new site that users, like yourself, can upload their scripts, movies, storyboards, shorts and more. The users can then go through and edit and evaluate each others work, give constructive criticism, and make good scripts better. At least that's the goal. The best stuff to come through will eventually be shown to Warner Bros., who has an exclusive first look deal with Amazon. On top of all that they are going to give away a million dollars a year in monthly prizes to the best received work! "Work judged the best by a panel of experts and company executives will be brought to Warner Bros."
This sounds like a freakin' great idea! This is an avenue that actually gives aspiring filmmakers a chance to get their work out in the world and get noticed, with the possibility of breaking into one of the hardest industries to get a start in. The head of Amazon Roy Price had this to say:
It’s much easier now to make movies but it’s still as hard as ever to break into Hollywood. We think we can play an interesting role in changing that.
The LA Times also reports that "In exchange for submitting material, users will give Amazon an 18 months of exclusive rights, an “option” in industry parlance, to their work. That type of restriction without payment is likely to deter working filmmakers and screenwriters and make Amazon Studios a home for rookies only.”
The whole business model was set up to make money, so movies will be made. If they don't make movies off this then what's the point? They won't make a profit. It's in their best interest to help aspiring filmmakers! Price went on to say,
The goal is to get commercial feature films made and distributed through the studio system. That’s the only way this project can make any money.
This is all very exciting, and I am looking forward to seeing what comes of this idea.
If you are are an aspiring filmmaker what do you think of this whole Amazon Studios set up?