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Press Contact: Michael Dennis Hukilau |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
HUKILAU PROPOSES A NEW WAY TO PRODUCE ENTERTAINMENT LOS ANGELES, CA 01/11/10 - DPRGRM/Pilotlite, Michael Mailer Films and ELC Technologies announced today a joint venture to launch a "crowdsource" style studio called "Hukilau". Hukilau will offer services to film, video and Alternate Reality Game projects for crowdsource funding and staffing, matching funds, distribution and marketing services for aspiring and established creators and producers alike. "We are looking to revolutionize the way independent films and video content is produced, financed, and distributed utilizing 21st Century web technologies." said Michael Mailer, a Hukilau founder. The barrier to entry for independent filmmaking is at an all time high and yet we are witnessing fewer and fewer productions getting off the ground. At some point in the near future there will be shortage of product to fill the myriad pipelines of traditional and digital distribution. We believe Hukilau will be uniquely poised to fill the gap of quality filmmaking while opening up the process for the next generation of talented filmmakers," said Michael Mailer, a Hukilau founder. Crowdsourcing is a term used for the act of taking tasks traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, and outsourcing them to a group of people or community, through an "open call" to a large group of people (a crowd) asking for contributions. The term has become popular with businesses, authors, and journalists as shorthand for the trend of leveraging the mass collaboration enabled by Web 2.0 technologies to achieve business goals. Hukilau will be applying this method to the funding and staffing of video, film and ARG projects. "Hukilau is a response to the current and future predicaments facing medium to low budget film. Namely, that funding for traditional sources (i.e. studios, networks and even angel investors) has become almost non-existent for such projects." Said Hukilau founder, Joseph Matheny. He continued. "This predicament also spells a lack of viewing choices for fans of those films as well. We propose to spearhead our solution with a site that functions as a portal for first time or established filmmakers to propose short or feature length film/video or ARG style projects to a community of film enthusiasts and aspiring or established producers for crowdsource style funding. It could also be used for a number of projects, like aspiring bands wanting to make a music video. " "Hukilau also functions as a viewing station for film and video enthusiasts to view, purchase, rate and interact with content, other enthusiasts and content creators. By providing cutting edge distribution techniques and channels, we propose to build a supply and demand chain for a market that is all but being abandoned by modern media studios and networks. I made the decision to include Alternate Reality Game style projects because I think the next generation of storytelling will happen in a transmedia environment. I'd like to help that discipline find its feet and grow into its potential. We had achieved great success with Pilotlite, including local and national news coverage, so we felt it was time to take it to the next level." In order to submit a project for consideration, a creator must present a finished treatment, a budget and a schedule. A finished script and trailer is optional but helpful. Once a committee has approved the project, it is then placed in a "showroom" which allows aspiring and established producers and crew to contribute or volunteer. Once a project has reached its' funding goals, the funds are released on schedule. Creators are encouraged to use the Hukilau digital distribution channel for finished projects as well.
"Hollywood Blockbuster" is a cliché and will soon be an oxymoron. The best filmmaking awards should be given to blockbuster trailer editors." Said Hukilau Founder, Jonathan Siegel. He continued, "When was the last time you were excited to go to the movies? It's been years--I have distant memories of seeing stupendous stories by passionate performers. Now I cringe when I purchase a Hollywood movie for background noise. The Hollywood model needs to change. The cost to produce a film is at an all-time low. Instead of fewer movies that cost more, I want to see many, many more movies that cost less. I want to support nascent filmmakers who have a fire in their belly. I want to encourage commercially successful filmmakers to rediscover their art and passion.
The ecosystem for movie birthing, funding, development, production and distribution is changing. It is changing faster than the major film studios can adapt--the new ecosystem will put the gatekeepers into a lesser role--like has happened for music labels. Hukilau is a vision for the new ecosystem. Do you have a passion to tell a story in film? Come to Hukilau and find community support--from financing to teammates. Gain sophisticated online engagement tools for your fans and take feedback as you see fit. When you are ready--release your movie and keep the lion's share of your proceeds--or bring onboard a Hukilau partner to do the marketing and press thing for you. It's a completely new model that meets the market need with a vision to the future of the industry. " About DPRGRM
About ELC Technologies ELC Technologies has its headquarters in Santa Barbara, California, and international offices in London, England. ELC is the high performance product team" and the "creation engine" behind this venture. More information at http://www.elctech.com/ ###
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