Paramount Enters the World of Microbudget Filmmaking

It seems the rumblings in the indie film world haven't fallen on deaf ears outside of it. According to IndieWIRE, Paramount recently formed a business model to make 20 micro-budgeted features all for a combined budget of $1 million. While we in the trenches of the micro budget, DIY filmmaking realm figure out better, grassroots ways to use the internet to reach out to our audience, Hollywood likes the way we sound. They even have the performance of last years break out smash hit Paranormal Activity to look up to, and now they feel they can do it again. And with the right amount of marketing dollars and Tinseltown machinery, maybe they can. What do you think? Feeling the sense that you, indie in spirit and approach, are being watched?




"After effectively abandoning specialty films, Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures is expected to officially unveil a new division for micro-budget movies today. Dubbed Insurge Pictures, the unit has one million dollars fueling its films. 10 movies are on tap in the first year at a budget of just $100,000 each.

A formal announcement of the division could come as early as this morning, according to one source.

Said to be headed by Amy Powell, the studios’ SVP of Interactive Marketing, Insurge is emerging in the wake of the tremendous success of “Paranormal Activity,” which was shepherded to success last year by Powell and Paramount’s new media team. Similarly, the new division will utilize grassroots approaches to support their films.

Rather than scouring for finished films at festivals like South by Southwest, which opens tomorrow in Austin, Insurge is currently scouting for filmmaking teams to produce a slate of projects for Paramount. They hope the movies will serve as a low budget proving ground for new talent and intend to release the movies theatrically."


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