The below filmmaker's take on Withoutabox.com seems to be a fairly consistent tune these days. Maybe if WAB treated filmmakers and festivals like the lifeline they are to WAB's existence instead of acting like a dictatorship the submission service wouldn't be experiencing the backlash that is pounding on its door. On a positive note, the easiest way to submit to a festival is directly!
"Why is Withoutabox like a dead mall that people don't use anymore?
Mostly it is dead because of the economy. People are barely getting by with a 10% percent unemployment rate. So no one has money to spend entering film festivals. Plus those entry fees can pile up fast.
Some filmmakers also just gave up on filmmaking. Who can blame them in this economy and an industry with an even higher unemployment rate. And it has become harder and harder for indie films to get released in this economy.
Plus Withoutabox became this sort of annoying and, dare I say it, arrogant middle man. Like you HAD to submit via Withoutabox for many major film festivals or you couldn't enter them. It was kind of like WTF? Why do we have to deal with Withoutabox? Many festivals don't use Withoutabox. But many still do.
Plus it was also the MySpace effect. MySpace was once seen as this big, unstoppable, popular thing. Now it is pretty much a joke. MySpace was seen as the cool networking site. But it is old hat now. I saw the film Kick-*** and the characters had MySpace pages and I thought, huh? People still use MySpace? Teenagers still use MySpace? It is all about Facebook now.
Withoutabox became sort of the same thing. Not relevant anymore. The Withoutabox site is a sad shadow of its former self. Sure, some old timers may still hang around and the ocassional fresh face. But that's it.
Withoutabox is like a dead mall. This big thing that was once popular but is now strangely empty and outdated.
And like a dead mall, it ain't comin' back.
Just my 2¢."
C.J.
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When I first started out and found out about WAB, I was like "this is great!" And it was a great way for me to learn about the festival submission process, and get started. Not to mention get onto IMDb. But over the past year I've switched to entering fests mostly overseas and small experimental fests in the US, which are mostly free entries! So I haven't used WAB in some time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also have had considerable trouble in this economy keeping going making films on my own, yes!
And for my take on Myspace, even though I know it's passe, I find I still "meet" people there (amazing artists and especially musicians) that I would not meet anywhere else online, and I find it's worthwhile. But I only check in occasionally or use it to find music for film projects. Definitely not a full on social media connection for me.