Typically an independently-made motion picture is first introduced at a film festival.  The more prestigious festivals, such as Sundance, Seattle, Berlin, Toronto and Venice, are well attended by executives representing distribution companies looking for acquisitions.  The films that prove to be the most popular with festival audiences often generate a high-stakes bidding war resulting in cash advances of as much as $10 million. 

• Hustle & Flow --  acquired for $9 million by Paramount at Sundance in 2005.

• The Black Dahlia -- acquired for $10 million by Universal at Cannes in 2005.

• Thank You for Smoking -- acquired for $8 million by Fox Searchlight at Toronto in 2005.

• Little Miss Sunshine -- acquired for $10 million plus 10% of gross by Fox Searchlight at Sundance in 2006.

• The Science of Sleep -- acquired for $6 million by Warner Independent Pictures at Sundance in 2006.

Upon completion of Big Doc, it is our intention to retain a top producer's representative (producer's rep) and entertainment attorney in Los Angeles to lobby for desirable festival venues and arrange for screenings to get the movie seen by all of the studio and independent distributors.  

BIG DOC

In an article in the Los Angeles Times analyzing the success of the independent film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, critic Kenneth Turan said:

"The mighty Spider-Man and the plucky Greek Wedding have one thing in common: emotional connections...The huge success of both films inevitably points up how starved today's audiences are for anything that has true emotional content.  There is such a desperate need for that kind of connection that people ignore flaws, put up with contrivances, embrace half-loaves as if they were beautiful and whole.  If films like these ever actually delivered on all they promise, who knows how successful they might be?"  ("Big Heart, Big Box Office," Los Angeles Times, Sept. 1, 2002)

The rich material of Big Doc offers such potential.  

TARGET AUDIENCES

The movie is expected to appeal to a broad spectrum of the audience:

Young People between 12 and 29-years-old

Four of the six lead characters in Big Doc are in their teens and twenties.  Because of straightforward identification with the characters and the fact that an important aspect of the story deals with a coming-of-age theme, 12 to 29-year-old moviegoers are expected to relate to the movie.

Moviegoers over 40

The over-40 moviegoer is typically disinterested in formula epics and wants to see films driven by character and plot. This segment is expected to respond positively to the family and dramatic aspects of Big Doc.  "Specialty audiences over the age of 40 are  the fastest-growing part of the moviegoing population."  ("Exhibs Widen Niche Reach," Variety, May 22-28, 2006.)

Women

It is expected that teenage girls and young women will be drawn to Big Doc because the story is told from the point of view of a 17-year-old female character..