Twin filmmakers Michael and Mark Polish, whose previous credits include [easyazon-link asin="B00002SSKW"]Twin Falls, Idaho[/easyazon-link] and [easyazon-link asin="B00005JPLE"]The Astronaut Farmer[/easyazon-link], have released their latest feature through iTunes -- with zero advertising. Joining the advertising budget is the production budget itself, which officially clocked in at $0 (they didn't count food and transportation, though even if you do, we're still talking "no budget" filmmaking). Instead, social media -- chiefly Twitter and Tumblr -- have led to the film generating word of mouth online, and as a result For Lovers Only (iTunes link) has already made over $200,000. Shot on a Canon 5D Mark II, here's a clip of the black-and-white, French New Wave-inspired feature:
HDSLRs played an integral part of the film's aesthetic -- and their ability to shoot in real locations without permits. Says Mark:
"It looked like I was just shooting a married couple, or a couple getting married. So we were able to go into a church, and people would stay out of our way, because they'd think I was shooting stills."
Also of note is their use of social media to launch the film:
Katic's rabid Twitter and Facebook followings spread the word – and when Mark Polish found that the film was drawing almost 1,000 tweets an hour, he made up posters using the Twitter raves in place of critics' quotes. Those posters themselves went viral on Twitter and Tumblr, and helped prompt a healthy iTunes presale.
For more, check out the full article at The Wrap.
[via Filmmaker Magazine]
