Turner and Bill Ross Talk About 45365's Online Launch Just 5 Months After Their SXSW Victory

Bill and Turner Ross' 45365 was one of my favorite films at this year's SXSW Film Festival - I wasn't alone, the film won the Grand Jury Prize - and has continued to be one of the films that has stayed with me.  At the time, I described it as "a non-narrative, impressionistic, whisper of a film" and in the months since Austin, it has lingered and returned to my psyche on numerous occasions, long after I'd forgotten what got me excited or turned off to numerous so-called high profile docs.

So, I must admit that I didn't quite know how to react when I started getting press releases earlier this week that the folks at SnagFilms had locked up the film for their online Summerfest.  Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to watch 45365 on your computer for one week.

As an admirer of 45365 as well as someone who admittedly is confused about what online distribution is really doing for filmmakers (three times this week I've heard someone ask, "Is anybody making any money with it?"), I had questions.  Isn't this all too fast?  Five months for an award winning film to move to free viewing online?  Won't that eliminate other possibilities for the film? 

Corresponding with Bill and Turner, I was struck by something else.  Often it seems that we - as independent filmmakers - are like farmers who have harvested our crop (often with less of a yield than we anticipated) but we think that if we keep watering or fertilizing the barren land that maybe something else will grow.  The push-pull of when to stop struggling to get that rock uphill is something we all think about.  Hell, I'm still doing interviews for a film I finished three years ago. 

While Bill and Turner have not completely abandoned their field - they will shepherd 45365 through more festival dates, followed by potential limited theatrical and DVD (I think that museums should be getting in touch with them) - they seem to realize that the SnagFilms deal offers something else: a way to reach an audience that they may not get otherwise.

ATWT: First off, can you tell me about the Snagfilm deal - how did it happen and why was it appealing to you?

Bill and Turner Ross: It happened (Monday).  They reached out to us a while back, but our distributor wasn’t sure whether or not we could make it work.  Apparently we could.  It’s actually been rather sudden, but we’re certainly honored by it.  We’ve used SnagFilms as fans since they started.  It’s a great avenue for films that may not otherwise be readily available.  And to be honest, in regards to our experience, we are still struggling with how and where this film will be available to a mass audience.  We want people to have access to it.  Seems a bit of a gamble to wait in the wings for something bigger and better when an opportunity like this presents itself. 

ATWT: Part of my inquiring is that I'm so glad that I saw your film on the big screen in Austin, where the total immersion forced me to adapt to the film's rhythms and language.  Not to be a snob about the theatrical experience, but certain films, and I'd argue 45365 is one of them, should be seen in theaters or at festivals.  Was there any fear that you'd lose opportunities for that with this deal?

BTR: Absolutely.  And we certainly would concur that 45365 is a film meant to be projected.  We shot it for presentation at that scale, for that environment.

That said, however, we want folks to see our work.  Growing up out of sight line of an urban environment we learned well that not everyone has access to certain kinds of artwork.  We spent much time and funds as kids trying to track down certain films that we wanted to see.  If the technology is there, why shouldn’t we embrace it and have our work available to all who want to experience it?  DVD is not looking real good right now so this makes a lot of sense to us.  Fans of the film will still go to the theater, others will at the least have access to it – be aware of it.

ATWT: I take it that you haven't done an Oscar qualifying run - unless it's been undercover and I missed it.  Was that something that you thought about?

BTR: Lord no.  We feel very fortunate to have even gotten distribution.  Once we signed with 7^th Art we happily picked our cameras back up and left them to deal with that kind of business.

ATWT: What was the response from other festivals and from distributors after SXSW?

BTR: SXSW changed the course of everything.  Heading into it, we felt honored to be showing our obscure documentary to an audience.  Heading out, we were bombarded with requests and potential deals and interviews and attention.  It’s been wild.  The critical reception has been mostly fair and positive.  Our audiences have been wonderful – very inquisitive.  But distribution, beyond the initial flurry of requests, was mostly parcel options – they wanted to do either theatrical or VOD, but never everything as a package.  Several months afterwards 7^th Art Releasing contacted us and offered to take on the whole deal.  We’ve been working with them since.  We briefly considered self-distribution, but abandoned that in favor of making another film.  We like working too much to have to set things aside and become business men.

ATWT: What will happen to the film after the SnagFilms airing?

BTR: We still have some strong festival dates this fall and winter.  Hopefully thereafter we can move into a limited theatrical release and then, fingers crossed, DVD – but the market is so bad right now that we’re not sure whether any of the companies are willing to take that risk.

ATWT: What are you guys working on now.  I heard rumors that you were working on a project in New Orleans.

BTR: We are indeed in New Orleans, a place we know and love about as much as two out-of-towners can.  We’ve spent a lot of time living and working here in the past and have always wanted to do something visual down this way.  It’s always been very inspiring.

There have been a multitude of New Orleans based films but none, in our opinion, that really captures that feeling of mystery and history.  We’ve always been haunted by the visuals here – they stay with you.  We really just want to capture the images we haven’t seen. We want to focus more on the people (locals) and their stories – their unique outlooks in this strange environment.  We’re only a couple weeks in at this point.  Still trying to feel it out.  Collecting the ingredients that we hope will make some soup.

Comments

[Chuck]

I rewatched a preview version on Snag and I think the transfer looked great. As someone who lives well outside a big city, I'll second Bill and Turner's concern that many great documentaries never reach local theaters and that Snag and other resources can help to change that.

I'd also suggest that brief free access might, in the long term, create wider interest in paid versions of the film. My sense is that Summer Hours may have been helped locally here in the Triangle by IFC's strategy to release the film on-demand *may* have helped to build awareness. I don't know what the solution is, especially for filmmakers, but the Snag screening *might* be helpful long-term.

[Barbara Ross]

Bill and Turner, have heard great things about 45365 from The Columbus Film Commission. Congratulations! Are you related to Bill Ross who had a Foundry in Sidney, Ohio some years ago? He had a son called Bill who has also passed on. I'm married to Glenn Ross, son of Gus Ross who had a brother Bill whom I described above.
Very curious... as the cliche says "it's a
small world."