Brighton man tapping into film apps
As of April, Apple was at 10 billion mobile application downloads and counting for its iPhone and iPad devices, and Google hit 3 billion app downloads in January with its younger Android devices.
Mark Smillie of Brighton decided to capitalize on this ubiquity when he launched Stonehenge Productions, a company that makes mobile apps for independent filmmakers.
His customizable FilmApps have a smorgasbord of features: film embedded or available for in-app purchase, live chat, social network integration, behind-the-scenes clips, photo galleries and more.
He views the apps as a tool to help build awareness of a film, as well as another distribution outlet in a competitive market."If you can't get your movie onto Apple as a film, you can get it on there as an app," said Smillie, 45.
Smillie brought his venture to Rochester to raise his family, having lived in California.He said it was a foreign concept to Apple when he approached the company almost two years ago with the idea for a FilmApp. Initially, Apple didn't approve the app because it was not streaming.
"I went back to it and said, 'Hey, this is a 90-minute film; you don't want it to be streaming when you're driving around somewhere,'" he said.The next day Apple called back and said it had changed its policy. Smillie resubmitted the app and has since created 35 apps for filmmakers in the U.S. and Europe. Many are free for download; others range from .99 cents to $7.99.
California-based Reel Link Films enlisted Smillie to build a FilmApp for its documentary Race to Nowhere, released last September. Producer and co-director Vicki Abeles said the film tries to mobilize the country to challenge the current education system. Stonehenge Productions stood out to her because the FilmApp encourages interaction.
"We've tapped into a cultural nerve, if you will," Abeles said.The FilmApp for Race to Nowhere allows users to find local screenings, directly email the U.S. Department of Education and upload video testimonials of how the education system has impacted them.
"It's continuing to support our distribution efforts," she said. "We are actually looking to release a second generation that supports not only the distribution, but the community engagement."
With a base price of $880, some say filmmakers can find less expensive outlets for distribution.Virginia Orzel, an assistant film professor at The College at Brockport, recently found a distributor for her documentary One Breath: A Personal Journey with Asthma. She said it was a long and difficult process, but pointed to YouTube as an obvious free example where people can get exposure.
"Look at all the sensations: Justin Beiber posted only a very low-end quality video and blew up overnight," she said.She also mentioned Vimeo, a free site that allows filmmakers to upload their projects for public viewing. And there's withoutabox.com, Abeles said, that allows filmmakers to apply for multiple festivals at once and self-distribute on various platforms for free.
But the idea of a mobile app that creates an interactive experience for movie watchers is catching on. Smillie said he received some validation in February when Warner Bros. released its own app editions of Inception and The Dark Knight.
DROLAND2@DemocratandChronicle.com
