$0-Budget Film Unsubscribe Tops US Box Office

DMM英会話のdaily newsに対する自分なりの意見を、備忘録としてまとめています。今回取り上げるテーマは$0-Budget Film Unsubscribe Tops US Box Officeです。

Article:

$0-Budget Film Unsubscribe Tops US Box Office

Unsubscribe, a 29-minute horror film made using the video call app Zoom, topped the US box office on June 10, despite costing nothing to make.

Filmmakers Erick Tabach and Christian Nilsson made the movie for free by asking friends and actors to help. It tells the story of a group of YouTubers joining an online call and being haunted by an internet troll.

With cinemas closed across much of the country and blockbusters on hold, Tabach noticed that box office figures were extremely low and saw an opportunity to top the charts. But it wasn't until the filmmakers discovered "four-walling" that they knew that had a real chance.

Four-walling is when a distributor rents out a movie theatre and receives all revenue made from ticket sales. "The moment we realized that was an option of distribution, we went for it," Tabach said.

The filmmakers paid a flat fee to rent out Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center in New York and bought all the tickets to their film's showings — which of course went straight back into their pockets. They were the only people at the screenings, but the film's ticket sales for June 10 came in at $25,488 — more than any other movie in the US that day.

However, the pair had to work to get IMDb — which owns revenue tracker Box Office Mojo — to consider the film a legitimate project. "They kept rejecting us, saying there was no proof. So we sent them pictures of the actors, but they kept on doubting the entire thing. When media outlets started reporting about the film, it was eventually approved," said Tabach.

Nilsson said they were only able to become number one at the box office because of the pandemic. "This is not a stunt or a move you could make in any other environment," he told NPR.

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Discussion:

■1:What are your thoughts on Unsubscribe's box office success?

The fact that he created the film using only internet communication services such as Youtube and ZOOM, as well as the technicalities of renting a seat in a movie theater, is extremely valuable.

In the past, film production required a huge amount of money in the stages of setting up a film, including recruiting actors and crew, securing filming locations, and procuring equipment.

With youtube, you don't have to get all your actors in one place. Virtual or augmented reality technology can be used to create an "unrealistic" space which is needed for film making.

■2:Would you be interested in watching Unsubscribe? Why? Why not?

I'd like to see this movie.
I'm interested in this movie simply because it's made with new technology.
Also, there are predictions that this pandemic will change the way we work in the future, and I think this attemt is one of the tests whether or not it will work.

■3:Are you a fan of horror films? If so, what's the best one you've seen recently? If not, why not?

Personally, I'm not a fan of horror movies.
Horror movies are characterized by appealing to the abnormalities of the senses (seeing things you can't see, unpleasant sounds, etc.), grotesque descriptions, etc.
My personal guess is that the appeal of these is in the thrill of experiencing something you can't normally feel.
In other words, I think of them as activities that require novel exploration, such as roller coasters and skydiving.

I don't actively watch horror movies because I'm rather uncomfortable with the idea of feeling an excessive amount of thrills.

■4:Would you rather be an actor or a filmmaker? Why?

I want to be a filmmaker.
The genre of film I'm particularly fond of is "documentary". Recently, I've done "The last dance: The Biography of Michael Jordan" and "All or Nothing: A Biography of the Arizona Cardinals" and others.
I would be very excited if I could capture and edit the video of their bravery with their lives.

■5:Do you think you'd enjoy working as a YouTuber? Why? Why not?

I'm interested in it, but as it stands, I don't think it's going to be easy to start youtube.
My work is relatively "confidential" and I'm afraid that exposing it to youtube may invade my privacy.

These days, some people are filming with virtual reality characters and posting videos with audio only, so I would like to try these someday.

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Further Discussion:

■1:Do you watch a lot of YouTube videos? If so, do you have a favorite YouTuber? If not, why not?

I watch youtube every day.
Especially, since I can watch American news channels (CNN, FOX, NBC, etc.) for free, I subscribe to them and check out the breaking news without fail.

Most of these channels have English subtitles, so I can watch them with English subtitles, which is very useful for studying.

■2:Who are your favorite actors and actresses? Why do you like them?

Lately I've been addicted to watching "FRIENDS", a situation comedy.

Chandler Bing, played by Matthew Perry, is a great actor. He uses very sophisticated jokes a lot. He is also very nice to his friends and is mistaken for a gay man. It was interesting.

■3:How important would you say casting is to a movie's success? Why?

I think casting is a very important factor in the making of a film.

Many people watch a movie just because it has a famous actor in it. On the other hand, casting can have a negative effect on the film. If a book or comic book is made into a movie, and the cast of the movie is very different from the original, the customers' assessment would be disastrous.

■4:How do you usually decide what movies to watch? Please explain your answer.

In my case, it depends on the relationship with the person I go to see the movie.
When I go to see a movie with my friends from school, I choose an exciting genre such as science fiction or action movies.
If I go with my wife or girlfriend, I'll see love and family love movies.
If I go to the movies with my kids, I'll obviously have to see a kid-friendly movie that they'll enjoy, along with popcorn and coke.

■5:What's the best film you've seen recently? What did you like about it?

I saw Avatar a while back and it was fun.
The movie was interesting, of course, but I really enjoyed the way it was presented to stimulate the senses.

When you put on the 3D glasses, the characters seem to jump out of the screen, the seats sway to the scene, the wind blows and many other tricks.

I think that in the future, people will pay more attention to movies that are not just about watching, but also about experiential films.

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