Aug 18, 2013

Empowered Films is an independent motion picture and television production company organized by a production and distribution team with successful track records in both studio and independent film and television production. The Company’s operating philosophy and distribution strategy center around the increase in filmed entertainment revenues being projected as a result of the growth of the Internet, and the creation of numerous avenues through which films can be distributed to a wider audience than ever before. These projections highlight the need for media and entertainment companies in the digital age to create content that can be made available on multiple platforms, which in turn create multiple opportunities for monetization. Nearly 60% of the worldwide industry growth over the next five years is predicted to be driven by digital products and services. Empowered’s strategy is to independently produce and distribute lower budget, commercially-viable feature films, whose value can produce revenues for its partners over many years through all means of distribution. Empowered expects to achieve its goals due to its management and production team’s vast network of contacts and relationships at the highest level of the motion picture industry. Their team and its co-production partners’ films have been backed and distributed by virtually every major entertainment company in the industry, which should increase its ability to attract stars and directors with greater name recognition, which will increase the financial feasibility and the probability of success of any film or television...

Aug 18, 2013

The film industry has changed. But except for some great classic films, the industry itself is changing for the better. The demand for filmed entertainment is projected to grow at an accelerated rate over at least the next 5 years. PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) film industry statistics, provided in their annual Global Entertainment and Media Outlook, offer a consistent, comprehensive online source of global analysis for consumer/end-user and advertising spending. The 2011-2015 PwC Entertainment and Media Outlook projects the following: Filmed Entertainment will grow from $36.8 billion in 2011 to $45.7 billion in 2015. Video-on-demand (VOD) spending will pass pay-per-view in 2011 and reach $4.7 billion in 2015, a 9.8% compound annual increase from $2.9 billion in 2010. From 2011-2015, aggregate Entertainment and Media global spending will rise to $1.9 trillion in 2015, a 5.7% compound annual advance driven by economic growth. These substantial projected increases in filmed entertainment revenues are the result of the growth of the Internet, and the creation of numerous avenues through which filmed entertainment and other media can be distributed to a wider audience than has ever been possible before. In the PwC statistics, the filmed entertainment market consists of consumer spending at the box office for theatrical motion pictures, plus spending on rentals of videos at video stores and other retail outlets (the in-store rental market) and the purchase of home video products in retail outlets and through online stores (the sell-through market). It also includes online film rental subscription services, such as those in which physical DVDs are delivered via overnight mail, and streaming services whereby films are downloaded via a broadband Internet connection. The figures, however, do not include video-on-demand, pay-per-view, or movie distribution by cable, satellite, or telephone companies. Nor do they include “ancillary” revenues earned by cinemas, such as cinema advertising and sales of beverages and refreshments. As far as the filmed entertainment global market is concerned, PwC expects overall positive growth, with revenues expected to increase at a 4.8% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR), reaching $108 billion in 2014. These projections highlight a growing need for media and entertainment companies in the ‘new’ digital age to create content that can be made available on multiple...

Aug 18, 2013

Although Empowered Films can provide film and video services for any corporate, commercial, industrial or training product or project, we focus on this website on the four basic stages involved in the production of motion pictures: project development, project financing, film production, and film distribution. Project Development In the development process, a literary property is acquired or optioned or a writer engaged to finalize a screenplay, sufficiently detailed to provide enough information to estimate the cost of production. A director and key actors will normally be contacted about the project to determine their interest and availability, and in some cases will be engaged during the development process. Project Financing Although one of the key elements of Empowered Film’s services and production capability is financing, the second basic stage of production is Pre-Production. In Pre-Production, the actors and production personnel not chosen during the development stage are selected and contracted, the budget finalized, shooting schedules prepared, locations and other logistical matters determined, and most important, the necessary project financing is secured. In addition to private investment, distribution and pre-sales are typically a project element accomplished by Empowered during Project Development and Pre-Production, in order to secure film financing. Film Production Production usually begins with rehearsals just prior to the beginning of Principal Photography, the actual filming of the motion picture. Principal Photography usually lasts from four weeks to three months, depending on the film. Film Distribution Again, although one of the vital elements of our services and production capability is distribution, the fourth basic stage of production is Post-Production. Post-Production includes editing and soundtrack synchronization, as well as the addition of optical effects and titles.  The completion of this process yields the final edited negative, which is used to create release prints for theatrical exhibition and masters for home video/DVD and other electronic delivery methods and uses. Also in the post-production phase, materials that are to be used in the distribution process are prepared. Finally, project marketing, film distribution, and the negotiation and sale of other ancillary rights is finalized. Production Services during the Project Development, Financing, Film Production, and Distribution phases of each project include the following project services and elements: Aquisition of Literary Property/Screenplay Prepare Production Budget and Schedule...

Jul 18, 2013

Empowered Films, as the name might suggest, is focused primarily on developing and producing original films in the spirit of timeless, quality storytelling films that entertain, enlighten and inspire their audiences. Their current feature film project is an excellent example, based on an original screenplay entitled One Lousy Angel. One Lousy Angel is a feature film project based on an original screenplay with high entertainment and inspirational family values, with elements reminiscent of It’s A Wonderful Life, Black Beauty, and War Horse.  The film will capitalize on both the mainstream audience for coming of age drama, as well as the core audience that supports films with American family values. The film has many elements which have proven to draw both of these core audiences. The screenplay, which is optioned by Empowered Films, was written by Joel Kauffmann. Two of his prior scripts, Miracle in Lane 2 and Full-Court Miracle, were produced for the Disney Channel. Miracle in Lane 2 won the Humanitas Prize in 2000, and Full Court Miracle was nominated for the same prize. The Radicals, a prior film written by Joel, won the CINE Golden Eagle award, and the Silver Award at WorldFest Houston One Lousy Angel Synopsis At age 13, Fay Thomas has lost almost everything that matters to her. She knows she can’t get her mother back, who died when Fay was eight, or their family farm that was foreclosed on.  But maybe life will be okay if she can find her beloved horse, Cinder. Fay’s father, Judd, had to sell the American Saddlebred along with the rest of their possessions at auction, when they moved to the City, where Judd took a job making much-needed repairs to the crumbling, inner-city cathedral shepherded by Reverend Robert Hollis, Fay’s Uncle Robert. Fay recalls one poignant piece of advice that her mother gave her: “When you need help, look for an angel.” So, to get Cinder back, Fay thinks, all she needs to do is find an angel. She gets a helping hand with her search from Lee Roy, a loud-talking kid from the ‘hood’. But Leroy’s advice is confusing: “You gotta look with your heart, not with your eyes.” So Fay is primed for other advice...

Jul 18, 2013

Substantial increases in filmed entertainment revenues are projected as a result of the growth of the Internet, and the creation of numerous avenues through which filmed entertainment can be distributed to a wider audience than has ever been possible before. A film’s total earning is no longer determined by its theatrical gross, but by the power of the film’s marketing and its reach to its target audience. Independent films like Juno or My Big Fat Greek Wedding achieved very high returns on investment despite limited theatrical release. Although Empowered Films may acquire theatrical distribution in the US and other major foreign territories, followed by video and television release, it will also focus on creating a direct-to-consumer promotion plan. To achieve this, it will rely not only on the press resulting from participation in major film festivals (Tribeca, Sundance, Berlin or Cannes) and promotional appearances by attached talents, but will also promote the film through social media websites such as Facebook or Twitter, and film industry blogs. Empowered Films will retain overall control of the film’s distribution, choosing which rights to give to ‘distribution partners’ and which to retain. In the ‘Old World’ of distribution, a distributor would acquire all rights and have total control of distribution. In the New World created by the Internet and new digital distribution channels, filmmakers split up their rights, working with distribution partners in certain sectors and keeping the right to make direct sales. They can make separate deals for retail home video, television, and video on demand, as well as splitting up their digital rights. They also sell DVDs from their websites and at screenings, and may make digital downloads available directly from their sites. Empowered Films is prepared to take full advantage of these new distribution opportunities, designing creative distribution strategies customized to the film’s content and target audiences. From a marketing standpoint, we target core audiences, with the goal of reaching them effectively, and then crossing over to a wider public. We will reach core audiences directly both online and offline, through websites, mailing lists, organizations, and publications. In the Old World, distributors marketed to a general audience, which is not only highly inefficient, but more...