As a seasoned film industry observer, I find it truly fascinating to witness the dynamic evolution of cinema, particularly in the face of shifting audience behaviors and technological advancements. The journey of Bleecker Street, a New York City-based studio that’s managed to carve out its niche amidst the tumultuous landscape of modern filmmaking, is nothing short of inspiring.
Kent Sanderson and Myles Bender vividly recall the first time they watched “Eye in the Sky,” a thrilling drone warfare movie released in 2015 at Toronto Film Festival. They had high hopes for its distribution, but during the Canadian screening, they found themselves captivated by the film, only to notice that others in the room didn’t share their enthusiasm.
In about 15 minutes, numerous potential buyers began exiting. I assume they found the movie too difficult, Sanderson, president of Bleecker Street, comments. Sanderson and Bender, head of marketing and creative advertising, urged their boss, Andrew Karpen, the film company’s co-founder and CEO, to watch the movie, hoping to secure distribution rights. Bender recalls, ‘We were puzzled, looking at each other, wondering, “What are we seeing that they aren’t?”‘
Karpen joined his fellow team members in their excitement, a group who weren’t concerned about losing viewers with a tale that prioritized depth over spectacle. Bleecker Street managed to secure the movie from contenders like Fox Searchlight and The Orchard. As it turned out, their judgment was spot on – “Eye in the Sky” ended up as one of the top-earning independent films of 2016, raking in $18.7 million within the U.S. and $35 million globally.
Karpen notes that our company experienced several triumphs during our initial year. Some of these early victories included ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams’, a comedic drama starring Blythe Danner and Sam Elliott, which garnered $7.4 million worldwide; ‘Trumbo’, a biopic by Jay Roach that received an Oscar nomination for Bryan Cranston, earning $11.4 million globally; and ‘Danny Collins’, a music business redemption drama starring Al Pacino, Annette Bening, and Jennifer Garner, which made $10.8 million worldwide. However, it was ‘Eye in the Sky’ that truly convinced Karpen of our potential to go far,” he adds.
Since then, Bleecker Street has put out around 70 films, always sticking to its goal of providing “intelligent, socially aware” movies. This year marks the company’s 10th anniversary, an achievement that will be recognized on October 5 during the New York Film Festival. On this occasion, EbMaster will bestow the EbMaster Vanguard Award upon Karpen in recognition of his exceptional leadership and significant impact on the independent film industry.
In these challenging times for the movie industry, this anniversary holds significant value. Many independent studios such as Open Road Films and Solstice Studios have either gone out of business, closed down, or been dismantled. However, Bleecker Street has persevered due to its wise, responsible, and prudent leadership, particularly in financial matters. The employees attribute their survival to these qualities.
Andrew demonstrates exceptional self-control, which occasionally leads him to avoid excessive involvement in high-profile film festival acquisitions,” Sanderson explains. “Instead, he focuses on nurturing and strengthening ties with directors and producers. He’s careful not to bet everything we have on a single movie, as its failure could be detrimental. Instead, he views each decision as impacting not just the film, but also our company and the many employees who work here.
Indeed, not every film released has resonated with audiences. For instance, “Military Wives” from 2020, a dramatic comedy focusing on British women whose partners are deployed in Afghanistan, and “Mass” from 2021, a heavy drama centering around a school shooting incident, were both critically praised but didn’t manage to secure widespread success.
Karpen expresses that he hoped some of our films released during the COVID-19 pandemic would reach larger audiences, but the difficulties were typical of the market situation at that time. For instance, ‘Military Wives,’ featuring Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, and Jason Flemyng, was initially intended for a theater release in March 2020, but due to circumstances, it was mostly released digitally. ‘Mass’ hit the big screen in fall 2021 when movie theaters were reopening, but audiences remained apprehensive about going back to cinemas. Karpen suggests that ‘Military Wives’ would have been well-received in a traditional theater setting, and ‘Mass,’ with its powerful message, might have been more warmly accepted during less chaotic periods in history.
Prior to establishing Bleecker Street, Karpen held a joint CEO position at Focus Features, Universal’s specialty film division based in New York. In 2013, this company, known for hits like Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” and Lisa Cholodenko’s “The Kids Are All Right”, relocated to Los Angeles and was tasked with producing films that would appeal to a broader global audience. With the suggestion of staying on, Karpen declined due to his reluctance to move his family, which included three children, to the West Coast. Instead, he chose to leave and eventually created Bleecker Street, with several former Focus colleagues like Sanderson and Bender joining him as initial employees. His aim, he stated, was to address a gap in the market – there were not many platforms for films intended for audiences over the age of 35.
Main film studios often produce movies based on comic books that appeal primarily to teenage boys who prefer four-quadrant blockbusters, which help boost box office sales. By concentrating on an older demographic of moviegoers, we found a unique market niche and a way to engage with talent agencies like CAA, WME, saying, “This is our territory.” Our aim was to carve out a specific path and eventually, in the event of success, expand and increase this audience. (Tyler DiNapoli, company president of marketing)
Over time, Bleecker Street’s executives have relied on their instincts to predict what might appeal to the public. It’s never been a simple or stress-free endeavor, this game of educated guesswork.
Reflecting on the six-month span between our acquisition of ‘Eye in the Sky’ and its theater release, I can’t help but ponder, ‘Were we taking a risk?’ It’s an inevitable thought process in this creative industry where opinions vary greatly.” – Sanderson.
Yet it’s the penchant for art over science that produces unexpected favorites and winners like crime comedy “Logan Lucky” with Daniel Craig, Adam Driver and Channing Tatum, the absurdist dialogue-free “Sasquatch Sunset,” platonic friendship dramedy “Together Together” starring Ed Helms and Patti Harrison, or the Toni Collette-led crime comedy “Mafia Mamma.” Sanderson continues, “Even as we all get better at analyzing patterns and histories and every data set imaginable for releases, that gut feeling remains the most important facet of creative.”
Karpen admits there’s a balance to be struck when choosing to avoid being controlled by large corporations. He explains that working under a big studio like Universal, even while at Focus Features, meant dealing with some supervision and restrictions, but it also provided the benefits of substantial financial backing and global distribution.
Bleecker is fortunate enough to operate independently, which grants them complete creative autonomy,” Karpen notes. “However, this independence also carries an inherent risk, and the uncertainty of lacking the support of a century-old studio with its extensive library, resources, and infrastructure to guide us through both the peaks and valleys.
These limitations aren’t exactly a blank check, but they do allow executives to think outside the box and be more innovative.
Bender explains, “There’s more room for creating unconventional projects in smaller studios compared to larger ones. For instance, ‘Sasquatch Sunset’, a film featuring Sasquatch characters engaged in activities like sex, self-pleasure, vomiting, and passing gas, would not have been feasible at a bigger studio.” He also points out that while there’s more freedom, it’s crucial to work efficiently because budget constraints don’t allow for errors. In other words, he can’t afford to produce five trailers, each from a different vendor, and hope one of them turns out successful.
Over the past decade since Bleecker Street was established, the way people go to the movies has undergone a significant transformation. Particularly, films geared towards adults have experienced the greatest decline due to these shifts in box office trends. Despite the challenges in drawing mature audiences away from their sofas and into the local theater, Karpen remains optimistic about the allure and significance of the big screen.
Karpen states that ‘urgency’ is the crucial aspect in today’s theatrical marketing, as he explains. Nowadays, YouTube is more frequently accessed on smart TVs than on computers, phones, and tablets. This fact, he suggests, highlights the difficulties in persuading individuals to step out of their homes to join a crowd and watch a movie. However, it’s also evident that when inspired, people value and enjoy the communal film-watching experience.
Due to shifts in viewer habits, Bleecker Street’s management team has had to adjust and innovate their promotional strategies for films. One crucial adaptation is recognizing that TikTok is no longer merely a casual marketing resource, but an essential component for any movie’s promotional campaign.
DiNapoli expresses that the ground constantly changes under our feet, making marketing both thrilling and difficult. Earlier, relying on reviews and critical praise was enough to get people to the movies, but now it’s just a part of the equation. Today, we must devise additional aspects that make the film unique or relevant to entice audiences.
Looking forward to the upcoming decade, Karpen emphasizes the significance of companies similar to ours providing substantial support for independent cinema. This is crucial because, as viewing habits evolve, there are fewer and fewer instances of successful indie films like ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ emerging. Consequently, it has become imperative than ever to discover means of reaching audiences through every possible distribution channel.
In the distance, Bleecker Street plans to present the upcoming art house sensation with a lineup that features “Rumours” and Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths,” which received outstanding reviews at this year’s Toronto Film Festival and has been scheduled for a highly anticipated awards season premiere on Dec. 6.
Karpen expresses that Bleecker Street has adapted well to changing times, and he wishes for this progression to persist. He notes that the past decade in the film industry has been one of the most turbulent since the Lumière brothers, but he is confident in his exceptional team’s ability to keep presenting unforgettable stories to audiences, even as cinema continues to transform.
It’s undeniable that even though Bleecker Street has a modest presence in Los Angeles, this company, known by its New York City address where Karpen previously worked (Focus Features), will forever maintain its roots in the Big Apple.
Karpen mentions that there’s a unique, self-reliant, and robust essence to working beyond the city limits – a quality that seems to emerge when you’re 3,000 miles distant from the main production studios. He also adds humorously that the pizza tastes significantly better in this location.
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2024-10-07 21:19