D.B. Sweeney's "Two Tickets to Paradise" Experiments with an Alternative Film Distribution Model

The Internet Netflix and iTunes have changed the film industry Last week I caught up with DB Sweeney writer actor director and producer of Two Tickets to Paradise a feature length film that bypassed a theatrical release and debuts on DVD this week In addition to DVD sales and rentals the film will be available for download on iTunes in early 2009 Based on the success of DVD sales Sweeney hopes to negotiate distribution on subscription cable networks In reaction to the Hollywood film system Sweeney says amp8220Itamp8217s kind of a foolish model in this day and age because as the Internet and other ways of delivering movies to people becomes more common who needs the multiplex Who needs MGM Who needs any of these places Why should a filmmaker turn over the irreplaceable asset the movie to a distribution center All these big corporations like Amazon those places have great distribution arms but they canamp8217t create contentamp8221Two Tickets to Paradise is over six years in the making Shortly after September 11th Sweeney found himself spending another night at a bar with firefighter friends after yet another funeral When he suggested that they take a night off to relax and maybe see a movie one of them turned to the other and said amp8220Movie Nobody makes movies for usamp8221In 2002 Sweeney and cowriter Brian Currie began writing the film originally titled Dirt Nap keeping in mind an audience of men over 40 Several studios had offered to purchase the script for around 200000 but Sweeney hoped to play the lead role of Billy McGriff and didnamp8217t want to sell the script unless the offer was much more profitable amp8220If somebody had offered a million dollars we might have done itamp8221 said Sweeney amp8220I just thought the offers werenamp8217t enough money to make it worth watching somebody else wreck itamp8221amp160Once the film was completed three studios had offered to do theatrical releases but again Sweeney felt the film might be cheated out of profits He said amp8220Basically the studio will say amp8216Weamp8217ll give you 500 screens and weamp8217ll spend 4 million to promote itamp8217 In reality theyamp8217re going to spend about 700000 to promote it That in dollars is now charged against your movie with interest every day So any money you would have received from Pay TV or DVD or any of the other myriad ancillary markets is going to be chewed up by this false deficit the studio createsamp8221Sweeney went on to say that established filmmakers have an easier time negotiating studio contracts and can demand accountability for promotional monies spent Two Tickets to Paradise was largely funded by Sweeney and the equity in his home Half of the film was sold to an entrepreneur investor and Coors and Hooters were integral in both the production and postproduction promotional processesBecause Sweeney plays a beer truck driver in the film he pitched the product placement opportunity to several beer brands Many brands were uncomfortable with a particular scene in the film when passengers but not the driver in a moving car were drinking and didnamp8217t want their brand associated with drunk driving In a compromise that included careful consideration from Coorsamp8217 lawyers Sweeney was permitted to use the brand in bar and restaurant scenes and a fictional beer brand was used in the car scenesamp160 Coors also provided Sweeney with a number of production assets including use of a factory uniforms and trucks amp8220The deal I made with them was pretty much unprecedented for independent filmmakers They gave me studio level support I couldnamp8217t have done the movie without them Anytime I needed a truck they gave me a truck They gave me the factory All those things donamp8217t sound like a lot but on an independent film budget that stuff can be timeconsuming and expensiveamp8221 said SweeneyHooters has a presence within the film but was also integral in promoting the film During the restaurant chainamp8217s annual Fall contest for tickets to the Bowl Championship Series Championship Game they will be giving away a copy of the film as a runnerup prize Hooters customers will also be given promotional codes for a discounted copy of the DVD Sweeney admits that despite having acted in over 50 films he had no idea how difficult it would be to create an independent film Despite hurdles during the postproduction process Sweeney is currently working on another independent project a Web series titled The Opportunist scheduled to begin filming next month

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D.B. Sweeney's "Two Tickets to Paradise" Experiments with an Alternative Film Distribution Model

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Nina Spezzaferro

Hispanic Leadership Roundtable: Inclusion, Mentorship, and Building the Next Generation (Video) - By Juan Ayala

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D.B. Sweeney's "Two Tickets to Paradise" Experiments with an Alternative Film Distribution Model

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Nina Spezzaferro

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