Tyler Gibb - Writer, Director, Editor, Filmmaker

Been a while since I’ve had any Minushi news but here goes!

Remember that animated feature film I spent most of my twenties - starved of sunlight - making? Well now you can watch the feature cut right now!* On your computer! Or your TV depending on whether or not you’ve got the right doodads or doodhickeys set up. Or in the near future one of those iPad thingys unless Apple makes that a pain the ass to do.

Minushi is now available through Amazon’s Video On Demand (a.k.a. VOD) service. ‘Bout time, right? Best of all - for you, not me - if you want to be a cheapskate you can simply rent it! Nice right? It’s like $2.50 or something ridiculous like that. So what the hell am I going to do with the box of DVDs in the trunk of my car?

Anyway, if you’ve been following this weblog long enough to know what Minushi is then you deserve it, cheapo!

While I’m on the subject, the Minushi Double DVD Set is still available of course and it ships anywhere on planet Earth.

Is this the final word on Minushi after all these years? Until Jerry Bruckheimer calls to option the live-action film rights, then yes, my dear devoted Minushians, I believe it is.

*This is the really crap part: Amazon VOD is currently available to US residents only. Amazon is aware of my feelings on the matter so please be my guest and add your complaints to the pile here.

I’ve been meaning to poke in here and report on the recent goings-on surrounding Refrain and our recent premiere at the World Film Fest but playing catch-up on a bunch of work has been taking precedence.

However, I did just receive the artwork below and wanted to share it as soon as possible. It’s from a fellow animator and fan of my movie Minushi by the name of Gemma. She has a number of her own projects in the works which you can check out on her website, NiftiHaloStudios.com .

Having this show up in my inbox was a great surprise. Moreover it was a reminder to me why I keep trying to tell stories.

Never stop, Gemma!

So some of you may have noticed that recently Minushi has been returning to the little screen. One every week for the past fifteen weeks, in fact, I’ve been releasing video versions along side the Flash versions of Minushi’s chapters on Revver.com as well as other video portals.

I’ve always maintained that the entire 19 chapters of Minushi would eventually be released online and I expect to fulfill that promise four weeks from now.

It feels really good to be wrapping up this project. It also feels pretty good to see that releasing the chapters online doesn’t seem to be hurting DVD sales. I’m glad to see that there are viewers out there who can appreciate the enhancement to the viewing experience that the feature length version of Minushi has to offer.

At another time I would probably have posted 500 words on just what a miserable affair it’s been getting the very image and sound intensive Flash files exported properly of online delivery… But I’m in happy place today…

T

When you get your subscription to Animation Magazine this month, check out the nod to Minushi on page 22 in the Home Entertainment section. I don’t know writer Mercedes Milligan personally but I like the way she thinks!

Now if only I could move closer to the celebrated side of that equation…

I’d just like to preface this editorial by pointing out that I’m an autodidact in this business and that any perceived wisdom I may have to impart should be taken with that grain of salt.

Minushi’s been invited to submit to more film festivals since I decided to self-distribute than it was rejected from prior to distribution… Go figure. That said and flattered as I am to have received this attention I haven’t taken any of these fests up on their offer to screen the movie. I know, I’m a self-destructive idiot right? Maybe so, but on the other hand this is how I’ve rationalized my decision:

As far as I’m concerned (and this is really a subjective appraisal of things) film festivals are there to serve two basic functions for me, the filmmaker. Press and the possibility of distribution/representation. Now I’m not saying that’s the only purpose a film festival serves! For a particular community or for the art of filmmaking festivals are a great resource. But if you’re an indie filmmaker who’s boiling the broom for soup then you may have to be a bit more pragmatic in your feelings on the matter.

So I say again; press and/or the possibility of distribution is what I have to consider if I want to continue to eat. So I had to look at what any given festival was going to bring me in terms of those two criteria. And realistically, your average small town festival isn’t exactly going to be attracting the kind of business folks you want to have screen your movie… (Unless your small town happens to be L.A. or N.Y.) And again, that’s not to say there isn’t value to these festivals! There’s enormous value culturally, but even small festivals can cost you in the way of time and money to participate. And for me, that time and money was best served in going after a festival in my own hometown. This way if your film is selected then you have that hometown advantage of not only being able to attend the festival but also with any luck capitalize on the buzz of being a homegrown filmmaker.

There were only a handful of other festivals to which I submitted Minushi. Giant festivals for which the possibility of selection seemed impossible. And ultimately was. But I take solace in telling myself Minushi just isn’t “that kind of movie.” The point is, it can’t hurt to try because you never know what a selection committee might be looking for any given year and if you ever do land a giant festival well then that’s just pay dirt isn’t it?

My only exception to these guidelines laid out with my finite knowledge would be specialty festivals. If you’re making a vampire movie and you know of a horror movie festival that’s maybe not so big or local but it fits your film’s genre then that would probably serve you well as far as finding an audience. However, I think these days, the 24/7 festival of the internet can probably fill that need better than any other source at the moment.

To sum up: Big festivals that look at little movies; good. Hometown festivals; good. Some small town festival on the other side of the planet; good for the filmmaker who lives in that small town on the other side of the planet.

But maybe that’s just me?