Only a fraction of films are made with the multi-million pound investment in Hollywood franchises, there’s a whole category of film, which encompasses just about anything from ghostly horror to teenage romance to gritty action: as long as they were made without the backing of a major production company or large cash investment. In many cases, these films are called “B-Movies” or “Indie Films” as they are seen to be largely inferior to massive blockbusters which are viewed thousands of times in every cinema in the country. This stigma associated with films without the “all-star cast”, “thrilling graphic effects” and widespread marketing campaigns is one which effects everybody. Of course we would rather go to a cinema to watch the final instalment of our favourite series, whether it be Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight or anything else, than sitting at home watching a film made by an unknown French director in the 1980’s. In the scheme of things, it’s more a reflection on the power of money an industry that historically was more about conveying meaning. However, I’m looking to shed some light on Indie Films and why in fact they encapsulate the magic of some cinema greats, in a modern era, and are therefore a better representative of the industry than most of what we see on the big screen nowadays.

Of course, I’m not here to slam every single film that is played in cinemas, as genuinely we have seen some great blockbuster films over the few years: Sicario, Nightcrawler and Birdman to name but a few. It is not these films which I believe to be the issue with the film industry, but those that appear to exist purely to please the masses and exploit them for money. For example, the budget of the four films in Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise was a huge $755 million but when compared to the $3.761 billion it has taken in at the box office, it’s nothing. The franchise itself has no artistic value, they’re no masterpieces of film, they can barely hold together a passable review, yet they gross the rough equivalent to every human being on the planet paying $0.50! A shocking statistic that shows the true diminishment of the industry: from meaning to money.

It’s difficult to define an indie film: accurately, it is any film made without the support of a big production company, instead from an independent production company, such as ‘Broad Green Pictures’ or ‘Samuel Goldwyn Films’. They are two examples of relatively high profile independent production companies but there are many many more that produce authentic independent films every year which tend to be regionally released or shown at independent film festivals such as Sundance Film Festival. Typically, indie films will be made on a low budget but there are rare exceptions such as Pulp Fiction’s $8 million budget or Donnie Darko’s $3.6 million budget but even these are nothing when compared to, for example, the $155 million budget of recent sci-fi film Terminator Genisys. So surely if a film like Pulp Fiction or Donnie Darko can receive highly positive critical reviews and convey such deep meaning beyond all the actions which physically appear on screen, with only a fraction of the budget of Terminator Genisys, then why can’t that do the same, if not better. It’s a matter, really, of what the general public are most interested in seeing. Many people look for exciting action, or their favourite actors or their favourite franchises when deciding upon a film to see, rather than deeper meaning or the actual quality of the film. It’s a personal thing, some people prefer to see films they know will provoke thought, whilst others are fine with films that are ‘easier to watch’.

Along with Pulp Fiction and Donnie Darko which were previously mentioned, another indie film which achieved widespread acclaim and success as possibly one of the greatest horror films of all time: The Blair Witch Project. With a budget of just $22500, it made a staggering $250 million at the box office worldwide. This is the perfect representation of the independent film industry and is an inspiration to aspiring filmmakers everywhere. The phenomenal profit of this found footage spectacle conveys chilling scares, acceptable acting and a sinister mood.

To conclude: of course the blockbuster film industry does provide many truly brilliant films for us to see at our favourite cinemas, and the independent industry produces a lot of low-budget crap. However, there are some genuine diamonds in the rough that prove that you don’t need to invest millions into a film in order to produce something worthwhile for audiences. So next time you’re looking for a good, new film to watch, save the money you’d spend on getting to the cinema, buying food and paying for the film but instead sit down on the sofa, make yourself a drink, grab some popcorn and browse the Internet to find some great, free, independently produced films to watch, you might be surprised.