How to Improve Hollywood: 9 Experts Weigh In on the Future of Film

"At the dawn of 2013, Hollywood is edging toward cautious optimism. The box office is set to shatter domestic records and the home-entertainment sector is poised to grow after five years of losses.

A year ago, TheWrap asked six experts the daunting question: How do we fix Hollywood?  This year, we reached out to a new set of thought leaders across the spectrum of the movie business to ask:

How do we make sense of the changing landscape? And what trends are emerging as a new year dawns?

From "Paranormal Activity" producer Jason Blum to Black List founder Franklin Leonard to Film Nation CEO Glen Basner, here's what they had to say:

CHRIS MCGURK

CEO, Cinedigm

We’re entering a period of tremendous upside for the independent film business. Finally things are coming together in terms of digital technology. 

The cost of making a movie that’s worthy of theatrical release is now a hell of a lot less than it was a few years ago, and the profusion of digital services like Netflix and Hulu and Amazon is reaching a critical mass. 

They’re in an arms race for content, and that’s creating a perfect storm for independent film.

People have to re-screw their heads on about the way a film is released. It used to be that a movie had to be picked up by an independent distributor and get to 500 screens to be validated as a movie, but it takes $5 million to $10 million in marketing to do that, and it makes it difficult to get a return on your investment. 

It’s still really important to get a theatrical release, but it should be done in a smart targeted way, in a few key markets. It’s important to get those reviews and publicity so they raise awareness of a film for ancillary markets, but you have to do it in a way where you still have a shot at making."

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