Open Cinema Manifesto

The world of cinema is changing.  Digital technology, online distribution, and the power of social media are fueling a revolution in the way we tell stories.  You are a part of this revolution and an active player in deciding what movies, music, and art mean to you, how they're made and who profits. 

Primary Beliefs and Tenets

  1. Collaboration makes things better.
  2. Individuals should be recognized and rewarded for their contributions
  3. Teams of artists can jointly “own” works while still maintaining individual authorship.
  4. Together we can make better movies for less money than any one of us could by ourselves.
  5. Those who do the most work on a project should have the most say in the direction of that project. If votes are used, they should be weighted by participation (called a Meritocracy).
  6. Any revenue earned from artistic creations should be split fairly with its creators.   Most of the revenue should go directly to the people who did most of the work.
  7. Artists should be empowered (not forced) to be as open with their work as they are comfortable. 
  8. Everyone has something to contribute; great movies are rarely the product of sole genius, but collections of talented individuals working together.
  9. We will work with whatever resources we can obtain and are not afraid of failure.  It may take many tries to make something worthwhile. 
  10. Stop wishing, stop the “what ifs”, stop critiquing, and start doing.  When passionate people work together, anything is possible.

The Control

The Control wants to own everything.  They believe quality is maintained by giving power to the elite, to the proven, or to those connected. Every yes decision a big risk. Every green light costs enormous amounts of money.  In this world, every completed project is a rarity.  In the land of film-making, people on the bottom clamor to have a chance to even get in the game. 

To offset the enormous risk and financial burden, the Control reuses the same proven gimmicks until they no longer work. They exploit people as much as possible to increase profits. They tighten down access to the content and leverage each resource to its fullest.  They stifle innovation in favor of status quo profits. They are slow to change anything until they absolutely have to or risk extinction.

Open Cinema Characteristics

“Controlled” Cinema Characteristics

  • Accessible.  You can watch it, share it, and experience it freely.
  • Allows for collaboration which may include:
    • Audience Participation
    • Artists or Creator Collaboration on the movie creation
    • Artist, Fan or Audience Reinterpretation or modification after release
    • Artists and Creators can maintain authorship over their work while others are free to modify, recreate and change them.
    • Self-organized and based on a system of , decentralized power, knowledge sharing, and freedom.
    • Shared outcomes through loose voluntary associations
    • Resources available dictate budget and scope of projects, exploratory and experimental.  Start small build on what works.
    • Small or no financial investment is required.
    • Open collaboration opportunities for everyone. 
    • Opportunities are based on ability, availability, dedication and passion.

 

  • Production is done in secret by restricted teams
  • Protection and security against copying and distribution are employed.  Employs lots of lawyers.
  • An elite group control which projects get made and by whom, artists and creators are commoditized and often lose complete control over their work.
  • Strict management and authoritarian organization structure built around financers (producers) of expensive content.
  • Huge capital intensive initial investment even before a project begins shooting.
  • Can’t afford to try new things, because of the huge capital intensive initial investment to launch new projects.
  • Employs just a small elite group of artists, creators and business people.
  • Opportunity is based on closed casting and hiring processes and connection to the industry elites

Cinema is changing and together we are fueling a creative revolution.  We can empower artists, encourage more films to be made, and foster creativity.  The old system is slowly failing and being challenged by creative people from all over the world.  By reading and singing this Manifesto you are declaring your support for open cinema, collaboration and intellectual independence!

 

Sign the Manifesto!

It’s very simple: just fill out the comment form below.  In the subject say something about signing the manifesto. If you create a free account before you comment, it will show your picture and be linked to your profile (This is highly recommended).

Comments

together we can fight the power.

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down with the old. time for new blood.

I agree.

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I agree.

I accept your terms and agree

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I accept your terms and agree with them.

Xotick's picture

One Man studio

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I have equipment and Talent. lets play.
Hv30 with 35mm DOF adapter - I Work well With Cinema 4D for 3d and After Effects, Premier, and Audacity, Photoshop.

Excellent

3
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A very cool way of getting like-minded individuals together to work on something great. I love this idea!

Andreia's picture

like

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it's very cool

love

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it is creatig the human relations.

Doing it with others

5
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Definitely the way to go

YOU rock, and I believe in

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YOU rock, and I believe in your ideas!!

YOU rock, and I believe in

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YOU rock, and I believe in your ideas!!

Great Idea!

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I have been participating and Contributing Ideas, Camera & Editing Talent for this Group for over a year. Keep up the Great Work!

SGO Productions

Good Luck

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Good Luck with your hard work. :)

Phillip

jodbarton's picture

manifesto

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Thanks for letting me be a part.  Bunch of pawns.   

The pawns remark was Michael talking.  This project is definitely not the work of pawns.  But of people willing to risk to create a platform where real art can be created.  The airways belong to the people.  This project is a great representation of that. 

gsimon818's picture

Signing the Open Cinema Manifesto

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In agreement with the TOC of MoviePals and genuine agreement of the document, under no duress Geoff Simon signing this Manifesto.  Now if i only had a calculator....really tricky captcha code, anyone know the square root of  "F"?

Woooo the minicupcake was

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Woooo the minicupcake was here! Hmm now I have to say something mature..... as Lenin once said "A revolution is impossible without a revolutionary situation; furthermore, not every revolutionary situation leads to a revolution" that quote is directly connected to this site, it is a revolutionary situation, let us hope your idea will lead to a revolution.

raja.pokhrapurkar's picture

Signing the manifesto is

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Signing the manifesto is pride for me. I was longing for this idea for a long time thanks for giving me the opportunity.

raja.pokhrapurkar's picture

Film making

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Film making is beoming adefinate creative science with dedication and knowledge sharing

JHarlow's picture

Signing the manifesto

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I'm glad to sign the manifesto because I think the idea of Open Cinema is fantastic.

andrewloviska's picture

breaking ground

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It's not often you get the chance to get in on the ground floor of a revolutionary new idea.  Let's take this thing to the top!

good movie

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good movie

Signing Manifesto

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Debbie Sens

Sounds like a great idea!

very good Concept

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For an actor/writer/1st time screenplay writer like myself with talents to contribute, this is a long time coming...a group collaboritve effort could be a really good thing....looking forward to seeing how it all plays out

vijay victor's picture

My comittment to the cause

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'History in the making'... I wish to see one day headlines may proclaim that Moviepals has rewritten filmmaking the way they are made, watched, marketed & distributed by their revolutionary concept called Open Cinema. Way to go!

vijay victor's picture

excellent

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This is the best thing to have happened to the Cinema as a whole. Something is surely brewing which is quite revolutionary in concept, egalitarian in approach and idealistic in execution.

duwizrd's picture

I support the Manifesto

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As an actor and technologist, I have long looked forward to this day and am proud to take part in creating a brace new world of cinema.

Now can we talk about making MY movies. ;-)

yes

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nice

Nice!

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Looking forward to great things from this initiative!

signing the maifesto

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Sorry about the last post, I definitely need to pay better attention to details

Signing manifesto...

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not exactly sure how to go about signing the manifesto or where I can read the manifesto?

Every New Beginning...

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Hi there. I'm am new to this group and new period to filmmaking. I have made a decision to take my creativity to the next step. I goal to finish my screenplays and make a film. I know nothing, so I will not act like I do. I start school soon. Excitied to meet new people and see how this all plays out. Peace, Love & Hair Grease!

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