All about "Four Eyed Monsters"

http://www.indiewire.com/article/forgotten-mavericks-ten-years-later-what-happened-to-four-eyed-monsters-20150121
Guerassio, J. (2015, January 23). Forgotten Mavericks: Ten Years Later, What Happened to 'Four Eyed Monsters'? Retrieved February 18, 2015, from  http://www.indiewire.com/article/forgotten-mavericks-ten-years-later-what-happened-to-four-eyed-monsters-20150121

 IndieWire is a major source of all things current and relevant in the Independent film-making world.  With a ride range of focus points and diverse kinds of information, the site truly keeps film fanatics up to date regarding the most recent innovations in Independent film work, which often entails self distribution due to the latest technology.  However, this article focuses on a long lost treasure within the Indie film world.  A little more than ten years ago, "Four Eyed Monsters" changed film as we know it on a very minor, yet influential scale.  Aroon Crumley And Susan Buice, an eccentric couple turned film team, produced an off beat romantic film about how lovers communicate in alternative ways using new technology and artistic means of expression, 'creating their own reality.'  This innovative theme caught interest among an age of people that popularized social media and online communication as a primary means of communicating.  "In short, 'Four Eyed Monsters' was the first movie made for an internet-savvy audience in its own vernacular."  The way that Crumley and Buice distributed their film through youtube (a relatively new site at the time) with marketing solely based on podcasts had people in the independent film world automatically assuming that the pair had completely revolutionized the DIY distribution game.  Sadly, this revolutionary spark incited a new trend which "Four Eyed Monsters" ultimately couldn't keep up with. As brand new sources of streaming and downloading film popularized new independent works, the ingenuity of this once celebrated media content faded into the past--which seems light-years away due to such rapid convergence of media within the last decade.

Here's the trailer with a little peak at the Film "Four Eyed Monsters", which has been viewed by millions of users on youtube.  Warning: The cover photo is somewhat strange at first glance, but these two minutes of charming film snippets are definitely worth watching.

Important Quotes Explained...

1.  "The directors tapped into a trend among filmmakers eschewing traditional paths of distribution for a do-it-yourself drive to build an audience, which in time, would reward the creators monetarily. But what Crumley and Buice didn't consider was that the industry would adapt. "
• The best part of being such innovative dependent filmmakers also turned out to be the worst; Crumley and Buice set the precedent for a new trend in self/alternative distribution during the modern age. They set the bar high, creating big shoes for aspiring indie producers to fill.
2.  "For Crumley and Buice, YouTube became a wakeup call about the travails of working with a corporation. But from the outside, the indie film community felt the duo had found "the answer" to an alternative means of distribution. "
•  From the outside looking in, being the first film legally distributed through you tube was considered a hallmark success.  On the contrary, it wound up becoming the kiss of death for "Four Eyed Monsters", which couldn't keep up once streaming and downloadable content took the media world by storm.
3. "It's very ironic, we were these digital pioneers but today it's not on the digital platforms," Crumley said. "After the black out year [the streaming space] became crowded and competitive. The only way to do it now is through companies that require rights that remove the YouTube mechanism. Those paths don't equate to any kind of distribution deal, there's nothing beneficial."

•  In this quote, the dude behind the dynamic DIY duo addresses the high competition sparked among digital forums for space and more importantly, exposure.  Crumley has a much more cynical approach regarding the prospects that may arise through self distribution and alternative film marketing.
4.  "Buice sees it differently. “He's wrong. He's totally wrong,” she said. "There's no scenario in which we lose by having it on Netflix. Having our film streaming on Netflix makes our film seem legit. Being on YouTube is not legit."
   
   
   • Ms. Buice has a much more optimistic outlook regarding the potential that "Four Eyed Monsters" may reach using new technology and streaming sources. Perhaps Netflix and BitTorrent can bring back buzz and make some profit off an 'artifact of early 2000s DIY film" that in its sheer and ironic simplicity, has been forgotten.
   
   
   
   
   
   
    To Keep it simple... 
   
   
   "Four Eyed Monsters" was one of the first of its kind: an ultra-low-budget film produced and distributed independently.  It planted the seeds for a modern grassroots movement that simultaneously grew alongside the digital age.  The directors, producers, and actors behind the project, a legitimate real life couple, laid the foundation for alternative distribution even before its conception.  However, this forward-thinking innovation wound up backfiring on the creative team, whose film sparked changes in an industry which adapts and expands so rapidly that it was almost impossible for "Four Eyed Monsters" to keep up the pace.  This "do it yourself" model made popular by Buice and Crumley is now far more common, and therefore, the chances of producing lucrative, fan-followed independent film work are slim to none.  Instead of cracking the code to what a successful DIY film truly entails, the code rearranged as a reaction to this new independent work.  Nowadays, "Four Eyed Monsters" is an irrelevant independent film because it is currently still distributed only though Youtube and other free streaming services that are a bit outdated, rather than main players in streaming distribution such as Netflix.
   
   
   At the time the film was produced, Youtube was the best route to take in alternative distribution.  However, Crumley now realizes that in order to be successful in all aspects of indppendent film, there is not a specific path or set of guidelines that should be followed.  Each work of media is different , just as every situation is subjective, and these variances must be treated accordingly.  After a sour deal that went horribly wrong with IFC, Buice and Crumley emerged from the situation with nothing to show for it...at least monetarily.  Considering that "Four eyed Monsters" was their first film, the professionalism they truly needed in order to have their efforts succeed was lacking.  Nowadays, the independent film can still be found on youtube as well as a couple disks circulating through Amazon.  Even so, it still can not be found on Netflix or even itunes..and it has yet to be determined whether it ever will.  In the end of the day, "Four Eyed Monsters" did a superb job of capturing a moment and securing a dedicated audience, but for whatever reason, Buice and Crumley were unable to harness this energy and turn it into longlasting success marked by recognition or even monetary gain.
   
   
   
     

Stay tuned for the next posting which will discuss how BitTorrent is lending a helping hand to "Four Eyed Monsters."  Or is it the other way around?  Until next time...