Thunder Road: Destroying the Gatekeepers
The modern independent distribution model is largely a parasitic enterprise. Distributors convince desperate filmmakers that they are incapable of releasing their own art, offer them a humiliating minimum guarantee, and then steal the rights to the film in perpetuity. Jim Cummings and the team behind Thunder Road recognized this scam for what it was and decided to dismantle it. Alternative Financing: The Micro-Budget Blueprint Bref, Thunder Road was willed into existence for a meager $200,000. Cummings utilized his Sundance-winning short film as a proof-of-concept to raise an initial $36,000 on Kickstarter. The rest was cobbled together through private equity and personal savings. ...