Neill Blomkamp, director of prominent sci-fi films District 9, Elysium and Chappie, has recently been releasing various short films on YouTube under the Oats Studios banner.
With three films so far released on the channel – Rakka, Cooking With Bill and Firebase, with the former racking up almost 3 million views – Blomkamp is now set to use the platform to launch ideas into feature length films.
Blomkamp explained to Nerdist:
“The main goal eventually, if it’s possible, is to raise enough money from the audience to make films independently. There are four films in Volume 1, and then there are other weird, smaller pieces that go between them.
So if the audience online has seen four films by the time Volume 1 is done, and there are enough people who liked what they saw, one option is we make Volume 2 and charge for it so we can make Volume 3″.
It’s an exciting idea, especially within the current climate of filmmaking where it seems the big budget films are solely the ones with ingrained audiences already, such as franchises and reboots.
Blomkamp perhaps hopes to bypass the studio system and make a film totally funded by his audience, or at least point to the viewing figures and interest on the short films to convince studios to finance feature length versions.
Blomkamp went on to say that it’s possible he might make every volume free, then raise funds for production on which short film was the most popular among viewers. That potential feature film would have a theatrical release that would fund more Oats Studios films.
It’s a great idea, and it’s hard not to take pride in Blomkamp attempting to create daring, interesting cinema in a climate where the safer option is often becoming the most preferred. Whether his plan pays off is yet to be seen, but if the audience is there and is willing to pay to see these films, studios will eventually take notice and capitalise.
#Peace.Love.Blomkamp
