Understatements. We all make them. I suppose it's just another way of making ourselves feel better about some truth we don't really want to admit. After all, it is far easier to say, "Yeah, I guess I haven't been getting much exercise lately", than it is to admit the only walking that takes place is from the couch to the fridge. Or worse, that even that level activity causes more labored breathing than one would hope to have, after taking only fifteen steps or so. So, it is with that in mind, gentle reader, that I admit, it has been a little while since my last post. Ok, maybe more than just "a little".
Why the long silence? It's not that I don't miss you, or our one sided chats. I do, and to prove it, here I am, once again placing pen to paper (or fingers to plastic keys), to resume the tale of my journey. The journey of going from an aspiring, to a real life, honest to goodness filmmaker. And what a journey it has been.
When we last spoke, (or I typed and you read), I was telling you all about the completion of my first feature film "Wireless". Well, I am happy to tell you that in the four years since I released the film, it has earned a gross income that has broken the double digit mark. Though, not particularly high in the double digits, mind you. Truthfully, it is barely in the double digits. The film has grossed about $12. To top it off, I'm pretty sure a good part of that $12 was a mistake on the part of someone who did not really know how to use Amazon Instant Video.
Now, I know what you're thinking, gentle reader. You're thinking that I'm just being self deprecating, or too hard on myself. First of all, I thank you for thinking that, but I'll tell you why I think operator error is partly responsible for my $12 windfall. If you look at the sales statistics for "Wireless", the numbers are is flat as flat can be, with the average number of sales fluctuating slightly between zero and zero. That's right, no sales at all. Month after month, report after report, zero sales. Until one day, out of the clear blue sky, "Wireless" was rented seven times and purchased once. That is what one educated in the study of numbers, would call a statistical anomaly. What are the odds that something which has never been rented or purchased in months of being available, would suddenly be rented seven times and purchased once in one day? Well, I don't know what those odds would be exactly, but I am guessing that they would be very long indeed. So what is my guess as to what happened. Someone tried to rent the movie, and it didn't go through, or so they thought. So they hit the rent button again. Again, nothing SEEMED to happen, so they hit the button again, and again, and yet again, for a total of seven times. Finally they realized it is only forty-nine cents more to buy the movie, and by now this thing with the computer not letting them do what they wanted to do, was personal. They were going to watch this movie if it was the last thing they did on this mortal coil, so they clicked the "buy" button. So, "Wireless" was rented seven times, and purchased once, all in one day. The days following that day? The sales numbers go back to flat immediately. There was no price reduction, no special placement of the movie to a higher profile place on the Amazon website. Just no sales whatsoever, then seven rentals and one purchase, and back to no sales. I guess none of us will ever know what really happened that day, but in my heart of hearts, I think some poor soul spent a little over sixteen dollars to watch something that should have cost them two fifty. I really hope they liked the movie.
So that, brings us up to date on the tale that is the making of "Wireless". How it was made, where it could be bought, and who actually bought it. But don't worry, gentle reader, the road to real life, honest to goodness, filmmaker status is a long one. There are many twists and turns up ahead, and many more tales to be told. If you are willing to read them, I will do my best to write them. I hope to see you in a little while.
Why the long silence? It's not that I don't miss you, or our one sided chats. I do, and to prove it, here I am, once again placing pen to paper (or fingers to plastic keys), to resume the tale of my journey. The journey of going from an aspiring, to a real life, honest to goodness filmmaker. And what a journey it has been.
When we last spoke, (or I typed and you read), I was telling you all about the completion of my first feature film "Wireless". Well, I am happy to tell you that in the four years since I released the film, it has earned a gross income that has broken the double digit mark. Though, not particularly high in the double digits, mind you. Truthfully, it is barely in the double digits. The film has grossed about $12. To top it off, I'm pretty sure a good part of that $12 was a mistake on the part of someone who did not really know how to use Amazon Instant Video.
Now, I know what you're thinking, gentle reader. You're thinking that I'm just being self deprecating, or too hard on myself. First of all, I thank you for thinking that, but I'll tell you why I think operator error is partly responsible for my $12 windfall. If you look at the sales statistics for "Wireless", the numbers are is flat as flat can be, with the average number of sales fluctuating slightly between zero and zero. That's right, no sales at all. Month after month, report after report, zero sales. Until one day, out of the clear blue sky, "Wireless" was rented seven times and purchased once. That is what one educated in the study of numbers, would call a statistical anomaly. What are the odds that something which has never been rented or purchased in months of being available, would suddenly be rented seven times and purchased once in one day? Well, I don't know what those odds would be exactly, but I am guessing that they would be very long indeed. So what is my guess as to what happened. Someone tried to rent the movie, and it didn't go through, or so they thought. So they hit the rent button again. Again, nothing SEEMED to happen, so they hit the button again, and again, and yet again, for a total of seven times. Finally they realized it is only forty-nine cents more to buy the movie, and by now this thing with the computer not letting them do what they wanted to do, was personal. They were going to watch this movie if it was the last thing they did on this mortal coil, so they clicked the "buy" button. So, "Wireless" was rented seven times, and purchased once, all in one day. The days following that day? The sales numbers go back to flat immediately. There was no price reduction, no special placement of the movie to a higher profile place on the Amazon website. Just no sales whatsoever, then seven rentals and one purchase, and back to no sales. I guess none of us will ever know what really happened that day, but in my heart of hearts, I think some poor soul spent a little over sixteen dollars to watch something that should have cost them two fifty. I really hope they liked the movie.
So that, brings us up to date on the tale that is the making of "Wireless". How it was made, where it could be bought, and who actually bought it. But don't worry, gentle reader, the road to real life, honest to goodness, filmmaker status is a long one. There are many twists and turns up ahead, and many more tales to be told. If you are willing to read them, I will do my best to write them. I hope to see you in a little while.
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