Our 90-Day Review

Last week, OskarFilms.com reached its 90-day mark on the Web, and, so far, the numbers are looking good.

Since our debut online, March 2, 2021, OskarFilms.com has been visited by viewers in 13 countries around the world: The United States, Canada, Jamaica, The United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, Jordan, Lebanon, South Africa, Malaysia, and Australia.

World map showing all of the countries and states where OskarFilms.com

has been streamed. (Source: Wix.com)

Indeed, most of our visitors have been from the U.S., especially Florida, which is to be expected since that’s where we're located. In all, our website has garnered 422 site visits of which 233 have been unique visitors. Pretty good for a three-month period.

Our debut film, “Blacksmith,” has also performed well over the past 90-days. When OskarFilms.com was launched, “Blacksmith” had been viewed by streamers in 16 countries. Today, that number has jumped to more than 50! Much of that spike had to do with the film’s debut on SmartTV apps such as GuideDoc and Flexnet. However, “Blacksmith” sales from Amazon Prime Video and Vimeo On Demand streamers have also remained steady throughout the spring.

At the present time, “Blacksmith’s” sales analytics look so good that I can report confidently that its streaming numbers will grow dramatically over the next several months.

But perhaps the biggest news over the past 90 days has been the announcement of our new short documentary film, “Gardens of Life.” Now in production, the film features four gardeners from the Southwest Florida area: Darryl McCullough of Sarasota, Cathy Willard of Palmetto, Marsha Wikle of Bradenton and Richard Zielinski of Parrish.

Reels one through six of “Gardens” have been processed, scanned and color corrected. I’ve done a digital first pass and, so far, I’m pleased with what I’ve seen. Now it’s onto reels seven through 12, which are chilling out in my refrigerator.

As I close this blog I want to thank all of those who have stopped by OskarFilms.com, whether to read this blog or have a look-see at our other pages. There’s a lot more in the works over the next 90 days, so be sure to subscribe to get all of our updates sent directly to your inbox.

Best wishes,

Frank DiCesare

3 and 32 and Counting...

If someone told me on May 5, 2018, that “Blacksmith” would be still be selling online three years after its debut, I would’ve told them they were dreaming on my behalf.

If someone told me on that same day that “Blacksmith” would be sold and viewed all over the world in nearly every continent, except Antarctica, I would’ve accused them of delusional thinking on my behalf.

Indeed, I was new to the indie film distribution market and its many vicissitudes; it was a foreign world to me, literally and figuratively, and I had much to learn. But I had a feeling that “Blacksmith” had promise, despite the fact that it was my first film. So I jumped into the indie market pool and began to float. I’m glad I did.

Today, “Blacksmith” marks its third anniversary online, a period that has seen, thank God, more good times than bad. Reviews have been mixed, as they typically are for many debut films. However, most of the bad reviews, some of which flirted with ad hominem attacks such as “Way overpriced and dumb to boot.” (my personal favorite), were rooted primarily in the fact that I had the temerity to charge for something I created, something good and rather original. I concede freely that “Blacksmith” is neither Casablanca nor Star Wars, but I am confident it stands strong within the short film, poetic documentary genre.

Testimony to “Blacksmith’s” artistic merits is that fact that the film has recently made its way onto the smart TV app market. Channels such as GuideDoc and Flexnet TV, both of which accept only well-made curated films, have accepted “Blacksmith” for broadcast, and others seem to be on the way. Their acceptance

This map shows the countries in which "Blacksmith" has been streamed online.

has boosted “Blacksmith’s” global reach from 16 countries back in February to 32 as of this writing. I fully expect that number will grow even more dramatically over the next several months.

For “Blacksmith’s” sponsors, The Southeast Texas Arts Council and the Beaumont Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, it means their global exposure doubled within a two-month period.

I am quite humbled by “Blacksmith’s” online success over the past three years. And I am deeply grateful for its sponsors and ticket-buyers who have given the film a chance to survive – and even thrive – in the often choppy waters known as the indiefilm marketplace. You’ve helped me turn a vision and a plan into a reality.

Three years later, I've learned that the indiefilm market is an uphill marathon and not a Hollywood sprint. Admittedly, it lacks the luster and glamor of a Paramount- or an MGM-distrubuted film. However, it is not without talent, skill or artistry. It's the garden we non-Tinseltown filmmakers cultivate to the best of our abilities. It's hard work and a challenge like no other.

But when the developed negatives arrive in the mail, if you've put the work in, the results are often worth their weight in gold.

Now it’s on to Antarctica!

Best wishes,

Frank DiCesare

Sponsorship: A Cornerstone For Creatives

Every movie or television show you’ve ever watched and enjoyed had one thing in common: Sponsorship.

Whether it came in the form of a blatant 30-second ad on a local or national network or a subtle three-seconds of product placement in a movie clip, it was all sponsorship in one form or another. Without these essential funds, none of these creative endeavors would have ever seen the light of day.

In the movie business, especially in Hollywood, it’s the producer’s job to secure these funds during the film’s development stage to ensure that the project has at least some seed money to begin production. Obviously, the bigger the names on the movie poster, the easier it is to secure funds for name-that-famous-Hollywood-director’s next big film. ( I have long thought that people flock to Hollywood films for the same primary reason they stand in line at their local McDonald’s or Burger King – they’re safe bets for enjoyment.)

At the indie level, however, raising money is a lot different. Invariably, there are no stars to help bring in ticket buyers; no multi-million dollar marketing strategies at work; and no major distribution deals to brag about. On the other hand, it is argued that there are also no multi-million dollar expenses to speak of unless the indie filmmaker self-funds the project by dipping into a trust fund.

Be that as it may, the indie filmmaking business is changing rapidly. What used to be something regarded as a market of little-known, albeit well-produced, passion projects (or poorly-produced passion projects relegated to fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000) has grown into a legitimate business, thanks to the Internet.

Today, indie filmmakers and production companies like Oskar Films enjoy the benefits of online distribution and sales thanks to platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Vimeo On Demand, Hulu, and the hundreds of SmartTV apps that broadcast independent films. Each of the hundreds of films you see posted online for rent or sale had to pass the channel's quality control process. If your indie film doesn’t measure up, you don’t get a distribution contract. It’s that simple.

With this online market comes opportunities for companies to sponsor indie films to garner national and international exposure for their business. For example, Oskar Films’ first film “Blacksmith” has been viewed thousands of times by streamers in nearly 100 countries around the world. That means our sponsors, the Southeast Texas Arts Council and the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau, received national and global exposure in the film’s credits for a lot less money than the cost of a standard display ad.

In the months ahead, however, I'll be bringing even more value for our major sponsors' investment. This summer, I will be adding a new, premium, content-driven section to Oskar Films to help raise money and drive sponsorship for our new short film, “Gardens of Life,” which is now

OskarFilms.com's North American hits since its online debut on March 2, 2021.

(Information courtesy of Wix.com.)

in production. Our previous major sponsors will receive a complementary membership for the lifetime of this website for their support over the years; as will new major sponsors. It will be my way of adding another layer of benefit for those who support Oskar Films.

Now it’s time for me to get back to the movie producer grindstone. If you would like to learn more about sponsoring "Gardens of Life," please fill out the form on Our Sponsors page and I will get back to you.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best wishes,

Frank DiCesare