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We Uncovered Burnsie's Secret For Making A Low Budget Indie
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 18, 2011
Modified Apr 18, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 18, 2011
Modified Apr 18, 2011
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Earlier this year Edward Burns (heretofore referred to as "Burnsie") told his Twitter followers that he was making his new movie (the centerpiece at TriBeca Film Festival this year) for $9,000 in the can. We're not in showbiz, but we can tell you that is not a lot of money at all. So how does he do it?
Well first he signed up for a Twitter account, and then he asked other creative types to essentially work for free. Amongst these things were poster designs (he just announced the winner), and music (he asked for bands to submit songs for the soundtrack). Of the latter, we're told by his publicist, "he's specifically looking for a song with an acoustic, coffee-house sort of sound and another that is more of a dancey, indie-rock sound."
Surely these people will be paid back via exposure (or, you know, getting some new Twitter followers), but what about those unnamed masses who have helped him along every step of the way? Burnsie asked his readers for advice on everything during the course of making this film. For example: What do you think of this? What do you think of that? What should I call my new movie? Did the Mets win? Why do you love She's The One so much? Seems like NYU may have hired the wrong guy to teach students about movie-making.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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