Posts Tagged ‘Updates’

Stay Tuned for The Next Act

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Hey there, Indie Faithful.

You may have noticed a few things about our site. She’s not running as fast as she used to, her banner’s looking a little bit droopy, and when you search for something the results aren’t always what they once were. Don’t worry, it’s not you, it’s us. We know things are tough right now, but happier times are just around the corner, we promise. As you all know (or should know, if you’ve been reading our weekly WebBlast), a brand new, shiny site has been in the works for a while now, and it’ll be up and running any day.

Or at least, that’s what our tech crew keeps telling us. The truth is we’ve been hearing promises that our website will be up “by the end of the week” since the end of June, and it seems like the site’s still a ways away. Believe us, we probably spend a little bit more time on the site than you do, and we don’t like it any more than you.

Unfortunately, it seems like we’re just going to have to get used to it for now. But that’s the bad news. The good news is that the site is coming along, slowly but surely, and when it comes, it’ll be a real humdinger. Assuming, of course, that’s something all you readers would want.

They say good things come to those who wait, and this particular case is no exception. The gentlemen in the technology department (aka the Man Cave) have finally given a very early version of a pre-proto-beta site for the rest of us to try to break, and the improvement is significant. We’d be lying if we told you the new site is better than sliced bread, or that it brings you your slippers and the paper every morning, but we’re not lying when we say it does almost everything else.

The site is everything Web 2.0: it’s sleeker, simpler, more powerful and easier to use. For the aesthetes among you, we’ve overhauled our look, keeping the same core theme and wiping away all the unnecessary noise, while our more utility-minded friends will find the new layout far easier to navigate, search, and shop. But the most exciting part of the new site is what we can do for you filmmakers out there.

We know we’re not perfect; over the years we’ve accumulated a rather lengthy list of suggestions for how we could make the experience better for filmmakers. With the site, we’re hoping to address those issues, at least as much as possible. We’ve overhauled the process for filmmaker sign-up, meaning those of you who haven’t joined up with us yet will find it easier than ever before to do so, and those of you we’ve already been fortunate enough to have the pleasure of working with will find submitting films far simpler, and hopefully more enjoyable.

That’s all, folks. Hope you enjoyed the show. Stay tuned; we guarantee you won’t want to miss this next act.

-Team IndieFlix

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Posted in IndieFlix in the Media, Notes From The CEO | 2 Comments »

April Showers Updates & More

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

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Everyone,

Good afternoon, I wanted to update you all about the latest happenings here at April Showers as well as give you a glimpse into the future. As you know April Showers released in theaters on April 24, 2009 in 18 locations across the country, largely centered in the Midwest and East Coast. The week long run of our theatrical engagements went well and in some cases/cities exceptionally well. In the case of The Rave Theater Westroads 14 multiplex in Omaha, Nebraska we were the number one film that week in the theater and were invited to extend our stay for a week two, which wraps up on Thursday, May 7. I received word this morning that despite the release of the new Wolverine film as well as several other top performers already in theaters, April Showers continues to do very well theatrically in its second week. There are rumors (which I can not confirm at this time) that we may play a third week at the Westroads 14 Theater, so thank you everyone in Omaha as well as everyone around the country who came out and supported us in theaters these past two weeks. In the coming weeks I’ll be putting together a public list of schools that will be receiving donations so you’ll be able to see first hand how your patronage helped high schools across the country.
Tonight we are hosting two special screenings of the film in Colorado and Los Angeles and expect a good turn out in those locations. If they go well we will be discussing the possibility of doing more special engagements (one night only screenings) in other locations. I promise to keep you posted on the latest developments surrounding the current screenings and/or future screenings. If you’d like to attend tonight’s screenings there are still a few tickets left so you can jump online and purchase them via Movietickets.com or venture down to the box office at the theater and hope you’re not to late. I apologize in advance to anyone unable to get into this evening’s shows.
Tomorrow marks the official release of the film on iTunes as well as on DVD. I would like to clarify a few points regarding the iTunes/DVD release since I realized over the weekend that I might not have been clear enough through this whole process. First, if you pre-ordered the film on iTunes or order it tomorrow and the days that follow, the film will immediately download to your iTunes account for you to enjoy within a couple of minutes of making your purchase. If you pre-ordered on iTunes, most likely, you’ll wake up tomorrow with April Showers sitting in your que/playlist for you to enjoy. By purchasing the film on iTunes you’ll be able to view the film on your computer, iPod, iPod Touch, iPhone or other compatible portable device. You’ll be able to view April Showers on your TV or HDTV by simply connecting your computer to your television set or via an Apple TV, which is a small box that can interface with your iTunes account and stream your music and movies wirelessly to your television or home entertainment system. Personally, I use Apple TVs around my house and encourage you to check it out if you’re so inclined. Please note, my mentioning and/or endorsing Apple TV or iTunes does not result in me getting any money or kick back, I just think it’s a cool product that I think a lot of you may like.
As for the DVD release of April Showers there are a few things I’d like to point out/clarify. First, if you pre-ordered the DVD it will ship tomorrow so you can expect it in a few days. If you’re not one for pre-ordering and you wish to order your copy tomorrow then it will ship tomorrow or Wednesday depending on what time you place your order. The same will hold true for the days, weeks, months and years that follow, your copy will ship the day you order and the same is true for the Blu-ray disc, which will ship beginning June 5. Now, if you didn’t pre-order because you were planning on running down to your local video store, Best Buy etc to purchase a copy I’m sorry but you’ll be disappointed for you won’t find us there. In order to keep the cost of the disc down and be able to offer it to you at a price point we felt was advantageous to you we are only selling the DVD/ Blu-ray via our website or via IndieFlix.com at this time. We are looking into other channels and avenues but want to ensure that these opportunities don’t result in you being over charged for something we all know should cost less.  So, if you want your very own copy of April Showers on DVD or Blu-ray you’ll have to place your order through the website for the time being. As soon as that changes I’ll let you know. We’re currently talking with a number of rental chains, especially NetFlix, and hope to have copies of the movie to them within the month so that some of you with April Showers in your rental cue will be able to enjoy the film at home.
Also this week, I will announce the winner of my photo challenge that I put out prior to our theatrical release. It’s not to late to get your photos in but you have until Wednesday. The winner will receive an autographed copy of the DVD with the runners up receiving posters. I’m thinking about doing another contest next week so stay tuned for that.
Lastly, I would like to talk about a little thing I did on Friday of last week. Last Friday I was invited to speak at the West Valley Leadership Academy in Los Angeles. The West Valley Leadership Academy is a small school (20 or so students) that is dedicated to changing the lives of young people grade school- high school who are or have had issues pertaining to drug use, gang activity and beyond. The school was founded and run by Paul D. White. Mr. White was kind enough to invite me to speak to his students and we had a lively discussion for over two hours about a myriad of topics ranging from communication to the media and even Swine Flu. Yes, Swine Flu. I had a wonderful time and the entire exchange was video taped by Cindy and we hope to have snippets of it online soon. It was a truly unique and amazing experience for me and hopefully the students and one I hope to repeat in the future.
So that’s what is going on today in the world of April Showers. Stay tuned this week for more updates and news and thank you all once again for your support. Take care.

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Posted in Perfect Sport and April Showers | No Comments »