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The Independent Relaunches This Fall

Published on October 2, 2007

Independent Media Publications relaunches The Independent September 1st

The Independent, a publication that served the independent media and grassroots community, started in 1978 and was published continuously by Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) until last year. This fall, The Independent will build upon thirty years of legacy as it reconfigures itself as both an online magazine and a quarterly print publication. MediaRights.org interviewed publisher Michele Meek to find out about her motivations in heading this great endeavor. She also gave us a first hand look at how she envisions The Independent in the current media landscape.

MediaRights.org: Can you talk a little bit about the history of AIVF, The Independent and their role in the independent media community?

Michele Meek: AIVF was an organization that served the independent and grassroots community for over thirty years. The Independent started in 1978 and was published continuously until last year when AIVF sadly went out of business. At the end, the board put out a request for proposals to head up The Independent. Our team was selected to take that task on. In many ways, AIVF was a wonderful organization--they supported the truly independent, grassroots filmmaker and any filmmakers got their start with the help of the organization. Unfortunately it's a challenging time for non-profits--you really need to think more like a business than a non-profit. They just didn't seem to know how to survive in that climate. Moving forward, that's one of our advantages--although we all have experience in non-profits, we are much more entrepreneurial.

MediaRights.org: What motivated you to take on the task of relaunching The Independent?

Michele Meek: Insanity? Just kidding. I've always been a strong advocate for the core mission of AIVF and The Independent. Even the businesses that I've started--NewEnglandFilm.com and BuyIndies.com--are essentially services for indie filmmakers. I guess it felt like a call to action. I couldn't save AIVF when I was on the board, but I felt like I would be able to save an essential piece of it now. In addition, I feel there's a real opportunity here. There's thirty years of articles, advice, profiles, interviews from The Independent. That's an amazing resource to start something with. So it's a great combination of starting something from scratch (which is my favorite thing to do) and having a strong existing base of content, advertisers and subscribers. A recipe for success, if you ask me.

MediaRights.org: Your website defines Independent Media Publications. What will be the same? What will be different? And why did you make those choices?

Michele Meek: Independent Media Publications is a completely new organization. AIVF went out of business and transferred some of its materials and rights to Independent Media Publications. We are not a member organization, like AIVF, and our board is intentionally very small. We have made it a non-profit out of necessity, but are running it as much like a business as we are able to ensure our survival. However, I feel quite strongly that the mission is the same. We want to reach out to the grassroots, activist and indie filmmakers. We are not interested in catering to Hollywood or even indiewood.

MediaRights.org: Who do you see as your audience? How many subscibers do you hope to have a year into the relaunch?

Michele Meek: We are launching the website and web magazine first this summer and hope to re-launch the print magazine a few months after. We will open the website and all the content (dating back to 1998) free to all in order to encourage all the past members of AIVF and new people to discover us. There may be certain aspects of the site available to subscribers only, but subscriptions will be free to start. At launch the online subscription/accounts will be free. When we relaunch the print magazine, we will likely have to charge a subscription fee to new subscribers but hope to raise money so we can at least fund the members whose original subscriptions weren't fulfilled due to AIVF's closure.

MediaRights.org: Given the current media landscape, especially in terms of online content, how will The Independent set itself apart?

Michele Meek: First, our content is extraordinary. We are working on getting all of the past articles of The Independent online--nearly thirty years of independent film resources and history. At launch, we'll feature content dating back to at least 1998. Second, our audience is much different than most--we are not targeting film fans, we are targeting true grassroot, activist and independent filmmakers. Third, we see ourselves as the tech-smart indie film magazine (which is much different than The Independent of the past) and our web launch will show that.

MediaRights.org: Your website defines the "Independent" as: not dependent: as a (1): not subject to control by others (2) : not affiliated with a larger controlling unit b (1) : not requiring or relying on something else : not contingent (2) : not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct (3) : showing a desire for freedom

How do you see this definition as both a virtue and an obstacle in the sustainability of a 501(c)(3) publication?

Michele Meek: It's always a balance in the real world to maintaining independence. Everyone answers to someone. For us, we answer to our subscribers, advertisers and donors. The challenge for us is to keep a balance, and make sure that our decisions are always in line with our core mission. This is such a subjective area--what one person sees as seizing an opportunity someone else sees as selling out. Even the words 'independent film' have come to mean something so different to everyone. To me, independent is not a film made by Miramax because they are owned by Disney. Independent is a film made by a small company or individual and is able to find its audience against the odds. If it goes to Sundance and then gets picked up for distribution by Miramax, it's now a film with indie roots that has corporate marketing behind them. Is that still an independent film? I say yes, but someone else might disagree.

MediaRights.org: In terms of having a successful relaunch, what is the most challenging task before you?

Michele Meek: Well, there's a lot of anticipation about the re-launch of The Independent. And with anticipation, there's expectation. My goal is to surpass what people are hoping for--that's how we will truly gain back our base's confidence.

The new URL is http://www.independent-magazine.org and the re-launch date is September 1.

MediaRights.org: When The Independent started, targeting the audience you mention (true, grassroots activist and independent filmmakers) was quite a novelty. Now it seems that a slew of publications have emerged targeting these audiences. Can you elaborate a little bit on what will make you different?

Michele Meek: I must be missing the slew! It seems to me that most magazines are most interested in covering what's sexy--indiewood, Cannes, Sundance, and the like. That's not what The Independent is about. We're about working with inspired filmmakers--the ones making the hard and unusual films, the ones going against the grain.

We are also about helping filmmakers to tackle the ins and outs of making films. As we move into the future, we also want to be about technology--providing unique filmmaking technology resources online. And or aim is also to explore ways in which filmmakers are using technology in unique ways.

MediaRights.org: In terms of launching as both a print and online publication, can you talk a little bit about the challenges and strengths of online versus print, and why you decided to choose both?

Michele Meek: For many reasons this is a practical choice. Print is exponentially more expensive than online. We can quickly and cheaply launch an amazing website and web magazine, whereas a print magazine will take more time and money. So we have to build back up to print by regaining subscriptions and advertisers. The upside of this is that online we can be totally open, pulling back our audience with great resources and writing. We also have the opportunity to explore
technology with our audience in a way that's impossible through print.

MediaRights.org: Can you give us a sense of your content line-up for the fall?

Michele Meek: Not sure if Mike Hofman, our editor wants to divulge.

MediaRights.org: Any thoughts on the landscape of online distribution and what it means for independent filmmakers?

Michele Meek: Online distribution is an amazing thing for independent and grassroots filmmakers. However, it's like when the Internet went from grassroots to mainstream. I remember doing searches in the 1990s that pulled up peoples' home pages. After a few years, it was all corporations, and that still dominates today. Hollywood and mainstream television aren't stupid - they're already using YouTube to promote their stuff. So the key is now pulling out the stars among the trash. One of the features we'll have is a guest curator section promoting stellar online films/videos.

MediaRights.org: How will The Independent position itself in relation to publications like Indiewire? Or how can it regain the audience it might have lost this past year to print publications like Filmmaker Magazine?

Michele Meek: Every publication really has its own unique place in the world of independent film. Indiewire is somewhat like the Associated Press of independent film, like a newswire (hence the name). The Independent was and is much different than that.

For us it wouldn't be about being comprehensive on festival coverage, etc. but really going in depth on fewer subjects. Filmmaker Magazine covers more of the indiewood aspects of independent film. Kate Winslet and Steve Buscemi (recent covers from Filmmaker) are great, but are unlikely covers for The Independent. We're working on focusing on the underdog of the underdog, perhaps you could say.

More about Michele Meek

Michele Meek, publisher of The Independent

Michele Meek pioneered the development of NEFilm.com, the premiere magazine and resource for indie filmmaking in the northeast in 1997. Soon after, she founded BuyIndies.com, an international community for buying and selling over 50,000 independent, educational and hard-to-find films. Respected as a young entrepreneur and champion of independent film, she received the 2005 Baldwin Award for Alumni Recognition in Film & Video by Boston College and the 2000 Image Award for Vision and Excellence by Women in Film & Video New England. Her entrepreneurial successes have been lauded in Inc. Magazine, National Public Radio, and The Boston Globe, and she has spoken on numerous panels including the National Alliance for Media Arts & Culture, Convergence at Tribeca, Global Entertainment Network Summit.