Indie film gets a test drive in Fort Smith

Editor’s note: Roby Brock, with our content partner Talk Business, wrote this report. He can be reached at [email protected]

Arkansas independent filmmaker Tim Jackson’s “The Last Ride” is getting a test drive, including a showing in Fort Smith.

Jackson’s movie about the final 3 days in the life of country music legend Hank Williams was filmed in Arkansas in 2010. Set in the early 1950’s, the story chronicles a local Tennessee boy hired to drive Williams to West Virginia and Ohio for New Year’s performances. Along the way, the country star died mysteriously at the age of 29.

The film stars well-known actors Henry Thomas, Jesse James, Fred Thompson and Kaley Cuoco, and was directed by Arkansas native Harry Thomason.

This week, Jackson revealed that the film is slated for a limited release in 7 markets in Arkansas, Alabama, and Louisiana.  The movie will open at the Rave Theater in west Little Rock on October 21st before a wider release in January. It will also be released this month at the Malco Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, the Malco Razorback Cinema in Fayetteville and the Malco Fort Smith Cinema.

Jackson says for indie films, it takes time for their development. Buzz has to build and this month’s limited release will go far in evaluating how significantly an expanded release may be.

Talk Business conducted an online interview with Jackson on how the distribution process works, options for the film’s longevity, and what he’s got in the pipeline for future projects.

Talk Business: How does "limited distribution" work and how will this film be evaluated?

Tim Jackson: It’s not uncommon to see films “opening in select cities” or a smaller film having a “limited release” in a few markets. The idea is be a good steward of limited resources to promote a film that might need some time to find its audience. In the case of THE LAST RIDE we have a traditional, solidly entertaining film, but it’s not the kind of movie that typically opens huge on Friday night. This kind of film needs some time to build word of mouth — to attract people who may only see one or two movies a year in a theater. By releasing in a small pattern, you can give the film the extra love and attention it needs in terms of press exposure, personal appearances by cast members and local cross-promotion. Our distributor is going to look at the per screen average in terms of dollars and we’re going to be looking at how enthusiastic people are to tell their friends about the film once they’ve seen it.

TB: If successful, what are the options for what will happen next?

Jackson: Well, we have a TV and DVD deal with Fox that’s been in place since before we started shooting the film. We also have an international distribution deal that’s been in place for a while. If THE LAST RIDE has a strong showing in these seven markets, we expect that Fox will push back its DVD release date to later in 2012 and release the film wider in theaters this coming January or February. That would be a win/win for everyone — more people having the opportunity to see the film in a theater if they want to and greater exposure for the film before it reaches TV, DVD and video on demand.

TB: You have some well-known figures (Thomason, Thompson, Thomas, James, etc.) attached to this film. Obviously, that works to your benefit. What makes or breaks and independent film like this one?

Jackson: The "experts" will tell you that you have to have some "names" in the cast. Filmmakers will tell you that you must have a great script and a good director. You can’t underestimate the power of good acting. But as the often quoted screenwriter William Goldman famously said, “Nobody knows nothing.” That said, I believe a movie has to have an audience BEFORE it gets made. In other words there has to be something in that story that will resonate with a significant number of people. I can’t justify the time, effort and money it takes to make a movie if I don’t believe someone besides me will want to see it. I want THE LAST RIDE to find its audience and I believe it will, but the truth is once you’ve done all you can do, you just have to wait.

TB: Do you have more projects in the pipeline or is this one consuming your time and energy currently?

Jackson: The answer is yes! We have about a dozen projects in the pipeline, but this one is consuming my time and energy. Such is the nature of producing. Seriously though, I’m very excited about a script we’re just about done with that focuses on a casino heist. But this time, maybe for the first time, it’s told from the casino’s perspective. It’s a terrific premise and we’ve got some great talent we’re working with in Los Angeles on that. I’m also developing an unscripted series with some Hollywood legends that will feature their storytelling skills. I’m very excited about that. We have about six scripts right now either in re-writes or early drafts. So hopefully the next three or four years will be full of projects coming out the pipeline like THE LAST RIDE and projects going into the pipeline. I just signed on to produce a feature film about the great 1950’s barnstormer, Dempsey Hovland – he’s a fascinating character with an amazing story.