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1,000 True Fans

To make a living as an artist, Kevin Kelly says all that's needed is true fans:

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

--Kevin Kelly – The Technium - 1,000 True Fans

I suspicion a filmmaker may need more than even five thousand, due to the high costs of making and distributing a film. Movie producers do often take advantage of fan base by casting actors who have a built-in one. Those actors agents take advantage by raising the cost of the actor beyond what the indie producer can afford. So the indie producer tries to get material that an actor would be willing to work "at scale" to do. And that explains why greater America was not watching the Oscars this year the end.

About J. Ott

John Ott is a writer, filmmaker and futurist. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.