Considering the position the video market finds itself in in many countries, Full Moon, a company which prospered for many years on its high end, straight to video slate, arrive at the AFM looking to the future with confidence.
Charles Band, Full Moon's president, bases this confidence not only on his company's extensive library of sci-fi, fantasy horror, a niche the company has never strayed far from, but also developments within the industry. There are also Full Moon's current slate of projects which for the AFM include Zargorr! - The Invader and Crawl, both of which Peter Wetherell, president of international, hopes to screen at Cannes. Then there is Backlash - Oblivion 2, the sequel to the company's well received Oblivion, and Primevals, the company's most ambitious project to date which, budgeted at over $6 million, is now in production but only expected to be ready for Mifed screenings because of the complicated and time consuming computerised special effects.
Computers are close to Brand's heart. The company took five CD-ROM titles to Melia and has a wealth of material in its library to develop into interactive sci-fi, fantasy horror games which use real live action rather than animation. “There is great potential in the future of this market,” says Brand, “although given the speed of recent developments nobody is willing to bet on just how the product will be delivered to the final consumer. My feeling is that it won't be CD-Rom, that will be surpassed and we will be looking at some form of downloading over the net.”
A major advantage Full Moon has over many of its rivals -- both for now and the future -- are its own studio, production and screening facilities which since 1993 have allowed the company to produce quickly and with total budgetary control. Besides Los Angeles, Full Moon also has a production unit in Rumania and have just started to acquire product not produced in house. “The acquisitions, which will be looked after by Jim Slater, will follow our established genre,” Brand emphasises.
“Domestic video releases remain strong for us,” says Brand, when asked about the current state of the market, “and we now have our own in-house domestic video distribution department. Internationally some territories remain hot, like Brazil, but to be a success you must still sell to the UK, Germany and Japan. Italy has also been making a comeback.”
