Sir Ian McKellen On Independent Film Via Paus

18th March 2021

Sir Ian McKellen On Independent Film Via Paus: Last night at a live virtual screening event for his new film Infinitum: Subject Unknown (Starring Tori Butler-Hart, Sir Ian McKellen, Conleth Hill), Sir Ian McKellen spoke about the need the film industry has for new voices to be heard.

Written and produced by Matthew Butler-Hart and Tori Butler-Hart, Infinitum: Subject Unknown is a low-budget indie sci-fi film that stars Tori Butler-Hart with cameos from Game of Thrones star Conleth Hill and Sir Ian McKellen. The film was written during the first UK lockdown and shot on an iPhone 11.

Speaking about independent film with the husband-and-wife duo, Sir Ian said “But of course you want independent filmmakers to be given the scope and finance to get on with the job because they are going to come up with something original like this movie. It needs independent minds like the Butler-Harts.”

The online event was held by independent film streaming start-up paus. Founded by Rishi Kapoor, a former media professional at Sony Pictures, Universal Studios and Warner Bros, the company offers up-and-coming filmmakers the ability to connect directly to their fan base and to be financially rewarded via digital tips.

Founder Kapoor commented, “This was the first time we have screened an independent feature film on our platform and it was an honour and privilege to receive the support of such an adored and revered actor such as Sir Ian.”

Kapoor reflected, “Virtually meeting Sir Ian was certainly a bucket list moment. I’ve now watched an indie feature with a Knight and a Wizard all in one!”

The unique digital tipping feature on paus allows audiences to tip any film or filmmaker they want to support – any amount from 50p to £1,000+, at any time on their iOS and Android apps or desktop version. paus will soon be integrated with digital payment methods, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, so the process is quick and easy, and gets the tip to the filmmaker with no friction. Unlike other video platforms, the scales are weighed in the creator’s favour as they keep 80% of every single tip.

All of the filmmaker’s earnings from the screening and Q&A were donated to The Film and TV Charity, who offer a wide range of financial, practical and emotional support to people who have clear talent, spark and dedication and yet find obstacles in their way. With a 24/7 free support line, The Film and TV Charity helps support the people behind the camera in our nations’ ever-expanding sector.

With regular new arrivals on paus on a wide range of budgets, filmmakers with films made for only a few hundred dollars could be earning £600 — £1,500 with an average overall tip of £11 (approx. $15) currently. This is equivalent or more than monthly subscriptions to services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ ,and a greater percentage of revenue goes directly to the filmmaker.

Earlier this year, debut filmmaker, Tori Time, enjoyed success on paus with her film ‘Girl on the Side.’ The 12-minute short drama racked up over $4,400 within only an hour of going live on the streaming platform, with the average ‘tip’ at $75, despite the film being free to watch.

Paus’ virtual cinema was born during lockdown with huge success. With 20 shows and hundreds of thousands of minutes of watch time, paus is at the forefront of innovating the relationship between audiences and filmmakers in a rewarding culture for both viewer and creator.

Join the paus community and support independent filmmaking during this difficult time for the arts. Visit paus.tv for more info.

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