Indie filmmaker Edward Burns' new Epix show, Bridge and Tunnel, recently premiered and it's another great example of the intimate relationship-focused style of storytelling he's been doing for 25 years. Bursting onto the indie scene with 1995's The Brothers McMullen, Burns is a pioneer similar to brave filmmakers like Kevin Smith and Robert Rodriguez, who took their dreams into their own hands and made their own film, telling the stories they wanted to tell, knowing there was no other alternative.
Inspired by the likes of Woody Allen and John Cassavetes, Burns' films focus on character and relationships, and his goal as a filmmaker is to showcase an honest portrayal of everyday people and how they connect to one another. His movies are no-frills, no budget, but all character. As noted in his book, "Independent Ed," his work springs from an idea put forth by filmmaker Robert Bresson: "Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never be seen."
Looking For Kitty (2004) - 35%
Excited to try digital filmmaking for the first time, Burns shot the movie using a mini DV camera. This, at the time, was new technology and sped up the filmmaking process and got the movie made very cheaply. Ultimately, he made the movie for $250,000. In the film, Burns plays a detective who's hired to find a man's runaway wife. Like most Burns shoots, the production was bare-bones with a small crew and no traditional movie perks, although he always bought everyone a very nice dinner to make up for it.
Burns' goal was to just get on the ground and shoot a film. They didn't even have proper filming permits, so he wrote that his character disliked eating inside restaurants, which is why he's seen eating outside Joe's Pizza in one rainy scene. While Looking For Kitty premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, the movie was not well received and Burns didn't even want to release it. However, he doesn't regret making it because the shoot was a great time.
No Looking Back (1998) - 36%
With No Looking Back, Burns wanted to make an honest, minimalist drama that tells a story about a place and its people who know there's more to life than the life they're living. The story concerns a small-town waitress whose life gets turned upside down when her ex-boyfriend returns and wants to take her away.
Made on a budget of $5.5 million, the movie only grossed a little over $200,000. Never a fan of the movie's title, Burns' friends would nickname it, Nobody Saw It.
The Groomsmen (2006) - 52%
Made on a budget of $3 million, The Groomsmen tells the story of a reunion among best friends in the days leading up to Burns' character's wedding. With this film, Burns used a new production company that was also going to handle the film's distribution. Following disagreements with the companies' marketing consultants, Burns felt they mishandled the film's distribution, which led to the film performing poorly in the few markets it was released in.
To add insult to injury, when the movie was released on DVD, Burns hated the film's cover, thinking it was poorly made and misrepresented the movie.
Nice Guy Johnny (2010) - 53%
For Burns, Nice Guy Johnny was personal. It was about the ramifications of giving up on your dream. Burns wanted to get back to basics and apply the same indie filmmaking principles he had when he made The Brothers McMullen. The only difference now was that movie-making equipment was much more accessible, so he decided to just go out and make a movie, insisting that if "making things is in your DNA, you have to do it." Like McMullen, he would shoot for 12 days on a budget of $25,000 with a minimal crew, using unknown actors and only using available light.
A pioneer of digital distribution, like his previous film, Purple Violets, Burns released the movie straight to VOD, where it could be seen by 40 million people, instead of on only a few art-house movie screens. The new distribution platform proved successful and the movie made a profit.
Sidewalks Of New York (2001) - 56%
After McMullen's success, Burns started getting acting offers, and one he accepted was for Saving Private Ryan. Inspired by the handheld and almost-documentary style way Spielberg was shooting Ryan, Burns decided to apply that aesthetic to his film Sidewalks Of New York.
The shoot was run and gun and slightly improvisational and the documentary-style added to the imitate and realistic portrayal of the relationships. They had a small crew, very few lights, and shot while businesses were open. Following the 9/11 attacks, the movie's release was pushed back, but it was finally released that November to modest reviews and box office return.
Purple Violets (2007) - 60%
Purple Violets is the story of two novelists and former lovers who reunite in their late 30s. New York City is truly a ing character in this movie and Burns shoots his scenes using many "moving masters," a style pioneered by Woody Allen.
After failing to secure a distribution deal, Burns released the film via Itunes, which had recently launched their movie and TV store. Purple Violets became the first new movie ever released exclusively to a digital platform, an exhibition strategy that has since become the norm.
She's The One (2006) - 61%
After self-financing The Brothers McMullen and getting it made with favors, Burns got the opportunity to make his next film with a real budget, a real crew, and backing by a real production company. The movie was She's The One and it starred Burns, alongside up and coming stars Cameron Diaz. Burns had a crash course on how "proper" films were made after coming off making a movie where he made up a large portion of the crew himself.
In the end, Tom Petty provided the music for the soundtrack and the film was released to mixed to positive reviews, making $13.8 million off a $3 million budget.
Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012) - 64%
In 2011, Burns starred in Tyler Perry. One day, at lunch, Perry encouraged Burns to follow Perry's example and "superserve his niche," meaning: make movies for your audience. The Brothers McMullen and She's The One were both about Irish-American families, so because of that conversation, Burns decided to "go back to the well" and make a movie about a big Irish American family with a controversial patriarch reuniting at Christmas.
Filmed on a microbudget, Fitzgerald Family Christmas sold to Itunes, Amazon, and VOD platforms, where it became accessible to a wide audience it otherwise wouldn't. Burns considered the movie his best yet and the New York Times agreed, writing that it was his best film since Brothers McMullen.
Newlyweds (2011) - 73%
Similar to the pseudo-doc style of Sidewalks Of New York, Burns wanted to go bare-bones for his film, Newlyweds. He bought a Canon 5D camera for $2,800, which was a small camera that could shoot incredible footage, making the production easier to maneuver. This allowed them to shoot whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Burns stuck by parameters that included an unpaid small crew, no permits, and pizza would be lunch most days. Ultimately, he made the movie for $9,000.
After premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, the film secured another VOD distribution deal, bringing it into 45 million homes and easily making back its budget and more. When the movie became profitable, Burns was then able to cut checks to his crew who worked for nothing.
The Brothers McMullen (1995) - 89%
For any independent filmmaker, The Brothers McMullen production is an inspiration. Burns wanted desperately to be a filmmaker, so he decided to take it into his own hands and make his own movie. He was able to raise $20,000, half of which was from his dad. He used his mother's Long Island house and shot the story of three Irish Catholic brothers and their relationships in 12 days.
At the time, Burns was a production assistant for Entertainment Tonight, so he cornered Robert Redford in the elevator and gave him a copy of the movie. After submitting traditionally and getting rejected, Redford got The Brothers McMullen into the Sundance Film Festival where it won the 1995 Grand Jury Prize. The movie started Burns' career and he's continued making films by whatever means necessary ever since, inspiring filmmakers everywhere to pick up a camera and make their dreams come true.
