Den of Geek founder and former editor-in-chief Simon Brew is set to launch a monthly film magazine focused on the British film industry after winning £10,000 in funding.
Film Stories is expected to be out in print later this month, building on a podcast of the same name hosted by Brew that covers behind-the-scenes stories of major films.
The magazine, which has raised £13,697 with 17 days left to go on its crowdfunding target (set at £10,000), will focus less on blockbuster releases and more on films “for the smaller screens in the multiplexes, and the larger screens in the independents”.
Brew stepped down as editor-in-chief at entertainment website Den of Geek in July, and plans to release a series of “niche” print titles if his new magazine proves to be successful.
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Asked why he had opted to start a print magazine at a time when circulations are falling, Brew told Press Gazette: “I’m a huge fan of long-form film writing and the craft of magazines. There is something special about reading a long article in a magazine.
“The people reading the magazine will know instantly if they get that same feeling.
“There’s stuff in magazines you’d never get on websites. You can take more chances with magazines, go completely left field and not be driven by the demands of SEO.”
In keeping with his dedication to print, feature articles in Film Stories will only be available in print, while some reviews in the magazine will be published online.
An annual subscription to the magazine will cost £60 and individual copies will have a £6 cover price.
In his fundraiser pitch, Brew said he hoped Film Stories would be “the first in a series of magazines that mitigates risk by cutting the cost of the newsstand out of the equation”.
But Brew told Press Gazette he would “never say never” to the right deal if one came his way.
Asked what the Film Stories’ Kickstarter fund would be spent on, Brew said most would go towards paying freelancers, who can expect a rate of £30 per page.
He said: “I’m telling some of the writers, up front, that the pay is not good enough, that the ultimate aim is to pay them more than that.
“I’m trying to get across to them that I am getting a bargain for their words, and that it shouldn’t be that way in the long-term.”
He added that he would be “delighted” if he made £1 for himself in the magazine’s first year.
Film Stories will manned by Brew and team of freelances. Brew said he would prioritise boosting freelance rates over hiring staff writers if the magazine grows.
On its fundraising page, Brew said the magazine will review blockbuster titles but dedicate its covers and feature spreads to smaller films, giving particular space to movies coming out of the British film industry.
It will also have a Youtube channel and run ticketed events that Brew is trying to organise.
Its first front page splash will focus on British film Anna and the Apocalypse – a comedy-horror musical set at Christmas.
Picture: Film Stories
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