Factory Made

At a moment when DVD sales continue to decline and new releases can often be downloaded (legally or otherwise) days after their theatrical release, Matt Grady has taken a bit of a gamble. The 39-year-old founder of Factory 25, a new independent film and music label based out of Brooklyn, is betting that you’ll still shell out some money for a DVD—or even a vinyl record—so long as what you’re getting is more than just a disc in a plastic case.

Take Frownland, Ronald Bronstein’s deeply polarizing debut feature and one of Factory 25’s inaugural DVD releases. If you choose to purchase the $30 “LTD LP/DVD” version of the film (as opposed to the $20 standard edition), you’ll receive the following: snippets of 16mm film from a print of the movie; the film’s poster; a collection of comics purportedly drawn by one of the film’s emotionally disturbed characters; “e-mails” written between two other characters and a vinyl record of the movie’s eerie score.

That’s quite a lot of love for a film that radically divided critics and did nothing at the box office. “I think less and less people are buying the physical thing, but if people see that is nice and distinct, they will want to have it,” Grady said.

Of course, we shouldn’t be expecting the Factory 25 edition of Transformers 2 anytime soon. As with other specialty DVD labels like the Criterion Collection, Factory 25 focuses upon idiosyncratic films that appeal to niche audiences. The company’s other releases include Damon and Naomi: 1001 Nights, an anthology of the eponymous musical duo’s videos and live performances from 2001 through 2009; the documentary You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk 1977-1984; and the faux-documentary/teen comedy High School Record. All releases come with their own vinyl recording appropriate to the film’s content: a company calling card that pairs Grady’s love of music and independent film. In choosing these titles, Grady thinks about a certain cultural eclecticism that he shares with his potential clientele.

“I’m going for niche films that I see and think are great,” Grady explained. “I try to think about what people who like Frownland and Chicago punk and Sufjan Stevens would be into.”

Grady earned a business degree from the University of New Hampshire, and soon after went to Columbia College in Chicago to study film. He joined then newly formed Plexifilm as its head of production in 2002, overseeing the company’s theatrical and video releases. Plexifilm produces and releases a range of independently minded films both in theaters and on DVD and served as a model for Factory 25. The company remains a modest operation, with Grady its only full-time employee.

As much as the physical object stands at the center of Factory 25’s mission statement, Grady is no technophobe. He wants to offer streaming content to viewers through Factory 25’s online store (www.factorytwentyfive.com), and is also trying to get the company’s films on iTunes. He hopes that this multiplatform approach will provide viewers with enough high-quality options while he, along with everyone else, tries to figure out the next evolution in indie film distribution.

“The whole industry is trying to scramble and figure out what works,” Grady said. “I don’t think anyone knows the answers. I’m trying to keep it small and manageable and make something physical that people want, without ignoring the direction that video distribution is going.”