This site will feature the current, up to the minute honest reports on how things are going, with commentary direct from Kevin on why they did it, what’s coming next, how things are coming along, and the like.

The first post, “As the Sundance Dust Settles”, might be the best essay from Mr. Smith on the “Red State” philosophy yet. Just when you think he’s said all he’s got to say, he one-ups himself with an even better bit of insight on what he’s up to, and why. Read the full post exclusively at the new site — But to get an idea, here’s a quick look:

Iíd only ever sold a film one time previously, but that one time was all it took. Clerks was made for $27,575 and sold for $227,000, seventeen years ago. What could a $4 million dollar flick go for? Happy, Texas sold for $10 mil at Sundance twelve years ago, but those days are long gone. Buried sold for $6 million last year, so I started figuring that the best Red State could get in this economy would be the same: about $6 million.

What would happen then? Like, let’s say Lion’s Gate picked up Red State. Lion’s Gate spends an almost standard $20 mil to open any flick (which is lower than the industry norm; LG is actually one of the more frugal studios, spending less on marketing than the majors). So now, my flick doesn’t cost $4 million anymore, it costs $24 million. It’s gotta make $24 million to break even and start seeing profit. But the studio/distributor doesn’t get all that box office, so assume the studio only gets back half of that announced box office figure. Suddenly my little $4 million dollar movie has to make $50 million JUST TO BREAK EVEN. Like, what happened? Instead of spending all that money trying to make the movie, it’s spent on trying to convince people to come see your shit.

And where’s that $20 million go? It’s called ‘P&A’ – prints and advertising. But the print portion of that equation – physically creating the reels of film that make up the movie – is pretty low: it costs between two and three grand to make five or six reels of a motion picture (the costs of a digital print are lower, but not as many theaters project digitally yet, so we’ll be making more film prints than digi-prints). So let’s say you make a thousand prints: you’re looking at $2 to $3 million dollars.

That leaves $17/18 million of the P&A to account for. Where’s that big chunk going? TV Commercials, full page newspaper/magazine ads, billboards and bus stop ads, thousands of mini-prints of trailers, press junkets, airfare.

Read it all, complete with a bunch of photos, lots of background, and all the passion you could ever hope for out of a filmmaker, at the brand new Red Statements site.

TODAY ON SMODCAST.COM! Hear our brand new show: SMINTERVIEW! http://smodcast.com/sminterview/ The first guest: author @MitchAlbom!

2 days late but still packed with Sundance/RedState insight: PlusOne # 9: Bitch Fatshitty & The Sundance Skid – http://smodcast.com/plusone/

Whether you’re spending Saturday night alone or with a friend, lend us your ears: BRAND NEW JAY & BOB GET OLD! http://smodcast.com/getold/

Via @NefariousMike13 “too serious right now. MAKE WITH THE FUNNY!” Here ya’ go: http://smodcast.com/babbleon/ NEW BABBLE w/me & @RalphGarman

Via @rockerprod “Goodman going to show up on RedStateOfTheUnion?” Yes. The next semester will likely start in June/July with all new guests. But RedStateOfTheUnion will continue for now as RedStateOTU:SMeetThePress. All press chats will live in the RSOTU feed to replace classes.

Via @TCCraner “Will Jimmy James himself, Stephen Root, make a pod appearance?” Uncle Yimmy is in. RedStateSummerSchoolSession will ROCK!

Get all the latest episodes direct, and free, at www.smodcast.com — We’ll keep you posted on summer ticket sales for that new “Red State of the Union” too – If the SModcastle 50 seat limit still applies, assuming that’s the venue, you’re gonna hafta be speedy to get on board.

Via @bknaust “what about 1 more trip down the Askewniverse for the fans?” Wouldn’t that be better served in a cable show? Ongoing w/cussing.

Nothing more than that for now, but the first we’ve heard a hint of the Askewniverse on cable. We’re fascinated. Stay tuned.

Following the screenings at Sundance, Kevin had a few ideas where he could tighten up around 10 minutes of footage to help pacing. Don’t worry, no MPAA mandated edits here, obviously, these are just decisions that he’s made to help the flow. Via Bloody-Disgusting, here’s new interview details on what might change in the slimmer version:

“The movie that I showed the cast and crew screening at wrap, two days after we wrapped, I showed them the whole movie, that’s the movie I pretty much showed at Sundance with end credits attached to it. I loved the movie, we knew what we were doing in terms of editing it, it was a beautiful running time and stuff, and then we go to Sundance and I sit in the back and for the first time I get to watch it with 1200 people who have no involvement with the movie, no involvement with me.

So I’m sitting there going ‘Okay, there’s something I thought would work, didn’t play with the audience’, ‘Something I thought would get a nice reaction just kinda laid there’, ‘Boy, that played way bigger than I ever thought it would, maybe we should shape something around there’ and just found some time to take out, if I had to guess I’m saying five to ten minutes somewhere in there.

And John [Gordon, producer] fought me on it. John was just like ‘Why bother dude, we’re our own bosses, nobody’s telling you to take it out’, like back in the old days Harvey would be ‘I love it! Take ten minutes out,’ no direction at all, just take the time out, so John’s like ‘We don’t have to do that now, we don’t have to really cut the movie at all’ and I said ‘Yeah, but I’m a filmmaker first and foremost, dude, and I want the movie to play as gangbusters as possible, and if the length of Park’s speech is making anybody remotely go ‘Maybe that speech is a little long, I want them to love Parks as much as I do, so for me, right, I’m an editor, you kill your babies every step of the way as an editor.”

Don’t see anything close to your town? Request a screening and bring the fun to your part of the country. They’d like venues only to make the request, not individuals, so first, contact your local auditorium and get them on board — Then get them to bring it all home. With only two months of dates on the books, there’s plenty of opportunities to get the movie coming your way before its October theatrical run.

As new dates happen, we’ll keep you posted. Early rumors have the usual big San Diego Q&A bringing the tour in — We’d love to see a packed “Red State” panel, screening, and Q&A out there. July feels far away with all this snow and ice on the ground here on the east coast, though we’re expecting big things for “Red State” not just this March and April, but this summer as well.

For now, all dates are on sale except the just-announced April 9th Los Angeles show at the Wiltern. Those go up this Friday. Be there, if a can — If not, see “Red State” this October at your local theater. Rumor has it we’ll also get to see the first 10 minutes or so of the flick online around the August/September timeframe.