There's a major shift in the kinds of things Americans do to entertain themselves. Just ask the folks at AMC Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:AMCX), SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:SEAS), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSK), and pretty soon, the Independent Film Development Corporation (OTCMKTS:IFLM). These organizations exist to keep their finger on the pulse of what makes entertainment-seeking consumers want, and it's clear from some of the programming choices and decisions these companies are making - and doing well with - that the companies who deliver the new, edgier product stand to earn the most revenue for doing so.
Simply put, U.S. consumers are looking for edgier thrills and chills, whether on TV, the big screen, or at theme parks. You don't have to look far for proof of this idea either. One of the current television season's most-watched television shows was Breaking Bad - an AMC Networks development that chronicled the transition of a teacher into a drug lord, yet became something of a dark hero in the process.
It's not just TV though. It's movies too. The popular Twilight and Underworld sagas were about vampires, while theme parks like Busch Gardens, owned by SeaWorld Entertainment, and Universal Studios, owned by Comcast Corporation, are taking a deliberate effort to make sure visitors come to their Halloween attractions rather than someone else's. Busch Gardens' in-park Howl-O-Scream commands a ticket price of $48 a pop, while Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights bills out at $42.99 per visitor. As proof of just how much companies want to win the fright-wars, AMC Networks has crossed studio lines, licensing its Walking Dead zombie television show's theme (nd name) to Comcast Corporation this Halloween, as the basis for a temporary attraction at both Universal Studios theme parks.
And well they should focus on scaring the daylights out of visitors. Some experts believe the Halloween 'scare' period can drive up to 15% of a theme park's revenue.
But what if the immersive experience of a haunted house (though the term 'haunted house; doesn't do it justice) wasn't just a temporary attraction, but instead lasted all year long? For that matter, what if the immersive experience wasn't just ghouls and goblins, but all sorts of weird, fascinating, and unexplained phenomenon? Enter Independent Film Development Corporation, aka 'IndyFilm'.
The name may be a tad misleading. Though Independent Film Development Corporation has a hand in the creation of independent films, as well as rights to/ownership of a handful of television shows and films, IndyFilmCorp's crowning jewel is the theme park it's developing in New York. Think Disney (or Universal Studios), only less childish. Rather than a flume ride that directs riders through a cartoon briar patch, look for a ride through the River Styx. Forget the Space Mountain coaster ride through outer space. IndyFilm will be developing its own Area 51 crash site. And, no lovable characters dancing around the streets of this park, though visitors may catch of glimpse of Bigfoot every now and then, lurking around the park's wooded areas.
Though the planned park is yet to be built, the associated resort and hotel already exist, and the land needed to build such a park is located all around the property. Even then though, the company is already whispering plans about several of these slightly-more-intense parks popping up all across the country, with each one focusing on ideas that cater more to that locale's audience. In other words, Independent Film Development Corporation expects an alien-centric theme park to do well in or around Roswell, New Mexico, while the Pacific Northwest may be the best locale for a Bigfoot theme park; the Loch Ness Monster may have to settle for the waters of a coastal region (and yes, and animatronic Nellie is also in the works, at least for the New York locale).
It's a departure from the typical American theme park, but then again, that's the point. Consumer tastes have changed over the last ten years or so, prompted by a combination of technology - on screen as well as off screen - and personal tastes, perhaps with a dash sports-fatigue ... even the NFL isn't creating the same buzz it used to. It's not unusual for TV watchers to flip the channel away from a baseball game and over to Ancient Aliens or Ghost Hunters these days.
Perhaps best of all, investors can still get in on the ground floor of this small, but potent, opportunity. The ticker is IFLM, and the website (with a conceptual drawing of the company's planned first theme park) can be seen here. For more perspective on the stock, visit the SCN research page here.
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