The .99 Cent Song — A Tiny Spark for a Big Dream
Today, I sit in my apartment thinking about why I moved to Los Angeles 25 years ago. Simple, traditional reasons: to make art, to share art, maybe in the form of music, movies… or maybe a bit of both really.
"Hollywood is the girl I can still never get..." — Mike J. Nichols
Some of you might know my some of my work...
During the first six months here, I was broke. No cable, no TV reception, living mostly on Ramen noodles and DVD filmmaker commentaries. To occupy my time, I began re-editing a little 1999 movie that… well, wasn’t exactly loved by its fans — or even me.
That movie was Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and my exercise was called The Phantom Edit.
That small home computer project accidentally started a chain of events that helped handshake this new digital culture into a rocky (but promising) relationship between fans and the studio system.
Since then, I’ve worked on numerous tv shows and theatrical documentaries like Zappa, Echo in the Canyon, The Last Play at Shea, John Waite / The Hard Way, and a follow-up to the gem The King of Kong.
So, what do I want today?
I'm from middle America with middle America values. I’ve always believed in working hard, doing good work, and letting the work speak for itself. Boom!
Unfortunately, the landscape has changed... a lot. if you want to make movies and make a living at it, you need social media followers, viral videos, and online influence or presence — I'm finding that even if your work is in theaters, on Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Hulu... that's still not the YouTube, The TikTok, or the Instagram way. -- Maya Hawke Interview on Social Media Scores
Times here in Hollywood are increadibly shaky - and for just about everybody in the creative spaces. The other day, I was applying for a short-term editing gig and they asked for me to submit a headshot(?) and they also needed my movie's follower counts.
The movies I do aren’t influencer videos—they’re like, real films—not YouTube projects.
It didn't matter because in today’s world, those follower numbers rule all.
Agents and Managers all want you to have those numbers.
And that’s why THIS matters.
iTunes and .99 cents
About 13 years ago, when iTunes was still holding on to the world’s biggest music store, I wrote a song about my metaphorical relationship with Hollywood. That song sat unfinished on hard-drives for years while I was buried in film editing work… until the other day, when I found it again.
That song is called “The .99 Cent Song.”
Today, in 2025, I’m finally bringing it to life — but not just to release it; I want to see if the world can come together around a simple, nostalgic throwback:
What if everyone who believes in creativity, art, and independent filmmaking chipped in just .99 cents to help, I don't know, ME make a movie?
The film I’m in the process of developing is about the rise of a new culture of online streaming — a world where fans became their own studios, where creativity wasn’t controlled by just a few gatekeepers, and where taking a chance on storytelling could create something entirely new… and something that people actually wanted to see.
This little song is metaphor about art, money, and definitely my relationship with Hollywood. I didn't know how relevant this would become.
It is more than just music though — it’s become the spark behind the latest movie project.
A busker on the sidewalk
I like to imagine it like this: I’m a busker on a city sidewalk, playing this song for anyone who will listen. If you like it, just drop .99 cents in the hat. A couple of small coins, one little gesture — but together, it adds up to something bigger.
Back then, I joked it was nearly impossible to get someone to part with a measly .99 cents on iTunes. In today's market...yikes.
Sure, you could find this and others songs online for free (like at the top of this posting) and people will just play it and that's that.
But in the spirit of another time — a time when there were video stores, record stores, physical email lists, live music venues, standing in line for movie or concert tickets, indie artists shows, and something that changed my world - independent cinema and that spirited culture — I invite YOU to drop a little change in the hat… even just as an experiment.
Help me make the metaphorical girl I wrote about be right here.
Even if it’s just for fun, every bit brings this dream closer to reality.
.99 Cents = Nostalgia… No, let’s call it YESstalgia!!!
And if .99 cents isn’t in your wallet? I got you.
How about a LIKE or SUBSCRIBE? That’s free, and it counts and helps out too. (I need 50 more to hit 500 subscribers- if you hit the Watch on YouTube on the video above you can hit LIKE there)
The link for “The 99 Cent Song” on YouTube is up a the top and here:
If you go there directly you can hit the LIKE or Subscribe :-). (I can't do that for you... I tried even)
Please help me get the social followers and clicks this town seems to require before Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh filmmakers end up on the streets for lack of LIKES and Followers.
"Hollywood is the girl I can still never get… BUT the Internet is gonna help me get her attention." — Mike J. Nichols
Here’s to 1 million .99 cents (or 1 million LIKES).
Thank you, thank you...
— Mike J. Nichols
@The_Edit_Doctor on Instagram
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