Today I am contemplating filmmaking in general. You know, taking a script and working through it from page to screen.
But there are so many factors to being an indie filmmaker. Money is at the root of all of them.
Sure, you read all the advice about just take what you have and make a film. Or fundraising through a crowdfunding website. Or the grant process.
You read about indie filmmakers like Ava Duvernay and the Duplass brothers, how they just "did it". But finding out how they "did it" seems to be some big secret.
I know Ava Duvernay was working at a job where she was able to self fund. The Duplass brothers made their first film for something like $20 and it got into Sundance. Robert Rodriguez volunteered his own body for medical research. All of these folks had a "crew" of people who were as passionate about film as they were, and were willing to be rebel filmmakers.
Apparently that's how you become an indie filmmaker.
But lets break it down.
First you need a script, a decent one, with an interesting premise, something unusual. To save money, you should have a single location, with a small cast, and special effects that are easy to do.
Then you need a camera. Plenty of DSLR's out there, but they don't come cheap. Then you need to either learn how to be your own cameraperson or find someone who can do it for you. You could hire a Director of Photography, or at the least a decent camera operator with their own equipment, but again, money or if you are lucky to have a friend who fits the bill, then feed them, which also costs money.
You need a sound person, with equipment; more money.
Make up and wardrobe are not free, so you need that plus someone to do hair, make up and wardrobe. A friend who doesn't want to be paid can also come in handy here.
You need a location, and a free one is great, but if you don't have that, you have to pay rental plus insurance.
None of these things are free. If you are unemployed or underemployed, good luck finding any spare cash to make a film.
But hey, according to "everyone", just "do it".
To say nothing of editing afterwards, and self distribution. Or you can go the film festival route, which means more money.
It's frustrating.
You can also try crowdfunding to get donations to make your film, but before that you need crowdsourcing. You need to have a built in audience. I have no idea how to do that and no money to attend a seminar on how to do that.
Mentor's want to be paid to help you do all these things.
Nobody works for free, except the filmmaker because it's their passion.
Wow....this turned out to feel like a really negative blog post. Sorry about that. It wasn't intended that way.
I guess it's how I'm feeling today; no resources, nobody to turn to to ask questions or point me in the right directions. I feel like nobody who CAN help me, believes in me.
*sigh*
So, why do I persist? Because I must. Because making films is all I've ever really wanted to do. Because I believe in myself and that I have real talent, albeit raw and mostly untested. Because not expressing myself this way is worse that trying and failing, again and again.
I'm a storyteller. I tell stories and I have faith that with hard work and perseverance and a little luck, I can achieve my dreams.
I think I should finish my rewrite.
Ciao!
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