A Film by any other title would still be bad cinema!

The time has come to begin reading my judges ratings & comments for "Official Selection" at the Central Florida Film Festival (September 4-6, 2009). We are one of the few (maybe the only) film festival that will send the filmmaker a critique if the entry isn't selected into our program. We're not trying to be mean. We just thought the filmmaker should be told what our panel of judges liked and disliked about his film. Our thought is to make them better not pissed off. It also lets the filmmaker know that his entry was screened and watched. As a filmmaker myself I've always wondered about that.

At first we contact the highest rated films in several categories (Feature, short, mini-feature, gay & lesbian, and documentary) and congratulate them on becoming an "Official Selection" of CENFLO (www.CentralFloridaFilmFestival.com). We then take the lowest rated films and write them a "Sorry but..." letter with a critique on what was liked (if anything) and what was disliked by a panel of five industry professionals. I have a composer, director, editor, producer, and screen writer on the panel. This allows my panel to take a close look at their expertise and at the same time dabble in other areas of the film they may have thought needed work.

I thought this idea to be unique and helpful. I've made more than a dozen films and by the time I receive my critique it's a magazine critic who usually compares my product to films with much higher budgets. I don't mind, that's the path I chose and as long as my distributor liked the film who cares what the media thinks? Critics don't pay my mortgage! I believe we make films for three reasons, to make money, win awards, or fill an ego. Can anyone out there think of another reason?

The filmmakers who get into the festival contact me and praise the decision of the judges, saying "what a wonderful thrill it is to be selected." What else are they going to say? "Thanks but no thanks?" However, in many cases the filmmaker who doesn't get into the festival takes on a Jekyll & Hyde persona. They'll kiss your ass to get screened and in some cases plead a case why they should be included. These pleads are never about the quality or content of the film but that "Friends and family live in the area," or "we used to live somewhere in Florida and want to vacation there again." They pay their fee and their screeners are sent out to the selection committee. When the results come back and their critique is sent, they pounce like wounded animals. Claims of fraud, and insults come a flying. I find thirty percent of our critiques are received in the manner they are sent. We've gotten some excellent response and even some filmmakers have entered the following year with a genuine improvement. Most (about fifty percent) don't respond one way or the other but the other twenty percent become vicious.

Here's a copy of a form letter sent to our filmmakers that do not make the cut. Understand there is also a section in the letter where comments are made directly about the film we are critiquing. We try not to generalize;

COPY

I am sorry to inform you that your (Category) entry (TITLE) did not make the preliminary cut to qualify into the Central Florida Film Festival. A Jury of five industry professionals voted to not advance your project.

(According to comments and ratings) The judges were in agreement your production had a decent idea but the execution was well below average. Sometimes we lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish as filmmakers. What story do we want to tell and how can our cast help tell the story? A weak cast from bottom to top and a weak script were two of the main complaints from our panel. When making a feature you need to grab the audience in the first ten pages of your script. Sometimes preproduction is more important than production itself. What kind of money do I have to make this film and where can I skimp without hurting my production value? This is a question young filmmakers need to ask themselves when making a film either for the commercial market or the festival circuit. Cost to production value ratio is very important. Your weak script could have been helped by a better and more experienced cast. Plan your shot selection better. Be creative and don't just go through the motions to get the film completed.

(again form)
Don't take this critique personal. Film is art and art is subjective. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and as filmmakers we need to grow a thick skin. I edit and write what the judges have passed down to me and where possible hope it will help you become a better filmmaker. I am sorry the news couldn't have been better.

(In some cases - I write)
I've viewed your film as well and I have a distributor that may be interested. (Big Star TV) Contact Erik (Erik@Bigstartv.com) and tell him Bob Cook from the Central Florida Film Festival told you to contact him. He may be able to help and give you better advice. I wish you well and hope to see you at the festival where you can pick our brains and find out more about film making.

Regards,
Bob Cook
Executive Director

I don't see where I am attacking anyone. I give examples from their film and cite why it didn't make the cut. I wish every festival did this! Sorry, no I don't, because we are unique and want to make filmmakers better. I had one filmmaker who's feature didn't make the cut, and actually attacked my own films. "I know why you rejected our feature, I've seen the quality of your films and it explains a lot." Not that I need to defend myself but if you saw my films it means you paid to watch them. I make movies to make money! Twice I made a movie to win awards (1990 "Goin' to Chicago" and 2000 - "MovieVoyeur.com") and lost money in the process both times. But I've got those plaques on my wall. I often think to myself, do I like fun things or plaques? You know I like things better. I've made films for as little as twenty thousand dollars and for as much as a million dollars. The production budget doesn't mean a thing. It's how you spend your money putting it on the screen. Cost to production value is very important.

It's also whether or not the viewing audience is entertained. I've seen excellent festival pieces that I wouldn't pay ten dollars to see in a movie theater. However, they're terrific films and that's why festivals screen them and distributors don't. It comes down to dollars and cents or in the case of some filmmakers Dollars & Sense!

Just as I'm ready to consider taking out the critique portion of our program I receive two wonderful emails from filmmakers in Chicago and New Jersey (of all places) thanking me for taking the time to critique their films. They were able to take a step back and look at what we were trying to do and took it in the manner it was intended. I believe they will become better filmmakers. Because even when a media critic trashes my film, I take a step back and try to understand what he was trying to say. Filmmakers make many choices. The cast, crew and even the film itself lives or dies by those choices. That's why the director gets the biggest credit. Many of those choices are forced by restraints placed upon us by either the elements, locations, or production budget. How we overcome these restraints are what makes us better filmmakers.

I will continue to critique films that don't get into our festival. I believe even if we help only one or two filmmakers each year become better, then we're doing a good thing for our industry.

....And cut!