We've received a record number of submissions for this year's Central Florida Film Festival (http://www.centralfloridafilmfestival.com/) and with that will come a record number of "Official Selections," for our Labor Day weekend event (September 4-6, 2009).
It's getting to be a common explanation that independent filmmakers would have made a better film "if they had more money." I've been working in film since 1984 and never met a film maker that had enough money...no matter how much they had!!! Successful filmmakers go about their business with the money they have and create according to their vision. Of course the good ones are able to adjust their vision according to budget restraints.
An audience doesn't care whether you spent two hundred dollars or two hundred million to make your piece. Once you roll the camera you are obligated to entertain, enlighten or inform the people that fill the seats. It's tough to raise money for a film project. You can blame the economy if you want, but it's always been tough to raise money. A film investment is "high risk." Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm aware it's high return too, but the SEC doesn't force us to put a disclaimer into a film business plan saying an investor will make too much money (see: Blue Sky Law). They only ask us to make sure we remind the investor "there's a good chance YOU WILL LOSE YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT!!!"
When I bought my house and started investing in a stock portfolio I looked for disclaimers and warnings such as "This stock may lose value or the owners of this company may take the money and run" or the value of this house may crash and be worth less than you purchased it for, "to no avail". Why is that? Does someone out there have an explanation? At least when investing in film you can watch your investment daily. You've already seen the business plan where the producer, director, cast, crew, and even distribution projections have been exhibited and verified. In some cases, a filmmaker has a track record with films that have already made money or won awards. It doesn't mean this film will make money or win awards but it does mean the filmmaker at least knows how to do it and that's an important factor.
As an Independent filmmaker you've got to decide how much is enough money. I've seen many and I mean loads of "low budget" films. I've even made a dozen or so myself and understand the process. I also understand the bottom line is making money or winning awards. Of course you can pay the bills better if the films you make are earning a profit. The choices we make as directors are the most important in the production process. When a director says "action!" there's already been a number of decisions that have decided the fate of the film. How much have we raised? Who can we afford? And most important, how can we overcome our budget restraints and create a production value to cost ratio that will impress even the most conservative of distributors? Can't afford a dolly? It wouldn't be the first time someone used a wheelchair or shopping cart to move the camera. However, I've seen filmmakers place the camera on a tripod shoot a master two shot with over the shoulder close up coverage that would put an insomniac to sleep and then bitch they didn't have enough money for a dolly. Be creative. Can't afford a crane? Climb a damn tree!
In this day and age where films are being edited on a laptop during a plane ride the competition is too great to become lazy. Even the Screen Actors Guild has created contracts to stop indies from casting their film's with girlfriends, neighbors, and grandma. Remember, in the end someone is going to watch your film. Keep it creative and let those you surround yourself with as a director have some artistic say as well. If you're the producer, director, writer, editor, grip, gaffer, bestboy, and PA, you're probably going to make a film that only you like. You can't do it all even if the software says you can. As a director we are only as good as those we surround ourselves with and they are looking to our leadership and vision to move to the next level as well. When a film is good "The team did a great job." When a film is bad they are all quick to point to the guy in the director's chair. To understand this will make you a better film maker. Now go out, find some money, and do the best you can!
......and cut!
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