Adapt Or Die

by William Speruzzi on 10/1/2006

The Times has a great article called Survival Tips for the Aging Independent Filmmaker. A very cautionary and very real look at what happens when it works out and when it doesn’t. The playing field has shifted immensely since the 80′s and 90′s and the article illustrates some of the paths these filmmakers who came up in that era made, some life-altering decisions to continue doing what they do. Take notes, I have.

There are 3 comments in this article:

  1. 10/2/2006christopher says:

    the thing is, the article doesn’t explain how to not end up like that. where were the survival tips?

  2. 10/2/2006william says:

    Christopher – I think it does though. It gives many examples of how they all have used their strengths to keep their careers going. John Sayles, reworking other people’s scripts, Mary Harron and that group, working in television, ten to fifteen years ago that wasn’t really an option or a desirable choice. Using name actors, that’s been an obvious choice for a while now.

    A lot of it is luck and timing and above all, your material. Staying true to your voice doesn’t always translate over decades. Look at the heartbreaking story of Jon Jost. Some of the industry does want different but the truth is most of it wants what has worked in the past and gives the illusion that it will make money. I think that model will always work because there are people that will always want it, always. The other truth is there are a lot of really poorly made films out there, independent or otherwise. Then you go back to the definition of “independent” and how it doesn’t really apply now. Those films were truly independent. At this point does it really matter?

    If you are looking for a textbook answer in that article on how to stay alive and relevant in the industry I don’t think you will find it. There is no answer. When they were all making their films in the 80’s and 90’s they weren’t thinking about that either. They were just trying to get their films on a screen even if that screen was a white bed sheet in a Lower East Side apartment.

    No one wants to have Jon Jost’s career, no one. We all want to work so you find a way. Learn your craft. Keep honing until you break in or quit, whatever comes first. The long haul isn’t for everybody.

    And if you couldn’t find the answer you were looking for in that article, take a look at the name of this entry.

  3. 10/7/2006christopher says:

    well the reason i said that (mostly just being cheeky), is because most of the examples given were ways to survive once you’re already in. we should all be so lucky to have sayles option of writing studio scripts for money.

    a little off topic, but in fact that’s never ceased to amaze me how many stories i’ve heard of wealthy people (even including george lucas), who bemoan the cost of movies, but are easily independently wealthy enough to fund a low-budget film.

    a friend of mine who was a producer on one of the star trek series would laugh about how the two big name producers on the show would constantly complain and say they just wanted to make a small film – something interesting and artful. but would they pony up their own money? no. they just wanted to revel in the fantasy of the greener grass.

    at least nowadays, it’s possible to follow the muse without getting bankrupted in the process.

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