It’s been a long time since I wrote a post that wasn’t specifically about Broken Hearts Club or Resurrection of Serious Rogers, so today is a good time to write one.
But first, a word from our sponsor:
- Broken Hearts Club is coming to iTunes and Amazon.com very soon. Stay tuned.
- We just completed a photoshoot and art work for Resurrection of Serious Rogers. In a word: smokin’! You’ll find links on my blog. Look around and have fun.
Filmmaking is such a rollercoaster ride. And in this day where there is so much more a filmmaker needs to do and know, it can be emotionally and physically draining. If a filmmaker wants to make a film and sort of get lost in the sauce amongst a sea of indie films, it’s very easy to do. But marketing and promotion of a film, web series, short film, etc is the foundation for any level of success in independent filmmaking. This isn’t to say that, good marketing=automatic distribution deal. Far from it. But deep, penetrating and informative marketing means exposure. Without exposure and public awareness an un-marketed film is just a tree crashing in the woods with no one around to hear it. Does it make a sound?
While the actors and everyone else are preparing to lay down some serious skill when we shoot, the producer (i.e. creator, writer, director, etc) is constantly worried that something will happen to derail the production. The producer is also trying to keep everyone motivated and inspired. The producer is worried about money, money that is needed, money that doesn’t exist and money that is running out.
Last week after the table read for Serious Rogers I had a coffee meet with Sheri Candler, a Twitter friend who introduced me to Nathan Novero, the CIFGuy on YouTube. Before Sheri arrived I started chatting with this gentleman named D.T. who said he was a filmmaker — on the business side. We talked about a few enlightening business aspects of indie filmmaking. However, the underlying philosophy we both agreed upon was that to make a film, one must have the balls to go out and make the damn film. Sure, you can be scared. You can feel overwhelmed. You can get depressed. You can feel betrayed. You can get angry. You can be frustrated. But the end result is, make your damn film (and you can substitute, web series, script, video blog etc here).
So what’s my point? My point is, that I don’t see my indie filmmaking endeavors as a task that can be allowed to continue indefinitely. I don’t expect (nor do I want) to be forced into making no-budget films at age 50, after being in this industry for 25 years. No sir. So everything I go through, even my depression, frustration and loneliness, is geared toward one end alone — not having a good little film that screens to thousands of empty seats, you know the film in the empty forest with no one in earshot to confirm that it actually screened?
I’ve also realized that sitting around waiting for good luck to happen is dumb. Good luck comes through action. My action of taking a job in 2000, created the good luck of having the dollars to fund nine of my films. I hated the job, but I stayed there because it provided me with Christmas bonuses (oh, there’s a film), profit sharing (there’s two more films) and a sale-of-the-company-bonus (whooops, I just funded Broken Hearts Club for $100K). It also gave me casting and audition space, a primo office location to shoot in, and lots of free parking.
The action of listing Broken Hearts Club on Mandy.com created the good luck of being seen by my current sales agent (Goliath promotions).
So I must continue to take action. Not tomorrow, today. That means the rollercoaster ride of indie filmmaking is simply the prelude to more good luck. And then, if I’m fortunate and I learn to promote myself, my films, and the people who’ve stood by me, there will be a tree standing tall in the forest, and there will be many many people around to see it. Thought it will not fall it shall make a sound. And many people will be there to witness it.
Make your damn film, people. Stop coming up with reasons not to make it, and find the one special reason why you will make it. The action will bring forth good luck.
