One of my younger cousins just got accepted (and a scholarship to boot!) to a film program for her undergrad. She tells me she plans on doing documentaries and I want to help her out as much as I can. But it got me thinking and contrasting my own personal journey into film with her's.
I went to college for biology, and my professional life since then has consisted of veterinary emergency rooms and stem cell research labs. I make my money in a world where film is seen as a neat hobby. I am very fortunate that I surround myself socially with actors and directors and other creators of art who support me and regard me as a professional.
But now I find myself asking the question. Have I gone the wrong way somewhere along this path? As a part time film maker and full time scientist am I missing something? I am certain that my cousin is going to come back in four years knowing things I may still have not yet discovered. Names for parts of the camera, theories on film composition, possibly even connections I would not have ever had the chance to make. However, what are the things that I am learning that she might need to wait another 4 years before she starts in on? As an independent producer I have learned most of my lessons by screwing up and needing to scramble to fix it. Or by sopping up knowledge from someone I am working with who already knows better.
My film crews have consisted of a number of people educated in film making and those who have made media production into their day job. They in many cases know a lot of things that I don't But there are many things which can only be learned by doing and no one is going to tell you.
So here are a few of the things I have learned by taking the 'wrong' path:
Bribery - No one does anything for free. They might do it for near free but they want something and they want to feel rewarded. Even if you are making the most amazing film the world has ever seen, you need to reward your actors and your crew with more than 'experience' and that most foul promise 'exposure'. If you cannot afford to pay your actors and crew, make sure that you at least put down money for food. Good food. Catering at the early stages of your professional game is going to be the MOST important thing you spend your money on. If it is cold, have hot cocoa and coffee ready, if it is hot freezie pops and ice cream. If you set a goal people are excited about, like lunch, your cast and crew are sure to give their best to get to it sooner.
Equality - Sure, it is YOUR film. You wrote it, you are directing it, you are producing it, whatever. You might be the best person for every job on your film. If you could maybe you would even star in it as well. But that is too much. If you do all of those things you are sure not to do any of them very well. So you have to share ownership of the film (not necessarily in the legal financial sense, but in the artistic sense). You get better work out of people who have control over the work they are doing. If you tell your director of photography exactly what you want and you only need him for hitting the button or racking focus you are not using him to his potential. Talk and plan, but leave the final decision in his hands. Because he is concentrating on only that one thing he can see things you can't. And the end result is a better product. Not only that, but you have one less thing to think about and you can concentrate on the things you need to be doing.
Doing - There is a delicate balance between 'doing' and 'planning'. If you just jump right in and start filming without a plan you are going to take longer and screw up more. But there is never an end to the planning that you can do. At some stage in your career planning will become the lionshare of your work. There will be so many things to prepare for before shooting begins that there is no way that you can shoot from the hip so to speak. But anyone reading this blog is not likely to be there yet. You probably are lucky to have a half dozen people on your production crew. And you can easily shoot that scene on the fly because you only need to move three lights and a camera to make it work. Face it, the first films you make are going to be all about training yourself. So it is ok to jump in a little bit half cocked and start making it happen. Been working on an idea for months? Actually schedule your shooting days and rent your equipment. You will learn more from the practical experience than you ever will by sitting in a room and just planning.
Write within your means - This is the biggest thing I have had to come to grips with. When I have an idea I want to let it run free and become HUGE. I want it to be the biggest most exciting thing ever. But I can't afford to produce it. You can tell a great story in a single room with a single shot. The key is just to train yourself to think that way. If you don't have the costumes and props and locations you want for your perfect script... write the script that calls for your living room and modern clothing and a conversation. If you want to do a documentary but cannot gain access to the President of Peru... why do not a documentary about the mom and pop shop down the street and find out how they got to where they are now.
Finally... the most important lesson that I have learned from all of my films and all of the time I have spent in the creative field:
You are not alone
It may seem like it sometimes. That you are the only person trying to make this crazy scheme work. That you are fighting tooth and nail for every scrap of footage you produce. That rejection letters are piling up and you feel like the world will never see your films and you will be forced to work in your dull dank office job the rest of your life. It is not just you. There are other people out there doing just the same thing. Probably right in your community, probably right down the street. Go out to your local film festivals and go out for drinks afterwards. I have found more talented people to work with through clinking glasses at a bar than I have at all of the 'networking' events I have ever been to. Talk about what you are doing, find out what they are doing and try to help.
Almost every major city will have a 48 Hour Film Project there, do it. Make friends, use it as the opportunity to screw up, to try new things and train yourself and your team. Go to every film festival you can, and don't be shy about talking to the film makers.
Good luck.
