Diary of a Struggling Writer (& Indie Filmmaker)

I wanted to write a post that was a bit more personal today, I guess explaining a bit about why I’m doing this and clarifying my position.

I know that my analysis of other people’s projects can be considered “honest and brutal” (thanks Mat!) which I am proud of, but also wary that my comments might look like someone spitting from the sidelines.

I realise that it is all too easy to be a critic. It takes far more guts to get out there and put yourself on the line, like the filmmakers I’ve been doing case studies of.

This industry is in a state of change, and with that comes experimentation, and with that comes the need for analysis and discussion, so that we can better evaluate what is the best way forward.


Why the film industry needs to change:
Our world is foot deep in a revolution. It’s not just a revolution in indie film, but in the way our whole society works. We have been undeniably changed by the internet. It may only be about 14 years ago that I was introduced to the World Wide Web, as we used to call it, and now I can’t function without it.

The internet has not just changed the way we do business, but also the very way in which we look at the world. Instead of a few one-way information sources (newspaper, encyclopaedia, teachers, text books), we now examine multiple sources effortlessly from our home or workplace - and weigh in with our own opinions and knowledge. It’s now a two (or 1.7 billion) way street. Not just for the computer geeks, but also for the ‘common people.’

How does this impact the entertainment industry? Audience are moving away from the “broadcast” model where the broadcaster/exhibitor controls content, context, and accessibility, moving towards entertainment that hands more of this control over to the audience.

How the entertainment industry is changing:
It’s not the death of TV and film, but rather, changes are required in the way we create and distribute this content. We’ve seen the emergence of Tivo, Hulu, and iview, which allow audiences to choose what they want to watch and when. There are programs such as MasterChef and Australian Idol that are largely successful because they factor in audience participation. And then there are films, such as Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity, would never have received a cinema release if it weren’t for building an online audience first.

In the new way forward, we need to consider people less as “audiences” and more as “participants.” The projects I’ve been analysing have for the most part got this incorporated into their business model. But, as with any new movement, it is all pretty experimental.

The importance of experiments: to learn not just from successes, but also from failures. And, when we succeed... Not to just pat ourselves on the back, but to evaluate if there is any room for further improvement. Through this process we will gain a clearer view of smart steps forward for our industry.

Heroes of change:
My hat is off to each and every project I have looked at – they are all forging new ground, doing their best, and doing it publicly in a way that allows the rest of us to learn.

Ted Hope has written a great blog post listing the people he considers to be  the brave thinkers of the new world, some of whom include those I’ve mentioned already here on YASW, and it is well worth a read.

How my blog fits in:
My focus isn’t on the creative side of filmmaking - there are plenty of books, gurus, websites, and forums investigating what ‘makes a good film,’ - nor is it about filmmaking techniques.

Instead, I am focusing on the business model, because I believe this to be the greatest weakness in the Australian film industry. This also applies to “indie filmmakers” in general, as we frequently have difficulty balancing the art, culture, entertainment and commerce.

My “criticism” is intended to be purely constructive, and is exactly of the nature that I value as a writer when others read and comment on my work. Ironically, while every man and his dog feels comfortable critiquing a script, such honest feedback is frequently absent about the films themselves. We bend over backwards being “supportive” of one another’s films, rather than necessarily telling our true thoughts straight to a filmmaker’s face.

Now, I don’t pretend to be an authority on any of this. I’ll also admit that I’m new to blogging, I’m new to non-fiction, I’m new to social media, and – as the title of this blog suggests - I’ve not been very successful as a writer/filmmaker to date. I’m just looking around at what different people are doing, and evaluating what I believe does and doesn’t work best.

Whether I like it or not, I too am going to make my own mistakes along the way. I give you permission to hold me accountable. Do tell me when you disagree. Do share your own thoughts, opinions, and experiences. I’m not the kind of person who gets a kick out of the sound of my own voice, so please don’t hold back when you could join in.

Still to come on my blog:
The second purpose of this blog is that I’ll be applying what I learn from these other filmmakers to my own projects and sharing my successes/failures with you. I’ve alluded to a project I have in development, and I’ll be talking more about that in the coming month – focusing on the underlying business model, which has in part been inspired by those who I’ve been profiling. This will be the more personalised stuff, and won’t be of interest to all of you. However, if you are a struggling filmmaker like me, it would be nice if we could compare notes on our efforts.

For example, Tuesdays and Thursdays I might continue to post case studies of other filmmakers, while Mondays I might do my “diary” project updates.

My ultimate goal is to discover the best uses of freemium content, crowdsourcing & crowdfunding, social media, monetisation, and other innovative techniques, so that I can draw up a few likely-to-be-successful business models for indie film (& other content) that can help us to balance our artist needs with earning a living.

I hope you can share the journey with me :)