Rise of the Indie Filmmaker

If you are involved in motion pictures, you are witnessing the evolution of the film industry. You must then ask yourself if you are able to adapt to change or are you stuck in the traditional ways of filmmaking. would your traditional approach to film cause you to forgo what you deem to be a great story while waiting for the perfect production tools or budget?

In the rise of the Digital Filmmakers and the web, you are starting to see the grasp of the giant film companies loosen to an upheaval of filmmakers with less capital but ingenious, and creative ideas.  Whether we want to except it or not, most would agree, the industry as we know it has received a massive makeover mostly due to the internet and affordable tools made available to independent Filmmakers. This has forever shaped the ways we function as filmmakers, actors, marketers, etc.  The beauty of being an independent film company is you can break some of the traditional rules of the Industry, to accomplish the greater end. Case in point, The Hurt Locker, a highly unlikely favorite ran off with an academy award for best picture. Despite the success of this small budget film, there are those who would measure the quality of a film by the amount of the budget rather than quality of content. I would say to those individuals, you can throw millions of dollars at garbage and you will still get garbage back. With a quarter of that budget in the hands of a genius, willing investors will reap a profit, and a gutsy produced film, an academy award.

So would it now be safe to say that in the wake of a new breed of guerilla filmmakers and less known actors, we have become a relevant and viable voice in an industry that has resisted us, due to a lack of high profile actors, big budgets, and expensive equipment. Another example, the movie Precious, although you would recognize some of the faces, the unlikely hero would be Gabourey Sidbe, known for her portrayal as precious, an unknown to virtually everyone, yet nominated on the strength of her performance. This just goes to show, that to up and coming actors, success is tangible goal. The Indie market is more relevant now than it ever was before, and the only thing that will stand out in a market where everyone thinks they are a filmmaker, is unique and compelling content. But, enough of my rambling. Let’s make some Mind blowing movies.