How to Embrace the Limitations of Indie Filmmaking
The reality of movie making is that a film can go wrong for reasons entirely out of your control. It might be poor marketing, a bad script or a lack of funds. Whatever the reason, your early films are not going to have the pure polish that you have come to expect from film greats.
That’s easy to say, the challenge is accepting that and still working hard to produce something amazing.
Funding is one area where the process can go wrong quickly. You may find it nearly impossible to find funding from big-time donors for an early film. Don’t kid yourself. There have been films financed by small contributions from families of the director for ages. Robert Rodriguez funded his early film Desperado by donating his blood and taking his production south of the border.
Casting is another area where things can go awry, especially as you aim for higher star power. People’s schedule’s change and they have their own opportunities to attend to. If you can’t get production going fast enough, for whatever reason, you may lose actors. That also starts chain reactions, where some actors may drop your project because they see others doing the same.
In the end, the reason you make films is to get paid for creativity. Filmmaking is an incredible amount of stress, especially when it comes to dealing with people. As you wrap production for the day, tired and unsure of what the finished product will look like, know that you have the capacity to make something you can be proud of.
Charles Matthau is the director of Freaky Deaky, and the Charles Matthau Company will produce the upcoming TV series “Mexican High.” To find out more about the projects of Charles Matthau, contact the Matthau Company.