The Things Indies Talk About
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The Things Indies Talk About
The entertainment industry is flipping on its head. And we are all going for the ride.
The entire premise of the Hollywood industry is about power and making lots of money. Lots, and lots, of money.
When you think of actors, you picture the top and most current actors in the industry, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, etc.
Some years ago, you heard somewhere that they each made millions of dollars on a film. You think about writers and executive producers in the same sentence. They too, you always thought, made millions of dollars with each film made.
Many magazines would tell us that actors demanded millions to act in a movie. Leading us to believe they were the highest paid in the film industry.
Fast-forward to 2023, and you're now realizing what's been happening to the "meat" of the industry. The working people, including writers and actors.
The film industry has been a very prestigious and secretive "society" of sorts. Everyone wants in. Everyone wants to be famous. Everyone wants to be rich. Everyone imagines a lavish life like the rich and famous.
The industry itself is part of the show.
What happens backstage is and has been, quite frustrating. It is one of the most stressful jobs you can have. Of course, you think people are doing it because of the money—it's got to be the money!
The reality of filmmaking is that it's underpaid and highly stressful. The reason why people do it is because they are passionate.
It takes a few times to experience working in the industry to realize that most actors and writers are not making the big bucks. It is shocking when you hear about the budget some Hollywood films have and realize distribution is not at all evenly distributed, and never has been.
Actors know they need agents who work with attorneys, looking out for them in every way. Directors are the most passionate in a production and they can work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to realize a story from script to film.
Cast and crew cannot be expected to work that way. They are passionate about their part of the production, individually, and want to see the whole thing through, of course. They are definitely invested in the process.
But at the end of the day, they take a paycheck and start over. And that paycheck is but a tiny piece of the pie. The budget is spent in pre-production and marketing, distribution and the return on investment for investors and executives, in Hollywood. And while most crew members don’t receive royalties, actors and writers are getting a shocking minuscule amount.
The biggest streaming services are making billions and more in profits. The biggest winners are the studio executives.
While many in the industry were always aware of how the system works, it's now consumers that have been enlightened. The unveiling has begun. The curtains have opened and the backstage is exposed.
What we are all experiencing today is but one small part in the evolution of our entire civilization.
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These Times
Humanity thrives through storytelling and has done so since our origins. Hollywood saw its first film studio in 1911, but stories have existed before humanity, and storytelling has been around since our beginning.
So what is it that keeps people working in the industry?
It’s really been about top studio executives taking advantage of an attraction for a prestigious film industry. But most importantly, it’s been about the millions of people around the world who dream about working in Hollywood. Many more come to Hollywood with stars in their hearts. They try their best and feel defeated when they don’t succeed.
In college, my instructor called me into his office one day. He told me he had a request from one of the major television networks to send someone as an apprentice. He said at the end of the apprenticeship, a year, I would be given the opportunity to direct a show for the network. He confided that he had only shared it with me first.
I don’t know the details because I never asked. I know he told me I had until the next day to make a decision.
The next day I turned it down. I had no interest in moving to LA and working in the TV and Hollywood industry. I was more inclined toward the art of storytelling than the business side of it.
That is why I chose the topic of a discussion with my podcast panelists in the Fade In To Film bi-weekly program to be “Film Versus Product” in episode 155 of my podcast. Listen to the perspectives of indie creators and filmmakers discussing the topic from different perspectives.
I’ve said it many times before: Filmmakers are special, and I personally love them with my entire heart.
It takes a very special kind of human to work in the film industry, Hollywood and Independent. They will knock themselves out working endless hours and through the most rigorous environment to see a production through to the end.
One thing I enjoyed about working on indie films was the camaraderie between crew members. Some actors express envy watching the crew work creatively and ceaselessly to setup and strike a set; moving from one scene to the next.
Independent and Hollywood film crews do not expect to get rich working in the industry. But at least in Hollywood, they expect to make enough to make ends meet and continue work on the next film. They expect to make a living without having to hold a second job.
Society’s disregard toward artists, and everyone who works in what appears to be a “fun” industry needs to end, in my opinion.
During the pandemic in 2020, we all realized how much we depended on film, art, music, entertainment. We became aware of the integral part content creators play in our daily lives. Especially online and digitally.
Now is the greatest time to participate in the indie side of it all. Now is the best time to realize the power of using the camera in your pocket to tell stories through film. The cost of creating a commercial film product is far greater than the cost of creating independent films as art when you use your mobile phone. It translates to a genuine return on your investment.
You can lower your budget and you can also pay your cast and crew their fair share. You may be concerned about distribution and marketing costs. Self-distribution for indie film has never been more accessible for indies.
Our society experienced a shift in book publishing and distribution in the 90’s with self-publishing.
Now’s the time to leap into the future with great regard for artists and creators. It’s a great time to embrace yourself as a storyteller and inspire yourself turning your stories into film.
