Chase Jarvis Chase Jarvis
  • Photos
  • Projects
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book
Chase Jarvis Chase Jarvis
  • Photos
  • Projects
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book

A Wakeup to the “Awe(some/ful) Future” of Indy Filmmaking

Screen shot From Uproxx.comThere’s some fun and evocative smack talking going on over at Uproxx.com that caught my attention:

“Granted, some of this is entirely the fault of the indie film scene itself, which is always rife with idiocy, and these days is basically celebrating incompetence because competence is just too Hollywood, man. The hot movement, mumblecore, seriously got its name from the fact that the filmmakers lacked the technical competence to point a microphone at an actor’s mouth. And “The Room” and “Birdemic” are epic train wrecks well beyond just your standard bad movie, although they’re still better than anything the mumblecore movement craps out.

But that’s the thing. You no longer need technical competence to achieve the two main goals of indie filmmaking: getting into the pants of disaffected hot people, or making boatloads of cash. And this is both a great thing and a problem.”

The article changes tone later in the piece to basically read “don’t get me wrong, there’s gonna be a lot of good stuff to watch, but you’ll just have to wade through the bad…” But I say too little too late – it’s tough to claim both sides of the fence.

You know what else I say? I say bring it on. You know why I say it? Because we have to.

I’m bored with the industry rhetoric around keeping something like film making “pure”. It might be a convenient thing to say if you’re struggling to keep your seat at the table, but isn’t it sort of boring? It would be one thing if people claimed fear. That’s legit. “Hey man, I’m scared for the future because it means I have to do X, Y, and Z.” I buy that. It’s scary for lots of people. But to claim “this just isn’t how it’s supposed to be” is complete bullshit.

I’ve hustled my way into a reasonable spot on the food chain for more than a decade. Perhaps so have you. And I think it’s fair to cite “competence” if you’re there. That’s a requirement for any sort of staying power. It’s the “price of admission” as I’ve said before. And honestly, I’m sure you’d agree, it would be just peachy if I could sit back in the comfortable position and ride some magic carpet into fame and fortune, without change, without fear and struggle, without arrows coming at me. But it ain’t like that. It’s the whole enchilada, the whole range of emotions, the whole range of human experience. So call me crazy: isn’t trying to keep filmmaking in some ivory tower sort of like trying to juggle water?

It sounds exactly like the argument a certain cross-section of photographers made when things “went digital” about 10 years ago. So many cried foul. “Now anyone with a camera can be a photographer!” But isn’t that the point? There is and will always be several tiers within any given industry. That’s the nature of industry. What are the alternatives? Not to make films or take photos so people don’t get inspired? Don’t make better technology? Don’t share information? On the contrary, we must live with the ever-quickening conveyor belt.

In fairness, this shift in the marketplace is certainly affecting some industry folk, and I’m sad that some will be hurt by the shifting landscape. But trying to preserve a golden time in history should not be the mission. The mission is about doing what you can do to elevate things, and about pushing on. The mission is to celebrate the good parts of what the future brings, to shape it as you can, to work hard, to give to it. Because–last time I checked–the future is unavoidable.

If anybody feels in harm’s way with the changing landscape, there are plenty of other lines of work. But if I may say so–without being too bold–I can pretty much guarantee that those other industries are not immune. They are being forced to innovate, stay fresh and stay nimble to differentiate their product from the next guy’s product. If you somehow think those other industries might sit around and wait for you any more than the photo or filmmaking industry will, you’d better think twice.

Related Posts

31 replies on:
A Wakeup to the “Awe(some/ful) Future” of Indy Filmmaking

Comments navigation

Previous
  1. 2014 top fastest cars says:
    December 19, 2014 at 8:28 pm

    Thanks for a really interesting blog. What else may I get that type of info written in this perfect approach? I’ve a undertaking that I‘m simply now operating on, and We have been in the explore such info.

  2. repleo says:
    November 24, 2014 at 2:59 am

    This article is easy to follow and yet it really strikes a chord. It makes you stop and consider the viewpoints. You’ve done very well.

  3. center less grinder says:
    November 12, 2014 at 6:28 am

    Hey! Somebody in my Facebook group shared this internet site with us so I came to look it over. I’m certainly enjoying the details. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Wonderful weblog and fantastic style and design.

  4. daftar harga hp says:
    October 24, 2014 at 5:34 am

    I am glad for commenting to make you understand what a cool discovery our girl had visiting your blog. She learned plenty of things, most notably what it is like to have an incredible helping nature to let the mediocre ones effortlessly fully grasp a variety of hard to do topics. You truly did more than my expected results. Many thanks for coming up with these good, healthy, revealing not to mention cool thoughts on this topic to Lizeth.

Comments navigation

Previous

Comments are closed.

BUY NEVER PLAY IT SAFE NOW!

Get weekly, curated access to the best of everything I do.

Popular Posts

Héctor García and Francesc Miralles smiling, with bold text in the center reading '4 Steps to Discover Your True Purpose' on a black background. Framed with a yellow border, creating a high-contrast, engaging design.Why You’re Not Finding Your Purpose
20250118_CJLIVE_LifeIsLong_Micro_Thumb_16x9_v2.5Signs You’re Drifting Away from Your Purpose (and How to Get Back on Track)
On the right side of the image, the bold text reads: “THIS IS WHY MEN ARE FALLING BEHIND” The words "THIS IS WHY" are in bold white, while "MEN ARE FALLING BEHIND" is in bold yellow. The text is set against a dark, textured background. On the left side, there is a photo of a man wearing a suit and tie, looking off to the side with a serious expression. The show's logo is displayed in the top left corner, featuring "THE CHASE JARVIS LIVE SHOW" in black text inside yellow rectangles. The entire graphic is framed by a yellow border, matching the color scheme of the text and logo.Gender Equality Isn’t What You Think (Here’s Why)
A person sitting at a desk, holding their head in frustration, while flames seem to emerge from their head, symbolizing intense mental stress or burnout. The fiery scene contrasts with the calm surroundings of a room filled with books and papers, enhancing the feeling of overwhelming mental exhaustion. The expression on the person's face shows deep concentration or distress, and the bright colors of the flames highlight the inner turmoil they are experiencing.Creative Burnout Destroying Your Passion? (Try These 4 Quick Strategies)
A shattered red clock with broken glass pieces flying outward, symbolizing the concept of breaking free from traditional time management constraints. The image is paired with the bold yellow text: 'The Chase Jarvis LIVE Show' with the word 'Show' crossed out, suggesting a redefinition of the format.Time Management Is Dead—Here’s What Actually Works
A stylized illustration of a person in a hat and work clothes digging with a shovel, uncovering gold beneath the surface. The artwork has a rugged, textured look with earthy tones, symbolizing hard work leading to success. To the left, bold yellow text reads 'The Chase Jarvis LIVE Show' in a modern font.How to Tell if Your Hard Work Is Leading to Gold
20241001_CJLIVE_BehindTheHuman_Syndicate_Blog_16x9Why Comfort Zones Are Overrated
20250327_CJLIVE_B&H_Syndicate_Thumb_16x9_v2.5How Sharing Your Work Can Change Lives Including Your Own
20250702_CJLIVE_BuildingWhatMatters_Micro_Thumb_16x9_v2.5Stop Drifting Through Life and Start Building What Matters Most
20250724_CJLIVE_YouVSTheAI_Micro_Thumb_16x9_v2.5Will Your Work Still Matter When Everyone Else Is Using AI to Create?

Daily Creative Projects

© 2024 Chase Jarvis. All rights reserved.