| 10
Stupid Things Indie Filmmakers Do To Mess Up Their Movies
Excerpt
from The
Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, 3rd Edition
by
Chris Gore
 There
are countless books that explain how to make movies. And while that
is not the subject of this book, I do feel the need to chime in
with some kernels of advice every once in a while.
One
fact many people have a tough time accepting is that, percentage-wise,
there are far more bad independent films out there than there are
bad Hollywood movies. Here are the common mistakes to avoid if you
wish to make a successful independent film that rises above the
pack and solidifies your career as a filmmaker. Meaning, you'll
get paid to make films instead of paying to make them.
1.
Weak script. Here is where more indie
films fail than in any other area. If the running time is around
seventy minutes, then the feature script was probably pretty thin
to begin with. But one only has to look at Kevin Smith's Clerks
to learn why the script is such an important element. Clerks
is perhaps the most technically inept film ever to get a theatrical
release. Almost any decent student film looks better than Clerks
. But today's audiences are not as concerned with the technical
quality of a film. Content is king for indies and this is where
Clerks succeeds brilliantly. We don't care about the gritty
look (actually that look contributes overall to the mood) the
characters engage us, the story is well-paced, and we laugh our
asses off at the snappy dialogue. Kevin's amazing script rose above
the limitations under which he made the movie, resulting in what
is now an indie film classic. They say that paper is cheaper than
film, so buy some paper. And keep buying it until you write a great
screenplay (then, other people will buy it for you).
2.
Casting non-film actors. Most first-time
filmmakers think that in order to hire actors, they must go to the
theater. I can spot a theater actor in an indie film on a 13" black
and white TV running a fifth generation VHS screener from across
the room. Theater actors are used to "projecting" their performances
to the back of the playhouse, which often leads to over-the-top
performances on camera. Bring it down a notch. Or maybe ten notches.
Actors' performances are magnified onscreen, so if you use non-actors
or actors with little film experience, you'll often spend time asking
them to tone it down. Casting is perhaps the most important decision
you'll face as a filmmaker. In fact, some say half of directing
is casting, so choose actors who will elevate your material, not
butcher it. Talent from the Screen Actors Guild is of a higher caliber,
and worth the extra money. SAG has several contracts geared toward
helping independents get their films made, some even allow you to
defer their pay entirely but there are strings attached, so examine
them all carefully. You can get more info at www.SAGIndie.com.
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3.
Sacrificing quality to meet a deadline. Okay,
you're going to hear this one more than once in this book, but you
cannot sacrifice the quality of your film to make the
deadline for a festival. You are not only cheating yourself, you
are betraying everyone on your crew (who worked so hard to do their
jobs), as well as your investors (who trusted you with their money).
So many filmmakers rush to meet a deadline for a major festival
like Sundance and they end up with a film that is less than it could
have been. And then they are surprised when the film is rejected.
Take the time. It's one of the only luxuries that comes with making
an independent film. Take the time to edit, to get feedback through
a focus group, and be sure you have made the best film possible.
Only then are you ready to submit to a festival.
4.
Wearing too many hats. So, you're
the writer/director/producer/editor and you star in your movie.
Great. We all understand that making an indie film requires you
to do, well, everything. But taking credit for doing everything
makes you look naïve and inexperienced. And the opposite of
humble. It might also make you look just the tiniest bit presumptuous.
Consider delegating a few of those hats, along with the responsibilities
that come with them, to talented people in their respective fields.
5.
Clearances. The Number One stumbling
block to getting a distribution deal has to be getting legal clearances.
Have your legal house in order so that when you go to sell your
movie, all your paperwork is clean. This goes for everything from
actor contracts, to clearing locations, to clearing any names or
items and music. Get an attorney to look at the script for any legal
stumbling blocks before you shoot. Do not, I repeat, do
not accept "festival clearance" for the music in your film,
hoping to get full clearance later. Yeah, I know, you love that
Chemical Brothers song and it's perfect and no other song will do but that doesn't help you because you will still have to get the
song fully cleared before you can sell your movie. One very smart
idea: Craig Brewer, who made the digital indie The Poor &
Hungry , approached Icehouse Records in his hometown of Memphis,
Tennessee. They provided him with a box full of CDs by local bands,
and from those recordings Craig put together a soundtrack for his
film, with fully cleared music. Do whatever it takes to
clear everything, otherwise you'll be stuck having to fix it later,
which can be very costly. In fact, it can cost you a distribution
deal.
6.
Bad sound. If
it's a choice between sound or picture, put your cash into the sound.
Nothing ruins a film experience more than being unable to follow
a storyline because the dialogue is inaudible or so badly mixed
that it's become incoherent. While film is a visual medium, filmmakers
often forget that sound is 50 percent of the experience.
7.
No money for marketing. There should
be a line item in your budget for money to be spent on promotion
and festival travel. Getting the film made is only half the battle
now you have to sell it. Without money for posters, publicity,
travel, etc. the odds of selling your movie will be stacked against
you.
8.
No Festival Strategy. If you plan
to attend a festival as a filmmaker, be sure to visit that festival
as a filmgoer first to learn the ins and outs. Get to know the staff
and anyone who might help you get the film programmed. Have a Plan
B. Just because you didn't get into Sundance, Seattle, Telluride,
or Toronto is no reason to give up and no reflection on your film.
There are plenty of stops on the festival circuit that can result
in awards, good reviews, useful contacts, attention, and a distribution
deal, so include those fests in your plan.
9.
Serious documentary = Snore. Funny documentary = Sale. Documentaries
that explore a serious topic and are tempered with humor are more
commercially viable than those that aren't. And if you've made a
doc about the world of porn, swingers, or strippers hell, anything
involving nudity that will almost guarantee a sale. It's the sad
truth, but isn't that what docs are supposed to explore Naked reality.
10.
There is no "I" in team. Don't
try to do it all yourself. If you try to do it all, you will fail.
Delegate, delegate, delegate. Build a strong team to help you and
your film while you're at the festival, otherwise, you'll be the
only one hanging up posters. And be sure to thank all those who
helped you along the way. In the independent film world, genuine
thanks and appreciation often go even further than money.
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