Making Small Things Happen

It’s important for filmmakers to take small steps to achieve their goals.  Often times, we want to jump right in to making a TV pilot or a feature film without the proper tools to do so.  And I don’t mean having access to an ARRI cinema camera and vintage lenses; I’m referring to creative tools that help you tell a story to the best of your abilities. 

There’s no need to “Make Big Things Happen” at the start of your filmmaking journey.  You don’t need a full crew, tons of locations, and complicated camera setups.  You need a good script and a few actors to bring it to life.  It’s important to limit yourself at the offset.  You’ll face limitations throughout your entire career, so start off by imposing them on yourself!  Try to write a short film that is under 5 pages with only 2 characters and 1 location.  Craft your shot list to be entirely handheld or on sticks.  Only use props you have immediate access to.  It’s a challenge to make something interesting when your resources are finite, but it will force you to work harder and be more creative.

I’m also a strong believer in developing your craft in small but meaningful ways for a long period of time.  I made dozens of short films before I attempted my first web series, which turned out to be a disaster and was never completed.  I then went back to making short films and tried again a few years later.  Now, I’ve almost completed two web series and am ready to move on to something bigger… or so I think. 

It’s hard to tell when you’re actually ready to take the leap and create something larger and more challenging than you’ve done before.  I know I still have a lot to learn about filmmaking and being a director, but I also know the best way for me to continue growing as a filmmaker is to jump into it and make a feature film.  I could, technically, continue making short films and web series, but if my goal is to one day make a living as a feature film director, I guess I might as well get started.  But I plan on starting small.

I wrote my first feature screenplay last November and while it was a huge learning experience, it’s a movie I simply do not have the resources or skills to make.  It’s far too big for my experience level.  Too many actors and locations, big set pieces, lots of action… Not very Cobblestoned.  So, I’m working on something smaller.  Something with only a few characters that mostly takes place inside a single location.  It’ll be dramatic and horrifying, but done on a small scale so that I only have to hire my friends to help me bring it to life.  We will, undoubtedly, learn a lot in the process and if it happens to be a success, we can do it again on a larger scale next time!

Just to reiterate, it’s important to do things that scare you, but it’s equally important to build up some confidence ahead of time.  Keep grinding out shorts that help you develop your voice.  Don’t make a feature because that’s the only thing that sells, make a feature because you’re ready and hungry for it.  Make small things happen that can grow into big things over time.

On Getting Rejected (again and again and again)

Today, I received my official letter of rejection to the Stareable Web Series Festival via film freeway. Actually, I found out I wasn’t accepted to the fest yesterday when I checked their blog and saw the Official Selections List did not include the pilot of Cobblestoned. Honestly, I’m not very surprised by this decision as I’ve only been accepted to one short film festival over the span of my 13 years as a filmmaker, but I had my hopes up for this one and find myself disappointed nonetheless. After all, Cobblestoned is all of my friend’s favorite web series! That has to count for something, right?

Rejection is something everyone faces time and time again. It can really hurt to not be given an opportunity you believe you deserve. And as a filmmaker or artist, it can feel like the hard work you put into you art isn’t appreciated or that you, as an artist, don’t have what it takes. And I don’t know, maybe that’s true for me, but so far rejection hasn’t stopped me from continuing down the path of an independent filmmaker. But it’s definitely caused some serious setbacks.

Why can’t I make something that people want to see on a big screen? How will I ever break into the industry if no one sees my work? Am I even a real filmmaker if my small audience only watches half my film on YouTube?

I obviously don’t have answers to any of these questions, yet I ask them each time I get another rejection letter. At some point I might give up on submitting to festivals all together. It’s quite expensive and when you don’t get accepted it literally feels like throwing your money away. And that’s money I could have used on my next project!

It seems like some people get pumped up over rejections. Like it lights a fire under them and makes them work harder to get accepted next time. I wish I had this kind of personality, but I tend to creep into the darkness and wait for my inspiration to return. It’s not that I crave validation or constant attention, but being told you’re not good enough over and over again kinda sucks. It’s hard to keep going, but from my experience the only way to move past it is to make something new. So, this time I’m trying not to dwell on it. Yeah, it would have been fun to fly to New York, meet a bunch of people, and see how a live audience reacts to my film, but now I have a free weekend to make the next one!

I guess it stings because each time I make something new, I feel like it’s the best thing I’ve done yet. And usually it actually is. So, I get excited. I feel like I’m making progress in this ridiculous career path. This time, I’ll get an acceptance letter! But each time, I’m put in my place again. Maybe I need to stop valuing myself from what some festival curators see in me. Maybe I need to focus on making something my friends and family will enjoy. Maybe I should start my own film festival and accept my work every time!

Okay, I don’t know where I’m going with this post anymore. Rejection sucks, but it doesn’t mean you suck. I suppose it can take a long time to make something worth showing in a festival. Don’t let it get you down like it gets me down. From my experience, it’s not very healthy. Continue making things until you’ve made something no one can ignore. And maybe just save your money on short film fests. I don’t think they’re all that important anyway. Make a feature and get it into Sundance and then when it gets nominated for an Oscar and you ultimately win, get up to the podium with your little golden man, thank you mom and your producer, and put some shame on the people who told you no. And then laugh at them, because now you have a dumb little gold man that will forever sit on your shelf judging all those who enter your home.