It's Time to Build a New Filmmaking System

I've seen and heard a lot of discussion lately about how the film industry is failing. It's crumbling. It's in dire condition. Or all three. I'm sure this isn't news to anyone who works in film and television, and probably unsurprising to those outside the entertainment industry. What I haven't seen talked about is... what do we do now?

A.I. slop is taking over the internet (if you missed it, John Oliver just aired an episode on this). Many film workers are out of work. The Scriptnotes podcast just broke down the WGA Annual Report, and there are less professional screenwriters employed in America than before the pandemic (especially in feature films). What do we do?

I've been on a journey to make a feature film this year, so I've been thinking a lot about how to make a movie but also about why I want to make a movie.

Surprisingly, the most thoughtful conversations I've seen about this have been on Substack. I say surprisingly because I hadn't even heard of the platform before the start of this year, and then I really just thought it was a place for newsletters. But there's something really cool going on with filmmakers on Substack. Or, as some are calling it: FilmStack. It feels like the early days of Twitter. It's exciting. It feels like a real online community.

This is being led, in part, by Ted Hope, an American film producer who worked as the co-head of Amazon Studios and has over 70 feature films under his belt. More recently, Franklin Leonard (the founder of the renown Black List) has joined the fray. Ted Hope just wrote what he called The FilmStack Manifesto v1.0. I think it's got some really interesting points. The new movement has taken on the name NonDē filmmaking (i.e. "Non-Dependent") as opposed to indie filmmaking (i.e. "independent).

Here's a snippet of what NonDē stands for (from Hope's article):

We will no longer neglect — as So-Called “Indie” Film (aka SCIF) has — what is necessary to build to make our cinema ecosystem work well for all participants. NonDē commits to the improvement of the product, process, environment, and experience through delivering a regular cadence of operational improvements to the cinema ecosystem.

This is a great idea. It's a sentiment I can stand behind. Does it merit a change in name from "indie" to "NonDē"? That's yet to be seen.

If the state of filmmaking is, indeed, as dire as it seems, can an independent system (or non-dependent, I'm not bothered about what it's called) for creating cinema make up the difference? I believe it can.

So then I ask myself: what kind of community do I want to be part of? What kind of film industry do I want to help build? How can we build something new? How can we change things for the better?

I don't have the answers, especially when it comes to how to change something as monumental as the film industry. To start, I'm just imagining a future I want to be a part of. I won't be as grandiose as to call this a manifesto. Perhaps it's more like an invitation.

Here are values I have that I want to foster in my own filmmaking:

Stories are the heartbeat of cinema.

Cinema is a human art that utilizes technology. But we can't allow technology to overtake the humanity of filmmaking. Stories come from artists, so we need a system that's led by artists and is set up to support artists. Economics are vital to filmmaking, but the art should come first. Always.

Randall Park from his 2023 interview with The Rolling Stones.

Community is the keystone of an industry.

There is power in community. In sharing with other artists, workers, and audience members. Collaborating is key to the success of a thriving ecosystem. So let's find communities where we are, whether with local and regional societies and associations or online. There are people eager to create together, we just need to connect. (I've mentioned FilmStack, and the /Filmmakers subreddit alone has over 3 million members.) Community means taking care of each other, having each other's backs. That means fair pay, safe and equitable working conditions, and building trust.

Each story is its own story.

It's time to do away with cookie-cutter methods and mass-produced systems to create art. Each film and TV series is unique and has its own challenges, so each should be set up in a way that best suits its specific needs. Let's find new methods to tell and share stories. Yes, logistical systems can serve productions to make them more efficient and practical, but a system should do just that: serve the production. Not the other way around.

Filmmakers are explorers.

Making art is exploration. The act of creation, in itself, should be a risk. I want to be part of a community of explorers who dive into the unknowns of the human condition. Who dig into the depth of the heart and mind. Who take comedy to new levels. Who push the bounds of what's possible. Some art is safe, some art is cozy, but some art should be an exploration.

James Cameron has been a pioneer in cinematic technology for decades. He really took the idea of filmmaking as exploration literally.

Let's all get uncomfortable.

I want to be uncomfortable when I make a film. I want to push my projects to their limits. We should get out of our comfort zones, because that's where growth happens. Part of this means intentionally creating spaces where artists and audience members can feel brave. It means exploring. It means supporting the work of artists so we can learn and change as a community and as a society.

Art should engage its audience.

"Engagement" has become a term used to measure clicking a heart or typing a comment. I want to create cinema that activates people. That gets people talking. That urges people to action. Art has the power to encourage, change, and inspire people. Let's form an industry that encourages people to truly engage with films and TV. Studies have found that fiction has the power to influence empathy. Let's create art that builds empathy and empowers people to build a new future.

I love the city I live in and want to keep making films here. (Photo from the set of Strangers.)

Creation is inherently local.

Filmmaking is a global industry. It's exciting that digital media can be shared with people all over the world (particularly for someone like me who started in theatre). In a post-pandemic society, the film industry is decentralizing. Let's create stories in our cities, with local artists, for local audiences. I want more local stories—stories tied to the voices of the artists and the places they come from. Stories that are fresh. That can resonate with people no matter where they are. I want a future where filmmakers can thrive as artists where they live, no matter where they live.

Art is meant to be shared.

It's time to do away with scarcity mindset. I've always believed in the aphorism "a rising tide lifts all ships." When some of us thrive, we all thrive. Let's be open about our failures and our triumphs. Let's share our methodologies and lessons we've learned along the way. Artists aren't in competition with each other, whether for resources, accolades, or audiences. We are working together to create, entertain, uplift, and inspire.

We must work sustainably to thrive.

In order to succeed, we must think farther than the next quarterly revenue report. Farther than the next election cycle. We have to build systems to last. This means creating sustainability in the industry. Supporting projects, artists, and workers in the short and long term. Create jobs, not just contracts. Fostering mentorship and planning for the future. This also means building sustainability for the planet. I mean, what's the point of telling stories if future generations won't be able to hear them?

Our one beautiful planet (thanks for making this selfie, NASA).

Are these ideas naively idyllic? Utopian even? Maybe. But what's the harm in striving for a better industry and, for that matter, a better world?

Some of this sound good to you? Great. Let's make it happen. Why wait for someone else when each of us can start making changes? Let's build a new community, a new system, and a new industry.

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If you want to join me personally, I send out a newsletter about my journey as an artist and filmmaker every other week. Subscribe to follow along or just reach out so we can connect.

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