It's a wonder films even get made

[alexwhitmer]

With all the things that can and do go wrong, from story development to final editing, how in the world do films even get made?

And once made, how in the world do they even get distributed?


I wonder what the kill ratio of finished to shelved is. Thousand to one?

I'm sure there are many great stories, great performances and outstanding production feats that will never see the light of day. As I'm sure there are some better off shelved as well.

a

[Frank Weeks]

Sounds like you had a bad day Alex. Keep your head up. Most of us have been there.

[Neil W. Smith]

With all the things that can and do go wrong, from story development to final editing, how in the world do films even get made?

And once made, how in the world do they even get distributed?
I wonder what the kill ratio of finished to shelved is. Thousand to one?
I'm sure there are many great stories, great performances and outstanding production feats that will never see the light of day. As I'm sure there are some better off shelved as well.

a

Alex,

We've all be there mate (just ask Jim) ... making movies is a hard game ... finishing even harder ... distribution impossible .... the attrition rate is high which is why the streets of Hollywood are paved with gold.

Call me in the morning ... we'll get you sorted.

Neil

[rod bradley]

Hey Alex, you're right, it's a miracle when something truly great gets made -- whether humble or grand -- and a large portion of what's great is only recognized in a small way (as an affecionado of world cinema, I am constantly aware of how parochial and limited most of what Hollywood does is, how undaring and conventional and old in terms of expression no matter how technically advanced) -- but at least now some of the wonders of the past and obscure present are available by those who seek it out -- so that at least cinema can become a preserved literature with the great, the good, bad, and the ugly --the overrated and underrated (for the most part) being available in some kind of form that is accessible to us of the privileged developed world.

Of course, some things are lost or mangled in the awkward, often distorted and unjust "sorting" out -- but this is true of all forms of human expression from time immemorial. Finally, I suppose, it really does boil down to the joy (however fleeting) in the journey itself.

[Elsie N]

If they would only not make so much damn money doing what they are doing, maybe they would stop!

[alexwhitmer]

Sounds like you had a bad day Alex. Keep your head up. Most of us have been there.

No one day in particular. Just ongoing observation of not only my projects, but those of friends and associates as well.

Stolen footage, lawsuits, actors storming off set, inept directors, unable to secure locations, and on and on.

Yet we keep coming back for more!

a

[chrislancaster]

the first lesson i learned the hard way .. dont just go to anyone no matter how credible they seem because they will rip you off whore out your idea and laugh at you behind your back


its a tough world

[Frank Weeks]

Yet we keep coming back for more!

Ain't that the truth. It's the price we pay for loving our work.

[michael zaletel]

Naivety and Excessive Optimism are the true Mothers of Invention without which almost nothing unique or original of significant worth would ever be created.

Once you've lost your Naivety, the only hope you have left is Excessive Optimism. Once you've lost your Optimism, you better either get it back or change industries so that you are once again Naive.

-michael zaletel

[Bob Franco]

I start production on a low budget indie movie Monday. Almost fired the lead, supporting actor got fired because it took him four days to respond to my call, missed rehearsals, and he wonders why, one location still not found, one missing actress for key role who's coming tomorrow and don't know if she can act, sets aren't done yet, it's supposed to rain one day next week but nobody knows for sure which day, two actresses quit after they were cast, one "sure thing" supporting role actor was great and quit the on the first day of rehearsal but .... the money is there and a lot more things went right than wrong. I know more things are going to go wrong. I'll be surprised by good things that happen. And I'd rather be doing this cheapo indie than a dozen toothpaste commercials, money not withstanding. I'm directing and editing. I love it!
Hang in there.

[George Tsai]

http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/risks03.jpg (http://despair.com/risks.html)

something we all take here:-P worry not but persevere.

http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/perseverance03.jpg

as long as we learn from our mistakes.



http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/mistakes03.jpg


:devil:




... ok i hope that was more humorus than depressing for you:001_tongue:

[michael zaletel]

I start production on a low budget indie movie Monday. Almost fired the lead, supporting actor got fired because it took him four days to respond to my call, missed rehearsals, and he wonders why, one location still not found, one missing actress for key role who's coming tomorrow and don't know if she can act, sets aren't done yet, it's supposed to rain one day next week but nobody knows for sure which day, two actresses quit after they were cast, one "sure thing" supporting role actor was great and quit the on the first day of rehearsal but .... the money is there and a lot more things went right than wrong. I know more things are going to go wrong. I'll be surprised by good things that happen. And I'd rather be doing this cheapo indie than a dozen toothpaste commercials, money not withstanding. I'm directing and editing. I love it!
Hang in there.

Great post! Great Attitude Bob. :)

-michael zaletel

[geoffboyle]

One thing to bear in mind guys.....

It isn't going to get any better when you move from indie to Hollywood, if anything it's worse.

Just to cheer you up! :-)

[Radoslav Karapetkov]

"If you're going through hell, keep going..."

W. Churchill

[Sam Taylor]

This is good encouragement! Thanks!

[Elsie N]

http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/risks03.jpg (http://despair.com/risks.html)

something we all take here:-P worry not but persevere.

http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/perseverance03.jpg

as long as we learn from our mistakes.



http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/mistakes03.jpg


:devil:




... ok i hope that was more humorus than depressing for you:001_tongue:
Ahhhh, the Demotivators... love those things. The Mistakes one is my favorite one of them all.:emote_rainshower:

[hans de vries]

This is not to get any extensive advice, just to share experiences; I come from the artworld, in which I have learned to be the one who comes up with the idea, set up the project, make the work as far as I can myself, and if not find subsidies to let someone else do it. Then build up the exhibition. Now I'm entering the film world, because, obviously, you don't make a film on your own, and immediately I get stuck in bureaucracy, trying to find advice and subsidies to turn my 2 page synopsis into a treatment; getting subsidies from the Dutch Film Fund for a treatment is officially possible as a writer, however in all the appl. forms the applicant is called 'production company'. Finding a production company can take months if not longer...not a very interesting obstacle, but the point is that it is only one of hundreds of procedures; so, not betting on one horse, I am talking to documentary makers to find a model for a smaller production, which I think should be realistic because I'm not interested in complex special effects stuff, but mostly in people.

[Scott Crawley]

Naivety and Excessive Optimism are the true Mothers of Invention without which almost nothing unique or original of significant worth would ever be created.

Once you've lost your Naivety, the only hope you have left is Excessive Optimism. Once you've lost your Optimism, you better either get it back or change industries so that you are once again Naive.

-michael zaletel

Oh man... This just keeps getting better. Where is my Prozac? :beer:

[Imran Farouk]

They get made cause there are people on set and behind the scenes that drive it...there's always going to be someone who wants something made and as long as they got the ability to strive through the everyday crap that seems to go with film making (getting stopped by police, actors moaning about their hair etc. ) we'll always see films.

To be honest I think independent films get the worst end of the spear just because at that point everyone wants to be someone else and its usually cause of the pay or something. Your DoP wants to be director, your runner wants to be an actor, your co-director wants to be the producer etc. the only position I'm pretty sure is safe is the directors position, usually where most people wanna be or in front of the camera.

I think I've come to the point most times in the pre-production stage where I just think "why am I even here?" but then again once production starts, the small problems don't phase me and by post I'm back to thinking "why did I even pay the editor?"

Happens to everyone hence why my usual advice to people is to either stay out or be ready to battle.

[hans de vries]

My problem is not the battle itself but the time it takes :boxing_smiley: My neighbour is a colleague of the woman who wrote and directed The Bird Can't Fly, an excellent film, but it took her 9 years to finish it, ofcourse mostly raising money. Groan

[Andrew Luczenczyn]

Every time I think Ill never be able to so something, I watch Baghead.

[Joe G.]

George - you're pure evil.

As for indies failing, let's examine one facet.

Bob said: "I start production on a low budget indie movie Monday..."

He never told us the name of the movie. No website. No way for us to learn anything further about this. You cut off your potential viewers from even being able to watch this thing some day.

You had our attention, but you failed to deliver (a movie!).

Marketing indies has to begin before production, and by a long shot. It's the new way.

[Rick Burnett]

Marketing indies has to begin before production, and by a long shot. It's the new way.

I cannot stress this enough. I took a production roll on an indy film we are working on, called Beat Down Boogie. We are just now starting up the marketing and viral work (website coming shortly) after being tired of spending a year looking for investment.

My two favorite investor statements "We think you need to write the movie to be more like movie A because it did great at the box office"

or

"No, we aren't interested in Female lead roles, those don't sell"

A lot of investors are very shy right now. That said, here's our practice footage we shot with a HVX200. We plan on shooting this with the Scarlet fixed so the delay in starting production is not a bad thing.

http://vimeo.com/2616087

I will give this advice though, I work with a VERY TIGHT NIT group of people. We do a lot of projects together and everyone is multi-talented. I spent a lot of time getting to know people in the area and now I never worry about flaky crew. As for cast, I know so many people now I tend to get people that are pretty dependable, but I also would use a local casting company outside of that.

I cannot count the number of people I don't work with because they are all talk, no action. But, it's like that in all artistic fields (I do music as well and musician's and engineers are no better!) :)