Limiting the downside

Richard Branson always talks about limiting the downside with new business ventures. How can indie film apply that better?

My last post about validating ideas beforehand is one technique. Testing the market, crowdfunding to gauge interest, short films to experiment with themes and characters.

Those ideas are about limiting the downside for my personal investment of time and money in projects. A way to get quick feedback, which is immensely important for a new artist of any stripe - filmmaker, comedian, musician, DJ, painter.

Spending a year writing a script and then only getting feedback from industry "professionals" isn't the right way to do it.  You need feedback from the audience. Because industry professionals, have a track record of missing out on so many wonderful artists.

Just google "famous rejection letters"
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=famous%20rejection%20letters&es_th=1

You don't want your only feedback coming from gatekeepers. Audience feedback. Preferably paying audience member behavior (not opinion).

Validating the idea

In the startup world, validating a new business idea before investing significant capital or time in a new product is hugely important. Either validating by performing the actions an app would perform manually, without hiring engineers to build a working prototype. Or by testing the marketplace with Facebook ads.

I don't see why this isn't more prevalent in film. In film, many times you invest a huge amount of capital and time in a film, all based on a hunch that you think it's a good idea. It's inefficient with huge potential downside.

Comedians frequently talk about not knowing whether or not a joke is going to be funny until they tell it on stage, in front of an audience. And they can spend years honing the joke, all based on a combination of feedback from the audience and their artistry.

I know musicians have been caught off guard, thinking a song wasn't that great, but it ended up being the most popular song on the album.

But when you talk about filmmakers adjusting their film based on feedback from the audience, people get squirrely. It's as if people expect a 2 hour story to come straight out of the filmmakers mind, fully and perfectly formed. It's unrealistic.

Comedians = jokes, worked out on stage
Musicians = songs, worked out on stage
Filmmakers = shorts, worked out online 

The only problem with this formula, is with comedians and musicians you've got a paying audience. And the behavior of a paying customer is much different than the opinion of someone getting something for free. They go over this in Eric Ries's, The Lean Startup. Paying customers for a new product are early adopters. And watching the behavior of early adopters, who are interested enough in your idea to spend their hard earned money is much different than getting the opinion of someone who has enough time on their hands to be part of a focus group. It's an entirely different set of people, in addition to watching behavior versus getting someone's opinion.

Maybe I should charge for the shorts, as a way to gauge interest and make sure I only get paying, early adopter behavior.

But I'm hesitant to charge for shorts. I'll probably end up testing both ways.

Sense of direction

As a first time artist, it can be tough finding a sense of direction. Having faith in goals you set for yourself, that they're the right goals. That you're moving in the right direction.

Most people I know make movies without finding out beforehand whether or not an audience will be interested in the movie. It's a guess at best. I'd like to change that. To avoid wasting money and time.

Neil Gaiman quote

“The moment that you feel, just possibly, you are walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind, and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself...That is the moment, you might be starting to get it right.”

Good quote to keep in mind today, as I start writing the opening scene.

Seth Godin

Quote from the Linchpin:

...people are waiting to be told what to do. Sure, many of us pretend that we’d love to have control and authority and to bring our humanity to work. But given half a chance, we give it up, in a heartbeat. 

It's a tough road going it alone, being self-employed, and trying to do authentic art while being vulnerable.

But it's better than the alternative, working an unsatisfying job 8 hours a day. Part of the difficulty is working as hard for yourself as you do for a company telling you what to do. It should be the reverse.

Real people on screen

That's something I admire about Linklater. When you see people on screen in his movies, they feel real. Honest, true, real, alive. I'm thinking mostly of Before Sunrise, because that's my favorite of his movies. But it encompasses all of them.

As I write my own movies, that's the direction I'm heading into. Although with the subject matter of an action/war movie.

That's an interesting mixture.

Creating something good

It's possible that focusing on creating something good is judgmental, and hinders the creative process.

Instead, focus on creating something authentic, something that connects to the core of your being.

Good will follow.

Trust in yourself

At some point you need to trust that you've learned enough, internalized enough, and that creativity will come if you sit down and do the work.

Trust that you won't make something crappy, or something that goes against the grain of your creative impulses. And you have to be ok with being vulnerable and letting the world see your art.

Trust that you'll know where to mold it to keep it fresh and exciting, and true to your heart.

Not taking a day off

One of my favorite books lately has been Seth Godin's Linchpin.

Consumers are not loyal to cheap commodities. They crave the unique, the remarkable, and the human.

This quote is a constant source of inspiration for my screenwriting. That's exactly what we crave in films. Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Scorsese, PTA. Is there any doubt when you're watching one of their movies that it's authored by them?

Linchpin: click here

Picasso and money

I was also thinking about revenue streams and Picasso. He got most of his money from selling paintings, I wonder if there's a market for that in the future. Selling private films. Commission work. As filmmaking gets cheaper, I wonder if there are different ways to make money, other than theatrical or digital distribution.

He didn't reinvent the wheel with how you make money from painting, but I wonder if there are lessons to take home from that. It's a proto-idea, in it's infancy, or rather not even born yet, but still I wonder....

Picasso

I watched a BBC documentary on Picasso on Friday night. It got me thinking again about whether or not film is due for a revolution in structure and form.

Picasso started off as a classical painter, academic realism they call it. Then his work added a symbolist influence. Blue period. Rose period. And finally modern art transformed... cubism, crystal period, neoclassical, surrealism, and beyond.

Painting and novels were the primary art forms of the day (my guess), and it's obvious painting went through a revolution in the early 1900's, and from what Chuck said in his article, fiction is going through a similar crisis. And they could be much further along than film.

I know it's a common chorus, people have been proclaiming the death of the 3-act structure hero story since Aristotle. But maybe we could use some exploration like Picasso did with the bull, seeing what elements of traditional film structure you can remove while still maintaining the essence.

The problem is, I get bored with so many movies I see. I wonder if it's because I'm older and have seen enough to get all the tricks, or if it's because audiences are more savvy now. I'd like to believe it's because audiences are more savvy now (which Chuck stated in his article), because I'd love to see more exciting, experimental movies.

Picasso BBC doc: click here
Chuck Palahniuk article: click here

Big release

I've been wrestling with some of these ideas. Why does every movie need to be released and do massively well opening weekend? Some books do that, sure. The big sellers. And other books take years and word-of-mouth to be a hit. For those books, generally they haven't wasted money on a huge release, because they know what kind of book they have. But every movie, regardless, feels like it needs to be treated the same. 

Why can't you have good, quality, smaller movies, and allow them to build over time? Eventually making their money back. 

I'm hoping that as the digital market expands, you'll see room for different types of releases. 

It's the same problem Soderbergh noted with Liberace. I think his numbers were, the $5M budget movie needed to make $120M just to break even. Which is absurd. With $30-40M going to marketing, and $30-40M going to theater owners as part of their distribution split. 

Obviously what I'm talking about would be non-theatrical releases. With growth hacker / lean startup marketing techniques. 

Shipping daily

It feels good, shipping product daily. It's advice I'm taking from Seth Godin, every day fighting the resistance to hide and work on an idea until it's perfect. Getting in the habit of putting thoughts and ideas out there, even though they may not be 100%.

His ideas on the lizard brain from Linchpin are sticking with me, long after reading the book. I'll find myself trying to remember his specific ideas when I'm fighting fear throughout the day. I enjoyed Steven Pressfield's book on resistance, but having Seth tie resistance to biology is bringing the ideas home in a deeper, longer lasting way.

Seth Godin: click here
Linchpin: click here
The War of Art: click here

Not fearless, but courageous

As a filmmaker, you should focus on what you're most excited to shoot. Not what looks cool or what other people would like. But what you're most excited about seeing on screen.

And a corollary to that is you need to appear to be fearless about putting that your excitement on screen. Your opinion. Your thoughts. Your likes. Your interests. Your passion.

But it's not truly being fearless. It's being courageous. Nobody is fearless. You have to recognize the fear and move past it. Take action in the face of fear. Doing it anyway.

Change in perception

Sometimes changing your perception is all you need. A slight change in how you view an event, a circumstance, something you did, something someone did to you.... It can make all the difference in the world.

Favorite article of the day: http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2015/08/find-what-you-love-and-let-it-kill-you-2/

per·cep·tion

pərˈsepSH(ə)n/

noun

1. the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.

   "the normal limits to human perception"

   • the state of being or process of becoming aware of something through the senses.

     "the perception of pain"

     synonyms:

     recognition, awareness, consciousness, appreciation, realization,knowledge, grasp, understanding, comprehension, apprehension; formalcognizance "our perception of our own limitations"

   • a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression.

     "Hollywood's perception of the tastes of the American public"

     synonyms:

     impression, idea, conception, notion, thought, belief, judgment,estimation "popular perceptions of old age"

Do what you least feel like doing

Always good advice when you're in a tight spot, not sure what direction to go next. Take time, figure out what you least want to do, and take that as your next step.

Small steps, one at time. That's all it takes.

Being present, in the moment

There's something intoxicating about watching good actors that are present, and in the moment. It's like a spell they cast on everyone else, watching them moment to moment and their quick microexpressions.

Good advice for us all, back in the real world. Talking to someone who is truly listening to you is also intoxicating, infectious, compelling.

It's a way to be present in the moment, which is as much of a gift for you as quality listening is for the person talking.

I need to focus on doing more of that.

Sense of direction

A few questions from my journal this morning, looking for a sense of direction on a project I'm working on.

• Where do you want to put your camera and be with her? 
• What parts of her life do you want to live through with her? 
• Why did she do the things that she did? 
• What's really going on with her, inside? 
• Why? The real reason why..... 

Wanting to get this close to someone is disconcerting, even though she's dead. I want to give her privacy, not be intrusive. I'm being too polite. 

Keep writing - Inglourious Basterds

QT worked on Basterds for 10+ years before he figured it out. He started it in the mid-90's, continuing to grow and expand the story until he had 3 scripts, but was still without a satisfying ending. 

After Kill Bill, he tried Basterds as a mini-series. Eventually, deciding against that idea, he trimmed it down to feature length, using Pulp Fiction as a guide. 

It's a little unclear when he figured out the ending, but Grindhouse came next. Finally coming back to Inglourious Basterds in 2006-7. 

Point being, he kept writing. As a fledgling writer, I'm terrified of putting something into production too early. I look to stories like this one as proof not to rush my creative process. Taking 10-15 years to "figure out" a story is not uncommon. But the important point for me to keep in mind is that QT kept writing. I tend to get mired in research.

I'm not sure who to attribute this quote to, a quick Google search didn't turn up much. But it's stuck in my head since I heard it. The secret to writing is to "keep the pen moving."

More on Basterds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglourious_Basterds#Development

Meditation for writers #1

My biggest problem when I sit down to write is being relaxed, letting go, and writing without a filter. Without judgment. Without second guessing myself. Finding that true connection between what you feel inside and the pen on a piece of paper.

On that note, I'm working on a quick 5-minute meditation for myself, to get myself in the right headspace when I sit down to write.

It's especially important for me, because writing is only one part of what I'm doing with my life. My writing time is scheduled during the day. Writing isn't my full-time job so I don't have say 10am-3pm blocked out solely for writing. I need to get in quick, because I don't have a ton of time.

Here's what I have so far:

• Slow down. Feel the words coming from inside, coming out slowly. A direct connection from inside to the pen. No filter. Straight thoughts. All involves relaxing. Letting go. Don’t force it. What will be, will be. That's where your writing will come from. 

Chuck Palahniuk Thoughts

...fiction writers should abandon technically correct writing and experiment in the same way painters were forced to experiment in order to keep their medium relevant.

Chuck Palahniuk via LitReactor link

I've had the same exact thoughts for awhile now, about films. I know the 3-act structure is supposed to be universal, and the hero's journey has survived this long for a reason. But I struggle so much with films I see and films I'm trying to write being boring. 

Personally I love how Linklater plays with structure and time. And same with early Tarantino, you're putting the movie together as you go along, catching up with the storytelling. And Memento. 

We could easily be getting to a time in cinema, about 100 years in, where traditional narrative feels boring, tired, and worn out. As much as I enjoy many of the big tentpole movies, or studio pictures, there's a limit to how much I appreciate it. Because I know how it's going to end, and I know what I'm getting when I buy my ticket. 

I would like to be surprised more. I'd like to have to work harder to put the story together myself. I still want to be entertained, so you still need big action set pieces. And emotional journeys are still compelling, but it can be pushed into new directions. Maybe it's simply a symptom of high budget films needing to appeal to a massive audience and therefore have a simpler structure. 

But Chuck could be right, as the standard storytelling ideas get out there in the marketplace, filmmakers will need to push the medium into new areas to satisfy the audience. The internet is making this knowledge ubiquitous, and eventually it may not work anymore. 

Personally, I have very little interest in telling a standard 3-act hero's journey. Although I know this is a cliche place to be for a first-time writer. Wanting to reinvent the form. Many writers have been here before, and later learned to appreciate the timeless form. But I also feel things could be different now, due to the internet, free knowledge, and exponential growth. I think audiences will demand more from their storytellers. Or maybe they'll just want the same thing, only different, to quote Blake Snyder. 

Love and life

One of the things that happens in these DMT trips, is they give you lessons on how to life live... They're all about love, love people, love you, love yourself, love everyone around you. Be kind. Don't worry about all the bullshit, just be nice to each other. Have fun, enjoy it. Spread it. And don't lie, don't deceive, don't deceive yourself, don't deceive anyone else, and don't lose perspective. You're going to be here, and then you're going to be there. And here, and there. And it's going to go on and on and on, it's this perpetual cycle that continues from birth to death, through infinity. And you're just an infinitesimal part of an endless cycle.
 - Joe Rogan Experience #681, 2:17 link

I came across this the other day and struck me as true words to live by. I'd like to put together a daily meditation based on this, what a wonderful way to start each day.

Even just a little progress

Sometimes that's all you need to change your whole attitude. One more step than yesterday. An extra 25 calories on the treadmill. 5 extra pounds at the gym. One more blog post. Ever so slightly better than you were yesterday.

Blind will

From the back cover of Wild, which I haven't read.

"With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than 1,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail."

You have to make a decision and do it. Even when you don't feel ready, or rather especially when you don't feel ready.

Every day, no matter what. That's how things happen and get done. Doing things when you don't feel like it.

We're 12 hours into a blackout, it's Saturday, and I don't feel like blogging from my phone. But it's a commitment. So here I am.

Perfection is the enemy of greatness

Perfection is the enemy of greatness.

Perfection is the enemy of good. 

Perfection is the enemy of progress. 

I've heard all of these. It's time to get started. 

I would say to anybody who's dreaming of being a filmmaker. I want to discourage you from that dream right now. Stop dreaming it and start doing it.  

Bryan Singer, when he finished USC Film School, he took all of his credit cards, maxed them out, leveraged himself $20,000 into debt, made a short film with Ethan Hawke, a friend from high school, he borrowed $10,000 to rent out the Directors Guild and invited people to come see his short film. That got him his first feature film. Now... for $150 you can rent all of the equipment he used to make that short film.  

You can write it, shoot it, edit it, and put it online on Monday. Just do that. And do that every week. If you did that every week, a 3 minute film! At the end of a year, you'd know everything you need to know about editing, about writing, about story and structure. And somebody will notice you, somebody will come to you.  

It's not the film business, it's a film business. And that film business is starving for talent, but does not know how to find it until it sees it. And I don't mean read it. Shoot a movie, find people who are like you who want to make movies, even people you don't get along with. It's better to be with people you're fighting creatively with that be out there on your own.  

And make your own luck, and I promise things will come for you. I just never stopped writing.

 - Advice from Christopher McQuarrie, courtesy of The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith.

@chrismcquarrie
The Q&A

Uber for movies

This is an idea I’ve been chewing on. What would the phrase, “Uber for movies” imply? Is is possible to do for movies what Uber did for taxi cabs?

The impetus for Uber was money left on the table each night, with tons of people not being picked up by cabs. Plus a horrendous customer service experience. The same is not true for movies, the customer service experience is not horrible (although most multiplexes feel outdated). But is there money left on the table?

I’ve always been frustrated by paywalls for movies, for example not being able to download a movie on my device the day it’s released in theaters. So that’s an option… Movies anywhere, anytime, immediately. Make the whole process easier. Most film studios would say that would cannibalize theater revenues, but that’s an assumption. Has it been tested?

Uber for movies could mean entirely free movies, running on a donation model. A small ad before the movie with instructions on how to donate.

Or a studio could make free shorts, running on donations. And only make features from the shorts that generated interest/revenue. Which fits in with a Lean Filmmaking idea I’ve been working on. The shorts being a minimum viable product. Free shorts and charge for the feature.

Obviously with these ideas I’m talking about smaller films, trying to find a marketplace for films other than tentpoles.

Cassavetes

Lovely quote I saw on Go Into The Story today.

“People who are making films today are too concerned with mechanics—technical things instead of feeling. Execution is about eight percent to me. The technical quality of a film doesn’t have much to do with whether it’s a good film. I feel like vomiting when some director says to me, “I got the most gorgeous shot today.” That is not what’s important. We have to move beyond the current obsession with technique or angles. It’s a waste of time. A movie is a lot more than a series of shots. You’re doing a bad job if all you’re paying attention to is camera angles: “All right, how can we photograph it? We’ll get the lab to do some special effects there. Say, let’s use a hand-held camera for this shot.” You end up making a film that is all tricks, with no people in it, no knowledge of life. There is nothing left for the actor to bring to it since there is no sense, meaning, or understanding of people… Art films aren’t necessarily photography. It’s feeling. If we can capture a feeling of a people, of a way of life, then we made a good picture.”

— John Cassavetes

Via A Bittersweet Life

Seth Godin: Mass Production and Mass Media

I read Seth's blog daily. Today's post hit the bullseye with what I'd like to do in filmmaking.

Product for a micro market.

Market to a micro market.

When you don't have to water down a film for the lowest common denominator general public, and don't have to spend $30 million mass marketing a film, I would imagine you get interesting films for a niche audience which can still make a profit.

Reference:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/02/mass-production-and-mass-media.html

Thoughts on Shane Smith

In today's article, Shane Smith echo's thoughts I've had about the insane costs associated with film/TV production and the high percentage of bad movies and cancelled TV shows created by the current process.

That's exactly why I'm looking at Lean Startup techniques, trying to get the batting average up. I truly believe there has to be a way to scientifically test ideas in the marketplace early in development and fine-tune from there.

Ref: http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/shane-smith-tv-and-film-production-costs-dont-make-sense-in-the-digital-era-1201416728/

Upvoting loglines

What about a website where you upvote loglines? Actually, now that I think about it, I've seen that before. Could be useful in a general way to gauge interest but I think there's inherent problems:

1. They're not paying customers. 
2. There's no reason for them to be on the site. What do they "get" for upvoting a logline? It's a game. No risk, no reward. 

You'd need large numbers of people on the site. Voting on loglines isn't as fun as an "am I hot or not" voting site. 

And without risk (pay) you're not truly tracking behavior, you're tracking perceived behavior. What people think they would pay money to see. 

Crowdfunding with Peter Diamandis

Listened to the Tim Ferriss / Peter Diamandis podcast today and it got me interested in crowdfunding as a possible resource for testing new material, prior to production.

Previously I had been opposed to crowdfunding, because I don't like the idea of people paying for a product, which they have to buy again later. 

But... it could be an excellent way to market test film ideas at the script stage, or earlier. I imagine posting a trailer with the highlights, a short breakdown of the story, and then offer to buy the film for $5. 

If enough people buy it, then it gets made. If not, the money gets refunded.

Quote from the interview, regarding crowdfunding:

You get to find out not only does the world want it, but in-fact, what color, what size, what shape. And it's the most honest vote you can. Who cares what a monkey survey says, it's when people put their credit card down and vote with their wallet. That's what really matters. 

It's zero dilution, you test your marketplace, you get out in front, and more importantly you build a community.  

Doesn't that sound like something that could (and should) be applied towards independent filmmaking?

Source: Tim Ferriss Podcast