Do Not Manufacture Story

Typically, I shy away from lists or steps that lay out the perfect way to make a movie, tell a story, write a paper, etc. Those lists have merit, but I'm the type of person who will adhere to the list and not try to find my own way. I need to find my own way when telling a story. It's more rewarding for me that way. Then I read How to Make the Perfect Sundance Film and I immediately disagreed with its premise.

To be fair, I do agree with the ideas that the author, Ted Hope, is suggesting. As story points, yes, they work. And if they're executed well, they will bring in that audience and create a connection between the story and the viewer. So yes. If you follow those steps, and do the well, you will manufacture a good movie.

And that's my problem.

These are steps to manufacture a movie designed for the purpose to get yourself into a film festival. Is that why we make movies? To get into Sundance? We are in the business of telling stories. Yes, we can absolutely follow this instruction booklet and put together the pieces of a script together. An erector set screenplay. We can construct our story, but it's lacking heart. No matter the genre, our goal is tell our story. To share with the world a piece of our inner thoughts and feelings. This is what all filmmakers do. (Of course, on TV right now is Beverly Hills Ninja and I have no idea what people were thinking when they made that one. Moving on...)

Once we put the destination of our script ahead of the journey and its creation, we are failing our story. We are trading in our sincerity for a dream of rubbing elbows with fellow filmmakers and influential producers. And we will always lose with that trade.

Of course, I'd love to get into festivals! Of course, I'd love to see my work alongside other professionals! But that will NEVER happen if I'm more concerned with how to get my story there rather than how I'm going to tell my story.

For my last production, my vision was more along the lines of a slight homage to the comedies of Billy Wilder or Preston Sturges. Watch The Front Page. That's the one I keep thinking about. I didn't write the short because I thought the Winnipeg Comedy Festival was looking for dialogue-heavy comedies for their 2015 Winter Fest. I did it because it was a story I wanted to tell. I wrote a comedy with the influences of Wilder and Sturges in mind.  If the short gained attention, it would be for the work and effort put in by the cast and crew and not because I followed the ten step program designed to gain me an elusive entry into a festival.

Tell your story. Make your movie. Focus on that. True success is determined by your effectiveness in storytelling. Not how many festivals you get into.

One small note: The author of the article, Ted Hope, is someone I follow. He's got great insight into storytelling, filmmaking, producing, marketing. All of it. Everything indie, he knows. If you're one who is interested in that field, devour his writings and teachings. He is very wise and has been there and back again.