Art vs. Industry

Filmmaking is an art form. Hollywood is an industry. This is an important distinction to make when discussing the process of making a movie.

Keep in mind, filmmaking is perhaps the most expensive and collaborative art form we have. If a painter wants to paint a picture, they only need a canvas and paint. A writer just needs a pen and paper. A musician has only to pick up an instrument and play, or if they cannot afford an instrument, they have the sound of their own voice to make their art.

A filmmaker needs a camera and filmstock to film their movie. The filmstock must then be developed and color-timed. Then they need a flat-bed editor to edit their film. If a filmmaker chooses the digital route, they must have a digital camera and a computer with non-linear editing software to edit their movie. And if they want anyone to see their movie outside of the Internet, they must have copies of their workprint made and a theater with projectors to screen their movie for an audience.


This is before you take into account the lights, sets, wardrobe, makeup, sound equipment and the people who run these departments. Then there are the caterers who feed these crews, the drivers and trucks who transport the crews and their equipment, the lawyers who protect the production and the accountants who manage these ever growing budgets. And we haven't even scratched the surface. Just look at how long the closing credits are on any movie.

Even the most simple conversational drama costs hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars to make. Few people have the money to finance a movie and not want a return on their investment. And that is when filmmaking turns from an art into an industry.

Investors will view a film, not as art, but as a business and will only invest in films that have the best chance at returning their money with a profit. If a movie has a popular star in the lead role, it will attract a larger audience and have a better chance at making more money, making it a smarter investment. This is why we often see the hot, young, "it" actors cast in the major studio pictures, even if they are not necessarily the most talented actors.

This is where the filmmakers must now make a choice: cast the popular actor, or risk not getting the financial backing to make their movie at all. Unfortunately, compromises must be made. Does a painter not paint a picture strictly because they do not have the best paint or the best paintbrushes? I would think not. I would think an artist would do the best they could with the materials they have.

Thankfully, all is is not lost for those who value art over industry. If you want to see compelling films, with great actors, directed by true auteurs, then all you have to do is seek out independent films. These are the films made by the filmmakers who do not care about about making money. They care about making art. They scrape together every dime they can find. They max out their credit cards and beg for money in the streets to get funding for their films. Many times, the casts and crews who work on these films work for little or no money at all because they believe in the art they are creating and do whatever it takes to get it made.

But, this is their job - their livelihood. They cannot pay their bills if they do not get paid for what they do. So, they have to "sell out" by working on the major studio films so that they can afford to make these independent films.

Unfortunately, independent films are harder to come by as an audience member. They are not shown in every multiplex like the Hollywood movies. These films do not have the money for advertising that the big budget films have. And they do not typically get wide releases in theaters, if they are lucky enough to get theatrical distribution at all. They rely on word of mouth generated by those lucky enough to see the films in art-houses or at festivals.

The Internet has become a great resource for generating word of mouth for independent filmmakers with social websites such as Facebook and Twitter. And if you don't have any theaters near you showing these smaller films, there is always Netflix.

These movies are out there, art lovers. You just have to be willing to work for your art and make sure these films get the word of mouth they deserve.

So, if you are a cinephile like myself, try to have an appreciation for the amount of time, effort and money it takes these casts and crews to make these movies for our entertainment. And don't bitch and moan about Gerard Butler being cast as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera unless you are willing to pony up $100,000,000.00 of your own money so that the filmmakers are not forced to make the unpopular choice of casting the popular actor.