Finding a Film/Work/Life Balance

Mike already touched on this in his last post, but I'll say it again: we're delaying the production of Nitecrawlers until Fall 2011.

Is this a bad thing? I don't think so. I think it's just something that's necessitated by the complications and demands of everyday life. With Nitecrawlers, Mike and I are a little locked in to shooting in the Fall/Autumn by certain aesthetic desires for the film. The film will be all the better for shooting during the season we're trying to portray, so not getting to the film in Fall 2010 means we need to push production a whole year.

However, let's make one thing clear; by "production", we mean principal photography. In reality, the Nitecrawlers train has already left the station (or rather, left quite some time ago), and will roll steadily on all through 2010. We both firmly believe that the extended Pre-Production phase that the film will enjoy will really allow us to hone not only our approach to the film but also our approach to its marketing. In this era of independent filmmaking, with the current economic stresses and the traditional sales venues like AFM and Cannes suffering the one-two punch of oversaturation and lack of buyers, having a consistent and innovative marketing approach will be the difference between 20,000 people seeing your film and 2 people seeing your film.

Back on the subject of the post, though. A large reason for the delay was my desire to finish my grad school MBA in December before diving fully into this project. Up until several weeks ago, I kept trying to convince myself that I'd be able to juggle work, school at night, and still find adequate time to devote to all aspects of the film. Problem was, 2010 was here and we still hadn't locked the script, begun the financing phase, formed the LLC, or any of the other steps that we really needed to start taking if we were going to realize our Fall 2010 production date. Finally, I admitted to myself that I couldn't do everything; instead, the new plan is to finish school, lock the Nitecrawlers script, and soft-prep the film throughout 2010. Mike and I will be releasing a new timeline for the film on this blog in the coming month or so, so watch out for that.

Our problem was not unique. The economic reality of independent filmmaking is that the vast majority of filmmakers must find a sustainable and satisfying balance between their jobs, their passion, and any other life responsibilities they have. Mike and I were lucky enough to recoup our budget and profit off of Plasterhead, our first film. That said, we won't be running out to buy a yacht anytime soon. The economic realities are harsher for other filmmakers whose films don't get distribution. Suddenly, your passion project becomes a $20,000+ sinkhole, and that's not including the countless man-hours you and others have devoted to the project. There are no two ways about it: in terms of both time and money, filmmaking is an incredibly expensive "hobby."

That, truth be told, is why most independent films never leave their creators' heads. I'm always amazed when someone gets a film off the ground, let alone finished, let alone distributed. For Mike and I, filmmaking has never been an "all or nothing" enterprise. We're not pinning the entirety of our career hopes and aspirations on the success of failure of our films. We keep doing it because we're able to extract enough joy and value from the experience, the exercise. This allows us to walk away satisfied with our own work as filmmakers, regardless of the financial result. But in order for us to be able to do that, we have to remain focused on our "day jobs" and furthering our professional skills and relationships to the point where our expensive hobby becomes sustainable. Thus the MBA, the grad school, the 9-to-5 grind. It's a stark reality of the path we have chosen, and sometimes, it requires some serious thought and juggling of time. Hence, our decision to shoot in 2011.

- K

1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward

For the past month, Kevin and I have been juggling other responsibilities in life, while simultaneously trying to move the film forward. Unfortunately, there's been several weeks where the film hasn't been given the attention it deserves. I think this is something every independent filmmaker can relate to, as the reality is, we don't have the luxury of working full-time on the film. A majority of independent filmmakers lead double lives, trying to pay bills and find the time to work on their films. So, while this blog primarily exists to document the development of our film, I think it's equally as important to focus on us, as individuals from time to time. After all, making a film affects every aspect of one's life.

Last year, I came down with the travel bug, and ended up traveling for over fourth months. At the end of the year, I gave up my apartment to spend two months in Australia and New Zealand, while Kevin started writing content for this blog. Upon my return, I attempted to get my 'professional' life back in order and start making money again so I can support myself and pay bills.

So, due to other passions, responsibilities, and most importantly, having a desire to become better producer's, Kevin and I have made the decision to push our production date back to Fall 2011, which in my opinion, is extremely beneficial. Time must not be seen as the enemy, but rather, a tool to help us prepare for the future.

One of our biggest regrets with our last film, was not spending enough time in development. We felt like time was working against us, and in return, we rushed into production, under prepared, both from a business and creative standpoint. As naive, ambitious twenty-two year olds, we learned the only way we knew how; in the moment and through hindsight.

Moreover, backlash and lawsuits ultimately come back to the producer, especially if one does not understand the intricacies of soliciting outside investors, filing the correct paperwork and working within the confines of SAG's Ultra-Low Budget Agreement. As producers, we are 100% responsible for our actions, and one misinformed decision can be costly, so we asked ourselves, do we know everything we need to know to be able to move forward? The answer was no.

We aren't putting this film on our credit card, like last time. We now have a responsibility to recoup and turn a profit off our investors' money. Ultimately, investors are investing in not just the film, but also the individuals making the film, so put yourself in their shoes: would you invest in yourself?

With that said, we've won a membership to the website Film Specific, run by Stacey Parks, an expert in the area of Film & TV distribution, which has proven to be an invaluable resource to us. Kevin and I will also be flying out to L.A for a producer's workshop in March, that we are really looking forward to. We'll be sure report back!

- Mike