It’s so easy to spot the flaws in a movie nowadays. What catches your eye or ear? Are the cars not in the correct time period? Are the visual effects just too over the top? Did you see someone walk through a store and pick up an item, and not hear any footsteps or other Foley? Or is it because the filmmakers tried to make something that was way outside of their budget and/or skills and it’s just too obvious.
I’m sure you’ve seen or heard any or probably all of the above issues sometime in the past five to ten years. It could be a big studio feature in the theater or a short film in a festival. No one is immune to the hate.
We’ve grown accustomed to people typing up reviews or comments online that criticize a film sharing their particular knowledge on why it doesn’t work, can’t figure out what it’s trying to do, or just plain sucks. You can try and figure out why the source is so venomous to a project, but does it matter? How much weight and importance are these people getting? And why?
If you’ve ever made a film, whether it be a micro-short, short, or feature, you know how much work it takes to get it started and even more so, to get it done. Every film I see I celebrate that the filmmakers got it done. If you can’t celebrate that, this isn’t a discussion for you. Of course, there are concessions and compromises that have to be made. The plot or concept may need to be trimmed or even chopped to get it made. Is it possible to accept that you aren’t going to make the movie perfect? Get it in your head now that’s not possible. You’ll always find something wrong that you wanted to change. (Another post forthcoming on that one.)
Why attack someone that didn’t make the film to your expectations? Is it important to share your opinion of their lack of skills? This isn’t a First Amendment discussion.
We can look back as this isn’t a new topic by any stretch. It’s been going on for quite some time and it’s not going away. I’ve done projects that have put all of myself out there to make the project the best it can be. As an artist, it’s kinda what we do, right? It’s a part of me that I deliver and sacrifice for the chance to be creative. No, it’s not pleasurable to have someone type whatever they want online with no repercussions to them. Again, this is why this isn’t a First Amendment discussion. It’s completely in their right to do so.
Unofficially, low budget filmmakers get used to this hatred as quickly as they can. Not fun to process or find out, but it will come. It will and there’s no stopping it.
One of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had was on Harbinger Down. I got to work with some of the greats (I reserve the right to not name them for their own anonymity and privacy) and learned immensely. From creature effects to miniatures, I lived a dream world for a couple of years. Gave a lot and lost a lot, but I still think it’s one of the best experiences in my life. We had to be very creative to make effects and certain shots work and that was a huge challenge…daily. A big reason for the challenge was that we didn’t have money to just throw at the shot. We had to be creative and figure out how to make it work. Damn, that was a lot of fun. In the end, it looks great and it’s hard to believe I worked on it.
People will always find ways to spew hate. Again, it’s not going anywhere. The low budget world knows about it better than anyone. Be proud of your project, but keep your expectations in check. That can be difficult.
And most importantly, you made a film. You’re an elite of the elite. Most people never get it done. Celebrate that, but be damn sure to get Foley done on your film. That’s really important.