Film Courage: We're hoping we can imagine two filmmakers,
one is an artist and she spends five years or so focusing only on the craft
of filmmaking and nothing else. She learns story camera angles, lenses blocking and so
on. Then we have the other filmmaker and this filmmaker spends the same five years but only
on the business and she studies the market financing distribution budgets networking,
etc. wWhich of these two filmmakers do you think will have a longer lasting career?
Pete Chatmon, Director/Podcaster/Author: I would say that the person spending of two
of these two people are one in the same, it's Pete and Bizarro Pete, right? And you've got
I think the version of this person that is focused on understanding the craft
and is made and I'm going to add an element of of a constant of they're both making thanks
I would say that the person studying the craft is going to have a longer career
because they are likely at some point to make something impactful they'll they'll
be able to take what's in their heart and put it on videotape I'm going to say on film but on tape
or in a final product that best represents what they felt when they started the project because
that's really the divide right the divide is I have this feeling I want to make this thing
and for a while the execution doesn't match the authenticity of the feeling
and then you get to a point where you've built up enough skills to get pretty close to how you felt
in how you deliver it for the audience to feel that way too the person who is making things
but maybe leaning more into the studying of the business and all of that I feel like
the real
asset in the industry is in voice and is in perspective and so I feel like
they may know what they may learn what they're supposed to do or here's here's how you do it or
but I think if it's in broad strokes and in not like spending the additional time that
the other person is and really mastering the craft I think this person wins okay what if
this person becomes so that their voice is so unique and they just make this incredible film
but they're naive to the business is that is that something that could take them out in some sense
it could take them out in the perfect world they meet a they meet a really honest agent
and manager and lawyer who is really interested in nurturing their talent and cares about their
you know or tailors their representation to the individual but
the likelihood of having to rely on that I think is a gamble I wouldn't take so like and all not
it seems it seems like the right thing to do but that's kind of I feel like my book is actually
for the person you're talking about like my book is for the person who is spending all their time
trying to be creative make XYZ work know how to pick the right lens and tell the story in
the right way but I'm kind of in their ear saying that's not enough though don't forget about this
have you read the trades and I think it's the superhero of this is like is the is the marriage
of of the two people that you're presenting how can you take and that's not 50 50. sometimes
it's it's 70 30 because it or it's 70 Business 30 creative because now I'm in development and
I got to talk to people and I've got to like have meetings and meetings and then now I'm
making this thing and it's 80 20. now I'm I'm the creative director and I've got other people
around me taking care of the people management and business of it and I need to be in that space like
it's a I guess the real the real revelation of your question is the fact that you have to kind of
be all these things in my mind if you want to have the best opportunity at preserving your intent
and it's no different than even like in indie films now they talk about this
producer of marketing and distribution like who's working on social media things well
before you've even gotten the money because it's going to be a value add down the line
and I remember I talked to one person on a dock I was working on he said that people complain about
the middleman or the middle person right and oh I there are these gatekeepers and we can't
do this we can't do that but the reality of it is with the democratization of all things now
you could argue that the middle person the gatekeeper is you and you have to change your
connection to what you're willing to do because theoretically you could take your iPhone and shoot
it you could take your computer and get some software and edit it you could release it on
your website that you designed you could market it through your social media campaigns which you
manage like there's no one stopping you anymore and so there's no other there's no better time
than now to marry those two profiles together and I think if you look at the filmmakers and
the storytellers who are really doing well in today's world that's exactly what they've done
in your book do you talk about do you have a chapter about sort of people that don't want
to focus on the business I don't have no I don't have a chapter dedicated to that but I do speak
specifically to representation securing it and what you should look for in that team because
to your point at the end of the day or not at the start of the day too your reps get paid when you
work so they work for you they don't actually send you a check from anywhere connected to their job
they're sending you the check from the people who paid you to do the show that you did and so
really being con thoughtful it's a partnership it's a marriage like you have to you have to marry
the right people and you have to know you have to be clear about what you want you have to be
I think it works best when you're aware of how the business works because then they recognize
that you are also perhaps more of a partner than some of their other clients in your own
career and at the end of the day like you you've got to take the reins on the business of you.