I’m currently deep in pre-production on a film that I’m co-writing/associate producing/DP’ing. We’re shooting in El Paso, Texas and surrounding areas between August 2nd and August 14th. The two-man creative team is new to the El Paso “film scene.” And, before I got to town, the other half of this team put out a call to the local filmmakers for crew.
Among those responding to that call, was “that guy.”
For anybody unfamiliar with that guy, I will explain briefly. That guy ruins your project. That guy knows more than you, and he’s not willing to compromise. That guy doesn’t want to work for you — he wants to advise you. That guy will lower the morale of your crew, and that guy will actually try to steal your crew away from you.
That guy is obsessed with obtaining permits, securing funds, negotiating for locations, acquiring resources, and every other aspect of “independent film.” That guy can light a shot, he can load a tape, he can edit footage. That guy can tell you which microphone is going to pick up the most ambient noise, and which one will work better. That guy ranges from pretty good to amazing at all of those things.
But that guy can’t make a good film.
That guy is, from my personal tally, at least 75-80% of all independent filmmakers out there today. They are wholly uncooperative with other indie filmmakers. They don’t want to crew. They don’t want to act. They don’t want to listen. They just want to do it their way. And their way is being focused on all the wrong things.
You won’t hear anything out of that guy’s mouth about the story. That guy isn’t really interested in knowing the character archetype, or the reason for a certain line. That guy doesn’t want to concern himself with sub-plots, or ensuring that a scene actually progresses the story. That guy doesn’t care about any of that.
There’s this scene about a truck, you tell that guy. That guy moves quickly to counter. They have a conversation in the truck about this or that? Now we have to get a truck. Do we need a permit for that truck? Who’s going to drive it? Yes, these are all problems that have to be solved. But let’s focus first on what the conversation is. Why are they having it? What is it about? Is the dialogue even good? Does it progress the story? Do you know what the story is? Does it matter to you?
We shot a scene that doesn’t work in the movie? The pacing is too slow? The movie grinds to a halt at that scene? Don’t expect that guy to care. He won’t even know. That guy edits his own movies, and he doesn’t let other people near them. That guy is an artist, and he won’t bow to your facist pressures. Every scene is a piece of his larger art; his grand scheme. That guy isn’t making this movie to entertain you, he’s making it to tell a story to the world — and to tell it his way.
That guy doesn’t believe in the audience. He doesn’t care about them. He cares about what people think of him. That guy doesn’t realize that if you make the audience laugh, they will love your film. He doesn’t realize that praise garnered by his film is praise that he and his crew can relish, even if it is not directed at them by name. That guy doesn’t want his film to be praised. He wants to be praised. And not just by the audience — but by the crew. And the cast. And any other independent filmmakers he happens to come across.
That guy doesn’t want you making a film at all. In fact, that guy is threatened by your film, and by your mere existance. That guy wants you demoralized. He wants your crew to fall apart. He wants you to think you will fail. He wants you to cause yourself to fail. And he wants to prophecize it. “That guy was right all along,” everyone will say. And your praise, your potential praise, will go to him. Him, instead of your film.
And that, is why that guy does not belong on your team.
