Article / Film: ‘Everyman’s Art’

Film. The new Everyman’s art.

Art is as imbedded in the human brain as fire. However, while fire remains pretty much the same as when humans first clubbed animals over the head for roasting, art has seen many metamorphi (my word), from cave paintings, to folk arts, to crushing religious censorship, to glorious free expression, all of which has led up to the new Everyman’s art – Film Making.

Each metamorphosis (their word) brings its own dynamic and organic life cycle. In the 15th century, for example, few people could ever hope to become oil painters, and often they were appointed by royal courts or the church. Paints were hard to come by, and had to be made from scratch. No tubes for sale down at the corner art supply shop – nor brushes for that matter. In other words, art, or what we collectively refer to as fine art, was in the hands of precious few, and still is as far as collections go.

Nowadays, however, everyone can be an artist, and what is deemed to be art can be anything from a masterpiece in oil, to water falling from a bridge, to watching a dog die from starvation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-jIP8i1djg). Oil painting has certainly become an everyman’s art, as has clay sculpture, stone carving, and bronze casting, among others. Materials are relatively cheap and accessible. Relatively.

Today, with this same ‘relatively’ applied to inexpensive cameras for sale or rent, film has become the new Everyman’s art. It has officially made the move from the elitist haute couture echelons of Hollywood and other international film Meccas, and into the hands of anyone old enough to pee unassisted.

Gallery exhibitions have long been considered to be the summa cum laude for anyone hoping to don the wreath of artist laurels. These days, film festivals are the equivalent ‘gallery exhibitions’ for filmmakers.

There are now literally thousands of film festivals held around the globe, and they have turned into a lucrative business for many ‘sponsors’ cashing in on the new Everyman’s phenomenon. The quality of festivals can vary greatly, but luckily some embrace high standards, and are recognized regionally, and/or nationally, and/or globally. I’m guessing it won’t be long before we see a consolidation of gluttonous festival venues into corporate hands, so enjoy the wild and unfettered orgy while you can. Corporate morals, on the surface anyways, can be just as stagnating as religious ones, and you can bet there will be censorship and a watering down of ‘offensive’ content.

Where does this leave film, which in my opinion, is the greatest catalyst ever invented for the free exchange of human ideas, expression, and thought? (Some would argue the internet trumps film hands down, and I suppose we could get into a futile debate over it, but since I’m writing the article, it’s film!)

There are so many great filmmakers out there, telling great stories, and unknown actors giving solid and convincing performances. Seems the ubiquitous digital camera has great talent blossoming all over town.

This ‘blossoming’ has so much potential to explore all our humanisms – and even invent a few new ones. With a camera and responsible commitment in the hands of so many, the possibilities of where film can go from here are endless. Note, I said responsible commitment. That’s a behavioural attribute few actually really get.

Then there are the ‘others’. Oh crap. You know, everyone has a right to wallow in whatever pasa tiempo they wish, but unlike the lone painter working in some loft, or the hermitical writer tucked away in some lakeside cabin, film is by its very nature a collaborative art, and with that comes – all joking aside – a mutual respect and responsibility for all those who participate.

In many a zero to micro-budget film, few if anyone gets paid. It’s a voluntary participation to build credits and reels, and be a part of something bigger – like mural painting.

For every film, there is one person who is ultimately in charge. A Director, a Producer, whoever. That person – IMHO – accepts the responsibility to see things through until the end. Everyone gave freely with the reasonable expectation they would have something in return for their efforts. Not unfinished trash, not half-assed efforts, but the best possible film that can be produced with what went into it.

Granted many an inexperienced film maker often takes on more than they can handle, and reality quickly rears its ugly head. Okay, so shi* happens. Part of the deal. But when the filmmaker simply walks away from a project because new and more exciting opportunities suddenly arise, and everyone who worked on the project are left with either nothing, or less than what they bargained for, then the filmmaker is just a low class putz.

Okay, so yeah – I have had a few occasions where filmmakers are unable to see a project through, and the script goes into hibernation. That’s life, and I chalk it up to writing practice. Nobody gets hurt, ideas are salvaged, and friends stay friends, as it ought to be. But when an entire crew is left at the roadside with nothing but a big finger of thanks, then I start to fume. Sorry, no excuse for that. It’s just maladjusted attitudes with no concern for their fellow man. It becomes all about ‘me’ and glory and a pay check!

Actors walk off, sound guys don’t show up, Directors alienate their crews and actors, and pretty much everyone can F up at anytime during the production. In many cases the project can still be salvaged. When a producer/director simply abandons a project for no other reason than personal interests, however, they really suck turds.

It’s amazing how quickly and how many accusatory fingers they can grow to shirk the mantel of responsibility. A damn miracle.

The most common excuse? ‘I’m too busy’. Yeah, and the rest of us are just unemployed miscreants with nothing going on.

More ….

I recently had a ‘what is it that makes films great’ discussion with a young filmmaker still in school. I of course espoused the ability of many to make great films on zero and micro budgets, if the story was solid at the get go. Some magicians can even do it with a crappy script. He /she agreed in principle, but went on to say what makes films great is money and a big crew, and would hold a ten-grand-budget film up to a hundred-dollar film any day (keep in mind we were discussing low-budget Indies here, not HW shmazzle, though this applies to that nether-world as well. It’s all relative).

I smiled and nodded with as much mutual respect as I felt needed (more like a smug and arrogant smirk), thinking I should take the challenge.

My retort was there on the tip of my tongue, but why spill it on green ears. I’m also a big believer in Whitman’s ‘Never overlook an opportunity to keep your mouth shut’ wisdom, and occasionally practice it. Occasionally.

I don’t know what they are teaching in film school these days, but practical thinking and a sense of responsibility is most certainly not in the curriculum, even by accident.

Sorry, but cash and crew does not spell success.

There is only one thing that makes films great. It’s called commitment, and all the rest will follow in its wake. Boring, I know.

Woven in with commitment, as I define it, is the vision of the finished film, and its intrinsic value in the library of human thought (if applicable).

Red cameras are cool. Experienced actors that can nail a character spot on are a gift from whatever heaven you believe in, and a smokin’ editor can turn straw into gold. None of that really matters if commitment to see things through wavers anywhere along the way.

Let’s sumerize. If you want to make great films, you need to start with a commitment to do so, and no matter how shi*ty things get, you never lose focus of that commitment (aka vision).

Okay, yeah, sometimes things are so out of control you need to cut your losses. Some stones just don’t want to be turnips, no matter the efforts. Reference the Tao of Physics, and how all things have their own natural rhythm. I would argue that includes each and every film, be it a one-minute marvel or a three-hour epic. The maturity of a filmmaker is in recognizing that rhythm and committing to it, not battling it tooth and nail. And the maturity of the filmmaker comes in never approaching two films quite the same way.

In real life, there is no such thing as a round peg and a round hole. That was invented by lazy chimps to get a banana.