For the longest time, I’ve asked myself, why is it that most Indie Films seem to be missing something, regardless of their level of success or how they define that success.
I’ve had numerous conversations with my friends and colleagues in the indie film industry about this subject, and upon deep reflection, I’ve come up with an idea I would now like to present to you.
The Problem
If there’s one thing that makes me feel like a Film is not standing out, is its lack of self-confidence. There is plenty of originality out there, but not enough shamelessness. I believe that this happens, for example, when their creators refuse to exercise their creativity at their full potential, in favor of joining the latest trend. Although, a lack of self-confidence could be the result of multiple variables, I want to explore this sort of sheep mentality that make filmmakers follow trends instead of embracing their own creativity.
In the couple of decades I’ve been doing film sound, I have witnessed, with frustration, countless filmmakers of all ages and levels of experience, reject, by default, all sorts of opportunities of being original. On set? yes, but specially during post-production.
A recurring situation I’ve encountered, at the post-production stage, is the sacrifice of a beautiful acting performance, in the pursuit of technical perfection. The lighting wasn’t absolutely perfect? Cut it out. The focus was slightly soft? Cut it out. The camera movement wasn’t exactly the one intended? Cut it out.
Another example is editors cutting scenes in a way that alters the original performance of the actors on set. Imposing instead their own sense of what the rhythm should be and erasing the original intention of the artist.
I know this might be very difficult to understand for people unfamiliar with the filmmaking process, so let me make an example using the universal language of music. Think about the structure of a song you love. It’s probably going to be some variation of: An intro, verse, bridge, chorus, etc. These are sections which go on a specific order determined by its composer, producer and ultimately the artist. For example, section A, section B and section C.
The song could go: AB AB C B CC. That’s the song. It was written that way, its produced that way and its engineered that way. The song is, therefore, expected to be released exactly the way it was intended. Any changes in the structure have already been considered in the production stage.
What happens now? An editor decides that it should be different and changes the structure from AB AB C B CC to AA CC AA B CC. It’s the same song, the same artist, the same production… but it’s not what the artist intended; it’s a remix.
My point is that this situation happens a lot in the indie film world when it comes to the editorial stage. Sometimes for the benefit of the film, but not always.
This is particularly evident in comedies when good performances are artificially sped up in the cutting room to make them “funnier”, ultimately loosing the original performance which had the proper humorous tone and heart.
Sometimes, it is necessary to alter original performances because they aren’t working well. But this is not what I’m talking about when I make the point that many editors pursue technical perfection rather than original performances. What I am talking about is technicians disregarding the work of artists because they give more importance to the mechanics of filmmaking rather than the artistry behind telling an original story.
And as I said before, there’s plenty of originality coming from indie artists… the problem is that it gets cut up, disfigured and sometimes even vandalized in the editing room. All in the pursue of the current trend of the time.
The Trend Trap
At the risk of sounding antagonistic (and dramatic), I’m gonna dare say that a lot of indie filmmakers would rather be trendy than original. They want to be the next “name”… that already exists. They aim at replicating somebody else’s yesterday’s success, instead of creating something new; They don’t want to be themselves and never develop an artistic signature, so to speak, of their own.
In other words, they don’t pursue the art of storytelling through filmmaking; they pursue money, fame and celebrity status. So… if they believe it necessary to alter their own original work in order to appeal to the big audiences, they will.
And here’s a plot twist: trying to appeal to the masses is not bad in and of itself, but you have to do it in the correct stage of your artistic work: the developing of a project, the pre-production and ultimately make adjustments during production but when something isn’t working up until that point you gotta fix it right there on set. Once production is completed, making dramatic changes is possible and, sometimes, necessary but not mandatory. If a film has a unique feel to it, that’s something that should be embraced, protected and celebrated… instead of “fixed”.
What filmmakers need is the courage to stick by their original choices. The confidence to protect their own work and stand up for themselves when critical voices arise and the stubborness to not quit and change their original vision.
You can sure be creative during post-production but don’t be a coward because it shows.
How it shows?
It shows when a movie tries to be something it’s not.
It shows when a movie doesn’t endorse itself.
It shows when a movie disrespects its audience.
The Consequences
In general, my perception is that independent film productions, tend to tell similar stories in the same genres; they use the same styles in directing, acting, cinematography, editing, music and yes, sound design too.
In other words, “everybody” applies the same filmmaking styles to their work.
As a result of that, their Indie Films look, feel and sound all the same and therefore, none stand out, which is something that ultimately hurts us more than it helps us.
When originality is sacrificed in favor of following trends, the art of filmmaking suffers… and this is not exactly an easy conversation to have with filmmakers as there’s a tendency to antagonize the bearer of opposing views.
As a way of concluding this article, I’ll say that sacrificing originality is something I avoid in my own work, like the plague, and over the years I’ve developed a style that my clients, and their audiences, appreciate.
Whether it is client work or passion projects of mine, I do have a personalized artistic signature present in all my works. For better or for worse.
If you’re interested in exploring unique creative opportunities, that give your story a memorable sound, hit me up by filling one of the forms bellow.
I’ll be more than happy to have a conversation about collaboration opportunities too.
Let’s Make Indie Films Great Again!