I'm depressed. Uneasy.
I'm 24, friendless, and almost homeless. Literally all I have left is my filmmaking talent.
I've written countless short stories, directed multiple award-winning films, and have dreamt of a successful career in the industry since before my balls dropped.
I don't want to struggle for the rest of my life. I also don't wanna work as an electrician, a grip, an editor - I wanna direct. Not just that - I wanna write my own material.
As it is, I can see exactly where I'm headed in life: I'll take a few short films to local festivals, maybe direct an unprofitable feature or two, eventually expand my photography business - and then I'll die. There might be a few girlfriends along the way; hell, maybe even a fuckin' kid. But as it stands, I have no idea how I'll make the leap from low-budget indies to high-budget studio films.
I don't mean to come off as a brat. I love filmmaking, and being able to take part in any facet of the business is something I'd be grateful for. I just... I have aspirations. I don't wanna settle. I don't just want talent--I wanna be somebody. I wanna be Paul Thomas Anderson. Jarmusch. Aronofsky. Hell, Stanley fuckin' Kubrick.
Okay, that's a stretch. I just want success. I don't particularly care about having a recognizable name - I just want people to care about my work. All that 'buzz' crafted for Tarantino films, Spielberg films? I want that shit for my films.
It just seems so... out there. So goddamn unattainable. Like that one popular chick in high school you lusted after, day after day.
I'll be honest: I do have an opportunity coming up. A chance to make something of myself. I'd rather not get into the nitty-gritty, but I'll be receiving an influx of cash in the near future: a little over $200,000.
Most of it will go towards savings, some of it will go towards keeping myself alive for the next year - but I wanna use a chunk of it to make something: a damn good short film. Answer me this: let's say I cut my latest feature script down to 10-15 pages or so, and develop it as a short. If I spend my money on marketable actors and talented crew - and get into a major festival or two - will that improve my chances of raising funding for the feature?
This seems like my only shot at the 'big leagues' - I'm nervous as hell. First and foremost, though, I'd like to know whether or not this even sounds feasible. Would any marketable actor even consider a short film for less than $500,000,000 a day? No clue how high those rates climb. Even if I did obtain a fairly marketable name - let's say Rainn Wilson, for instance - would any reputable investor even consider funding a feature of mine?
I'm basically just repeating my title question at this point - how realistic is the 'dream'?
I'm 24, friendless, and almost homeless. Literally all I have left is my filmmaking talent.
I've written countless short stories, directed multiple award-winning films, and have dreamt of a successful career in the industry since before my balls dropped.
I don't want to struggle for the rest of my life. I also don't wanna work as an electrician, a grip, an editor - I wanna direct. Not just that - I wanna write my own material.
As it is, I can see exactly where I'm headed in life: I'll take a few short films to local festivals, maybe direct an unprofitable feature or two, eventually expand my photography business - and then I'll die. There might be a few girlfriends along the way; hell, maybe even a fuckin' kid. But as it stands, I have no idea how I'll make the leap from low-budget indies to high-budget studio films.
I don't mean to come off as a brat. I love filmmaking, and being able to take part in any facet of the business is something I'd be grateful for. I just... I have aspirations. I don't wanna settle. I don't just want talent--I wanna be somebody. I wanna be Paul Thomas Anderson. Jarmusch. Aronofsky. Hell, Stanley fuckin' Kubrick.
Okay, that's a stretch. I just want success. I don't particularly care about having a recognizable name - I just want people to care about my work. All that 'buzz' crafted for Tarantino films, Spielberg films? I want that shit for my films.
It just seems so... out there. So goddamn unattainable. Like that one popular chick in high school you lusted after, day after day.
I'll be honest: I do have an opportunity coming up. A chance to make something of myself. I'd rather not get into the nitty-gritty, but I'll be receiving an influx of cash in the near future: a little over $200,000.
Most of it will go towards savings, some of it will go towards keeping myself alive for the next year - but I wanna use a chunk of it to make something: a damn good short film. Answer me this: let's say I cut my latest feature script down to 10-15 pages or so, and develop it as a short. If I spend my money on marketable actors and talented crew - and get into a major festival or two - will that improve my chances of raising funding for the feature?
This seems like my only shot at the 'big leagues' - I'm nervous as hell. First and foremost, though, I'd like to know whether or not this even sounds feasible. Would any marketable actor even consider a short film for less than $500,000,000 a day? No clue how high those rates climb. Even if I did obtain a fairly marketable name - let's say Rainn Wilson, for instance - would any reputable investor even consider funding a feature of mine?
I'm basically just repeating my title question at this point - how realistic is the 'dream'?
