Back to selection
The Editor's Blog
Contemplations and digressions from Filmmaker's Editor-in-Chief by Scott Macaulay
Conversations with Blocked Filmmakers
Independent films get made, and we cover them here at Filmmaker. But what about all the films that don’t get made? They have their own stories, and their stories can be as useful to other filmmakers as those of films that do actually hit the screen. After a brief Twitter poll, I’ve decided to invite several filmmakers who have been struggling, so far unsuccessfully, to make their films to discuss those projects here on the site. I’ll be interested in the films, the length of the development process, the avenues tried, and the possible reasons for the projects’ failure to launch. I’ll also be interested in the filmmakers’ coping mechanisms and their honest assessment of the process’s impact on their own lives. I’m looking for people capable of self-reflection and self-analysis, those with a willingness to engage in a real dialogue about their filmmaking and the viability of their projects. (In other words, I’m looking to go beyond “the system sucks!”)
If you’d like to be considered for this series, email me at scott AT filmmakermagazine.com, and include a paragraph introducing yourself and telling me about your project and the process so far.
UPDATE: Okay, after, well, being blocked with this series, I’m going to launch it under a slightly altered rubric: “Letters from Blocked Filmmakers.” My original idea was to interview people about their projects, but for a variety of reasons that proved impractical. Also, I got a couple of great submissions from filmmakers in the form of letters, and I realized I liked them better than I would an interview. So, here’s the deal. Simply write Filmmaker a letter about your project, your life, and why the two have not yet successfully intersected. Did the business let you down? Your craft? Your willpower? Honesty and self-examination remain priorities. Remember, the purpose of this series is to provide examples for others to learn from. Once more, you can email me at: scott AT filmmakermagazine.com. And here’s the first in the series.
