Empowering Film Artists: Creating Hope for the Future of Cinema
Supporting Films, Cultivating Diverse Talent, and Preserving Human Creativity
If you’ve been following the Hollywood writer and actor strikes, most of the news coming out of that terrible situation is difficult to read. Some of it is studio propaganda to create fear, so that makes it even more difficult. Other articles are truth of the demise of culture, art, film, and TV — and, of course, the rise of AI.
While it is important to know the facts and to fight for art, culture, and cinema (I too have been on the picket lines), it is also important to have hope. I’m not talking about the type of hope that is just words, though that is important. I’m talking about hope-in-action.
This post is about how to create that hope-in-action so that you don’t feel like all is lost and swallowed in a sea of bad news.
First, know that art is necessary and will survive
At the core of the actor and writer strikes is the belief that humans need to do the creating, not AI. Humans want to know that humans have created the art, that it comes from the human experience. More and more of humanity is quickly realizing that this is not only imperative for retaining jobs but also for protecting culture and the arts.
Art provides us with a shared experience. A connection to emotion, to life. It can dazzle us, as well as touch our heart in a quiet way. Art, without the capitalism, also provides us with diverse experiences and a variety of thought and creativity that boosts understanding and empathy. It can also, simply, be fun. Entertaining. A relief valve from the everyday mundane.
All of these reasons, as well as others not covered, make art absolutely necessary. Storytelling is necessary. Without it, we fail to find joy. Even when it is hard to produce, it has to survive.
What can we do to support artists in film and television?
Specifically, with film and television artists — actors and writers and directors —, there is an opportunity to remake the business to support their art. But not without the public’s help and voice. Here are possible solutions being tossed around and how you can support.
Support movie theaters, especially when they show a non-tentpole movie.
Without a stable, physical movie theater that brings in regular business, the theater cannot survive. Therefore, support your local theater. The movie business is going back to multiple “windows” — first box office, then on demand, then licensed for physical media (DVDs, etc.) and various outlets (streamers, airplanes, linear TV, etc.). Go to the movies instead of waiting for it to come to your TV. It’s the best way to keep movie theaters alive.
What do you gain from going to see a film at a theater? Maybe you have forgotten because streaming has taken over our lives. But there’s a communal experience there that is needed by our souls. Truly, art impact. We need to experience films together to come together. Our world has become so polarized. But in the theater, no one is asking about your political preferences. It’s equalized. The only thing the people in that dark room care about is the story on the screen. Crying together. Laughing together. Have you gone to see Barbie or Oppenheimer in a packed theater lately? It’s cathartic to be with a group and go through a shared experience. Humans are not healthy spending so much time alone. We need to come together.
Finally, there’s a loss of culture by not actually seeing the art the way it was meant to be seen. Why deny yourself this experience? It’s an extraordinary loss to watch films at home in an environment that can be interrupted at any moment and does not have a complete grasp on our emotions. In fact, Oscar-winning films have been shown to be not that exciting on a small screen; but when they are seen on a large screen, suddenly we see them as masterpieces. Why is this? Well, it’s the surround sound, the colors, the depth, the details, the uninterrupted space, the total enveloped experience.
Jane McGill at The Register in Omaha wrote an in-depth piece about the technical reasons for why seeing a film on a big screen is a superior art experience that is diminished and distorted by a small screen.
Film is fundamentally different than other forms of human creative expression precisely because it is a visual art form. One of the most pervasive issues that arises with home viewing of films is how mobile devices distort and undermine the sanctity of their imagery. Filmmakers spend years honing their craft and manipulating the light and color of the images of their films to create the intended effect and evoke certain emotions in the audience. The beauty of cinema lies in the specificity of the image and how the finer details create a visual experience, elements that are entirely lost when you watch it on a mobile device with a screen that is reflecting light from other sources in the room you are in or worse, one with cracks traversing the screen. There is no standardization of the resolution, color contrasts and brightness between different home devices either.
Ask movie theaters to show a variety of movies.
Now that we’ve stabilized the movie theater business, the next thing is to have more movies! Of all kinds. Tell your movie theater what you want to see. Patron those types of movies when they come to your theater. Popcorn tentpoles, indies, all genres, kids films. We need a variety so that all ages come back to the cinema. Something for everyone.
Variety will need increased support for independent distribution to give you more options. And one way to do it is with our wallet. Send the message that you are willing to pay for indie film as part of your film-going experience. Search film festivals and the winners, and ask that those films be brought to your local theater. Ask your local newspaper (if you still have one!) to review the film to boost attendance. These are small things you can do in just a couple of minutes — it takes just a short email to ask or a social media comment.
Maybe in the coming months we might see distributor memberships which would help in making it financially viable to bring more indie cinema to more theaters.
Support backend pay for artists.
Most people would be surprised to know that in today’s market, artists are usually not getting backend pay for a successful TV show or film. This is not just for indie film. We’re talking everything. The studios have nearly wiped it all away, while CEO and executive pay at the studios has gone sky-high. This has happened over the last 10 years and is not only unethical but also an unsustainable model for artists. Artists, as well as producers (they are often uncelebrated talent, but without talented producers TV and film would not happen), need to share in the gravy train. It not only stabilizes their livelihoods but also creates opportunities for them to create and produce more cool things. There is the talk in Europe of regulating this so that companies would not only have to pay backend but also not take away non-theatrical and derivative rights for producers, both of which are also necessary for livelihoods. Additionally, investors of indie projects need to have a piece of the backend as well, so that they are motivated to invest in future art. Everyone wins with this model, not just a few. The bottom line: sustainability of the business.
Support higher incentives for independent art
Currently, most of the film and TV tax credits/rebates across the world make few distinctions between a studio project vs. an independent project. Both get the same amount of incentive. Realizing that indie film and TV need more help with incentives, those credits/rebates could be boosted for indie projects. This would be another way to recognize the public good in incubating diversity, variety, and original art. Nearly all studio film and TV writers, actors, producers, and directors come from independent projects. It’s an investment in culture and the sustainability of the business as talent is nurtured.
To conclude, three excellent resources for re-making Hollywood are —
the Locarno Film Festival and its talks and panels this August which are focused on solutions for indie film — the festival has solutions, a guide, and a vision for the future. A link below to the opening of the 2023 Festival and the current state of the business
BFI’s Economic Review of UK Independent Film — the report’s conclusions are insightful for creating stability for the film business at large. Remember, what happens in indie film, as well as in TV writers’ rooms, affects the talent pipeline and has a critical cultural impact.
Week Fourteen of Strike Talk provides a lot of practical points that we would be wise to follow. Lilly Wachowski, Craig Mazin, and Jason Blum are guests. A link also below.