I volunteered to cover the Santa Fe Film Festival’s “Artists in Conversation” panel (held at the Nuart Gallery) on Saturday, December 8, 2012. This was out of a personal need for knowledge about how other independent filmmakers face the challenge of making a movie. There were several strategies, opinions, and bits of common sense shared. Beneath all of this knowledge was a strong unifying thread: a filmmaker continues to make films because they have to. The passion is what makes way for all the other practical concerns (budget, casting, locations, and the amount of time invested).
The panel was moderated by festival director Diane Schneier Perrin. The two principal filmmakers were Xackery Irving (director of “Nothing without You”) and Jaime Hook (director of “Vacationland.”) Members of Xackery’s cast and crew were also in attendance: producer Rick Santos, composer Victoria de la Vega, lead actress Emily Fradenburgh, and her cast mate Will Crawford.
Schneier Perrin began by sharing some stories about working with John Cassavetes. Perhaps the ultimate example of a filmmaker that truly made the movies he was most passionate about. Cassavetes was able to finance his personal work by acting in commercial films. The question was then floated to Irving and Hook: How did they use their own background and personal experience to get projects off the ground?
Irving has worked extensively in documentary filmmaking and reality TV. He adopted the production strategy used in these forms (single camera, shooting when and where you can) into the making of “Nothing Without You.” Having seen the film, his methods paid off handsomely. The “life as it happens” documentary feel of the movie helps to escalate the tension of the story.
Hook has a long history of a producing on independent films. His first feature as a director (“The Naked Proof”) was a “big” production. He pulled out all the stops, and then had a hiatus in between projects. Hook shared the story of waking up one day and saying: “What do I have access to?” This led to creating a simple story: four family members in a house a part of an ill fated reunion. The film was partially funded by Kickstarter, as well as a grant from the state of Maine.
Hook had the interesting example of the one living filmmaker he would emulate: Woody Allen. Allen is a filmmaking machine, cranking out one to two movies a year. He doesn’t stop to worry about critical reception or box office receipts.
Both filmmakers stressed the value of supportive community. The first step is to find people you can work with and trust. They were also keen on the value of attending festivals. Emily Fradenburgh said that Santa Fe Film Festival was the “most welcoming” festival she had attended.
What did I learn from all this? My take away was relatively simple: “It can be done.” Discouragement and lack of funding are not adequate excuses. The real goal is to create something you believe in, and feel pride in your work.
