Redefining words is power. Everyone knows what words have been redefined over the years, but an important one has escaped notice—film. There is a war against us truly independent filmmakers (waged by the studio system) to classify what we make as 'content' and not 'film'.
In truth, an art form doesn't even exist yet until it's democratized—film is such a young art form that only recently has it becomes something The People are allowed to do on their own like pen to paper, fingers to guitar. The studios' lie is a HUGE one.
They want you to think PEOPLE create CONTENT and STUDIOS create FILMS. This is not a wild conspiracy theory of mine—this is *literally* what they have done every step of the way as worthwhile film art has been created truly independently by individuals, threatening their power.
As I've reported, Amazon recently changed their rules so that films by truly independent filmmakers must be searched for SPECIFICALLY in order to be visible on their platform, and are rent/purchase only. Films w/ established distributors can be browsed for, and are free to Prime.
This is a huge change and a detrimental one for us. My films RAMEKIN and MUTE DATE—each made for $500—were massive hits on the platform, recommended by Amazon right alongside movies with budgets 50,000 times my own. Now it is impossible to find me without deliberately searching.
'Fuck Amazon', you might say—'I'll just put my film on YouTube!' Well, if you do that, TMDB will consider your film 'not a film' and remove it from their database. This database is the database Letterboxd grabs from. People will randomly not be able to review/log your film.
On top of that, TMDB now considers movies released on Amazon for rent/buy not technically films—interesting collusion there. And all part of a plan to rebrand feature-length films made by individuals are mere 'longform content'.
The revolution will not be televised, as the saying goes. There is a massive, truly independent filmmaking revolution occurring under your noses. Brilliant filmmakers are making films ENTIRELY THEMSELVES, and eschewing the entire corrupt studio system, and OWNING THEIR WORK.
For the first time in film history, independence is real. It's been an illusion forever, but it's now here—and all outlets that cover indie film are silent. We are not allowed to be talked about—even when Joel Haver's PRETEND THAT YOU LOVE ME has been watched by half a million.
More people have watched and loved PRETEND THAT YOU LOVE ME than Linklater's seminal SLACKER. This revolution, this movement, is bigger and more important than any that has come before—it is just not covered. All that is covered is 'content'—because that divide benefits studios.
PEOPLE CAN ONLY MUSTER SECONDS LONG CLIPS ON THEIR PHONE.
STUDIOS CREATE ART, CREATE FILMS.
That is the brainwashing. Reject it.
STUDIOS CREATE ART, CREATE FILMS.
That is the brainwashing. Reject it.
Combine that with the idea that low-budget movies are all unwatchably bad. Amazon is content with distributors that aggregate the worst, most Z-grade low-budget content imaginable, that make people think thats ALL someone with nothing can make. It's brainwashing too.
Your options are made to be:
- be a content creator, pledging allegiance to the idea that you make content, and studios make art
- be a z-grade filmmaker, spreading the BS idea that low-budget = unwatchable garbage
Fuck that paradigm. Fuck everyone. DO SOMETHING.
- be a content creator, pledging allegiance to the idea that you make content, and studios make art
- be a z-grade filmmaker, spreading the BS idea that low-budget = unwatchable garbage
Fuck that paradigm. Fuck everyone. DO SOMETHING.
If you are a film lover—actively seek out what is being created by individuals. You must dig—because the revolution is not being televised, and will not. Even Joel Haver's massive success is underreported, or misrepresented as him being merely a youtuber.
If you are an artist—MAKE FILMS. Understand that you CAN, and they can be GOOD. Understand how much is available to you that was not available before. Make the best and most truly independent films ever made. Milestones are being reached ALL THE TIME. Join in.
They hate us more than you will ever know. They understand that we can topple the entire establishment. They know that to publicize us would be to fast forward their own demise. Force them to have to. All things must die—especially dinosaurs. We don't need them anymore.
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