I caught wind of this video awhile ago and at first it made me laugh. Then it made me sad. Because I thought to myself how difficult it is to create something new and different and wonderful these days. It turns out that even Independent films are, well, quite dependent on each other when it comes to generating plot lines and character specifics.
I just finished reading a recent posting from author Seth Godin's blog. (Which is really great and insightful, by the way. A must read for anyone who owns or operates a business... or anyone who wants to do more with and be better at life, really.) It reminded me of the Indie film issue highlighted above.
People are drawn to existing competitions like moths to a flame.
It's precisely the wrong way to succeed.
Lots of journalists take significant detours in their careers and their writing in order to win a Pulitzer. Maybe not to actually win one, but to be in that class, to have peers that have won one. Mystery novelists stick to the center of the road, because that's where the road is. Movies are written and released in order to win an Oscar. Once there's a category, a ranking, a place to battle for supremacy, we run for it.
Do you go to trade shows or enter markets or submit RFPs or push for a GPA or even gross ratings points because there's a list of winners or because it's what you actually want to do? Most bestseller lists and prizes measure popularity, not effectiveness.
I wonder if real art comes when you build the thing that they don't have a prize for yet.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the movie Juno. Nevertheless, Diablo Cody and her Oscar did nothing to preserve the integrity of the independent film industry. Now excuse me, while I climb down from my soap box...
P.S. In an effort to prove my point/beat a dead horse, here is an Indie version of Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time", complete with Zooey Dechanel (an Indie fixture, though I love her along with the rest of the world). God, I love being right.
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