Cinema's Secret Formulas: How to work with "The Best"... And....The5: 02.09.25 edition
Some weekend nudges and considerations
The5: 02.09.25 Edition
State of our creative future
Break up Big Tech
How to advance gender equality in cinema
One of a kind filmmakers… But why so few?
Hurrah, for a big sale… but who is the real winner here?
Cinema’s Secret Formulas… revealed!
#10: How To Work With “The Best”:
Our industry invests almost entirely in what they see as proven “brands”. And what they mean by that is the human beings that had past box office success or awards acclaim. I suspect that this is a terrible business practice as well as being incredibly short-sighted. Fortunately for the NonDē filmmaker, our industry also seeks to siphon off the top-performing talent from those that helped launch them, so frequently we don’t have a choice but to consistently find new supplies of collaborators, and although this may not be the most lucrative path, it is infinitely rewarding.
I have said it is not hard to spot talent because diamonds in the rough still sparkle brightly. I also find that the industry at large often ignores those that have a strong voice and personal direction because they don’t know how to sell them. I think our lack of development of talent, our culture of mediocrity, our market-based short-sightedness, all comes from the same misconception, and that same one limits our collaborations simultaneously. The net result is both our art and business suffer, and yet this could change by one shift of perspective, driven by a desire to work with “the best”.
How to work with “the best”: Stop basing collaborations on others’ accomplishments & experience, and instead focus on what they are “becoming”.I remember so many filmmakers’ short films that I saw and loved and knew they had a bright future if someone supported them. I wasn’t wrong. And although I loved those shorts, they were not masterpieces. They spoke of the artist’s becoming. I wanted to see what would happen next, and could I work with them to help them have a bit of good fortune.
Looking at this year’s Oscar Best Picture contenders, I am reminded of it again. Brady Corbet, even when he was an actor first, was striving to learn and grow with everything he did; he was an artist of ambition but within the means obtainable. Sean Baker had something to say and knew how to say it in a unique way from the moment he made TAKEAWAY and PRINCE OF BROADWAY; and he was committed to making work at a price that didn’t require distraction from his interests.
Would things have been different, and for the better, if they did not have to struggle for every penny to get their work made? Hard to say, but I do think if financiers had committed to them over a slate of films, they’d be pretty happy with their investment today.
So often when I work with directors I find that although they’d like to be recognized for what they could do and not just what they’ve done, I find they often still select collaborators based on their accomplishments. I find a similar phenomenon with executives and their hiring practices too.
The decision and focus to work only with the proven few limits the growth of our art and business. If we can look how to help people reach further and give them the tools they need to truly shine, we will create a wave of new artist and entrepreneurs capable of lifting our business and expanding our audiences.
The5: 02.09.25 Edition
Five things NonDē filmmakers, creatives, & entrepreneurs might want to ponder this week…
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