How To Build The Non-Dependent Film Ecosystem, Pt 2

Don't wait till you're dead to find a better way

the fire still rages, will we get it under control?

We took a brief hiatus of sorts from our last post on the necessary conditions needed to get us out of our current hell. We had The Popcorn List launch news to break —because we all need to see we can improve our lot with good ideas and clear thinking. And yeah, I felt that recent circumstances require another reminder of how deep the rot that’s set in is.

In that last episode of how to build it back better, we recounted the argument of why we in the FKATheFilmBiz need something other than what we currently have, and then we visited some of the initial steps critical to launching a non-dependent film ecosystem. I am thankful that Brian Newman also subsequently chose to touch upon the root causes of how we got here. Let’s not forget how we got here: greed and lack of control. Free enterprise is awesome, but we need to regulate the bastards that will just overreach and overreach some more (yup, I’m looking at you Wall St and the bosses of the GSPs).

We can have something better, but the long walk still stretches before us. We need to have the right boots on for this hike. Thankfully, we know we can get there from here. It just won’t be on this next leg. Let’s keep going, shall we? Our initial five steps were:

First 5 of 20+ necessary concepts & conditions for the new non-dependent film ecosystem

1.     End anti-competitive practices of GSPs (government regulation of Global Streaming Platforms)

2.     Prioritize sustainability.

3.     Audience & Artist development.

4.     Prioritize the artists and establish an Artists Bill of Rights.

5.     Avoid false simplification.

That’s where we got to. I know it is a tall order. Jump back to the prior post if you need a refresher. It’s always good to know what need to do to get those things we want. But for now, onwards!

When you look back on those initial five points, what do you see? What do you think we got wrong over the last forty years of the experiment in independent film – you know, besides building it dependent on the dominant powers in the industry?  I think we grossly underestimated how powerful the powerful are and how fragile anything in such a world that then aims to prioritize the artist is. They got stronger, and we got weaker. And we didn’t really noticed. We neglected artists’ needs outright. We didn’t try to see the big picture. And yeah, even those who did care, only could see from their own individual perspective. When it all did kick in (in a positive way), and for some time after that, it was driven by the privileged few. And yeah, I have that hat. And most that got to make a lot of interesting things do too. Not all, but most.

And there have been some changes for the better, but those didn’t come easy. I tried to address this in my initial points, but I also want to avoid the dominance of current vernacular, so instead of defining diversity as the industry does, let’s take it further. That was a goal of my fifth point: to take it all further. Maybe there is no concise way to say it. Difference is an asset, particularly in art.

So… ready for the next six conditions and concepts that are needed to build a new non-dependent film ecosystem? Hit it, maestro!

Recognize that cinema is an expression of our humanity & not just a financial transaction or content:

Our industry reduces our work to its most worthless attributes; cinema is far more than a way to make a buck or pass the time. It needs to be treated for what it truly is. When we instead look to either “bring efficiencies” or “attract eyeballs” things start to deteriorate. They may not appear to be that meaningful a reduction, but over time they pile up, and soon much