I shot my first short film after 16 years - No I'm not asking you to watch it.

roxics

roxics

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I forgot to mention this past October I shot my first short film in 16 years. Just a small little supernatural mystery film for the sake of Halloween. Four actors total, myself included. Shot it on my C100, a couple iPhones, and a quick GoPro shot.

It's been so long since I've made an actual narrative film. Writing and directing again. I've been in the corporate video world for about that long. 15-16 years. My personal filmmaking dried up as a result. Plus my friend moving out of state that I used to make films with. That contributed a lot. I was never really an independent filmmaker, more of a co-dependent filmmaker. I liked making movies with my buddy. We worked with each other well.

It was fun to get back into the mix. I didn't tell anyone we were making it, so it was a surprised to everyone, including my old filmmaking buddy, when on Halloween I presented it to everyone.
I'd like to keep it up and do at least one a year. If not more. It's not a great film. But the whole process is fun and I subscribe to a philosophy I call personal filmmaking. Which is just making films for yourself (and those who made them with you, maybe some friends and family), it's not about going anywhere with them or showing them to the world or trying to profit from them. It's just a hobby like woodworking or anything else. It took me until my thirties before I realized that was a valid option. And probably even the best option for me. But I just never got up the inspiration and motivation to get around to making a new film until this past October.

I'm curious how many of you are in similar situations. As in, it's been a while since you've made a narrative film, or are making films just for yourself, etc.
 
Hey, good for you! I for one would love to see it, if you are willing to share it. People aren't making high quality narrative shorts nearly as much anymore, so it's always a treat to see one.

I was pretty good about shooting short films up until the pandemic -- I haven't made one since and it's been bugging me. I didn't get into this industry just to make CEOs and CFOs look good during their quarterly remarks. I wanted to make films. The goal was always to be working on something that I genuinely thought had potential to be good or even great, and to only take as much work-work as I had to. Life happens and pandemics hit and expenses start piling up (but if I'm really honest, I don't know what I would even want to say anymore -- everything seems kind of pointless).

You you are right, these days you really do just have to do it for yourself. I've been struggling with that idea for the past couple of years after a couple of solid runs and awards at festivals yielded not a single call or email or "congratulations" from anyone outside of the cast and crew. The last time I sat in on a screening in 2019, the only people in attendance were the filmmakers and their families. It reminded me of the scammy invitations I used to get in high school to submit my work to an anthology of teen authors, that my parents could buy six months later in paperback for $30.

But now it's starting to look kind of freeing. Maybe when no one is looking/watching, this is where the real art can finally happen.
 
Congrats on making a new film! The last indy film I made was a couple of years ago - I think I got in 3 small festivals. One festival there were 3 peeps at the screening and they were peeps who worked for the festival. I put it up on Amazon and it was then taken down about 2 months later. I believe it was because it showed a guy with an erection. At most 30 people saw the film in total. That's alot of work for 30 views! It was kind of depressing. Maybe not the greatest film ever made but I liked it. I did the best I could with a limited crew and resources. I was shooting another feature film just as the pandemic hit and I had to put it on hold and then one of the main actors moved out of town. Anyway - I'm blabbing now. Since the pandemic, I've been working on my second novel - which I just finished. I worry that I just don't have it in me anymore to make films. I tried for 40 years. There might be less than 30 people I can get to read my novel - but at least I have no limits when it comes to fiction except my imagination.
 
Great for you. I understand completely. We often spend most of our lives earning a living, it's nice you took time to do something for yourself.
 
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Kudos! I'm of the opinion that art is for the people, even if we make it for ourselves. You never know who might be inspired by seeing/hearing something. Whether it's 100,000,000 or 100.
 
This is a terrific thread! I'm with you all. I make films for myself. My day job supports that habit. Yes, I've gotten into some nice fests, but I find that I make the films for myself. Luckily, I have a wife that lets me do it.
 
Funny you should post this, I helped make a couple of shorts last year for my son who is a film student and it made me want to make something for myself.
 
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