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Chris Brown's Show

This is Chris Brown's Excellent Video Show for film makers. He runs it from his office at Ealing Studios and brings in various film makers to interview them. It is heavily biased towards the low budget indie film maker and if nothing else is an inspiration. Essentially, if you do what Chris Jones does, you will make quality indie movies.

For reasons one cannot quite discern, Chris has never got to make a kick-ass feature, despite doing everything right and even having Oscar nominated shorts. One assumes it will only be a matter of time as the man's energy and commitment is phenomenal. However, one does suspect that he rather enjoys being the Guerrilla Filmmaker and perhaps, secretly, despite his professed ambitions, makes sure he stays that way. 

Chris seems to be particularly keen on this sort of psychological analysis and is full of advice like suggesting you should declare your intentions as publicly as possible to make sure you take action because action creates results. All of which, cannot be argued with. However, as with all purveyors of the never say die follow your dreams philosophy, one wonders why he isn't making those big quality pictures that he is no doubt capable of?

I think a read of Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" might throw some light on this. In short, Chris is probably not in the right place for the big budget films - physically LA, mentally Transformers 3 - which is all to our benefit because he is definitely in the right place to bring new technology, internet film makers, up to date with all the latest kit and techniques. Also, he might, just might, be in the forefront of what looks increasingly like the future of, if not big screen film making, big flat screen High Definition TV show making. Broadband is the new Broadcast and we can all play a part.

But like everyone else in this sector, he is struggling to work out how to monetize the whole procedure. Are we, who are picking up the new light weight hi-tec kit and running with it, destined to be trapped forever in amateur film making land until somehow, we capture a massive audience, and then get picked up by Hollywood? Or can some means of financing this kick in and create a viable independent industry? 

Given the industry's obsession with Zombies, perhaps this is a Zombie Industry, with all the appearances of being alive but is in effect dead because it provides very little that people are willing to pay enough for. Which bring me to the conclusion that maybe, the only thing to do is to try to get out of the Indie sector and get into Broadcast TV, despite its declining nature, or head off to Hollywood and work in the studios in any capacity you can. Then you will at least have a chance to work your way up the career ladder.

If that isn't possible, because you haven't the seed money to sustain a long period acclimatizing to LA, or you are too old, or lack the qualifications to get one of the shrinking industry jobs, or for a million other factors, then the Guerrilla Film Makers world is the one you are stuck with. And your audience might forever be no more than other Guerrilla Film Makers. But then again, you make that one great no budget film that some how gets noticed and buzzed around the Internet as the latest, greatest, hottest, funniest, most important, significant, aesthetically perfect, brilliantly intelligent, outrageously stupid or, whatever... 

Action creates results. And they might be really good results! Whatever you do, you will get better at doing it, though whether you get good enough...

I'll end on that ellipsis.  Watch Chris's shows. They are guaranteed to fire you up and get you champing at the bit to go make a film.