A Reality Check

Any creative career is extremely difficult to break into, succeed, and then sustain. The career of an independant filmmaker is statistically one of the most difficult of them all. I remember it took me many years to make the decision to pursue this path. I had done my due diligence, I had met with struggling and successful filmmakers, industry veterens, and accessed enormous statistical data - everything said the same thing, less then one percent of us will have long-term sustainable careers as filmmakers, and five percent of that one percent will become wealthy doing so. In essence these are lottery odds! Unlike a lottery though, we do have enormous control over our own destiny, and this fact is I believe what keeps most of us sane, ambitious, and focused. It’s true that everyone needs a bit of luck along the way (any bio I have ever read has this seized moment of opportunity element), but we can also do alot to put ourselves in the path of this hopeful luck. What am I saying in this potentially depressing blurb? I am saying that unless you decide you will be incapable of happiness without having attempted a career as a filmmaker, unless you are willing in essence to die from your passion, delay having a family, suffer brutal and daily rejection…be smart, and choose a different career goal - this path is truly one for the sick, stubborn, and perhaps even delusional…so far for me, its still the only path I can ever see myself continueing to take. Of course I never was great at living in reality, its just so very boring there.

Dad, get your ass out of bed!

My publicist Vanessa Morcom and my EP Martin Katz during the Toronto Film Festival 2013

The Importance Of Mentors

I learned very quickly the importance of mentorship in the film industry. Not only are mentors great resources for guidance in navigating what is a very complicated and ever changing industry, they also can be incredibly useful in helping you get your projects made. Having a senior and well respected executive producer attached to your projects is an incredibly effective way to have yourself and the project taken more seriously. The film industry has multiple written and unwritten filters set up within it, that in part exist to weed out the filmmakers and projects less likely to be financed. Having a respected EP helps get you through these filters. I’ve was very lucky on my first feature film to have Don Carmody (Oscar Winning Producer Chicago) attach himself as a mentor EP. This meant he agreed to lend his name to the project and to me, thus legitimizing both. He also was available to answer questions along the way, and in my case, he was beyond generous in making some phone calls that saved us hundreds of thousands on the films post-production. For my next two films I have been lucky enough to convince Martin Katz (Cosmopolis, A Dangerous Method, Hotel Rwanda) to attach himself as EP. Unlike with my first film Martin is involved beyond that of just a mentor, and in part I find motivation from not wanting to let him down. So how do you go about finding mentors?

1) The first thing to do is identify what senior producers and directors you feel would have an interest in the type of films you are developing, and who you would get along with.

2) Try your best to attend industry events where you can meet them. Just like any relationship, it takes time, and so do not be overly aggressive, and definitely do not ask them straight out to become your mentor. Imagine their position, what will they get out of working with you? This could be great and fresh material, perhaps your youthful energy, or maybe they are at the stage where they want to give back. Ultimately, you have to sell them on you, your potential, and ignite in them a desire to see you succeed - because they think you deserve to do so.

3) Follow-up with them after you have met them (ideally more then once), and ask them if they would be willing to go for coffee with you. Be honest, get straight to the point, and for a second time - do not be pushy. Again, this is a relationship like any other, it takes times! (I’m assuming here that either you have gotten their business card or found their contact info through another source - generally these people don’t like giving out their business cards to non-established filmmakers, so try and find another source. BUT make sure you have given them your card!)

4) When you have a project that you think they will like, ask them for feedback on it. If they like the project, then ask them if they would consider coming on board as a mentor EP. 

5) Above all else respect their time, and remember in most cases they are not getting much out of helping you at the start of your career. They are doing you a favour. 

Good luck!

I am in “Writers Hell”

I’ve been in writers hell the last several weeks. This can take on different worlds for every writer I think, but for everyone it means you’re not writing great work, and you know it. In my most recent case, it has been in regards to the script for my second feature, now entitled THE BEQUEST. In alot of ways this script has been writing school for me. I started writing it even before I wrote my first feature An Insignificant Harvey. It is also the first project I have ever had development money for, and as such the ability to work with professional story editors and consultants. I have lost count of my draft count, but I honestly think i’m over a hundred, it’s been six years! The script is good, parts are maybe even great now, but as a whole, it has not been ready, and deep down, I have known it. So, when the notes came back on my most recent draft, a draft I convinced myself was ready, and they called for major changes, I officially entered writers hell. I had read about this world, a dark place of never ending mazes, confusion, and above all else a complete and total lack of desire to keep working on the script. Simply, I suddenly hated every word, character, and location. How could this have happened? This story I have so much time invested in, the one in so many ways I think I will credit with truly teaching me how to write? Well, like even my favourite food on the planet, ice cream, if I eat to much, too often, and in too large a quantities, it makes me fat and sick. I knew what I had to do, as badly as I didn’t want to do it, and that was to go back to the beginning. Primarily this has meant a new story outline and new character backgrounds. I haven’t started fresh, I’m way past that and it’s not necessary, and I have enough confidence now in my abilities as a writer to know that. But, throughout hundreds of notes and story changes, I have lost my characters. For me this process has been amazing, for once I again connected with who my characters really are, I again knew instinctevely what they would say and do, and my writing has once again begun. I can see the light from hell today, it’s a few hours of writing away, but I know it’s there. Maybe I’ll even get some ice cream once I reach it.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Jeff and Inca!

We’re Out There!

Thanks Marcello Cabezas for sending me a pic of Harvey on the shelve at Queen Video in Toronto on Christmas Eve! Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

It is holiday card time at Vitality Media Productions! We managed to send out 500 cards this year, around the World. We had a great weekend team, thanks guys:)