I write this as a journalist documenting events, for the record. So that few years from now I will look back at it and know what this whole business was about.
I remember a young (my age, therefore young) producer telling me that most of the money, really, “is in the speaking gigs”. I remember her as a very nice and helpful lady and I can assure you she wasn’t being a jerk. That was just some realities of media production we were discussing after a session at Sheffield Doc/Fest. I loved Doc/Fest as an experience of being surrounded by fellow geeks, avid content creators and story tellers, pretty conscious of fiscal hopelessness of their endeavors. Second day of the festival there was a session discussing whether you can make a living out of making documentaries, the general consensus being that you cannot.
I remember that because recently I’m constantly finding out about more workshops, panels, discussions, classes about how to deal with the digital age, how to make our film seen, how to distribute, how to produce, how to finance. Except no one yet knows exactly how to finance or distribute. The countless panels seem to consist mostly of reinstating that one has to be able to communicate with different modalities of transmedia landscape or some such sh… and I can’t help but wonder - is it not a case of one of these short lived advice industries that breed on general confusion and lure with the perspectives of answers it does not provide? The best that comes of it is few extra bucks for more experienced producers and filmmakers. I’m all for them making money, may I add, so as long as people are willing to pay, so it be.
Just remember, the prices of admissions might sum up to good part of your next projects budget. Especially when you are the DIY filmmaker, trying to get your story told by all means possible, asking all available favors and sleeping in a tent outside SXSW.
If you need reminding that it’s the compelling story that matters – I will happily give it to you for free. Because I’m confident you know that already.