What a title for a blog post, huh?

If it didn’t immediately strike you as concerning, coming from a group of people who call themselves professionals, it really should have.

Why? You ask. Well, I’ll tell ya…

Because it’s a really stupid fucking idea.

(this will be a bit of a rant)

Some time ago, when Chromoscope was just starting to rack up some clients and projects, the three of us found ourselves attending a meeting of filmmakers, actors, producers, etc. working in and around the greater area.  The experience at this particular gathering is one which we were used to, and we even saw some faces we had encountered and worked with in the past. There was a familiarity with the environment that was hard to place, until a certain aberration occurred.

On our way out, we met an individual who will remain nameless, out of respect and professional courtesy. We took this opportunity to try and learn how they were doing it, where they were finding funding and resources. The conversation meandered until we mentioned our own projects in the works, and this is when we heard the phrase that took all of us by surprise.

It was in this moment we realized a problem among some of our peers in the field, and it was something we had encountered before. It was why the atmosphere at this event felt so familiar. The attitude among a lot of independent filmmakers is that simply doing it is enough. This sentiment is true, to a point, but there is a very important distinction to be made.

Whatever the project, it is important that it exists. It need not be perfect, but it definitely has to be good… 

…At least that should be your intent. If not, then what’s the point? We think what bothered us about the original encounter was the suggestion that we enter into the project with that mindset. To us that felt as though we were setting the bar too low. After all, isn’t that only the beginning anyway? Filmmaking is dreaming, and we should always dream big as filmmakers, so it seems only natural that when entering a new project you should dream the best film you can.

It’s always been our belief that a project in its final form, is the honest sum of everything put into it by everyone working on it. Having made truly bad movies before (and believe us they’re terrible), it’s easy to understand why they turned out that way. One short film in particular, the problems we faced arose from a complete lack of enthusiasm and confidence in the story. We were tired from pouring work and money into projects only to see nothing of it, and in the end – that was channeled directly through that film.

Essentially the idea is that everything you are goes into a film. To include ones mindset throughout, will show through in the end product – we think that’s true of any creative endeavor in general. So, with our own failures in mind, it’s always struck us as vital to constantly raise the bar of expectations and criticism on ourselves to ensure the best possible end product. The importance of this only increases when working with clients, and utilizing investors’ money to fund production. Then, you’re not only serving your vision, but that of someone else as well.

Set the bar high, be passionate throughout, end strong.

The mere existence of something, whether it be a film, a song, a piece of writing, or as simple as a blog post; is important. But without passion and reverence for the project as a living representation of your worth as an artist, the thing may as well not exist at all. That’s why it is important to strive for the best, from outset to end state, every time.

Rant Over.