Film Isn't Free: A Plea for Audiences to Understand the Plight of the Indie Filmmaker in This Week's Newsletter, Which IS Free.

This post is inspired by the astonishing number of people filming scenes from Wicked in theaters and asking to see our film for free. If you want change, you MUST support the artists doing the work.

Happy Thanksgiving and to everyone who has watched or reviewed our film so far, I want to extend a hearty thanks to you for your support. That any film gets made at all is a miracle and this is especially true with indie film.

And even more than the miracle of making the film is the possibility that the filmmaker will actually make BACK some of the money and time they invested in their movie (it’s called “show business” for a reason). Yes, we want to make our investment back and have the right to do so. Everyone is entitled to earn a living and charge for their products and services, but for some reason, this idea has become lost on some people who consume and enjoy the arts and do not think that they should pay for it.

Ouch. That literally hurts my soul.

I think that every filmmaker inherently knows the risk of making an indie film and it’s not entirely a revelation that the landscape is incredibly challenging at the moment.

And the likelihood of an acquisition or SVOD deal for any indie film is shrinking daily.

Hopefully this is being communicated to the general public as much as possible to garner support for the artists and filmmakers making the work that most studios and television networks won’t deign to make.

But I’m not so sure it is and I do not think people outside of the business understand what these things mean nor what they mean for the broader implications for entertainment as a whole and what this means culturally as well. I’m not sure that people in the industry know how bad it is either, to be honest, hence this week’s free post, which I have written in an effort to help educate people and create a call to action that I hope you will share.

You Cannot Call for More Representation in Media and Then Not Support the Filmmakers Doing the Work and Being the Change You Want to See in the World

I always tell people that if you want to see more representation in an area that you care about then you must support those fighting to make inroads and making the very thing that you say you want more of.

And while many people have been incredibly supportive of the film and rented it or paid for a ticket at one of the screenings (or done both!) and left a review, there have been an astonishing number of people, including acquaintances, complete strangers and most shockingly other filmmakers, who have asked to see the film for free.

This is both jaw dropping and eye opening at the same time.

It got me thinking and then I saw the headline that many theater-goers are filming scenes from Wicked and uploading it to their social media.

“It’s free advertising!” whiners on X and TikTok will say.

No it’s not: it’s theft and it’s illegal and it hurts indie filmmakers the most.

The law prohibits anyone from knowingly using or attempting to use an audiovisual recording device to transmit or make a copy of a motion picture or other audiovisual work during a movie theater performance without the copyright owner's express authorization.

Pure and simple. It’s stealing. And the real problem is those doing this don’t think they’re stealing because they view film as “content”, something to be consumed.

People don’t see films as art, which is something to be appreciated or a thing that many, many people spent THOUSANDS of hours making that they own.

I got rather upset about all of this at first, and then I took a step back and wanted to look at the reason why and issue a plea to audiences and other filmmakers to take a moment and help educate others on the reason why this behavior is persisting.

“Something has happened post-pandemic where movie theater behavior has really changed,” said one top film executive to Variety. “They have a different relationship with the material, it’s all just content to them.” - Studio Executive in Variety

Film Isn’t Free: Indie Films Are Not “Content”

Unless you work in film or want to work in film, how do I explain to someone under 30 (or over) that my movie is not “content”? That it was a seventeen year labor of love that cost more than I could possibly ever attach a dollar sign to and the idea of someone chopping it up into grainy chunks and posting on their social media elicits a rage in me and makes me want to quit altogether.

And then I get emails from people whom I don’t know and who claim to want to see more representation in film but then tell me that they will not pay for a $4.99 rental of the movie or look into an educational license, and I see we have much bigger a problem.

Because it’s not about paying $5 to see the film: I’m smart enough to understand that in general, most people, extreme poverty cases notwithstanding, most people can afford to rent the film.

They want it for free anyways.

Why?

Why would you harp about seeing representation and then not support those doing the work? Because you know that studios are not going to give you what you’re looking for.

And I can’t help but feel that the general relationship between audiences and creators has shifted so fundamentally that I’m not sure if it’s broken forever or not.

Because we have got to educate audiences that their willingness to pay to see film has a direct correlation regarding the films that get made.

People Have Been Conditioned By Platforms and Streamers That There is Little to No Value for Film or the Cinematic Experience

There is no doubt that audience behavior is getting worse. The ease of streaming and smartphones has zapped people's attention spans. There seems to be a need and desire for people to “reset" themselves halfway through a movie by scrolling on their phones. Brains have become too dependent on devices. - World of Reel

You Wouldn’t Ask Anyone Else to Sample Their Work for Free: Why is it Okay to Ask Filmmakers to Give Their Work Away for Free?

You wouldn’t dare walk into a bakery and ask the baker to give you a dozen doughnuts and casually say that “if I like your doughnuts, I may pay you for them at some point.”

Yes, you might get a sample for free (ie - the trailer for the movie) but they’d never give you the whole thing for free and nor would you expect them to. And you’d feel the same way if others asked you for the fruits of your labor for free as well.

Yet that’s exactly what we’ve been asked to do with our film and I know other indie films have been asked the same by a number of strangers and even worse, colleagues.

They’ve asked to get a free copy of the film that they can share around and have said “if people like it, they’ll probably rent it.”

Why would ANYONE re-rent something they’d just gotten for free? Seriously?

And why do people think this is okay to ask? Sorry but no.

People would never ever ask anyone else to give their work away for free and yet just because of the nature in which they view film as “content” to be “consumed”, people don’t think it has any value.

How do we combat this?

How do I not be a lone voice harping on about this?

Because it doesn’t just affect me: presumably everyone who reads this Substack is a filmmaker or artist in some regard so I ask you: What do we do to challenge this and fight this preconceived notion that the general public has that film is free?

Or is this a mindset that streamers intended to cultivate all along, to erode the lines of quality and trust and gate-keep an ecosystem that they built after destroying a historically successful one of almost 100 years?

It’s not free. Film is not free. Your work is not free. My work is not free. In the same way people ask me to work with them on a “PR placement” only basis, the answer is resoundingly no. Absolutely not. Because I’m doing the work to get the placements and even if it doesn’t land, I deserve to be compensated for the work I’ve done.

And if you want to see more representational film and television, then we need audiences to help us prove that it’s profitable.

So we have GOT to re-educate audiences and start making a concerted effort to stop referring to film as “content”.

Because if they don’t support indie film, not only will filmmakers not be able to work (sorry, I can’t make another movie like DARUMA, I can’t wait for 17 years for the stars to align again) but they will have proved studios points that people don’t want to pay for it and things will never change.

Because why WOULD studios want to invest? Why WOULD they want to work toward representation and parity if audiences have actively told them that they won’t pay for it? Why WOULD they be bothered to do anything but the status quo?

Regardless of where you fall on the “streaming versus theaters debate”, this type of spending with such low returns likely isn’t sustainable. (Meaning, without theaters, Hollywood will make fewer films, but those films will have lower budgets.) - The Entertainment Strategist Guy

Be Part of the Solution, Not the Problem

Unfortunately, this problem is about to affect a whole lot more people, who are bracing for funds to outlets like PBS and the NEA to be massively cut or done away with entirely.

Day two post-election. I don’t have much to add about that, but one thing – expect ITVS and POV to be cut early in 2025, and I won’t be surprised if we lose all support for PBS, the NEA and the NEH. Get ready for a fight, folks. - Brian Newman

You have a lot of power right now to help change the course of things and I urge you to use it be the change you want to see in the world.

Go see independent films and support artists. Contribute to funding for organizations like NPR and PBS. Use your platform and allyship to help create systemic change and prevent a further backslide. Educate people outside of the industry just how vital this is right now and show them how it impacts them. Because if they are tired of sequels and unoriginal ideas, they’re not going to get anything new and meaningful unless they show up for the people striving to do things differently.

I know there are more solutions out there and I’d love to hear from you. So leave a comment below with your ideas: I’d love to hear them and I’m sure others would too, because I’m afraid the road ahead isn’t about to get easier for any of us who are in this boat.