cat, “It doesn’t matter.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
As independent filmmakers, it is our responsibility to develop a clear idea of where we are going, and actively search for an innovative path to get there.
1. Embrace Chaos
From Swingers, to Blood Simple, to Pepi, there is a level of chaos that comes from working with smaller budgets. A level of energy. An organized chaos that becomes the template for the creation of the work. For instance, in Swingers, Doug Liman chose to shoot the bar scenes in an actual bar while it was open, because he didn’t have money to build or rent the venue. He pre-lit the seat where Heather Graham was going to sit, and then shot it from across the room… Many of the patrons of the bar didn’t even know a scene was being shot, and by embracing the chaos, Liman gained a sense of