Think big

‘Four years ago, if you had a video and you wanted people to see it, you had to invite them
all over to your house for a beer. With the web, it’s possible to produce a movie with almost
no budget and get a million people to watch it.’
David Trescot, group product manager at Adobe, giving his view
about the ease with which you can now go out and make movies
There is no doubt that with a camcorder and an Internet connection you have one of the most powerful
tools for communicating. If you have the energy and the will you can shoot a short movie on any
subject, in your own unique style, show it to a global audience, and promote and advertise it yourself.
You are more in control of the filmmaking process than any previous generation, and furthermore have
less need for the established industry than ever before. Changes to the film industry as entertainment
and as an art form are here to stay, and simply by possessing an Internet connection, a camcorder and
basic editing software you are a part of it.
This is a great opportunity, but you may now be getting a sense of the problem that goes with it.
Although inspiring, for many this is daunting. As the spotlight moves your way the need to have developed
yourself as a filmmaker is profound; you need to find out what kind of films you make, how to come
up with ideas good enough to film and how to get the knowledge that makes other people take you seriously.
Your only obligation is to stand out from the crowd, do your own thing, don’t emulate what
everyone else is doing when the whole world starts making movies. Take advantage of this moment
and start getting to know what it is that a movie by you looks like.
This isn’t a new phenomenon even if the technology is in its infancy. Some of the finest directors have
started their careers making films on no budgets, with no help from big studios. David Lynch made the
classic film Eraserhead (1976) at weekends over a number of years while holding down a day job; within
five years of its release he was being offered the chance to direct Return of the Jedi. George Romero made
his seminal zombie film Night of the Living Dead (1969) with almost no funds, relying on the commitment
of friends willing to be part-time zombies, but without being paid. Robert Rodriguez went from
making a film with a borrowed camera – El Mariachi (1992) – to making hit films such as From Dusk Till
Dawn (1995) and Spy Kids (2001)।


The difference for today’s filmmakers is that you can go further. Not only can you get hold of good
cameras capable of broadcast quality images, but you can edit these films at home without having to
endure the budget-crippling prices of the rent-by-the-hour edit unit. When it’s finished you can show
it on one of the many web cinemas, short film festivals or TV access slots. The potential is there to
place your short movies in millions of homes around the world.
Digital video has affected the independent, low-budget filmmaker more than any other part of the film
industry. These self-financing, ultra-resourceful people would make movies whatever it cost them and
however long it takes. But it is now a realistic aim to say that you want to make movies and do so without
mortgaging your soul. All you need is a camcorder, a computer, a limitless imagination and the
desire to tell it your way.