If you’re an emerging filmmaker you kind of have to play status games.

• Get into Sundance Ignite

• Have a lot of followers but not too much so you’re not an influencer

• Know a guy that knows a guy who’s Spielberg’s grand daughter

• Live in LA and workout (twice a month at most) at equinox even when you can’t afford it

• Get your films into SXSW, Cannes, whatever whatever. Look I’m cool guys. I swear.

It sounds like I’m jabbing at these things. Which I see how my tone conveys that. They’re not bad things. I applied to Ignite. I sent a short to SXSW and Sundance. I know a guy that knows an even cooler head honcho. When you’re emerging, you rely on these opportunities, these little games, to get your work out there. How else will you get recognized and then given more opportunities to make money? And it’s all about the money.

Here’s a completely made up case study on two filmmakers who started on similar paths and now are completely different.

Enter Casey Neistat. Grew up poor. Teenage father. Scrubbed forearm deep clam chowder in large stock pots. In 2009, he and his buddies Josh and Benny Safdie create a movie called Daddy Long Legs. It’s the brother’s first feature. I’m assuming Casey’s too.

It gets into Sundance. It gets into Cannes. I’m not sure if 2009 Sundance was on the map, but here’s a couple movies from that year:
Precious
Bronson
The End of Line
The Cove

Have you watched any of these? I sure as hell haven’t. Have you heard of them? Yes most likely.

The next year in 2010, Casey gets his own TV show on HBO. The brothers keep making features and shorts. Reception is pretty good.

Casey quits the formal industry announces his vlog in 2014. It gets big. He starts his company. In 2016 he sells Beme for 25 million dollars.

With lots of work to show on their belt, the brothers cast Robert Pattison in Good Time in 2017. It’s a fantastic movie. Next is Uncut Gems. The brothers now make their own movies. Josh’s next one has Timmy Chalamet as the lead. Benny’s has The Rock. Okay great.

This is how I interpret it. Casey said eff the status games, I’m doing my own thing. Amasses a huge fortune and audience.

The brothers have their status signals with the festivals, getting into Venice, Cannes again, SXSW. And subsequently get huge (in the industry). But maybe you’ve never heard of their name. But have you seen Oppenheimer? So you’ve seen Benny’s face.

All that is to say, whatever path you choose, the games or not, with a butt ton of hard work, you can get successful. Okay back to working on my applications so I can start winning these games.