“Cinema is a very difficult and serious art, it requires sacrificing of yourself. You should belong to it, it shouldn't belong to you. Cinema uses your life, not vice versa.”
Andrei Tarkosvksy
Trying to be “Great” Is Killing Your Work
Most artists I know are terrified of not being good enough.
Instead they stall.
If you find yourself talking about things more than doing them, waiting for a grant/financier/collaborator/perfect deck, keeping a project in the editing room for years at a time – you know how seductive this trap can be.
But it can quietly kill your career as a filmmaker.
I've been there too. What broke the cycle wasn't more ambition. It was specificity.
Why You Should Crowdfund Your Film (Even If You Don’t Have To)
One topic I get asked about all the time is crowdfunding:
“Why do it if you don’t HAVE to?”
“Doesn’t it make you look cheap?”
“Isn’t it just begging your friends for money?”
I’ve been on every side of it. I’ve supported projects where the creator ghosted. I’ve spent years delivering on my promises for indie projects. And I’ve finally landed on what I feel is an essential strategy for creators in the modern film and art ecosystem.
What No One Tells You About Being a Filmmaker
What’s your follower count? Views? Income?
Our world is ruled by attention. And it can feel like your influence is your greatest currency. We see it flexed every day.
Let me tell you… as artists this is toxic.
No One Will Distribute Your Movie... But You
You spent five years making the movie you thought would be your calling card.
Called in every favor. Spent every dollar. Kept going long after everyone stopped answering your emails.
Now you’re done. Ready for a deal. Ready for the money, the validation — maybe the momentum to make the next one.
Then the slap of reality hits.
Should You Still Go Make Films?
I’ve made dozens of short films and two features. They have won awards and played at festivals. But I still wake up wondering if I should keep going.
That’s the honest truth.
The advice you hear most when you're starting out is, "Just go make something." It sounds empowering. But now — after two decades — I’m not so sure it was ever good advice.