Change is Hard

Change is inevitable. Substantive change is very hard. But some strategies make it easier than others. As our industry adjusts to new realities, I implore us to ensure the voices and contributions of independent media makers are heard.

I grew up in Southern California at a time when narrative film occupied the lion’s share of what the seven main production studios scattered across the city produced. Documentary films were largely the realm of smaller independent filmmakers. I would see them on PBS or incorporated into a course curriculum.

The Cable and Streaming Tidalwave

Of course, that all changed when I went to graduate school to study cinema. By then, cable TV had already distributed network broadcasts with its niche and on-demand channels. As the 21st century kicked in, the adoption of broadband internet would essentially create the streaming tidalwave that has radically transformed the media industry. Independent documentary filmmakers were finding new and exciting ways to tell stories and draw new audiences. Feature length remains the primary choice of independent documentarians, but web series, and now microdocs are also playing vital roles in our society.

Narrative films largely entertain. Documentaries inform citizens about societal issues, hold the powerful accountable, celebrate culture, and share history and education. Filmmaking has never been cheap, but independent documentary makers know how to spend their limited dollars so that we get stories worth watching.  Some of these films offer high profit potential for a relatively modest investment, which should make them especially attractive in a market increasingly hungry for content.

The Best Way Forward?

The pressure to draw audiences has increased as the cost of making films has skyrocketed, global competition has increased and technology is squeezing the domestic job market. In this context, today’s heated debate over media consolidation is especially troubling to those in the independent wing of the industry. People worry that fewer decision makers will result in fewer opportunities for independents, less creative freedom, and diminished investment in projects that lie outside the mainstream. 

As those involved in the struggle duke it out, I invite studio heads, legislators, filmmakers, and audiences to consider the following:

• Over time, how have the contributions of independent filmmakers benefitted our industry and our audiences?
• What role do we want independent filmmakers to play in the industry’s future?
• How can we ensure independent filmmakers will continue to have the freedom to innovate? 
• What resources will the industry devote to cultivating audiences for independent documentaries?
• How can we make independent filmmaking a viable and attractive career option?
• As new distribution platforms open up, how can we ensure there’s space for the work of independent filmmakers?
• What would we lose if the independent media sector is allowed to die under current pressures?

Part of what makes change harder is not having enough perspectives at the decision-making table. Sure, involving more stakeholders complicates the process and it usually takes longer. But, typically, it results in better decisions and a smoother path forward. 

As decisions about media consolidation are being made, the voices of independent documentary filmmakers must be included and taken seriously. The community must stand up and demand the respect it is due. As a nation now celebrating 250 years of democracy, I’d think this is a lesson we know well. 

LEARN MORE

Banner keyart from Stanley Nelson’s “Freedom Riders” (2011).