Independent films have become a way for artists to express unconventional or unorthodox views and let audiences gain influence and perspective from independent filmmakers. One can say that such filmmakers don’t, however, gain the publicity they deserve. In contrast, big budget films gain wrongful attention for sometimes wrongful depictions of sex and violence.
To fully comprehend independent films’ influence, it’s key to understand the history behind both the independent and big budget film industry’s presence in America.
Independent filmmaking began as the only form of motion picture creators in 1908. At the same time, Thomas Edison created the Motion Pictures Patent Company. Independent filmmakers believed in carrying on the art of film and were inspired by the possibilities of the new medium. But the Edison Companies were too controlling with what the independent filmmakers could and could not produce because they owned most of the equipment necessary for production.
Luckily, California’s Ninth District Court of Appeals most often sided with the independent filmmakers in the cases against the Edison Patent Company. The independent filmmakers went on to make creative, small-scale films.
Prominent filmmakers formed the “Big Six,” a group of film companies involving well-known names, such as Warner Brothers, Columbia, Paramount, Disney, Universal and Fox. The “Big Six” became the building blocks for the film industry today, yet left out many independent filmmakers.
Moreover, in Europe in the early ’20s, The London Film Society was “the first official group to form a society to preserve the artistic nature of filmmaking,” according to MakeIndependentFilms.com. Following this occurrence in England, other “film societies” were established across Europe, such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. Eventually Hollywood and the “Big Six” were seen as the enemy of creative filmmaking.
As can be inferred from the history of independent film, the concern is some independent filmmakers do not receive the attention they deserve. They are producing valuable work — not for the money — but for artistic progress.
Film festivals, such as Utah’s own Sundance, are where these filmmakers go to showcase their films with the hope of the films being distributed to share their depth, values and ideas. Filmmakers need the views and appreciation of the audience to make more films.
Another problem hindering independent films is there are not enough theaters to play most of them. Even if there were, they wouldn’t generate enough money to justify carrying them. Additionally, audiences would rather see a blockbuster in the theater than wait to see an indie film at home.
Independent filmmakers do have something to offer audiences. Many famous directors, such as Quentin Tarantino (“Kill Bill”), Paul T. Anderson (“There Will Be Blood”) and Steven Soderbergh (“Ocean’s Eleven”), got their start with independent films.
The artistic value once expected in filmmaking should be promoted, appreciated and recognized through independent films and film festivals.
Independent filmmaking is intellectually stimulating and debates questions that we should consider to better the minds of audiences that sometimes lean too much toward the meaningless topics of sex and violence.