Weighing the Benefits, Comparing the Costs

     I want to make movies. This, I should hope, doesn't come as a surprise to anyone. But it should also be quite clear to anyone following this blog that I'm doing a lot more writing than filming at the moment. the reason is simple: I can write for free, it costs money to make movies. It seems to be the same problem artists have had since time immemorial. We have beautiful masterpieces (every piece begins as a masterpiece) clamoring to get out of our minds if only we could afford the paint, the clay, the marble, the film. In the digital age its becoming easier for some of us. For filmmakers there are digital cameras, digital editing programs, digital sharing/distribution methods for our films. But even these have a cost associated with them and, at the end of the day, I still need to feed my family.

     At times I feel lost in the sea of video content that's available and more and more people read less and less. Sometimes I wonder if the Harry Potter series would have been so successful if it came out now instead of a decade ago. But still I have stories to tell and so long as I get to tell them I suppose I can't complain.

     It's this drive to create that has made artists through the ages do what they do regardless of their situations. Van Gogh lived in terrible conditions, just so he could use what little money he did get to buy his art supplies. I know I am no Van Gogh, I have no illusions about that. All our creative talents must be developed like any other talent and I am new in this field of film making. But I hope to succeed, to see my stories take shape and have real flesh and blood.