Producing with Passion. Dorothy Fadiman

What are some of the most dramatic moments you have you lived through?

       Who are some of the most memorable people you have known?

       Where do you find the greatest beauty?

       What subjects fascinate you?

       What frightens you?

       What angers you?

       What worries you?

       What do you love to do?

      Films that will be of genuine interest to someone else are almost always based on ideas that come from your own knowledge, experiences, concerns, and yearnings. The word “authenticity” may be overused. However, there are times when authenticity best describes why someone tunes in to a film. When a filmmaker conveys an authentic experience, people pick that up. There’s a tendency to diminish the importance of your own experience, through modesty or shyness or lack of confidence. Making a film calls for you to believe in yourself.

      Don’t get caught looking only for big ideas. Intimate ideas are often the most universal. Some of the most engaging films are simply an up-close look at a single subject.

      For years I had been taking broken household appliances to a tiny store near my home. I loved the way the patient repairmen kept toasters and blenders out of the landfill by bringing them back to life with their tools and attention. That dedication inspired Fix-It Shops: An Endangered Species, a five-minute film documenting this ecological microcosm just around the corner from where I live.

      As you scan the horizon, don’t forget to look close to home.

FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND COMPANIONS

      As a rule of thumb, it seems to take about a year to make a thirty-minute documentary, on average. (Some projects take a few months, and some take ten years.) How will you sustain your excitement about an idea for a year or more?

      One way to stay energized is to be in touch with people who reflect your passion and energy back to you. Filmmakers find these companions in a variety of ways. Often, they are friends and family members. In recent years, filmmakers sometimes find these people through Internet user groups. Some may develop through e-mail exchanges with people who start out as strangers, but who are interested in the same subject about which you are passionate. These virtual connections might become close colleagues. During a production, I try to stay in touch with people who share my vision and interest.

      If you want to have a “normal” social life while you make a movie, you have to make it happen. I find that if I don’t make a conscious effort to keep up a social life, I begin to limit interactions to the people on the film team. Sometimes I go for months without seeing a movie or visiting friends — except those who are connected to production. You certainly don’t have to be this strict, but the fact is the more focused you are, the more likely you are to complete your project. One special bonus is that this kind of focused intensity leads to intimate relationships with your home team. Because of their intensity, some of these relationships last a lifetime.

      I have learned to accept the fact that not everyone in my life will come along for the ride. Some people don’t appreciate who I become when I am in the middle of making a movie. I have parted ways with friends who find this style of friendship — my not being available when “in production” — too unsatisfying. With others, who are more patient, our friendship deepens because they accept who I am, and appreciate what I am doing. They understand that my connection is still there with them, but my time and energy are pouring into the film.

DISTRACTIONS AND DOUBT

      Creative energy is precious, but your connection to it can, at times, be fragile. At certain points in every project, your energy will diminish or even disappear. This dip in interest is natural, and happens to everyone. At times, the sense of losing touch with the project may be overwhelming, and you just want to quit. The omnipresent danger at any point along the way is succumbing to doubt, and slipping into a downward spiral in which hope seems beyond reach.

      One of the reasons filmmakers lose heart is that other people discourage them along the way. While you develop your idea, you’ve got to maintain your focus. Some people will love your idea, but others may criticize you. Certain comments will instill doubt. You might hear, “No one wants to talk openly about that” or, “That’s already been done.” Some people just need to play devil’s advocate, because it is their way of being involved, and it’s not about you or your subject. You do need to consider the source.

      Recently, one of my relatives heard I was making a film about the presidential election of 2004. She said, “You have so much talent. Why waste your time on this? The election’s over!” I listened, and almost began to defend myself. Then I realized that she was not politically active, and really didn’t understand where I was going with this project. I thanked her for her candid feedback, and went on to show a work-in- progress of that film to sold-out screenings across the country. When someone tries to discourage me, I consider the input, and then sort through what they’ve said. If, after doing that, the project still feels right, my resolve deepens.

UNASKED-FOR ATTENTION

      When you make a film, the more passionate and committed you become, the more others will be attracted to the project. Some may want to work with you; others care about the subject and want to see the film finished, and in distribution. Along with the magnetic pull that magnetizes others to you, you may find that there is a shadow side, not only at the beginning, but along the way as well. As you progress, in addition to being the creator, you must also become a gatekeeper.

      Often people who are attracted to the project may offer their services, even when you don’t want help. Be selective. Others may try to influence your project because they identify with it, and feel they can add needed input. Some recognize the power in what you are doing and want to be part of that for their own reasons. You may or may not want any of these people working with you, even as volunteers. Be not only selective, but also protective.

      At first, you may be flattered, but be careful. If people want your time, or try to press their opinions on you, the basic rule is to listen, learn what you can, and thank them for their input. Always return to checking in with your own inner sense of what’s right for you. Remember always, it is your project. If you don’t know whether or not to trust someone who comes to you, someone you don’t know, do background research. At every stage, and at every level of the project, the archetype “Darth Vader” — a threat to the vision — may show up. This disturbance in the force may be external, or it may come from your own fears.

YOUR OWN DOUBTS

      One obstacle that you might face is doubt about your own abilities. You may find yourself thinking, “I have always dreamed about doing this, but I don’t know if I can really pull it together.” If the prospect of making a film frightens you, but you still feel drawn, I say “go for it” — even though I can promise you that it will probably be more challenging, time consuming, and character building than you expect.

      If you have doubt about not having the right facts to proceed, or not enough information, the first step is to find out what you