If StudioVox were a film festival instead of a social network, it might look something like the Dances with Films festival. ?One of the most fiercely independent showcases for emerging and independent talent, Dances With Films has been going strong for over a decade. This year?s festival will continue that tradition and commitment to independent filmmaking with its 15th edition beginning later this month, on May 31, and running through June 7 at Hollywood?s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.
The thing that might define that fierce independence of Dances With Films is the one rule that applies to all the films eligible for submission to festival competition: no stars behind or in front of the camera. Of course the term ?star? is a subjective term, but festival programmer and associate director (and StudioVox site member) Robert Mellette gives a pretty good and familiar definition: you know ?em when you see ?em. So, if you?re a big-name actor or director seeking some indie cred, you?re better off looking somewhere else.
Of course, if you wait long enough after so successfully committing to your mission, as Dances With Films has, eventually those relative unknowns and knowns in front of or behind the camera indeed go on to become stars. Notable alumni include The Social Network and Zombieland star Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Olson and Will Scheffer, the co-creators of HBO?s Big Love.
Recently, we had a chance to interview festival programmer Mellette and he gave us some more background on the festival, as well as some great insights on the independent film community and good tips for budding filmmakers (and all creatives).
StudioVox: Who are the key DWF players now? Are you filmmakers currently?
Robert Mellette: I hate this question because someone always gets left out, so I won?t try to list everyone in the various, incredibly important, roles. The main two are co-founders Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent. I came on board as a filmmaker in 2000 and have worked my way up to key player over the years.
With the exception of one or two volunteers dating back to day one, everyone involved is a filmmaker to one extent or another. Do we all have projects we?re ready to shoot next month? No. Not all of us, but some do. As I was told by one filmmaker at the premiere of my film, ?It?s your second one that?s hard.?
SV: What differentiates your festival from others?
RM: DWF has a mandate that no film in competition can have a star in front of or behind the camera. We are a level playing field for all the truly independent filmmakers out there. These days, the definition of star is hard to pin down. We used to say, ?anyone who could get you funding just off their name,? but funds are harder to come by these days. Now, we have a ?you know them when you see them? attitude. We also love to see ?working actors? in films. The idea is not to penalize filmmakers for getting the best cast they can, but to make sure that all productions are treated equally.
And don?t get us wrong, we love stars. We will program movies with big names in them, but they won?t be in competition.
SV: How has the independent film industry changed in the past five years for emerging new artists?
RM: There?s a good news / bad news vibe out there.? The good news is you can make a feature film for a LOT less money.? The bad news is the money is harder to come by. With distribution going through a lawless, wild west phase it?s harder to create a business model for independent film.? Sure, you can find almost any schmoe who?ll dump your movie in the digital download world and call that distribution ? but, like self-publishing, that doesn?t mean you?ll find an audience.
Another surprise is that the quality of uber-indie movies has not dropped as much as you?d think. Don?t get me wrong, there are plenty of horrifically bad movies out there that are so bad they could be harmful to your health ??but those were around in the days of 3-chip video, too (circa 2000). I think the truly talentless filmmakers have turned to the internet and don?t bother with festivals ??which is fine by me.
SV: How many films will you be featuring? On how many nights?
RM: We are still finalizing the list, but right now we have 17 Features, not including Docs.? I think we?re considering four feature docs this year. I don?t know how many shorts; it usually comes in around a hundred.
We run May 31st ? June 6th at the Chinese Theatres. I think we?re in Theatre 6 inside the Hollywood & Highland complex, so make sure you seek us out.
SV: How did you select your films for this year?
RM: Read my blog [http://rsmellette.blogspot.com]!? I get into great detail of the behind-the-scenes working of how we select the movies we do, as well as the types of films we?re seeing in submissions. I highly recommend filmmakers read all the posts BEFORE they make their movie.
SV: What?s your favorite part of doing this event?
RM: Giving my fellow filmmakers that stamp of approval. It?s so nice to be able to tell a fellow artist, ?Hey, you?re not crazy. You?re good at this. Keep going.?
?SV: Any new notable alumni we should be aware of?
?RM: You know, it?s getting hard to keep up. We had the film One Day Like Rain in 2007 that starred Jesse Eisenberg. Last year, we had two movies starring Rachel Boston. What? Haven?t heard of her? You will.
We premiered Easter before Mark Olsen and Will Scheffier sold Big Love to HBO.? My friend and producer, Hilton Smith, went on to UPM/produce on Deadwood, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Hung, and more.? And countless editors, TV directors, etc. For those who really understand the entertainment industry, ?notable? really means ?employed.?
SV: Why should emerging filmmakers keep trying?
?RM: Well, if they suck, maybe they shouldn?t. (Laughs). I remember being into anthropology back in the 1970s. Yeah?I?m old. Back then, scientists were struggling with the question of what separates human beings from the rest of the animal kingdom. They said we?re the only animals who make tools, but lo and behold, chimpanzees use sticks to get termites out of trees to eat.? They said it was our opposing thumb, but?really? Come on, most primates have nearly opposing thumbs.
Silly scientists. They?d sit in labs and classrooms all day considering this, then complain that their spouse was dragging them out to a play, or a dance concert, or a gallery opening that night so they wouldn?t be able to ponder what separates us from the animals.
Point being, we make films because we have stories to tell.? We have to tell stories the same way dogs have to chase squirrels.? We?re human.? It?s what we do.
?SV: Single piece of advice for an emerging filmmaker?
?RM: Besides Garry Marshall?s ?Tell me a story??
Short filmmakers ? cut your movie in half.? Feature filmmakers ? move the camera with majesty. Show us how good you are, not how good you are at looking like you?re not good at all.
?SV: Are you doing the 2-Minute, 2-Step this year?
?RM: Absolutely ? and Canon has some new toys to play with ? so it should be fun!
For those that don?t know, the 2-Minute, 2-Step is a six-year-old competition where we give filmmakers four hours to shoot and edit a two-minute-or-less movie that screens the next night before one of the features. Canon has been a partner on this project since year one. When we started, the A-1 was the cutting edge camera of choice. When Canon introduced the 5D Mark II, we had to explain to filmmakers how to use it. The next year, they all wanted to shoot on their own 5Ds. This year, we?ll have the EOS C300 to play with.
And the winner of the competition walks away with a really nice camera; don?t know which one yet.
If you want to enter, go to our website www.danceswithfilms.com, click on TWO-STEP, and submit a script.
?SV: We figure it?s not because of the huge paycheck?so why do you do the event?
?RM: Because I suck at chasing squirrels.
?For more information on this year?s Dances With Films film festival (May 31?June 7, 2012), please visit http://danceswithfilms.com. If you?re in the Los Angeles area, you can also purchase tickets at the Hollywood Chinese Theater box office.
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