Successful Filmmaking Is (Not) Always About Selling

Ever wonder how the next guy gets that writing or directing gig when you're pretty sure you have more talent? We all do. Of course, many of us are deluded about our own talents (studies repeatedly demonstrate that most humans tend to rank themselves as being smarter and better-looking than average, when this clearly cannot be the case). But hey, being deluded can also be a tremendous boon to a filmmaker's career, and that's because humans also have a tendency to "believe the hype" even when it's your own hype. So if indeed you are more talented than the gal who gets the gig over you, that's probably because she's a better salesperson. And if you really do have more talent, but you can't convince anyone besides Dad and Auntie Betty of this fact, then I hate to break it to you but you're a terrible salesperson. And in film, as in life, sales is everything. Your career is doomed. Or is it...

Indeed, many of the most successful individuals in the film industry are consummate salesmen. The ironic twist of fate lies in the fact that many of the most original artists are terrible salesmen. They live in isolation, noodling away at their scripts and books and paintings, lacking the necessary guts and gumption to get out there and sell so as to generate some "buzz" for their work. And make no mistake, a person is rarely hired for a filmmaking gig based on a single executive's insightful assessment of that person's innate talents. Fact is most executives aren't going to go out on a limb to hire you based solely on their own solitary judgment of your craft and creativity. The default position for most executives is to rely on "buzz," because humans also tend to buy the notion that when a lot of other people believe something, it must somehow be more likely to be true: the executive simply relies on the opinion of a bunch of other people, who each is in turn also relying on the opinion of a bunch of other people, and that is the magic of "buzz." (A lot of folks tell me that they lean towards a belief in the Bible simply because so many others believe in it too and how could so many people possibly be wrong? I ask them to keep in mind that the entire human poplulation once believed the Earth was flat, but alas, such is a debate for a blog other than this one).

And so what is the artist born without the salesman's gene to do? I'm one of those artists--I hate selling, and I especially hate selling myself. I've scratched my head over it, witnessing my own career take unpredictable twists and turns that seem entirely unrelated to my abilities. But a recent turn of events reminded me of the artist's trump card: talent does tend to rise to the top. But here comes the hard part. As a non-salesperson, you're going to have to put in more hours and take more initiative, because you have to be a "do-er" not a "talker." That means getting out there and making that short film or even that feature without the blessing of any executive. And the simple beauty of the digital revolution is that now you can! Remember that no matter how talented you may be, you'll rise absolutely nowhere if you only think about that movie you want to make and don't do anything about it. Once in a while, the other guy, the salesman, will walk out of a meeting with a deal for his first feature having no prior experience except a mediocre student film. He's a good-- No, he's a great talker. And you're not. Get over it. Because there's one sure-fire way to create buzz without selling, and that's to make a good film. Believe me, there are quirky, shy artists out there who make a lot of money in Hollywood based on the fact that they deliver. The "buzz" has been generated not out of savvy salesmanship, but out of the art the filmmaker has created and that art speaks for itself.

So you non-salespeople, do what I did. Make your film. And in case you're as bad at sales as I am, so bad that you can't even talk anyone other than your boyfriend into working on your film along with you, don't despair--you can do more on your own than you realize. Try checking out this great new guide to low-budget filmmaking (I know there are so many books like this, but this one really is worth it): DV Rebel's Guide. To get a sampling of what's inside, wander on over to The Long Tail.