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Eileen Douglas |
I did not begin my career as a filmmaker. Perhaps you
did not either.
I came from broadcast journalism.
First there were short pieces for radio, where we were prized for
getting the story quickly and telling it in 40 seconds. 60 seconds if
you had a sound cut. Then there were the television news pieces that
had to run 2 and a half minutes or less, followed, when I worked for a
television magazine show, by the pieces you could take a month to get
and could tell in a whopping 14 minutes.
When I turned from broadcast news to documentaries, all the talents
and skills for story telling were the same. Now, however, there was a
year to take to make the piece and at least an hour of time to tell
the story. Very satisfying.
But it was a huge transition. Not because making the film was so
changed from what I’d always done.
Mainly because the way of doing business was completely different.
No longer an employee of a major news organization told what story to
do, now you had the freedom to do whatever story flipped your Bic, but
for every idea that struck your fancy you also had to find the money.
Who were the greenlighters? Unless you yourself are a rich man or a
rich man’s wife, son or daughter, where do you get the grants, or the
cable television commissions? Who do you have to know? Where do you
find a distributor? How do you get to meet whoever you need to meet?
For that reason, in the beginning, I joined many a film world
networking organization -- IFP, AIVF, IDA, NYWIFT -- and went to many
a panel discussion, sitting in the audience, picking up tips. If I had
a nickel for every time a development executive, foundation grantor
rep, or other greenlighter said from the stage, “What we want is for
you to bring us your passion.” I would probably have the money now to
make three new films.
At first, I accepted what they said. But now I want to say one word.
“Rubbish.”
Their point seems to be, if you, the filmmaker, bring us a project and
we say “no” … please don’t move on to pitch us 10 more things on your
list. After all, how could any of them be special or worth our time if
you have so many ideas. Bring us your passion, that one special piece
you really, really care about, because we know from experience that
the piece you, the filmmaker, feel passionate about is the one that
will be magic. If you care equally for the remaining 10 on your list,
how could any of them be unique or vested with the energy needed?
Sounds fair.
Lately it hits me, however. I just don’t buy this. Maybe what they say
is true for artistes. The mythic filmmaker. But not for someone who
comes from journalism.
Were I to go to another one of these sessions -- which I have no
intention of doing ever again -- I would stand up in the audience and
tell them – with all due respect -- you may know how you like to
receive a filmmaker, but I think you’re missing the boat. Certainly,
you don’t know me, my mind, or the minds of others who function as I
do. Certainly not those who come from news … where I find many things
interesting. Where I find life, in all the myriad ways it spills out
into stories, endlessly engaging and intriguing.
Were I in my 30 years as a broadcaster, covering as many as 5 or 6
stories a day, every day, day in and day out, to say -- I will only
cover my passion today, I would never have lasted one day on the job.
Bank robbery, one minute. City Hall news conference, the next. Car
crash on the highway. Visit by the Pope. Some are more exciting than
others, but ALL engage. As a storyteller, filled with curiosity, about
the world and how it works, when wearing my journalist’s hat, I found
nearly all of them made me delighted to get up in the morning so I
could use my story gathering/story telling skills. And even the ones I
might have found less interesting, I can assure you, I did a damn good
job with. No one in the audience would know, this one she liked, she
had a passion for -- and this one she didn’t.
So now that I find myself a filmmaker -- I am still intrigued by
ideas. I still love a great story and find there are SO MANY to tell.
Time after time I come across something and say to myself, “Now that’s
a great story!” Stories I can just see full-blown before me, making a
marvelous film. A whole long list of them.
I’m not even talking about the time I might, in fact, bring you my
Passion Project, and if it isn’t YOUR passion, you turn it down. Okay.
It doesn’t work for you. For a million possible reasons. So now my
foot’s in the door -- hard enough to do in itself -- and I have 10
other ideas, ideas that I could make extraordinarily well, if only
you’ll give me, lets be honest, the money. Am I not supposed to pitch
them to you?
I have, in fact, been in meetings where we’ve come with a dozen ideas.
The first 11 went nowhere, and only at the last minute, did idea
number 12 ring a bell with the person we were pitching. It may, since
it was number 12, in fact, have been the one I myself was least
passionate about. But, believe me, if you fund it, I will be excited
to work on it, and I will deliver to you as good as you can get.
Happily, following this time of transition, I have made finished
films. We do have a distributor. Our documentaries have played on
television, public television included. One of them airs regularly on
the Documentary Channel. But when I think of how many more of the
ideas we have developed and find sitting in our files could have been
made if, in the film world, we could work at the same level of
effective use of our talents as we did when the outlet -- your
employer, a major broadcast entity -- was assured, I do find it a
frustration.
My passion is to work. To be curious. To shine a light. To bring a
story to life. To show people something they may not already know.
That’s what I would say.
If they would hear me.
For them to hear me … that would be my passion.
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Eileen Douglas is a broadcast journalist-turned-independent
documentary filmmaker. Former 1010 WINS New York anchor/reporter and
correspondent for ABC TV's "Lifetime Magazine," she is the author of
"Rachel and the Upside Down Heart," and co-producer of the films "My
Grandfather's House" and "Luboml: My Heart Remembers." She can be
reached at
www.douglas-steinman.com.
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