The Story Behind “My Filmography”
One of the stranger episodes of Movie Monkey that I’ve made had to be “My Filmography”, where the Movie Monkey has a surreal conversation with his maker.
I’ll admit it was pretty out there, though to be fair “out there” is pretty par for course for a Movie Monkey episode. But maybe a little explanation might help. In 2005 the Kansas Film Commission was having a summit at the Lawrence Arts Center, which is around the block from my house. At this time I was just getting started working on the Movie Monkey and I thought it would be a good way to network with other filmmakers.
One reason I never made it as a filmmaker, besides the fact that I’m not an asshole, is my cynical nature. To make it through finding money, production, post production, and distribution, you have to believe that your film will change the world. I, on the other hand, said “wow, nothing I make will ever make a difference” and got a job instead.
So this summit was something of a culture clash. I would be talking to people between sessions, and the conversations would usually go something like this
“So what are you working on?”
“Well, I have a job.”
“On a Movie?”
“No, just the regular type”.
At this point I would notice their eyes move past me, as if to say this guy can do nothing for me. I must find someone important. After a while, I started to realize these people think the most important thing in life is making movies – above religion, above politics, above family. Is your worth as a person really defined by your filmography? The more I thought about it, the more I could see where it comes from. If you read trade magazines you get drilled into your head that “you are only as good as your last picture.” Combine this with the dream and passions of an independent filmmaker, and you have a weird new religion.
So thats what the episode is about – the church of Entertainment Weekly. To anyone who is a member – filmmakers in particular – might I suggest that there is much more out there than making movies and the business of making movies. Like watching videos on the web deconstructing movies.
Tags: filmmakers, filmmaking, filmography, Movie Monkey