I know a lot of great independent film makers; many who specialize in LGBT films. Most of you who will come across this really have no idea just how difficult it is to get an LGBT film produced. There was a time when I didn't know either, but I've learned a lot over the years.
There isn't anyone waving a magic wand and POOF, suddenly a movie appears out of thin air. There is no shortage of great film ideas, scripts and talent... what there is a shortage of is MONEY. Evil, evil money.
Major movie studios with billions of dollars rarely invest in LGBT themed films... and that is a shame. So, anyone wanting to produce an LGBT themed film must find the financing on their own, which is why the majority of LGBT films are independents.
I personally have never heard of any rich people fully financing anybody's independent films. Wouldn't that be great if that happened?
These days the most common way film makers try to raise the funds they need is through the crowd funding websites like Indiegogo, Kickstarter and GoFundMe. Most will be seeking less than $50,000 which is a very low budget in the film world, and of those, most won't even come close to hitting that goal because trying to get people to donate is like kicking a dead horse. The film maker will either have to scrap their film or try and produce it on the tiny amount of money the do get which makes for a lower quality production.
Yet, people bitch and complain that there aren't enough good LGBT movies.
For those lucky enough to produce a film on the small amount of money they get, even though their stories are fantastic, they then have to endure the negative comments and reviews on platforms like Amazon or Netflix, etc., bitching about the low quality.
Bitch bitch bitch... all we ever do is bitch... but rarely does anybody step up to help.
I'm connected to all of the film makers I know on one social media platform or another. Most of them have thousands of "friends" or "followers". Every time the film makers try to raise funds, if each of those people donated between $10 and $20, their production goals would be met and the films would be a much higher quality. But, again, kicking a dead horse.
What it boils down to is, we can't have it both ways.
We can't expect film makers to just magically pull high quality films out of their butts. Film production is not cheap; the cast and crew, locations, permits, wardrobe, props, hair and makeup, craft services (food), editing, sound, lighting, color correction, music etc.
The majority of film makers are not millionaires and depend on the support of donations, sponsors or major investors to do what they do... and all of that is difficult to come by. Many film makers go into major debt trying to produce their projects.
So, the next time you see a film maker trying to raise money for a project, make a donation... no matter how big or small... every dollar counts in independent film making. If you don't have the money to make a donation, then share the link to their crowd funding page on your social media and ask your "friends" and "followers" to donate. Do something!
Also, the next time you feel the need to shred an LGBT film, or any independent film for that matter, in an online review, try to be a little more compassionate and keep in mind what the film maker had to go through in order to get that film made. In other words, try and be nice.
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