"Winning" and "losing" in the arts/creative fields

If only it was as simple as sports to determine

I’ve been playing basketball pretty much everyday for the past three or four years now- one of the friends I made on the court recommended I watch “The last dance” a year or so ago- I finally was able to watch it this past week.

It was a really well done and compelling documentary- but what stuck out to me the most was Michael Jordan’s winning mentality- how he was and how he interacted with his teammates and the people around him-

So I started thinking about “winners” and “losers” and “winning” and “losing” in the field/s I’m in-

Let’s say filmmaking as a filmmaker-

Now in sports like basketball the winners and losers are very clear- the winners win the game- they win the championships etc- its VERY clear cut- they compete directly against the other team and score more points then the other team by the time- the time runs out.

So in filmmaking- who “wins” and who “loses”? How do you win and lose? How do you “score points” if that is possible?

In in U.S. in my experience- the “winners” and “losers” in filmmaking as it is perceived by most is closely tied to money, fame, and awards.

Whenever I meet an American and they learn I make films they ask “Have you made anything I’ve heard of?” I say “No” then they look away disappointed as they probably hoped they would have a brush with “fame”

Money, fame, awards in filmmaking.

All three of those things are gate kept by small groups of people btw-

Again the beauty of sporting competition is- once the game starts- it doesn’t matter who any player knows, who their agent is, what award they might win etc if they beat the other team in the game they win- if they don’t they lose.

The media could put out story after story about how nice or how great of a person some player is but if they don’t perform and win the game they lost- they are the loser.

So the “winning” filmmakers get wide releases- win academy awards- get tons of publicity and big budgets for their films lets say-

The “losers” would get limited to no releases, win no awards, get no publicity and have low/no budgets in their films yeah?

By this definition I am a loser 😀 More on that later-

There are things in life you have no control over- one is other people and what they think of you.

In “professional” filmmaking in the U.S. “winning” or “losing” in filmmaking as we’re discussing it here entirely depends on what other people think of you.

I’m not going to get lost in the weeds about the small groups of people that control who wins and loses in the U.S. when it comes to filmmaking but Harvey Weinstein used to be one of those people.

*When my 2007 film We are the Strange was at the Sundance film festival I was told by my sales agent that I needed to provide an advance copy to “Harvey” as he “gets to screen all the films before the fest” I was told- the film wasn’t finished until 2 days before the premiere so Harvey didn’t get to see it

So in this game- it doesn’t matter how you perform- how fast- how slow- how original or not your ideas are etc- winning and losing depends entirely on what some small group of people thinks about you-

In the end the small group seeks to use you in its system to generate revenue and expand its power/influence base.

They’ll talk about the “art and craft” of filmmaking but its all bullshit and blather- its all about money, influence and ultimately power for them.

Be a good boy- become a slave to a talent agency etc and you’ll get a pat on the head- you’ll be rewarded by being let through the gate into the garden- you can only stay in the garden if you’re a good boy though- once in the garden you can eat the delicious (but secretly poison food)- they’ll let you copulate with beautiful people as long as you’re good- they’ll give you attention- more attention than you could ever want…. they’ll give you trophies and awards than represent how good of a boy this small group of people think you are- they’ll give you $ and access to five star resorts etc- the life “you” always wanted?

🤣

In my experience as an American in the U.S.- as a filmmaker and creator I always felt like an alien because the goals I had- the ideals I had were completely different from everyone else I met in the space of filmmaking-

They were doing it for the attention- the fame- the money-

I was doing it for the love of the art and craft and the desire for cinematic self expression and to make things that other broken people could relate to and maybe help them in some way. If I could make a living at it that would have been amazing but I was just so happy and excited to be able to do it at all (make my own films my way)

In my brief time interacting with the professional film industry in the U.S. I had my “chance” to prove I was a good boy- to do what I was told so maybe they would eventually pat me on the head and let me into the garden-

I was told by those people I would never amount to anything if I didn’t do what they said- they offered trivial amounts of money at the time and promised future pats on the head- friends of friends and even some of my family told me I was “stupid” for not being a good boy, taking their money and playing the game in hopes of being let into their garden-

BUT all those people couldn’t see far enough into the potential future- they were playing a short game- I’ve always been playing a long game-

I’ve just always held my convictions- never wavered- never compromised- and always worked for what I perceived as good for other people with my major works-

So I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw this headline recently-

🤣

No joke- 17 years ago in a meeting where 6 Hollywood types told me I had no future if I didn’t do what they said- they were trying to bully me into signing their shitty good boy deal of servitude to them and their system- I said no and didn’t waver- they told me they couldn’t see a future for my work- I told them I would find a way-

Now them dudes whole industry is dead and my little studio is still going strong maaaaaan- making our first musical feature rn and shit is 🔥

Now back to “winning” or “losing” in the arts/creative fields

In these fields these things should be defined by the ability to complete your projects and realize your ideas within reasonable time frames- if you complete your projects you are a “winner” if you don’t complete them you are a “loser”

Its as simple as that as what these small groups of people think of us is a ridiculous game we should never try to play- we must define winning and losing in terms that doesn’t require fellating powerful men literally or metaphorically-

In a basketball game as a player all that matters is that you score more points than the other team- nothing and no one else matters but the game and the players-

The game is your project being completed or not- the players are your tools- all that matters is that you use your tools to complete the project to WIN.

Back when I had my brief encounter with the industry I remember going to these “producer parties”- parties/lunches/dinners where one of more powerful producers would be- I remember one in particular in Austin Texas/SXSW and Michael Eisner was sitting at a table- all the filmmakers like me where taking turns going up to his table and they were acting like peasants kneeling before royalty- it was pathetic- did I do it? FUCK NO-

In the world of the arts- in the realm of creation what do people like Eisner or Weinstein actually do- NOTHING- they are gate keepers- keepers of money and fame- what the fuck is money and fame in the eternal world of the arts? NOTHING- what do people like that have besides- money/power/”influence” in their gardens? They have nothing and are nothing but some pasty geeks in fancy suits.

My peers were fawning over them- sucking up to them hoping they would let them into the garden to get attention/money/sex/power

I looked down at them- these “powerful” men- in the grand scheme of things in the arts who the fuck are they? Who would they be? Forgotten footnotes in history.

When listening to Mozart’s 25th- am I thinking about who his “producer” was? If there was some rich guy that gave him “permission” or funded him whatever do I think about them or care about them when I’m listening to his music? FUCK NO- I’m just like shiiiiiiit this music is amazing Mozart is the best 👍

The other filmmakers were just thinking about now I was thinking about forever-

Where is dignity? Where was these people’s dignity? I guess they never had any.

Whatever meaningless awards I won from film I threw in the trash- they mean nothing- why would I give these trinkets power over me? I won’t. Fuck a trophy- what means much more is a sincere email from someone that was touched by your film.

Fuck the gatekeepers- you’re the best one minute- the next they are trashing/mocking you- fuck them- they are zeroes in the long run and they know it- thats why they grasp their “power” so tightly- they know without the power over the gate they keep they are nothing.

Who do you serve? “Important” people only?

The book “The arts and their mission” by Rudolf Steiner is what got me interested in taking filmmaking seriously- David Lynch films were the ones that made me want to be a director as they were so artistic-

So I came into this thing with a whole different perspective- with different goals and I didn’t let the ugly/twisted/broken “Hollywood” game change me- now “Hollywood” is in its death throes fawning over “Skibidi Toilet” 🤣

I remember I was at a Google event in like 2009 in Hollywood- I was on a panel about Youtube and film/Hollywood or something like that- my stance was that Youtube was the future of filmmaking- the Hollywood people smirked and snickered at my statements and now in 2024…

The Hollywood types are now fawning over Skibidi Toilet a “youtube phenomenon”- in the related articles the soulless Hollywood types now say Youtube is the future of film etc etc- I tried to tell them way back when but they just snickered 🤷‍♂️

They are just soulless creatures seeking “content” to “monetize” chasing “engagement” they know not and mean nothing to the endless waltz of the arts.

Long story short- fuck all the gatekeeping trolls and what they think of you and your work- if you realize your creative ideas and complete them you are a WINNER- if you don’t complete them you fail and are a LOSER- its as simple as that.

So you can stop worrying about how you are going to literally or metaphorically fellate rich/famous/powerful people to climb the ladder and just get your fucking work done breh.

If you are meant to get the things you want and are a good person you will get them. If you are wicked/sell your soul you will end up in your own personal hell anyway no matter how famous you are or how much money you have.

I made this in 2002 on Santa Monica Blvd

Rich/famous or not- you can’t buy true joy or happiness you feel in your soul. You also can’t buy your soul back once you’ve sold it.

So as rich or as poor as your are right now- as famous or as obscure as you are right now- if you feel that joy and happiness in your soul from you’re creations you are winning.

The rest of the “winning” shit- money etc you can figure out- BUT just know if you have that JOY and HAPPINESS from creating you’ve already won by the eternal rules and its the eternal rules that really matter.

The rules of modern man here with fame/awards etc thats all just petty, meaningless tiny human ego driven nonsense. Its a race to nowhere. Once you get there you’ll wonder why you started running that race in the first place.

Making everything stranger-

M.