I suppose I could file this post under “filmmakers you probably haven’t heard of.”
In 1990 the filmmaker Jon Jost made the feature film, ALL THE VERMEERS IN NEW YORK. I saw that film when it came out, loved it, and ended up writing my Master’s Thesis on Jost. Apart from several short films this was his eleventh feature. He made it for around $250K (getting $240K from American Playhouse). This budget was substantially more than the combined budgets of all his previous films and, consequently, he decided to shoot on 35mm for the first time. He is now 82 years old and still making films with 67 titles to his name. I’m not sure if he’s ever had another budget that “big.” He was and remains one of the ultimate independent micro-budget filmmakers but remains largely unknown.
Why do I bring up Jon Jost. For me he’s an example of “where there’s a will there’s a way.” Filmmaking is in his soul and he makes films because that’s who he is. No budget, no problem. Find a way to make it anyway. Stay true to your personal vision and fight for it. If you’re struggling to find the means to make your film, know that others have come before you and have found a way. You can too.
The following is a quote from Jost recalling how he raised the money for ALL THE VERMEERS IN NEW YORK:
“While in New York I did very casually probe the business side of the film world, to be told that I had not a chance in the world there, and I should not even try. Jim Stark, whom I’d known a while—he was Jim Jarmusch’s first producer—told me I would be wasting my time to even ask of American Playhouse, which was one of the few viable options at the time. The advice was well-intended, and probably accurate as AP had a well-known record and in it was that it was rather literary and script-driven in its output.
Despite this advice I did, though, write to Lindsay Law at AP, and after a rebuff or two, having made very clear that I was interested in improvising, had no script, and so on, I got an appointment. Lindsay and I talked for 30 minutes, had a beer, and agreed to meet again. We did, and another 30 minutes and another beer later, we had a deal—no script, just a vague ‘It’ll be about the stock market, the arts world, and New York, and Vermeer.’ $240,000 which was their bottom of the barrel, lowest conceivable.”
(Read the article: https://www.eyefilm.nl/en/magazine/jon-jost-on-all-the-vermeers-in-new-y...)
2 people like this
Thanks for posting this, Tucker Teague. It's a reminder that a filmmaker doesn't always need a million dollars or millions to make a film. And it's a reminder that screenwriters don't always have to write bigger budget stories. Micro-budget is the way to go a lot of times, especially in the indie world. I'll have to check out Jon's films.
4 people like this
Thank you for this inspiring write-up. I was once told, 'If you don't want to do something, you'll find every reason not to do it. But if you want to do something, you'll find every reason to do it.' While others struggle with funding to produce films, in my country, we face a different challenge - introducing the concept of scriptwriting as a viable career path. Despite the odds, we're driven by determination and the belief that where there's a will, there's a way. Thank you for illuminating my path, Tucker.