This is the logical followup to my last post, Filmmaking Doesn’t Have to Be a Business, in which I argued that while filmmaking has largely been treated as a business since the medium first came into existence, we’re now at a point where people who aren’t inclined to treat it that way don’t have to.

You see, when you take business out of the equation of filmmaking (at least out of the equation of making personal films that you actually care about), you’re free to treat film as a purely expressive medium. And what you choose to express is entirely up to you.

So in this piece, I’m going to argue that we should treat cinema as more than just another form of mindless escapism, akin to chintzy reality television shows and list-articles (listicles) about cats who’ve been photoshopped to look like Nicholas Cage.

I’m going to argue that film can be an intensely-personal form of art, and that you’re capable of infusing the stories you tell with a greater sense of purpose. I’m then going to argue that taking that approach is beneficial not only for you, but also for the people who consume your work.

Of course, despite all of this talk of personal art, you will likely still need a dedicated team of collaborators to help you bring it all to life. But still, it all starts with digging deep, finding what fuels you, then channeling whatever that is into the medium of film.

Just like the previous article about film not having to be a business, this one is a bit lengthy and detailed, and it contains its fair share of philosophical pondering about the nature of making meaningful art. So get up and go to the bathroom if need be. Maybe grab a snack. I suggest a banana.

Once you're ready, let’s dive down the rabbit hole again, shall we?

What it means to make films that matter

In theory, making films that matter is a beautiful, simple idea. We should make films that express our deepest-held beliefs and then hope that those films influence the world in some positive way. Seems perfectly straightforward, right?