“The democratization of filmmaking is happening.” Jason Reitman

Well known filmmaker Jason Reitman recently gave a podcast interview for Recode. The interview is quite long, but there’s some interesting nuggets on the current state and future of cinema.

Jason Reitman is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for directing the films Thank You for Smoking (2005), Juno (2007), Up in the Air (2009), and Young Adult (2011). He has received one Grammy Award and four Academy Award nominations, two of which are for Best Director.

Most recently he produced & directed Tully – starring Charlize Theron and Mark Duplass – and Front Runner – starring Hugh Jackman and Vera Farmiga. The man has credits. ’nuff said.

“The democratization of filmmaking is happening.” Jason Reitman

Recode: Have you thought about … I’m sure you have. What is your thought about making a Netflix movie or an Amazon movie?

Reitman: It’s an inevitable part of the journey now, right? And I’m sure if I was growing up right now, I wouldn’t think twice about it. I’d be like, “Yeah, I watch everything on Netflix. Why would I care?”

I’m in love with the movie theater process of going to see movies, in the dark, with a group. A collective audience, I think that’s really important. Laughing with strangers, crying with strangers is really important. I’m really grateful for film festivals because of that, as the movie theater experience changes.

But look, your business, my business. It’s all changing. Where we consume media has changed.

“That’s millions of people who are otherwise never going to see it.”

Recode: So you think inevitably that one of your films is going to be on Netflix or on Amazon or on Apple, and it’s just going to happen. And you were going to just sort of suck it up?

Reitman: Look, you want people to see the movies. And look, I’ve had friends who’ve directed movies that go straight to Netflix and everyone sees them. If you’re up on the front screen on Netflix for a week, forget about it. That’s millions of people who are otherwise never going to see it.

“Sean Baker made one of the best films of the year that came out. And it was all on an iPhone.”

Recode: Let’s say you’re making … you want to get into the movie business today… What are you doing? Are you making movies on your phone? Are you not making movies? Are you saying movies are an outdated form and we’re going to make TV?

Reitman: No, no, no. Definitely not an outdated form. I think, look, this is the exciting thing about right now. The democratization of filmmaking is happening. When I started, you needed to buy film, you needed to rent a film camera and get the insurance that went along with that, you need to process this film and get it somehow inside an Avid or, if you were older than me, cut negative.

Now, look, Sean Baker made “Tangerine” on an iPhone. Sean Baker made one of the best films of the year that came out. And it was all on an iPhone. If you have a phone, which is most people … I’m presuming that you can get a phone.

Recode: Yep.

Reitman: All right? Let’s start with that barrier to entry. It’s got to have a good enough camera to shoot something. You can download all kinds of software to edit, most of it free. And you can distribute through YouTube or whatever you like. And you can reach millions of people. You have a kind of a group of filmmakers who are learning to edit.

You look at the kind of hypercutting of young editors on YouTube, and it kind of blows you away.

Recode: And you think that’s directly the result of technology. That’s not having the ability to get the stuff. It’s the ability to experiment.

Reitman: Oh, sure. Think about it. The old way was, you play a concert the day you learn guitar, right? And your first time you ever play out, of course you don’t know how to play guitar. You literally just picked up the instrument.

Now, you have … Think about how young people know their angles and the use of light, and the use of lens. You see people take selfies, and they’re raising the camera, because they understand what it does to their face. All these ideas of lensing and camera work are things that are just inherent to a generation.

“Our attention span is shrinking.”

Recode: And you would pick up your phone, and you still think you’re making a 90-minute movie, because that’s the form you like, and that makes sense to you?

Reitman: Duration is obviously a really interesting question. Our attention span is shrinking, and yet we are in love with these kind of eight-hour pieces, these, what used to be called miniseries, but I don’t even know what the modern name is for it. That’s only interesting. That’s what compels me. Narrative is flexible, and that we’re ready to consume all kinds of stuff.

You can listen to the entire 36 minute podcast here:

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