Marmoset: How was Filmmaker’s Process born?

Robert Hardy: Filmmaker’s Process came out of a couple different factors that all sort of converged in my life at the same time.

Part of it was that I was just sort of dissatisfied with the work I was doing. Sure, I was writing for a living and in a position where I could influence filmmakers with that writing, but I think I blew that opportunity in a lot of ways.

I was writing filmmaking stories at the time that basically pandered to what I thought people wanted to hear instead of saying what I really wanted to say. I was writing lots of gear-based articles, writing about the biggest of Hollywood filmmakers hoping for clicks, and curating YouTube videos and turning them into articles. Basically, I did what was easiest and most likely to be popular instead of actually producing something valuable and original and true to my beliefs about filmmaking.

Another part of it was that I was craving autonomy and independence from any kind of traditional employment. I know it’s super cliché these days, but the allure of starting a business and sustaining myself with more meaningful work was really strong, and still is.

And lastly, I’ve always been way too idealistic for my own good, especially when it comes to art and how powerful a force for good it can be in the world. It might be naive, but I want to perpetuate this idea that it’s admirable to strive to make great art that makes an impact.

So I basically set out to build a site that not only reflects my values and my idealism, but also puts out well-crafted content that is both practical and inspirational. Plus, there’s a good deal of content on the site that focuses on helping filmmakers adapt to the changes that have been happening in indie film for the last 20 years. Unfortunately, this means shedding light on some harsh realities about the industry that a lot of people don’t want to hear, but it’s still an important part of figuring out how to move forward.

Also, somewhere along the way, I added in another focus to what I was doing at Filmmaker’s Process. Instead of just teaching people the processes and mindsets necessary to make films, I started adding in another layer of how to live a good life as a filmmaker.

I’m not exactly sure how that’s going to shake out, because frankly I don’t know yet what it means to live a good life as a filmmaker. But I’m sure as hell going to keep writing about it and digging deeper into that topic because I believe it’s really, really important to start figuring it out.

If you had to choose, what do you think is the single most important thing to know as an indie filmmaker?

Every step of the indie filmmaking process is going to present you with problems and obstacles and setbacks. That’s just how it is with all types of filmmaking because it’s such a complex process.

However, whereas big-budget productions are in a position where they can solve those problems with money, the indie filmmaker has to solve them with creativity, ingenuity and a DIY approach.

That’s easier said than done, of course. Some of the obstacles we encounter in filmmaking can feel insurmountable, especially the ones related to not having enough money to do things the traditional way.

So I think it’s a mindset thing more than anything else. We not only have to learn to embrace the struggle and to be unrelentingly persistent when things don’t go our way, but learn to see obstacles as opportunities to be creative.

It can also be really helpful to take a practice from Stoic philosophy and actively imagine everything on your production going wrong. Then you can solve some of those problems in your head before ever setting foot on set. I know it seems scary and odd, but when you make mental preparations for the worst, nothing can phase you.