Is this really the best way to overcome unemployment?
Posted by Edward J Delaney on December 30, 2009 · Leave a Comment
CBS News has a piece on Erik Proulx, an ad executive who, after getting laid off, decided to “drain his savings” to make a documentary film about being laid off.
The film is called “Lemonade.”
The good news is CBS News is mentioning it. But, as the economy of both filmmaking and information changes, is this really a good idea?
In the last five years, the cost of filmmaking has dropped to the point that it is now a crowded field. Lots of product, with only a fraction making it to where the filmmakers can make a profit.
On the other side, these films go into an economy in which, as Wired Editor Chris Anderson has said, “Information wants to be free.”
The CBS piece says,
Proulx said he was, “robbing Peter to pay Paul. Debt on top of debt is not something that’s easy to crawl out of.”
“There’s a reality to losing your job that’s quite frightening,” (CBS Correspondent Seth) Doane said.
“Absolutely,” Proulx replied.
So he’s living on faith that “Lemonade” will make it big, land a distribution deal and make money. Meanwhile he and the others in the film feel lucky exploring new dreams. Some are painting full time, or opening yoga studios.
The new economy for filmmakers may be much the same as for journalists and ad executives, all members of an information industry. While people still pay for food and clothing, the notion that information should not be something to be paid for is a given to many, especially younger audinece who are more than used to having iPods loaded with songs they never paid for.
The new economy for filmmakers may be much like that for musicians, giving away the product and making money on product-friven events: Concerts, concert T-shirts, and the like.
It may also involve finding other ways to use the same skills: Doing corporate videos, say (even though corporations are now getting hip to the idea that you don’t need to pay $10k for a 10-minute video for your shareholder meetings).
It’s a question being asked in many places. (Such as here and here and here.)
For Proulx and most of us, it’s not a living, but rather the capstone to a living made by other, or often a multitude of means.