Here's an interesting article on DIY Filmmaking from IndieWire.
Part of the reason people pick up a paint brush and put it to canvas is because they can't find a compelling reason not to. In that same vein, picking up a camera and making a film follows those same principles. "What kind of story do I have that's interesting to tell?" "What crazy idea that I was thinking about the other day would make an interesting short film?" "I've always wanted to show this story, to tell my story, and I think it would make a great film."
We've all thought the same thoughts, but today people can actually put what's in their head onto canvas, or onto another medium. And further they can craft it into a story with a beginning, middle and an end, with a few twists thrown in along the way. The same rules of story telling apply to documentaries, or any story that is begging to be told. What's the ending? What's the event that turned our main character into something else? Once I've set up the premise of this story, how can I further explore that premise through focusing on that sentiment or reality? And who "saves the cat?"
It's just a matter of turning the dang camera on. Or in the case of a film at Sundance this past year, turning on their iphone 6.
There's no reason you can't tell your story. Get to work! (And then send it out into the planet so we can all share in that vision, and honor it with accolades)
Why You Should Make a DIY Film That Matters
By Andy Siege | IndiewireFebruary 14, 2015 at 9:30AM
Think you can't make a movie? Think again.
Palm Springs Film Festival"Beti and Amare"
We live in amazing times. For the first time in history, making a movie has become accessible to everyone. In the digital age, low-end professional cameras are as affordable as used cars. Literally, anyone can pick up a camera and shoot a movie, no matter what your background or circumstances. If you want to make a DIY feature like my debut film "Beti and Amare," you can give it your best shot.
It is now up to the artist to decide which films get made and how they get made. Clarity of vision is easier to achieve than ever. I wrote, directed, shot, acted in and edited my movie. As a result, I had a much higher level of control over my work than most filmmakers throughout history.
With more and more people making films this way, filmmaking has become more of a meritocracy. DIY Filmmaking seems like a natural evolution of the art of filmmaking. The more varied the voices added to the mix, the richer the language of film will become. That's why I made sure that my first film would be about issues that represent my unique perspective on life, society and history.
Andreas Siege"Beti and Amare"
Why did I do this? Because I can. If you don't have to answer to anyone, you might as well try to create something that doesn't exist yet.
My debut feature is as unique as I am. I am multi-cultural and multi-racial and so is my film. I am part Jewish, part Muslim and part Christian. I am part Persian, part Czech and part German. To confuse things further, I was born and raised in Africa. "Beti and Amare" is a blend of Western sci-fi, global spirituality and the African folklore that I grew up with. It is about a young Ethiopian girl who befriends an alien, who protects her from violence, and whom she protects in turn.
"If you don't have to answer to anyone, you might as well try to create something that doesn't exist yet." - Andreas Siege
"Beti and Amare" is also about my biggest fear… what can happen when we use our differences as an excuse to hurt each other.By telling my film from my unique perspective, I hope that I have created something that has the ability to heal wounds.
Why did I do this? Because I can. If you don't have to answer to anyone, you might as well try to make the world a better place.
I was 25 years old when I realized that my lifelong dream of becoming a filmmaker was actually attainable. I could simply buy a camera and make a movie. I quit the MBA program that I was enrolled in and got my money back.
A year and a half later, I was in Ethiopia making what was to become my debut DIY feature film. Shooting "Beti and Amare" was an incredible experience. What made it even more amazing was knowing that I was doing something that hadn't been done before… something that could possibly make the world a better place.
Towards the end of "Beti and Amare," there is a scene in which a soldier, after having violently assaulted my main character, Beti, gets his throat ripped out by a heroic alien. I play the Italian soldier in the film. That day I didn't have any crew on set. So I placed my little digital camera on a tripod. I found my frame with Beti and the alien in it. I pressed the record button and yelled: "Rolling… First positions." walked to my mark. "And Action."
Andy Siege (Born Andreas Madjid Siege) is an award-winning DIY director. Born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985 as the son of German aid workers, he spent his childhood in Africa and Europe. Siege has a Bachelors degree in Creative Writing and a Masters degree in Political Science. His debut feature film "Beti and Amare" (2014), which he directed, wrote, shot, edited and acted in, was made with a 14,000 euro budget. The first Ethiopian sci-fi feature, the DIY film has already inspired various other filmmakers to try their hand at making their own sci-fi films set in Ethiopia. It has been nominated for the Golden St. George Award at the 36th Moscow International Film Festival and has been featured in the Official Selection of prestigious film festivals around the world, including the BFI London Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, the Montreal World Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. It won the River Admiration Award at the Silent River Film Festival and has been nominated for more awards. It will be screening at various upcoming festivals in the coming months.
