Logan Russell's Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Opportunity: Some filmmakers are afraid to work with production houses, such as Disney, Sony, Lionsgate, New Line Cinema, and 21st Century Fox, because they are afraid that their vision will be stifled by executives whose main goal is to make a profit. While this isn't as pervasive as it was in decades past, the surge in popularity in independent filmmaking directly correlates with this trend. I know this especially well: my dad often tells me stories from when he was shooting The Mask in 1994, he had to constantly fight the studio making the movie to keep as much of his vision in tact as possible. My opportunity is that we can train future executives how to find a balance between making their studio profit and allowing creative freedoms to the filmmakers. The who: filmmakers of all kinds. The what: often have the vision of their film altered greatly by studio executives. The why: The studios are hungry for money, and thusly manipulate the movie to where they think it will maximize its profit, often at the expense of the filmmaker's vision.

Hypothesis:
Testing the Who: While this is indeed a very niche opportunity, there are others within the film industry besides filmmakers that suffer from this situation. Screenwriters often have their drafts completely retooled before studios will event consider picking up the script. Actors will often find their choices for the way a role should be performed altered by studios as well in order to create a character that will be more popularly received, more often than not so that they can make a lucrative toy line based on that character.
Testing the What: The major studios have a variety of ways to go about asserting their dominance over the entirety of a project, overshadowing the wills of practically all else involved. They will make threats to blacklist the artist from the industry as a whole, which could make or break the carrier of an up and comer. While the heavy hitters of the industry are untouchable by the major studios, those trying to make a name for themselves have to work with them, and often sacrifice the quality of their work to appeal to the wills of the studio in order to galvanize their Hollywood reputation.
Testing the Why: All the studios want is money and power, and they go about doing this by releasing universally applauded moneymakers. More often than not they will hire directors and writers they know will be malleable to their demands and will produce something that aligns with what the studio thinks will rake in the most cash. Money is what drives the studios to break the will of those who stand in the way of what they think their movie should be like. A great example of this was the Michael Keaton Batman franchise; a third movie was slated to be released, but Warner Bros. thought the last one was too dark, and decided to make the third one more family friendly to sell toys and get family into the seats of movie theaters. The two movies that followed killed the batman franchise for 10 years and are considered some of the worst movies of all time.

Interview #1 Paul Kleist Basically, I interviewed five people I knew were very knowledgeable about the film industry and asked them questions about the relationships between directors and studios. My first interview was with Paul Kleist, a friend of mine and a fellow film aficionado. When I asked him if the major studios have too much power in Hollywood, he answered with a resounding yes, stating that unless it has a studio logo in the opening credits, a movie nowadays will have to fight to earn its budget back. I asked him if he thought that film studios are threatened by independent filmmakers and he said that they should be, as more and more people are becoming aware of the studio's dangerous grip. I lastly offered up my solution and he thought that while it was idealistic, the studios will always go after money and nothing will change that.

Interview #2 Sarah Simmons My second interview was with Sarah Simmons, a childhood friend  who also has a father in the film industry, a cinematographer who found mild success on a steady career. When I asked her if the major studios have too much power in Hollywood, she stated that they did. She recounted a story in which a friend of her fathers had a script he wrote stollen and re-skinned by a major studio and couldn't do anything about it because the legal fees would bankrupt him and negatively impact his reputation. I asked her if she thought that film studios are threatened by independent filmmakers, and she said no. Basically, Sarah found that studios are like steamrollers, flattening any that oppose them. I lastly discussed my opportunity and she found it to be useless, as nothing will topple the film industry studio structure.

Interview #3 George Hollander My third interview was with George Hollander, a member of the film club I was a part of in my high school. His knowledge of cinema history is near encyclopedic so I found his input particularly valuable. When I asked him if the major studios have too much power in Hollywood, he agreed, but not to the extent as anyone else. He argued that the film studios need to be powerful so that the films they produce can reach a national, or even international, audience. If every film was indie, he said, than they would be no different than studio films after a while, as people would rush in to invest and eventually the studio hierarchy would rise again. When I asked if he thought that film studios are threatened by independent filmmakers, he said yes. With the dynamic of the film industry changing as of late, he argued that eventually the scales could tip and indie filmmakers could be the go to source for lucrative work in Hollywood. When I discussed my opportunity with him, he believed that if enough force was behind the idea, it could be totally possible. If enough people demand the studios relinquish creative control back to the filmmakers, it could very well happen.

Interview #4 Lenny Santaniello My fourth interview was with my pal Lenny Santaniello, another childhood friend from Los Angeles, who is currently trying to make it as an actor. I sought him out because his insights would be particularly interesting considering he has greater interaction with the studios that most people I know. When I asked him if the major studios have too much power in Hollywood, he agreed. He said that only the major studios could afford to have auditions as extensive and thorough as they do, which puts independent filmmakers at a disadvantage already. When I asked if he thought that film studios are threatened by independent filmmakers, he thought that they are because now indie filmmakers are becoming known for producing quality work that major studios will have to compete with. When I discussed my opportunity with him, he thought that if done right and with enough manpower behind it that it could be a success and redefine the film industry.

Interview #5 Cassie Powell My final interview was with Cassie Powell, a friend and fellow classmate in my film studies class in high school. When I asked her if the major studios have too much power in Hollywood, she said for a while yes, but that it may be slipping away. Film studios lately have been under much scrutiny lately, she argued, due to recent events such as the MeToo movement and the Weinstein scandal. She thought that at this point no figure in Hollywood, studios included, is immune from being taken down. When I asked if she thought that film studios are threatened by independent filmmakers, she thought so, as again, the changes surrounding Hollywood as of late could create a shift in power that favors independent filmmakers. When I discussed my opportunity with her, she thought that now is the best time to put them into action, as Hollywood is in the process of reinventing itself and this could be the icing on the cake.

Conclusion/Thoughts From my findings in the interviews, I believe that due to Hollywood's current climate, change is especially welcome. The film industry is quickly becoming one of the most inclusive industries in the world, and capitalizing on that by including ways to allow filmmakers to retain their creative visions while working with major film studios seems like a no-brainer. It is a change people want to see, and although it its grand in scope, if Hollywood has taught us anything over the last few months, is that even the tallest giants can fall, and that change is full possible.