I am often asked when I am going to make my next climbing film or why I haven’t released anymore climbing film or why I don’t enter one of the short films I have made to film festivals. The short answer is I am miserable so and so, and simply can’t be bothered anymore. The longer answer revolves around my dislike of film festivals.
Now this statement needs clarifying, as if you ever attend a Film Festival as a viewer they are great. However as a film-maker who puts weeks and months worth of effort into making a film, and no matter how good or bad that film is, all you are often offered is a ticket to the event. No hotel room, no travelling expenses, very little that makes you think that the film festival is actually saying thanks for the content. I have even had to pay BANFF for my film not to be shown there, and year on year they still send me a request for cash (I mean content)!
Now whilst a large production house might be able to afford sending a representative to a festival. Small independents film makers who lets face it make up the majority of climbing films, don’t have large budgets. If you look at Commited, Onsight, or Echo Wall, they probably had a production budget of less than it cost for Touching the Void producers to buy the rights for Boney M’s ‘Brown Girl in the Ring’.
Yet these independents are knocking out really good stufff, showing great innovation. Dave Brown from hot aches, manufactured his own boom cam. Paul Higginson, has his own dolly jig that he films some great climbing action, as well as landscapes. You will probably find that the travel expenses are the biggest financial outlay for adventure film-makers, after they have fork out for a high def camera and Editing Suite.
The financial reward for making films isn’t that great, like most things in our industry it is only the fact that those involved are in it for the love of the sport that keeps them in it, and knocking out passionate films. If I make a video now its simply for fun.