ABSTRACT
A film is, without doubt, a work of art. But unlike a novelist, or a painter, who can work alone, a film is a massive undertaking requiring a sizeable team and high-tech equipment. It could be one person’s vision, but it requires the participation of many artists. The realization inspired what turned out to be a multi-year tangent where the author spent most of my time interviewing industry professionals about the financial fate of films. Often the conversation was about why small films lose money and what smart people are doing to make sure it does not happen to them. Making art for a living has never been easy and the new dynamics of the film world – streaming, piracy, video-on-demand, etc. – has made it even trickier.
