ABSTRACT
Given independent cinema's role as a proving ground for directors who often transition to careers in long-form television drama, this chapter interrogates emerging trends in such professional migration. Gregg Araki, US independent cinema provocateur and leading figure the New Queer Cinema movement, provides a case study. Araki's forays into television, both as director-for-hire and showrunner-auteur, generate an analysis of the creative opportunities and constraints offered by indie TV. Firstly, the chapter traces how signature aesthetic and thematic features of Araki's provocative films are increasingly evident within US youth-oriented long-form television. This, it is argued reflects contemporary affective and economic uncertainties that have spread beyond the abjected communities depicted in New Queer Cinema. Secondly, Araki's directorial work on teen dramas Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why is used to exemplify auteurist artistry under the creative stewardship of a showrunner. Finally, an examination of Starz’ drama Now Apocalypse enables a contrast between Araki's director-for-hire work and his first broadcast series as a television auteur. Overall, the chapter charts distinctive features of 2020s’ independent screen culture, including aesthetic shifts, evolving pathways for industry professionals (both in front of and behind the camera), and the industrial and social factors that shape the commissioning logics of television networks.
