Diversity in Indies
One of the (many) reasons why I love independent film is that it truly tests the art and business that is moviemaking. Nothing screams passion and true artistry more than filmmaker trying to create a movie with a fifty-thousand dollar budget. It’s essentially creating art out of thin air. With limited resources, a whole lot of creativity, and a hunger to show the world something that is not just action flicks and superheroes — independent filmmakers exemplify some of the best moviemaking magic in Hollywood and beyond. I find that independent film preserves a lot of artistic integrity throughout the entire process, and that means utilizing the art of filmmaking as a platform to reflect the nature of the world to tell a story. And yes, that means diverse representation behind-the-scenes and on-camera.
With DIY films and independent film circles on the rise, it has become more accessible for people with creative vision to breakthrough the industry through that way — diverse individuals included. We have seen successful actors rise from the masses through this way. Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Oscar Isaac, to name a few. So why the disconnect between the independents and the studios?
I believe it lies in the opportunity and the goal. If one wanted to create a multi-million dollar film with studio resources, they would cast the next Leonardo DiCaprio and the next Scarlett Johansson. However, the uniqueness of independent filmmaking lies in the prestige of recognition through artistic ability, and secondarily, the underlying motivation of making money. Independent films do not exist for the purpose of tripling profits like the studio films do — if they did, they would be doing horribly. Moonlight, Crash, 12 Years a Slave — these are all films that serve a higher purpose.
A common denominator? They all feature diverse characters. I’m not concluding that the lack of diversity in Hollywood is purely due to money. Of course, there are the sociopolitical implications of it all, but most importantly, Hollywood is a business. A movie business, sure, but a business nonetheless. Unfortunately, the way that the marketplace works is that movies with Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck make a lot more money than diverse actor #1 and diverse actor #2. Until this is disproved on a general basis, I see progress slow to change.
