Awards Are Worthless - The Anxiety of Seeking Approval as an Artist #atozchallenge #indiefilm

Actress KaDee Strickland and Director Akil DuPont at the Student Emmy Awards.Few people can deny how good it feels to receive an award or two, in many cases, no matter what it is for; Honor Roll, Student of the Week, Employee of the Month, MVP of the NBA, Magna Cum Laude, Pulitzer and Nobel prizes, you name it -- we salivate over and work our butts off to gain honors. This yearning was not lost on me when I started to pursue a career in film.

I wanted awards -- particularly an Oscar for Best Director or a Palme d’Or at Cannes, and I wanted them badly. Boy was I kidding myself by placing too much value on items that rarely offer more than décor and bragging rights.

I wonder -- aside from helping you build a pedigree, what are awards really worth, and what does it take to earn these coveted honors? As artists we must aim to make movies that are great. To win awards, however, these films have to not only be better than great but also considered worthy of recognition by a select group of people with varied levels of experience, talent and/or accolades in their own right. I invited a few select award-winning filmmakers to shed some light on the matter. Here, they make it clear how important awards are in terms of being a driving force behind what they do and the influence, if any, it has on their careers.

"To be honest, I just don't see the point of awards in the arts," says Amir Motlagh, director of “35 YEAR-OLD MAN,” “WHALE” and “KHOOBI,” who adds "I just can't find a justification for them -- But, I'm sure they feel good for the family. Oh, you get a few phone calls and I'm sure grabbing an Oscar would be a little different. Let's be honest here, who wouldn't want an Oscar for pragmatic reasons alone?" 

"PIG" Movie Producer Mark Stolaroff accepts an award for Best Sci-Fi Feature from program director Michael Stackpole at the Phoenix Film Festival. '“PIG” won 10 awards and "THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT" has already won two awards; for certain kinds of films -- especially these two films, they (awards) are kinda crucial in a way but at the same time, they don’t do everything for you, says Best Sci-Fi Feature winner Mark Stolaroff, producer of “PIG,” “THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT” and “MANIC.”' 

Stolaroff continues "They’re crucial in that both of these films are in a position where they really need an award because neither of them got into Sundance, which is the gold standard for films, and a lot of films don’t get into Sundance - like “SHORT TERM 12,” which is a terrific film that won Gotham awards and other accolades but didn’t get into Sundance.

When you don’t get into Sundance, SXSW, Toronto, Cannes and related festivals, you have to prove something to the kind of crowds that go to festivals. So, you have to get into a lot other festivals to show your merit and then you have to win awards to measure up – otherwise, you don’t really have an art film. You may have a good film, but it’s not an art film. Particularly with "Pig," it’s a really unusual situation; the movie fits between an art film and a genre film, although we never thought of it as a genre film when we were making it. If you have an art film, then winning an award can make a difference with your audience. If you have a genre film like a horror film or a Sci-Fi film, an award doesn’t necessarily matter."

Student Emmy winner Akil Dupont, director of "UNDERGROUND" and "SILHOUETTES" says "I’ve won 25 awards as a filmmaker so far; they come with some things – some tangible things! The majority of them – probably more than half – did not come with anything, and some didn’t actually give me a physical award. It ranges from nothing beyond an “attaboy” and acknowledgement on a website to money and mentorship.

Director Akil DuPont on the set of his fairy-tale romance drama "SILHOUETTES."Inside the industry, my theory is that people are not as concerned with awards as they are with other things because film is still a business.

The monetization of your product is what they’re most concerned with – how can it still turn over to make money, because you still have to make money with these films.

Some people think that awards are sorta the gateway into the industry; and in some sense they may be but in another sense, people in the industry still want to see what you can do moneywise.

What filmmaker doesn’t want the Academy Award?!! We all want one – an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, a Tony, a Grammy. I was hoping that "UNDERGROUND" would be nominated for a Short Film Oscar. Right now, I think this movie has the DNA for the stage, so I’m looking to see what we can get, as far as going to Broadway is concerned."

Ari Gold, director of "ADVENTURES OF POWER," "HELICOPTER" and "CULTURE" says "The student Oscar has been helpful in the sense that when I’m soliciting investment or collaborators, it makes people take me a little bit more seriously than they might otherwise. That doesn’t necessarily mean direct employment but it means that my calls or emails are slightly more likely to be answered. Interestingly, I got a bunch of Audience Awards for my feature film ("ADVENTURES OF POWER") and those have had no impact whatsoever, which is a sorta interesting contrast, but that’s the reality.

Director Ari Gold awarded for his contributions to independent film.You can daydream about getting awards but I think I’m smart enough to know that’s not the point. For me, I like to connect with an audience and know people are responding to my work, so that always is the most powerful kind of motivator. Does that mean that if I make something that reaches a huge audience that I’ll be exponentially happier? No, of course not. Although it seems like it would be nice, I’m aware that it’s a fallacy; the more successful people get, the more successful they think they need to get.

So, I want my work to be satisfying to me and satisfying to people who watch it – that’s the biggest award."

My Own Thoughts on Awards

Our culture views awards as a stamp of approval for being the best, under the expectation that a movie and its maker have been vetted against other projects of equal or higher merit. So who is to say that you and/or your work are not one of the best -- all based on whether you’ve been honored for your contributions to a particular industry or for a certain creation? Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest directors in the history of American cinema, has claimed many accolades including an American Film Institute (AFI) Lifetime Achievement Award, yet, got snubbed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (aka the folks in charge of the Oscars) on many occasions.

The man who helmed “Goodfellas,” “Taxi Driver,” “The Departed” and “Hugo” is no less talented, enthusiastic about his work or successful just because he lacks those golden statues. In a career that spans over 30 years, Scorsese has received 8 Academy Award nominations for Best Director and one win, to date. If it’s tough for a legendary director such as Martin Scorsese to win an Oscar, I must come to terms with how little weight awards really hold, where matters of career satisfaction and success are concerned.

Film Still | Amir MotlaghSo the way I see it, going after nothing more than shiny statues, medals or plaques after all is said and done would be selling myself short; it does not justify the amount of blood, sweat, tears, time, money and resources that are put into each independent film and the disappointments, rejections, failures and learning experiences that come out of a project.

Make no mistake about it – I do still like awards and would appreciate those that come my way. I am just working on readjusting my priorities because accolades are just not enough to keep me on this filmmaking train. I don’t want to make movies merely for a chance at winning awards, given that there is no guarantee I’ll be in the running for one and they usually don’t come with anything other than a title and something pretty to look at.

I figure, the best way to benefit from awards is by using them as leverage, since a lot of them don’t automatically come with deals and offers for the next gig.

Stay tuned for more reflections and observations on the journey of independent filmmaking!

In the meantime...

• Motlagh's short films such as "Khoobi" can be watched online
• Gold's comedy "Adventures of Power" is available on YouTube
• Stolaroff's mystery/Sci-Fi "PIG" movie is viewable on DVD and through iTunes
• DuPont's full historical musical "Underground" film is online to watch

Does winning an award have any bearing on whether YOU’VE done good work?

Can YOU be considered among the best in your field, without being the recipient of awards?

©2014 All Rights Reserved

*Photos courtesy of DuPont Productions, The Pig Picture and Ari Gold Films. 

Dale’s Movie Theater Nightmare and Silly Oscars Stuff

From the British movie rating system to grilling bacon and playing electronic guitars, Dale Smurthwaite at Smurfin’ the Web enjoys life’s simplest pleasures by not wasting time and space.

I welcomed this asset of my Mighty Minion Bureau to let us in on some tidbits that we may not know about him. So today, here he is, giving it to us straight – including ways to shorten the Oscars, an unexpected effect of male menopause and how he rocks out to Symphony X.

Madlab Post: What’s the deal with you and Smurfs?

Dale at Smurfin’ the Web: Haha. Well Basically I've had that (nickname) since I was a kid. My surname is "Smurthwaite" and people always mispronounce it as "Smurfwaite," hence the nickname Smurf. It’s stuck since I was knee high and so it will continue =)

If you were in charge of the Oscars, what would you do to shorten the event and keeping television viewers from turning the channel or falling asleep?

Well, with an average time of 3½ hours, there isn’t much difference between this and the Super Bowl. Viewing figures have been up for the last 4 years. I don’t actually get to watch the awards themselves due to the time differences, but I suppose if I were to try and cut the time, I would miss out some of the silly stuff like selfies and pizza deliveries. How much time did that actually waste? I think an opening number and then just get on with it. The BAFTAS are much shorter, with not too many less categories.

What happened to your CD and DVD collection?

I only have a handful of CDs and DVDs nowadays. I now have everything digital, apart from the few CDs and DVDs that I just could not sell, such as the entire “Farscape” collection on DVD and the “Lord of the Rings” extended DVDs. I had to face the reality that physical copies were just so space consuming and eventually had to go.

What is the worst movie theater experience you ever had?

Probably when I went to see “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.” The reels were played out of order. That -- on top of the fact that the film itself was absolute garbage, it wasn't a good day.

Photo by John Lennard aka yakmooseCan you share any tips on how to make the perfect Bacon butty?

Lovely, I do like a good one. Right, grill your bacon until it is just turning crispy; not too crispy though -- I don't want it breaking off in shards. Butter your bread and insert the bacon. Spread some ketchup on there -- a nice even spread, not too much and top off with some thin slices of cheddar cheese and simply enjoy.

How many guitars do you own?

I only own 1 guitar; a lovely Ibanez EDR which is made of Lucite rather than wood. I would guess that this is my favourite one as it’s the only one I own ;-)

What artists/songs are on your playlist right now?

I have an 8GB iPod Nano. I use it for the car only and my current playlist consists of around 400 songs, including everything from Michael Jackson - Bryan Adams, Escala - Symphony X and 80s cheese - Dio. Theres also some Eurovision stuff on there as well. The contest is in 2 months; look out for my blog series.

What are your thoughts about the British movie rating system?

If we are talking about film age certificates -- I think the whole system is wrong, or maybe I just got old and out of touch. I don’t agree that copious amounts of swearing are allowed in PG13 movies. When I was a kid, you had "U", "PG" "15" and "18".

How has fatherhood impacted your life, views and/or experiences?

Fatherhood is the best thing that has happened to me. As someone who never really wanted kids, to now have 2 is great. Yes, there are bad times with naughtiness, etc., but on the whole, my eldest Xander is a great boy with a very vivid imagination and like his parents, a love for movies and not just the kids Disney stuff -- he appreciates great work like “The Lord of the Rings”, “Labyrinth” and “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.”

Personally, I think I cry at more films and television now more than ever now that I have children. Maybe it’s the male menopause, but I watched “Saving Mr. Banks” and was blubbing. Bring on April! 

If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out Dale's cinematic Theme for April and while you're at it, go visit wife Lady Kell who is doing the A-to-Z Challenge with a super specialized theme about one of the best Sci-Fi television shows ever made, at Kincavel Korner!

Why Make Movies? An A-to-Z Challenge Theme Reveal

Chris Chambers in Steve Balderson's action crime comedy "Culture Shock."When was the last time you stayed at a job, in a relationship or pursuit of a goal that cost you more than what you earned from doing it?

How many times have you said to yourself “maybe tomorrow things will improve” only to wonder what happened along the way? No one in their right mind would continue in an undesirable situation or on an unforgiving path, yet, I find myself wondering what I’m doing making movies.

Let it be clear that when I say movies and/or film, I’m referring to independent films. This is not to discount or deny the many difficulties that take place on studio-backed movies in Hollywood. Martin Sheen collapsed from a heart attack during the production of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” -- in a tumultuous turn of events that also included Coppola suffering an epileptic seizure; the untimely deaths of Paul Walker and Philip Seymour Hoffman have the forces in tinsel town scrambling to salvage the next installments in the “Fast and Furious” and “Hunger Games” franchises. If it’s hard for the big-wigs, then it’s ten times more difficult for those of us who are trying to make our own way outside of the “system.”

Independent films take so long, require a seemingly never-ending stream of sacrifices and we (filmmakers) have to overcome obstacle after obstacle without ever knowing if we’ll achieve our goals. Maggie Hadleigh-West and her camera crew were robbed at gunpoint during their first day of production on a documentary. Audiences in Washington D.C. got up out of their seats, yelled expletives, threw things at the screen and then walked out of the theater during a showing of Steve Balderson's comedy drama “Watch Out.” I haven’t begun to even scratch the surface in terms of creating a body of work where motion pictures are concerned. Based on the difficulties that I’ve had to deal with so far, however, I’m wondering – what’s it all really worth?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt on the set of his directorial debut 'Don Jon.'I often find myself questioning whether or not I want to do this again. So, during April, I will be sharing my observations on the 26 (or less) reasons why writers, directors and/or producers make movies. In these posts, I also aim to include the perspectives of fine, visual and performance artists at various stages in their careers. It is by exploring such observations on filmmaking from A-Z that I hope you will walk away with at least one -- if not two things:

• Knowledge of a new or little known movie, album, book or related work that you want to check out

• Inspiration to apply aspects of the subject matter to an area of your own life and/or goals

For me, I’m just trying to figure out how to justify or make sense of the ongoing stumbling blocks, rejections, isolation and closed doors that I face at every step of the way in my projects. Maybe it’s the universe telling me that I need to do something else. Maybe it’s a challenge that is meant to aid in my growth and prepare me for the next steps. Maybe I’m just looking at it all wrong or neglecting things that I should be paying more attention to. Maybe I have different goals than when I started pursuing film.

Or maybe, just maybe I don’t know what I want. No matter the case, I do know one thing – the need to figure out a justification for this masochistic path called moviemaking is urgent like a motherfucker.

When (and even before) a film is in the can, it seems like nobody even cares. Filmmakers have to constantly be on-the-go, trying like hell to convince people to watch our work, while all along hoping that they end up liking it or some aspect therein. It reminds me of the Linkin Park song – “I tried so hard and got so far but in the end, it doesn’t even matter.”

We bust our butts to make these movies and then in the end, it doesn’t matter because it seems like no one wants to be bothered watching them or buying them or renting them.

If people don’t want to be bothered checking out independent films, and crews are reluctant to work on them, and actors don’t want to help make these projects be all they can be, and media/industry/communities won't cover our work and theaters/TV channels aren't interested in paying these projects any mind, then why should we even bother making them? This is the question that leads to the central focus of my 2014 Blogging from A-to-Z Challenge theme. So find yourself a good seat, grab some popcorn and enjoy the show!

Also, you might want to keep the kids away because the upcoming posts are approved for audiences age 17 or older. There will not be blood but there will likely be strong language. Reader discretion is advised. I approved this message. 

Photos ('Culture Shock' and 'Don Jon,' respectively) courtesy of Anthony Pedone and Daniel McFadden ©2013 Relativity Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.