So, here is a little bit of a background on FIXED.  FIXED is a short film about about the roles a young man forces himself to play in order to appease those around him. It poses a question: do you ever really know those closest to you? Unfortunately for one young man, his true identity is revealed after it’s too late.

FIXED is important for several reasons. The story raises necessary questions about religious dogma and where we draw the line between good and bad, right and wrong. Yet the answers to these questions aren’t found within the pages of the script. The film is thought provoking, and while we don’t want to give away too much of this young man’s story, the film deals with several social, religious, and cultural issues that desperately need to be discussed.

On March 24, Emerald City Arts, along with the cast of FIXED, held a live fundraiser for the film.  Among family, friends and colleagues, the cast of FIXED read the script surrounded by candlelight at the Meadowbook.  After the reading, questions were answered by the cast and crew from an audience that inquired about the film’s content.

We hope you enjoyed being a part of our live fundraiser and thank you for making it a success!

We are looking forward to shooting the film and cannot wait to share it with the world!

Video courtesy of Brandon Moza: Vancouver – Testing the Canon 7D

In the past few years, the camera and camcorder market has been flooded with technology that boasts cheaper prices, and amazing visual quality. Some of the most raved about cameras have been the Canon 1D, 5D, and 7D, all hyping up their video capabilities. Of course Canon isn’t the only, or the best, out there in this line of cameras, but that is not what is of interest here. What is, however, is the impact that these cameras have had on independent and amateur filmmakers. All of this technology that is good enough for some Hollywood pictures (1D Mark IV and 7D used in Black Swan) is offered at prices that most filmmakers can afford.

Previously, if you wanted to produce a film or other video programming, you were looking to own or rent camera equipment well eclipsing $10,000. This is a price that most dedicated, low-budget filmmakers can’t afford, especially if they’re young and just getting started. While it can be argued that good filmmaking can be seen in storytelling and directing alone, and that quality equipment isn’t essential for a good film, it is also true that a low visual quality end product is not going to help a film get noticed. Now, with DSLR cameras that have the ability to shoot in HD, and can use a variety of professional lenses, an independent filmmaker can set themselves up for under $5,000 with decent gear to give their work a cinematic look.

So what does this mean for the film industry? Well, the truth is this might not have the largest impact on the industry at the top, but there is definitely going to be a nice effect that comes to independent and amateur cinema. Small filmmakers that would never have the ability to access equipment for long enough to complete a feature length film may now be able to afford the equipment to do so (that is if they can also crew-up with people not in it for the money to start out).  Independent filmmakers with a budget can cut down on expenses without cutting quality, therefore saving money for distribution and other expenses like festival entries that will help their work get noticed more.

Image Credit: BBC Freelance Cameraman Johnnie Behiri

What this really means for the industry is that filmmaking is being democratized. It is possible to get the tools that filmmakers need in their hands, and these are filmmakers that range from the beginner to the veteran. There are so many people out there that have a voice and a vision, that work endlessly to try to tell a story for a big screen, that will never be able to afford high end equipment, and will be resigned to make personal stories for personal use only. By making affordable equipment available to all around the world, you are giving hundreds of thousands of people what they need to get their vision seen. I think this leads to a very exciting new chapter in digital media and visual storytelling.

For years now we have had social media platforms that allow us to share our creative work. Most small filmmakers rely on these platforms for digital distribution, but a lot of times it ends up that people end up sharing videos for laughs rather than for entertainment. Some of this has to do with the demand for a quick laugh, but also most of these people haven’t had the ability to create some visually stunning and serious due to the restrictions of the tools to their disposal. By making that more and more creative people can access high quality cameras, we will start to see a surge of quality filmmaking and storytelling that will be able to reach the masses. No longer does the best of independent cinema need to be left in obscurity, but it can be viewed on a daily basis.

I have seen the benefits of this innovation first hand. Not only am I an independent filmmaker that utilizes these tools, but I am also in a film program where many of my colleagues use the same tools. We are all filmmakers that have vision and unique tastes, and while we have access to good equipment while we are enrolled in coursework, we can’t take that with us, and the idea of spending huge sums of money to own this same equipment is daunting. Making the switch to this equipment has made it so we can create the same quality of work while maintaining a reasonable budget. The truth is that most of us aspire to be independent filmmakers that don’t work within a huge studio environment. We want to fund our own projects, and be able to make our films with our vision, not with the vision of a studio head (though don’t confuse this for not enjoying those films, I am still quite in love with all forms of cinema). Now we can do this, and we can do so in a high quality fashion that can help us gain traction and distribution within the world of independent filmmaking.

The trend of DSLR filmmaking, while still sometimes controversial in terms of being a “legitimate” tool for filmmaking, is going to keep growing. The technology seems to be getting better and stay just as affordable, even though it is often stated that Canon is going in the wrong direction. We are in an exciting time for independent and amateur filmmakers to create films that worth watching and enjoying, and I can’t wait to see more.

Jordan Mendys is an independent documentary filmmaker living in North Carolina. He is currently in post-production for his thesis film about North Carolina’s Amendment One, and also blog for Direct2TV.