How to Survive as an Independent Filmmaker

Happy Monday!

Today I wanted to share a bit about how we operate at Marquet Films. From writing and developing ideas, to interviewing celebrities, to producing our own films.

Brace yourself, Adrien, I’m pulling back the curtain.

Little side note before we start, we have a brand new section to our newsletter, which can be found at the very bottom :)

First things first, we are independent creatives. That means most of our projects are funded by our own pockets. If we don’t have money, the films aren’t being made. Thus, the project has to really be the right one and that takes a ton of planning prior to.

I quit my 9-5 job last summer to pursue writing full-time. That meant that for a few years after I graduated, I spent every day working at a job during the day - and when I got home, I was writing. Whether it was Serenity, our short films, or trying to network at events, that was the reality of the grind. Call it a 6-12 after the 9-5 to push myself to get as much writing progress as I could.

Now, every day looks a little different. Adrien and I work closely on ideas, scripts, and upcoming campaigns, but we also handle our own responsibilities.

I treat writing like a job. Most creatives would be against that, but it needs to be treated as seriously as a normal office job. You need to make this your life or it won’t BECOME your life, simple as that.

That also means the work doesn’t always stop at 5:00 PM. When you are independent, there is no one else setting the pace but you. Handouts do NOT exist unless you're in some nepotism situation. Your passion can only be achieved with your diligence.

The creativity doesn’t stop just with the scripts. You also need to think about how you can put yourself in front of the right eyes.

For example, before TIFF last fall, we went through the full slate of films that were premiering at the festival. We then found contact information for the producers of those films and sent close to 200 emails between the two of us. Most people didn't respond, but a few did, and those conversations mattered - you’ll see, eventually.

A lot of what people see publicly comes from consistent groundwork and discipline. Invitations, interviews, collaborations, are usually the result of months of effort. We’re lucky to be in the space in Toronto to get ourselves in the rooms we want to be in, but those rooms aren’t just to smile and take photos in, it’s constantly networking for what is next.

Let me finish by saying we’re still early in this process. I’m not trying to act like we’re on a high horse as we’ve yet to hit major festivals or major milestones. But we are building, learning, and adjusting as we go. It may feel like hitting a wall at times, but the highs of pursuing your passion outweigh the stagnant life of normality.

We’re gearing up for loads of new Marquet Films content on the way so stay tuned. Some might be balls-related but if I say more, I’ll get reprimanded internally.

Take care this week friends,

Pat and the Marquet Films team