If you're a filmmaker

I love that the angry filmmaker narrated his own audible book, why not?! It was one of the only filmmaking audible books that worth listening to for an aspiring filmmaker. It is entertaining, informative, and angry. A true insight and helpful guide to doing what I love, independent film. Although I do wish to make a Hollywood film, (sorry Kelley) it has a great basis of what really matters to me, story.

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it's anarchy, jim - but only as he knows it

DISCLAIMER: i'm a relative novice. i used to make feature films, as part of the camera crew of major productions here in the UK, but many years ago in my teens before i broke off to pursue a career in music & acting. i'm returning to filmmaking, but have no recent titles with which to address the perennial retort of "well hey buddy, if YOU think you could do any better...". i don't, i currently can't, but i certainly hope i will be able to soon, but perhaps via the help of a different book altogether on how to get your short film made and seen.

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i paid for this audiobook with my existent credits because i was attracted to the DIY ethic of its description (which suits my current position as a latecomer to the industry) yet knew nothing of its author. in retrospect, this is perhaps my error and i should possibly have done my research into who kelley baker is, was and purports to be.

to the best of my understanding, it appears that baker fancies himself as something of an enfant terrible of contemporary cinema. there's something to be said for gripping so hard to the belief that every rejection is an affirmation of your subversive genius - a little self belief can go a long way, so by the amount that baker exhibits you'd think he could cross oceans with it.

on the flipside, within minutes of listening to baker's breathily stulted, almost struggling delivery and the stark confessions he makes of the way he treats even his own family, one can't help but confirm a lingering suspicion that (unless this is simply an elaborately contrived persona that he's meticulously fabricated) he just isn't a very nice person. like, at all.

the benefit of the doubt is duly given, so you trek on with hearing the man out. it's true; the industry doesn't seem to have treated him terribly well. it treats very few well, and that i can attest to personally.

baker's tone throughout the audiobook seems to aim at being a permanent 'flip the bird' sense of swagger complete with a 'f*ck you' attitude and 'telling it like it is' nose-breaking level of frankness, which could be refreshing if it worked but all too often falls more into the territory of an embarrassing uncle who still thinks MTV owe him one for not playing enough rock & roll.

this is perhaps a personal beef of mine but one i feel could be worth stating - why is it that the staunchest anarchists and self-styled anti-heroes who seem to feed off the very dust they kick up in the arena of established industry are the ones who also list the strictest rules on who is *actually* worthy of making 'art'? apparently, the structure he presents is that the people above him who don't want to help are the bloodsuckers and idiots, whereas those attempting to rise either beneath or near his level and who don't follow his acumen are "posers" and wannabes.

i have a very strong inclination to think that my words will glance off baker with barely a second thought on his part. what's also possible is that much has been lost in tone that i can identify with between the united states and the united kingdom. to me, the language and idiosyncrasies used are the same sort of cringe-inducing americana that i expect to hear coming from the mouths of the 'older brother / bully' characters in 80s kids adventure movies.

what can't be denied is the guy's confidence and his extensive years spent battling an industry that just won't dance to the tune he's playing, no matter how hard he plays it. countless hopefuls will have fallen by the wayside and called it a day within mere months of the treatment he's received, so hats off to the man.

i checked out his films. it's enough to say - they're not for me. by many accounts they have picked up a strong following and that cannot be taken from kelley baker.

i've tried to take as much as i can from this audiobook. regrettably, the majority of the lessons i'm left with are how i'd not like to be, although i can't deny that a great many might benefit from his level of bluntness and refusal to accept that his work just might not be what's wanted at any one time.

well done, mr. baker - long may you shine on. sadly i won't be behind you on this particular crusade.

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