Hope for Film: A Producer’s Journey Across the Revolutions of Indie Film and Global Streaming

In early 1985 Jim Jarmusch’s independent low-budget B&W film with no name actors, Stranger Than Paradise, was released in theaters. It shook the cinema world to its core and lit the match for what became the ‘80s American Indie Film scene. The Coen Bros indie tour de force with no name actors Blood Simple followed immediately in ‘85, and Spike Lee’s independent low-budget B&W “joint” with no name actors She’s Gotta Have It was right behind it in ‘86. Inspired by these indie film mavericks and the DIY ethos of “Get in the van” and “Corporate Music Sucks” SST punk bands like The Minutemen, a young Ted Hope wanted in. And for a brief time, American Indie film, like American underground Indie music, was the exciting antidote for a bloated safe corporate Hollywood movie culture.Armed with a genuine love of cinema, a passion for great literature and excellent music taste Ted Hope joined forces with James Schamus. They created Good Machine, an indie film production company in NYC that lived up to its name. I won’t list all the ambitious indie films Ted and Good Machine produced and brought to the screen (this excellent Book chronicles many). Still, more than a few like The Ice Storm, American Splendor, and 21 Grams remain nothing less than extraordinary.I loved this well-written book because it’s a producer’s journey. For most people, the job definition of what a Producer actually does is ambiguous. Ted clears this up by taking the reader through the ins and outs, ups and downs, trials and tribulations behind the scenes, essentially warts and all of the bloody battlefield of creativity, finance, production, exhibition, and marketing to bring the stories Ted passionately wanted to tell and help tell to the screen.Each chapter case-studies a film Ted produced, but because this is his life 24/7, it reads like a remarkable memoir. And most of all, Ted’s journey is inspiring. Though the indie film world has gone through multiple permutations to the place we are currently at in a Streamer-dominated culture, Ted never stops trying to think of new ways to get unique untold deserving stories and storytellers to the screen. He wants young people to want to be Producers, and after reading this book, he may get his wish. This book’s ultimate goal is to help once again ignite a new Indie cinema culture with the passion that Ted and a few brave souls had for it in the mid-1980s when it was a world filled only with possibility.

I read this book twice-- I was so blown away by it! Veteran producer Ted Hope's war stories in the field were endlessly fascinating and inspiring. As someone who grew up in NYC, the changing landscape of cinema mirrors the changing landscape of the city.As a filmmaker, I cannot help but imagine what it was like to shoot Claire Denis' first short film in NYC. Ted saw something in her even at that nascent period in her life as artist. This book was a revelation- the creative collaboration between the producer and the director. To hear Ted's dedication to understanding the directors process- like giving Ang Lee time to think and translating his method to a crew that might grow hostile--was inspiring.Ted's questioning of filmmakers' rush to make compromises even before we begin shooting and the detriment it has on creative process and ultimately the film was truly something to contemplate. The films Ted Hope made early in his career are truly artifacts of a cultural moment that will far outlive us. They are important works of cinema to be entered in the canon of world cinema. This book made me reflect as a filmmaker- in times where the viewers demand instant gratification and access to creators- can a safe be imagined for writer/ director/ producers to not just make products but to question the status quo?Another thing Ted's book did for me was to articulate so much of the frustration of minority/ women filmmakers. Why is it that a great director like Nikki Kassel has a decade between films? How many women/ minority directors have internalized that maybe they aren't good enough or their work not strong enough to continue in this industry? The need for writer/ directors to meet a partner in a producer to develop their career- to creat e a long term relationship is so so important. This book made me realize that such a relationship is vital to create directors like Ang Lee- so they develop not just a film but push their craft with every film. Try a certain shot, a certain genre- to develop their craft.Ted's emphasis on craft and collaboration is truly inspiring. It's what every filmmaker needs and only dreams to find.Also the book's articulation of a growing need for community in the face of changing models for film financing/ distribution- was so spot on. It creates a mixture of unbridled enthusiasm and sobering financial reality- something that all filmmakers have to face throughout their career.Most of all- the personal/professional anecdotes that Hope shared in the book are amazing. Many of the truths divulged are a sort of no no in the secretive world of film producing/ financing. As I read the book, I could not help but think how brave transparency truly is. Hope has often voiced uncomfortable truths for the filmmaking community- most vehemently how the digital revolution needs to revolutionize both how films are made and how we see their life after its creation. And since reading this book- Hope has moved from Fandor now to the head of productions of Amazon Films. So it makes total sense- he was an early adaptor of re-thinking the model of film and now he is leading a company that is precisely trying to that. Scary and exciting times for the future of film!

Ted Hope has seen enough developments in the film industry over the last 30+ years to be able to speak with experience and authority. But what makes this book so vital for filmmakers... especially those in the indie film space... is the QUESTIONS that Ted asks (both of himself and directed to the audience). This is a powerful book written by someone who is constantly pushing to make film better, and a model for maintaining an aggressive state of intellectual curiosity in your professional creative work.

This is a personal and pragmatic guide for anyone who wants to make that leap to producing movies. Ted Hope has rode the changing economic currents of the film business and he keeps his readers abreast of how much the economic landscape has shifted and how producers have to adjust. He has dedicated his career to making great movies that will stand the test of time but understands that the financiers' passions lean toward the bottom line. Mr. Hope writes as a philosopher for the movie business exploring how both the financial side and artistic side can work together to accomplish both of their missions. He is also interested in the artists making enough money to continue making great art and tries to come up with solutions to accommodate that. But what makes this a necessary read for anyone who loves cinema is the love and dedication to great art that comes across in his writing. His experiences with some of film's excellent and trailblazing directors, such as Ang Lee and Ed Burns, are great learning experiences for any producer or want-to-be director. This is an informative and enjoyable read from start to finish and necessary if you're a lover of cinema.

There's really something to be said for those within our communities who are willing to ask the difficult questions. Ted Hope is one of those people and you can either let your defensive side take over and fight against it or you can dare to dream a little by embracing it. We can't develop solutions until we have identified the problems and boy does Independent Cinema have a lot to unravel in that regard. Hope for Film, much like every one of Ted's blogs, is a powerful read that sidesteps the glitz, glamour, and gossip of the business to talk about what really matters; relationships, creativity, compensation, compassion, acknowledgement, and more. That makes things a little dry and a little daunting for those looking for a taste of tinsel town but it's the reality the average indie rat who's paying to work will know all too well. Within all this there is however something quite beautiful to learn and that's discovering there are those within the system at a very high level who genuinely care about the art to the point they're willing to shake things up and make significant sacrifices to help ensure the next generate of aspiring filmmakers of all creeds enter an industry that's been left slightly better in some way by those who've left it.