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(October 20th, 2003) I made the decision this past weekend to pull out of the junket scene effective immediately. This wasn’t something I’d been contemplating in the slightest, though I was aware about a month out that I hadn’t made any plans post October 18th. It happened very quickly, and that’s it. I’ve really enjoyed working with a lot of the people involved, and things are probably at their peak of success right now. But journalism is not where my ambition lies – and I feel to continue interviewing directors and talent at this point would create a conflict of interest. Anybody familiar with my work should be aware that I intend to be a filmmaker, and that’s what I now need to focus on. There have been a lot of supporters – friends, family, publicists – that might feel let down by this change in gears, especially at its suddenness, but it’s something I need to do. As I learned from my brief stint as an illustrator another life ago, it’s difficult to make it as one thing if everybody knows you as something else. I’ll probably continue to post essays and editorials from time to time, but I feel the bulk of my work at MovieNavigator is done. That said, there are still a few treats along the way: in the next few days I’ll be posting interviews with Gus Van Sant, Diane Keaton, Harris Savides, and the cast of Elephant – and right behind that I’ll start posting interviews with Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro, Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, and others for 21 Grams. I simply won’t be taking part in any further interviews. At least not for a while. I feel really good about what Shaun and I have done with MovieNavigator. And I hope our example serves lots of young film enthusiasts with a model to emulate. Kids: we did this with no money! Shaun simply pays $8 a month for the domain. That’s it. All it really takes is the will and persistence to pull it off. Of course, talent and professionalism (Ha!) help too. And I should also note, we did this because we loved doing this. I haven’t earned a dime working on the site. I love movies and I love celebrating them. We’re entering into a phase where it’s going to be harder than ever for young independent filmmakers to break through. How many indie stars have emerged in the last few years? Most young people nowadays were born during the1980s and have no recollection of that tedious conservative decade. The '90s were great, but they’re over. The digital boom hasn’t kicked in yet, and this recession simply put the tools – mini-DV, Final Cut Pro – into people’s hands. It’s the next two years that’ll count. Expect new means of distribution to also augment the industry like DVDs and streaming internet video. Start thinking ahead. How much room do you think there’s going to be for indies at the multiplexes once they start installing digital satellite projection? A recent estimate suggested that 35% of all theater revenue will come from non-movie screenings like live concerts or sporting events. For young independent filmmakers to make it now they’re going to really have to want it. Really think outside of the box. Especially since every school offers film classes now – many connected to the industry. One positive aspect of this, at least in my opinion, is that maybe people will be a little older by the time they make it. Then we’ll actually have mature films being made instead of every kid trying to be the next Orson Welles. But knowing the way these things work, the media will probably lower the age and start blowing up high school kids who make movies on their home desktops. When we started with MovieNavigator there was no plan. We made this up as we went along and had no rules. PT Anderson gets a lot of hits? Great, let’s do a big spread on his appearance at BAM! The only goal was to somehow offer readers something they weren’t getting elsewhere – a site by artists focused on other artists, not one run by rabid fans or bullies. I also wanted to focus on something nobody else was doing: imagery. Instead of building up a reel by shooting no-budget shorts for novice directors, I was privileged (by many publicists) to develop a portfolio of original pictures of stars and great filmmakers. A point came earlier this year where, after getting Avid certified, I should’ve moved into a position at a post house. But viewing how well the site was doing, I decided to basically see how long I could maintain that portfolio growth. That meant I couldn’t work during the day, cause that’s when interviews always took place. In the process I’ve completely and totally financially flat-lined myself. My gamble, however, was that whatever debt I incurred would be minimal in the scheme of what would ultimately come from the work I was doing. (Do not try this at home!) So, to a certain extent, on a very pragmatic level, I can no longer afford to continue doing this. I’m broke and unemployed. Time will tell if my gamble paid off. Now I feel like it’s time for a transition. I think my coverage of The New York Film Festival capped my work on the site and also clearly portrayed the blurring line between covering movies and making them. I spent16-hour days working on that coverage, between photographing the press conferences, writing film summations and reviews, and putting together Kill the Lights. I actually hope Kill the Lights inspires young filmmakers. Its comic strip format offers a no-budget way to tell stories with pictures and get them online. Also, because I was working with stills in Photoshop, I could composite any images I wanted. Hell, Shaun as the Film Geek Kid, was never even at the festival! I shot him at my apartment, then cut and pasted him into background mattes I took at the festival each day. I was able to humorously composite him with Sean Penn, Clint Eastwood and even Naomi Watts! Which means if somebody out there wants a dinosaur or space alien in a scene, you can do it! Another great aspect of this format is that it’s very quick to shoot. There’s no need to record dialogue or do multiple takes. As long as you have a prepared script you can knock it off without a great deal of time. It’ll also help you learn how to tell a story with pictures. Since you can’t move your camera or do fancy editing, you’re forced to make each image count. It has to be concise. Honestly, I’m scared shitless right now. But I’m making the right decision, and between my mass of original screenplays and a pretty thick and varied portfolio of artwork and photos, I think I can dig my way out. So that’s a comfort. I think. Without making a big deal, thanks to everybody for reading my articles and supporting our site.-J