Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Greenwood. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
Glad you asked that. I have yet to earn a cent from my creative work. I do it because I want to and that’s the only motivation that matters to me. Due to the fact that I keep doing it and have collected a couple film festival awards here and there, it creates the illusion that I have a career, or that there must have been some little degree of success that led to continued work, but there’s really nothing behind it except my compulsion to make films. If I have an extra $10,000 laying around, I’ll start making a film, and if I only have $10 to my name, then I’ll make a film too. That’s my attitude.
Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I always loved film from an early age. I loved all the great directors from Ford and Hitchcock to Orson Welles and Jacques Tati. But it wasn’t until I discovered guys like Warhol, Brakhage, Cassavetes, Malick and Wenders that I realized a film could also be anything you felt – as personal or as abstract as you could imagine. There are no rules or formulas. The only people who believe in rules are the ones selling books and classes. There are a few great movies being made by professionals, but that format reflects only a fraction of what cinema is capable of.
I have no business, brand or service to provide. I’m just a DIY filmmaker who writes, shoots and edits his own films. I submit them to a few festivals just so they’ll play in a theater once for whoever wants to see them, but that’s about it. By the time I finish something, I’m already on to the next project in my head, and since I have no aptitude for salesmanship, and my films aren’t very commercial anyway, advertising has never been something I think about. I have no clients, patrons or followers, and no real audience to please except myself.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I don’t think artists should worry about being supported or expect support. I think they should accept that it’s not anyone’s job to support them. If they have any resolve or self-respect, they should be able to function whether or not anyone likes what they do, let alone wants to pay for it. For people who work and have families to support, it’s kind of a turn-off to hear artists carrying on about how important their work is and then shaming non-artists for not getting it. Art is for everyone. Non-artists should feel free to appreciate and support whatever art they genuinely enjoy. At least that’s what I believe.
As far as there being a thriving creative ecosystem, I don’t know that there has to be one. I think the whole dynamic of ‘creatives’ making content for followers and patrons is the worst thing ever. It shouldn’t be easy to make art or easy to find it. It’s not really valuable if it doesn’t take some effort.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Thanks for asking. I always love a chance to recommend some books:
FILM AS ART by Rudolph Arnheim. It’s not a manual. It’s about the psychology of cinema, especially how its apparent limitations and non-realistic qualities are the real source of its power.
CATCHING THE BIG FISH by David Lynch. The director shares observations and anecdotes about how meditation has helped his creativity throughout his life and career.
THE FILM ENCYCLOPEDIA by Ephraim Katz. My Bible as a kid. The entries on montage and mise-en-scene alone will teach you more about film aesthetics than any school could.
HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT. The greatest film book of all time. Hitchcock discusses his philosophy of Pure Cinema, and Truffaut’s introductory essay is brilliant, including his description of the ‘Cinematic Mind’ required to corral the artistic, technical and logistical aspects of filmmaking.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/michaelagreenwood
- Twitter: https://x.com/MYatesMCMLXXII
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FilmAdrift
Image Credits
Michael A. Greenwood