Filmmaking / Directing : Have you ever heard of folk filmmaking? by Josh Horvath

Hello all! If you find the lounge conversation informative please leave a comment below so we can start a dialogue. Lets get into it then shall we.

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If you haven’t heard of the folk filmmaking movement, let me clue you in on the next wave of this industry. Every generation witnesses pivotal movements in their respective fields. Whether it's art, technology, or any other number of spaces, history has tended to show certain forks in the road that cause people to act differently. When it comes to filmmaking, there have been dozens of movements that have risen. That is crazy to think about since filming has only been around for what a hundred years? These sparks generally occur because of conflict with some bigger entity. Or difficulties that certain sub-groups faced and had to overcome. Of course, the French new wave was developed out of the rejection of traditional filmmaking, and the things that came from this scene sparked revolutions in the industry. You look much more recent and the indie film scene wanted to contrast the new Hollywood, so again, the art that was created was unprecedented. But just as indie film directors and studios are being engulfed by major companies like A24, it's hard for these waves to continue to shine. Don't get me wrong, A24 has made some amazing projects; Uncut Gems was very important to me, but occasionally there is a lot of evidence that the big companies can constrict the creative flow; there isn't any questioning this in my opinion. But there is always hope because new things are constantly being born that many of us are unaware of. So let's get into that. Who knows, there is probably a folk filmmaker right now shooting a project or finishing a script, so let's get into that. I’m excited to talk a little bit about the scene called "folk filmmaking." Possibly the new indie film scene or the new wave, who knows?

Now, to preface, you have to understand something. I’m simply writing about folk filmmaking. This is not my idea or my concept at any level. This movement goes way beyond this one guy being a keyboard warrior. Please don't feel caught off guard that you don't know about the folk scene. Heck, I didn't even know that Canada was south of Detroit. By the way, if you are already familiar with folk filmmaking, let me know how I am doing by writing in the comments. When it comes to the folk scene, many more gifted individuals initiated this movement. I simply came across them and the movement in my path of figuring out what I wanted to be involved with. I am sharing it here today because I feel like this movement that has been around for years now is on the verge of exploding. My only hope is that certain people will come across this little lounge article and find it informative. So to start things out, I want to begin by listing some of the important faces of what is going on, so that you can do your research and get involved. The people involved in folkfilmmaking are awesome people, and the network is always growing.

Firstly, and the person from whom I am relaying this information, is a man named Dan Lotz, who runs a YouTube channel called 922 Films. You’ll begin to see why YouTube is such an important part of what is going on in a moment. For years now, Dan has been the guy that has made a definite effort to grow awareness around what is up with folk filmmaking. There is a question that was asked as everything was beginning to get situated, as the early shapes and ideas were forming. This question was brought up when people began to hear the words "folk, film, making." Though there was generally an idea of what was going on, by that point there was not much of anything set in stone. I mean, there isn't exactly a stone somewhere, as this whole thing is more of an idea that a sub-group of people share. So, are you ready for the question? Many people have asked, and continue to ask, "What is folk filmmaking?" Dan, having a tremendous amount of knowledge of the scene, made it his mission to begin to explain what that was as well as bring a group of examples together, which I will share shortly. Simply put, folk filmmaking is the next wave. Oh, I already said? That's right. Well, why is folk filmmaking the next wave? There are a lot of reasons, but at its core is this. Two basic points meet the criteria.

1.The films have to be funded and produced independently.

Oh, so an indie film... Well, here is the catch......

2. The films have to be available to watch for free.

That's right... nowwwwwwwwwwwwww You're getting it, haha! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYWhy would anyone do something so stupid? Well, because they love filmmaking, distributors, industry restrictions, and everything else that can make you dislike the art form. Don’t trust what I am saying? Here's my first reference to the article, a channel that's going by the name "Don’t Tell Show." They explain the innerworkings of folk filmmaking maybe a tad bit better, but it is still a very short 3 minute video, so check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owy8rFBV4Ns

Seriously, go watch that video; it would be pointless for me to continue discussing what is already stated within it. Let's get going on a few other things before we wrap up here.

So yeah, it's pretty crazy how it all started. But they were just filmmakers who got tired of trying to do things to meet other people's goals and not their own. So they started releasing their full-length feature projects since then for free on YouTube, and it sparked something for a lot of people. You look back at cinema history and you see how hard guerilla filmmakers struggled. They had to rub every penny and dime that came their way to get cheap equipment and make something. Nowadays, when it comes to these sorts of issues, it's not a problem at all with phones, you know? This is funny because a lot of these big directors, including Tarantino, talk about how the technology is available for small-budget filmmakers to do it. But the thing is, a lot of the time, the people shooting movies on their phones are either making shorts, or skits, or something else. They rarely attempt to make a full-length feature film for free on YouTube... say what? But honestly, more so than that, there's a reason why I think that this filmmaking movement is just starting now. Because forever, I feel like my generation wasn’t interested in cinema at all; we all just ate up the whole corporate scene. But now I feel like this weird feeling of looking back is starting to rise inside of so many individuals. I think it's due to COVID, as something as global as this makes you stop thinking about everything that's going on and ask yourself what the point is. We have some time to reflect and, through that reflection, as it goes for entertainment, look back at what made cinema great. I think that this younger generation is finally grasping all those sorts of concepts and taking a hard look at the amazing films that were made before they came to be. At least that's my story, and I feel like I have come into contact with a lot of others who have that in mind. This general goal is to stop making white-washed content and develop something that provokes those desires inside of each of us. Sure, we have all had the chance to enjoy the rise of Marvel and other franchises, but now I think we are going to see real, tangible stories about life start to arise. And technological innovation is going to allow this generation to share that whole experience in a completely new way. in a way that is unfiltered and unrelenting, a carefree wave. Are we all goddamn hippies, maybe? I don’t personally feel that we’ve been so intoxicated by the political pills and all that comes with that; we just want to stop and think for a minute. I remember someone I love dearly telling me something that I have been thinking about for the past year now. They said that many movies haven’t been good for a while now, everything is so mediocre and washed up, and we are just wasting our time giving into what people want and not what we need. They said that I feel like a time is coming through this whole COVID thing that is going to change everything. People are going to be locked in and thinking, and finally, when we get out of it, all the ideas that are going to be let loose from the previously restricted state are going to be that next thing. Well, it's starting to bubble up as we speak. Coming into COVID and now into 2022, the folk filmmaking movement has completely exploded. And I am glad to say I came at just the right time to get an understanding of what it's all about. There has been a steady flow of filmmakers from around the world who have been releasing feature-length films for free on YouTube. They're putting their hearts, energy, time, money, and effort into making these things, and they're being released completely free on YouTube. Dan Lotz, the one I think will be the goat when this is all said and done, has a playlist of these projects. Unsubscribe from your Netflix, Disney, Prime, and everything else, because I have hours of free stream-able content that is about to drop on your heads. Here are the links, and please enjoy the folk filmmaking movement while it's here, because inevitably, something new will come along soon enough. That's life, but for now, they're awesome people who make movies, folk style baby.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ-TuqORtE8anCytGYBGjVwqCazIF2m3w

youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ-TuqORtE8ZLFSAc4yFZRB_6R_7Yt5ix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owy8rFBV4Ns&list=PLQ-TuqORtE8ZUxj4bWAIGN...