Challenging the status quo
The status quo. It’s a tough thing to change. It’s safe, it’s comfortable, and you know what you’re getting. Even when I’m tempted to challenge the status quo, I always fall back on the familiar. For example, I love Indian food. At least, I love the Indian food I’ve tried. Every time I sit down at an Indian restaurant, I tell myself I’m going to branch out and try a new menu item. And every time my food arrives after ordering, it’s the same combination of chicken tikka masala, palak paner, and chana masala. I can’t resist.
However there are situations much more serious than dinner that require a challenge to the way things are done. In particular, I’ve seen this a lot when dealing with films – particularly regarding distribution and independent cinema. Why does it reach a point of nearly being offensive to some people when change is proposed to them? The prospect of change makes a lot of people defensive.
It’s interesting that those who would dare challenge the status quo are viewed as either “outside the box” thinkers, or outsiders to society. One way or other, they’re different. There was an experiment done recently and discussed at length in this (http://lateralaction.com/articles/computers-creativity/) article. It talks about the ability of computers to think creatively. Basically, they gave a formula to a computer and asked it to come up with an ad for four different products. It also tasked a group of average people to do the same. The robot’s ideas were voted by a panel to be more “creative” and frankly, they do sound a lot more interesting than the humans’ responses. The most creative responses were a result of “thought templates” and formulas that took into account a lot of known factors. That’s hardly “outsider” or “creative” thinking the way we know it. It’s more like a logical progression that evaluates and critically applies existing methods in an efficient and effective way.
I tie these two aspects together – the status quo and creativity because of the perceived notion that challenging the norm or creating something different is “risky” or comes from a completely random place. However, the robots weren’t more “creative” than the humans. They just had a better thought process. So if your idea has legs – if there is a clear process behind your new idea or process, you’re not a weirdo. Quite the opposite actually.
I’ve seen recent examples of people determined to stick to tried and true methods in their industry that no longer work. They refuse to admit defeat; instead plowing blindly ahead determined that eventually it would work again. They scoff at the proposal of new methods and hesitate to try a new approach. They might listen to some new ideas, but like me at the Indian restaurant, they’ll fall back on what they know.
I went to a handful of panels during the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival a few weeks ago. There was clear frustration from both the audience and the panelists about the state of Indie cinema. The problem I saw was that every approach they suggested, everything they based their statements off of was from the premise of old methods.
Indie cinema is in a serious state of transition. For those speakers from the studios, there was this idea that certain things were set in stone. Because those things were struggling, the entire process would struggle. There wasn’t even a consideration to not use certain methods. They wouldn’t even think about alternatives that were radically different. The changes some filmmakers now talk about – collaborative filmmaking, self-distribution, cheaper marketing approaches, don’t even fit into the equation for some people. Instead they’ll become defensive, and more determined to beat a dead horse. How does this make sense? It’s one thing to hesitate when what you know is still great, but what if it isn’t anymore?
Let’s say you have a faucet that’s not working right because the pipe is broken. Let’s say it’s impossible to fix this pipe – it’s too old. Why wouldn’t you build a new pipe? And while you’re at it, why wouldn’t you build a new pipe that’s more effective than the old one? If it’s time for a change, make it a valuable change. Those groundbreaking new approaches filmmakers are coming up with are no different than the computers creative ads built from a template.
The ideas required to successfully challenge the status quo come from a place of logic and application of experience. Creative ideas, such as the ones now shaping the possibilities for independent films are not “outside the box” or fringe thoughts. They are serious, effective alternatives to the broken pipes of Hollywood. It is a challenge to move outside our comfort zone. However, it’s necessary in order to grow. Sometimes that same meal starts to get a little stale. Be brave. Try a new meal.