Montana native Alex Smith is a filmmaker who moved to Austin, Texas to attend graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, where he had a dual fiction and screenwriting concentration.
Smith (and his twin brother Andrew) are now known as the Brothers Smith, the filmmaking team behind the 2002 award-winning feature “The Slaughter Rule,” starring David Morse and Academy Award-nominees Ryan Gosling and Amy Adams. As a screenwriting team, the Brothers Smith made the list of Variety’s “Ten Screenwriters To Watch,” and have collaborated with the likes of Terrence Malick, Lars Van Trier, and David O. Russell. They recently released their second feature film, “Winter in the Blood,” based on the novel by James Welch. Here, Alex Smith shares his own discoveries on how to not only get started in the business but on how to keep the business going.
On Making Films in Austin
Smith has witnessed the Austin film scene grow exponentially since he arrived in 1995; a host of strong Austin-based filmmakers are now making a living practicing their craft. A lot of local energy around cinema is generated by the city’s three film festivals: SXSW, the Austin Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest, a newer festival geared more toward genre cinema. “There’s less competition, and more collaboration, it’s a different energy than in L.A. or New York,” says Smith. “There’s no studio system here like there is in those other towns, many films that get made here are the smaller, microbudget productions.”
A consequence of the city becoming more attractive to artists, Smith says, is that it’s getting more expensive to live there. “The rock ‘n’ roll aspect of Austin draws a lot of people. The city is changing, things are faster paced, it’s more cosmopolitan.”
On Those Starting Out
What is Smith’s advice for filmmakers still building their résumés? “Don’t get stars in your eyes. Be aware that there is no quick cascade of cash. Do it for the journey, the process, and the love of collaboration. Not for big money.”
Smith suggests getting involved with student films—there are several film schools and programs located in Austin; film students always need help on their projects, and they have access to new equipment and editing facilities. The Austin Film Society is a great resource; they have a whole system for up-and-coming filmmakers to get seen. There are work-in-progress screenings designed for filmmakers to get feedback on their projects—they can help you find resources and equipment.
On Budgets
The hardest thing in filmmaking is finding money. “There are microbudget films ($500K and under) and big budget films ($20 million and over), and films in the gap between these two aren’t getting made much anymore,” says Smith. He believes that, historically, films with budgets in that gap are the ones with the highest degree of visual strength, artistic integrity, and impact. This is another area in which the Austin Film Society is useful: AFS awards grants for nearly every stage of a film project: screenwriting, production, post-production, and travel grants. They’ve awarded millions of dollars to filmmakers. “Other grants are out there. Finding equity investors or doing a Kickstarter are always options as well.”
Tips for Filmmaking on a Budget
Industry lore abounds about films far exceeding their intended budgets—The Brothers Smith have been able to make the opposite happen: “Winter in the Blood” was shot for six times less than its original budget. “The Slaughter Rule” was shot for a fourth of its original budget.
These are Smith’s tips on saving money while making your film: Write a story using the places and people you have access to. Think about whom you can beg, borrow, or steal from when you’re planning your location, catering, and production design. Write a script using the people in your circle. Stay away from the sci-fi movie that will require a green screen (unless you have access to one).
Find people whose creative energy you like and invite them to be a part of your vision. For example, find a cinematographer you like, ask early. Incorporate his or her creative energy into your planning.
Focus on making the film you need to see that you’ve never seen before. Be a crusader if you need to. It gives you ammunition to keep going.
Coming Up
In addition to having several scripts in varying stages of development, the Brothers Smith are shooting a script this fall in Montana based on the award-winning story "Walking Out" by David Quammen. “Winter in the Blood” is now available on Netflix.
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