Deuze, Grant and Wood: Behind the film and television scenes

Mark Deuze: Film and Television Production
Indeed, I always enjoy reading Deuze’s work, especially due to its concision, focus, and clarity. Yet along the way, I began to notice his penchant for repetition: in his chapters’ structure (i.e., the subheadings — “institutions,” “technology,” etc.) and in the content itself (i.e., project and production ecologies, freelancing, etc.). As a freelancer, though, this section’s focus on freelancing proved refreshing —   particularly, the part exploring the “distinct coping strategies” (p. 13) for those engaged in this production ecology.

To be certain, I am neither a freelancer in film nor in television; nonetheless, as is the case with several of Deuze’s points, this section applies to, and actively plays a part in, my freelancing experiences. In particular, I have experienced, and continue to experience, the importance of cultivating networks. The majority of my writing and editing work has come out of networking. Similarly, yet conversely, I have had experiences in which this work steps beyond my typical areas of interest/experience (e.g., music and literature ) and into areas of relative unfamiliarity (e.g., law and photography). In spite of these new and challenging opportunities, I often find myself contemplating when, where, how, and what my next project will be.

Michelle De Long, president of television and video production company, Mimi Productions, particularly speaks to the challenges facing film freelancers in one of her articles, available below:
http://www.mimiproductions.com/michelledelongtips/howtosurvivefreelanceintvandvideo

Peter Grant and Chris Wood: Creative Clusters and Curious Economics
As I continued to notice just precisely how similar, in structure and in content, Deuze’s chapters were coming to be, Peter Grant and Chris Wood’s articles provided a welcome and adept change. In the opening to “Creative Clusters,” Grant and Wood write:

Photo credit: turtletrack.org | A Pangnirtung artist poses with his prints.

During the filming that July, Pangnirtung witnessed the production of popular culture from opposite ends of a very wide spectrum. At one end were its own talented printmakers, at the other was the visiting Hollywood-financed film crew — but both groups could be said to be part of the ‘cultural industries’ (p. 2).

Indeed, we often tend to think of the cultural industries in very Western, Hollywood-based terms; of course, as Grant and Wood later explicate, Hollywood’s stronghold persists, but with advances being made in Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal), India, Hong Kong, and even North Carolina and Texas. Grant and Wood, then, relate this back to Pangnirtung — a creative inclusion that keeps sticking with me — and the first Inuit language-based feature film, Atanarjuat, filmed just west of this place. A trailer for this 1999 film is featured below.

As Paulina points out in her post this week, Deuze seemingly discourages us from any involvement in the film and television industries. However important his work, it is equally important to transcend and consider more than these negative aspects. Grant and Wood, via their unconventional, yet thought-stirring, examples, bring that needed element of possibility. Moreover, they push its boundaries.