Directorial Debut
Finding Your Audience
Dear Reader,
Inevitably, in the process of making these short films, I am asked what I plan to do with them. It’s a fair question.
Yes, my goal with making these shorts (six completed, several more in pre-production) is to gain practice, build the “director's muscles,” cultivate a creative voice, gather a portfolio of work, and establish a network of collaborators in the industry. But the point remains: the purpose of art is to be experienced by the audience. That is the ultimate goal and fulfillment of the creative act: sharing it with others.
In the case of short films, the best next step is to submit them to film festivals. While I have a backlog of short films in post-production, two have been finalized and sent on their merry way to audition themselves in the film festival circuit. As reported in previous newsletters, “The Ghost of Electricity” was happily accepted to the Mystic Film Festival in Mystic, Connecticut, this past September. (You can read about the production of that short film in January 2024 here).
For me, this was particularly momentous because not only was “The Ghost of Electricity” filmed in Connecticut, only twenty minutes down the road from Mystic, but my entire family lives in Connecticut. This meant they got to attend the first festival where I made my directorial debut. To share the first fruits of this crazy artistic journey with them was a mountaintop moment for me, without a doubt.
Festivals organize shorts into themed 2-hour “blocks.” Our block was titled “Heart Warming,” and indeed it was. I was surprised to find a theme of “creativity,” “finding one’s inner voice,” and “the beach” running through all of our projects. I was thoroughly impressed with the other shorts in this time block, and honored to be screened with them. Seeing this project on the big screen, for complete strangers, was… nervewracking. I learned lessons as a creative just by sitting in the audience and watching the piece go up; lessons that will influence my work process going forward.
After the showing, all of the filmmakers stand before the audience and answer Q&A about their projects. This is one of the most valuable reasons to attend film festivals: hearing directly from the filmmakers. When audiences hear more about the process of storytelling, the challenges overcome, the idea behind it, and the heart behind it, the story itself becomes more potent and understandable to the audience.
One of my main concerns about showing this piece, frankly, was that audiences wouldn’t understand “The Ghost of Electricity.” Why? Because this short is not a commercial popcorn piece. It lands solidly in the “Art House” genre. There are many levels of symbolism and metaphor in this narrative, which I began to believe could only be understood if one knew exactly what inspired this idea in my brain, and all the elements that went into it. I designed this short to be a piece of art that read the viewer and caused him or her to keep pondering after the experience, delving into their own artistic process. After mixed reception from test viewers, I thought I had failed. Yet at Mystic Film Festival, to my shock, the questions from the host and from the audience made it very clear… that they got it.
It just goes to show: the story in your heart, the language you speak, the message you have to share, there are people out there who will understand it. It’s our job as artists to not despair, to keep going, cultivate that voice, and exercise the courage to put the work out there, even knowing that not everyone, maybe not even most, maybe not even your fellow artists, will like your work or understand your work.
Trust yourself. Trust your collaborators. Trust the audience, and keep going.
A special thanks to my family for believing in me on this wild ride. Your support means everything. More to come!
Adventure Awaits,
S. C. Durbois Newsletter
1st Saturday every month: a new original short story.
3rd Saturday every month: a writerly check-in with updates.
4th Saturday every month: a new chapter from “Bohan the Mage,” a dark academic fantasy novel. Subscriber access only.
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