Quote:
Originally posted by NinjaPoodle
http://www.morehouse.edu/communicati...es/000208.html
One of the most challenging aspects of producing films is getting the funding. Lee lamented the fact that there are no black gatekeepers—people who can greenlight a film. He encouraged students to pursue dual law and MBA degrees and climb the corporate ladder to get to gatekeeping positions.
“We have enough actors up the ying-yang. Even Denzel [Washington], who gets $20 million a film, has to go to the gatekeeper.”
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Hmmm. I haven't heard black people talking about the importance of the gatekeepers since I was in college. I think they are important, but would a black gatekeeper have the freedom to greenlight ALL (heck, or even MOST) of the projects he or she deemed worthwhile? There are a lot of tradeoffs on the road to becoming a gatekeeper, at least through Lee's suggested method of corporate american attainment. Even the gatekeepers who are in power today don't have as much power as they appear to. They have to answer to a board and shareholders and keep them happy in order that the gatekeeper status is maintained.
It is my view that brothers and sisters interested in gatekeeping status should look at the BIG picture... The worldwide picture, that is. Why capture American filmmaking influence when you cultivate some foreign relationships and capture INTERNATIONAL greenlighting power? Just a thought...
