Skip to main content

Yeah, I am going to have to write a brief history of DIY film


'cause too many of the "new kids" (both in production & film writing) think DIY film - or working outside of Hollywood (& in more recent times indiewood) for production & distribution of movies started in 2005 with Mumblecore!!!! :) :) :) So, will have to look back in time to the days of Oscar Micheaux (pictured on top) & beyond (1930's & earlier), then more recently to Jonas Mekas & other 60's breakthrough NYC underground/indie/DIY filmmakers (Andy Warhol used the term DIY filmmaker in a book he wrote in the 70's or 80's, will have the title later), early efforts by John Waters, to Sarah Jacobson, Jon Moritsugu, & projects like The Last Broadcast, The Debut, Robot Stories, & more.

Leave suggestions on comments re: filmmakers & projects I should mention in my brief history of DIY film.

I'll probably have the post done at some point in early March at the latest.

Once the thing is done, when we see someone trying to re-invent the wheel we can point them to the post, and that may save a lot of time & confusion for folks.

- Sujewa

Full Movie - SNEAK PREVIEW - Cosmic Disco Detective Rene And The Mystery Of Immortal Time Travelers

NEW - COSMIC DISCO DETECTIVE RENE (2023) - TRAILER!

Popular Posts

Written notes/review plus live video review of By the Stream (2025) by Hong Sang-soo

By the stream review - from Lincoln Center, NYC viewing - no spoilers The hype is real - By the Stream is very good by Hong movies standards and also normal comedy-drama standards. There were like 30-40 people at Lincoln Center for the 1PM Fri 8/8/25 (opening day) screening of By the Stream.  People in that neighborhood are serious about their foreign films. Cinematography is very simple, from a canon XA small sensor HD cam, I could see familiar details, how those cams film the moon, scenes at night - it’s like a 1980s or 1990s early indie cinematography style that we do not see much these days - works well for Hong’s movies. No color grading, very simple video/cinematography. A more fleshed out movie than some recent Hong movies. In the movie a skit is prepped, and we actually get to see it performed. A couple of serious issues are discussed.  Some unexpected, light things happen. It’s a comedy-drama chill hangout movie w/ creative South Korean people - good times. Probably o...

Review - doing difficult things well - making a period movie about the early 1980s with teenagers - Blake Calhoun's CASEY MAKES A MIXTAPE

By Sujewa Ekanayake * Blake Calhoun is an experienced indie filmmaker - but, it's very difficult to do period movies well - movies set in another era - on a low indie film budget, and it can be difficult to have several teenagers in your cast as the main characters - to get great performances. Calhoun has managed to do both things well in his new movie CASEY MAKES A MIXTAPE. The early 1980s Texas in Calhoun's movie looks - and more importantly feels - believable.  Great cinematography and color grading work.  And his teen actors do a great job bringing their characters to life.   I think the movie is being promoted as a mainstream accessible, realistic, light comedy-drama.  And perhaps it is also being marketed to a teenage audience. But, as an old person in NYC, I found the movie to be almost an observational movie - documenting a summer in the life of the main character (played in a low key, somewhat dramatic, and overall an entertaining way by the excellent Presle...

Canon G60 daytime and nighttime test videos - excellent camcorder for indie filmmakers

 

Reading Material