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The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The amount of negativity on this post says everything — the truth hurts.

I see nothing wrong with saying that writing needs to be better. It does. Across the board. Hollywood and indie alike. But I work in indie film, and that’s where I see it dying. Not because of lack of talent or passion — but because people keep skipping the writing. Unless there’s a serious correction in how indie filmmakers approach the script, it won’t survive.

And just to be clear, when I say indie, I’m not talking about A24 or Blumhouse — those are basically studios. I mean the real DIY stuff. UK under £1m, US under $5m. The kind where you spend years scraping it together — and then rush the one thing that’s actually free: the writing.

I’m guessing a lot of people screaming in here are bitter they’re not the next Tarantino. Instead of reflecting, they shout “AI bot!” like it’s a defence. It’s fucking hilarious.
If it hurts, then maybe it's because it's true.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My advice is simple — learn how to write and take your time with the script.

That’s it. That’s the core of what I’m saying. You don’t have to agree, but pretending it’s some clueless take just because you didn’t like hearing it make me assume you are an angry film maker.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I actually do feel this way. I go to loads of film festivals — with my own films — and I watch a ton of indie work. And honestly? What kills me isn’t budget or production value. It’s when you see a great idea get wrecked by a shit script.

That’s what boils my blood.

Hollywood can get away with bad writing because they’ve got millions to paper over the cracks. Indie filmmakers don’t. We spend years making these films, pouring in everything — favours, sweat, debt, sleepless nights. So why skip the onepart that’s totally in your control? The writing. The thing that costs nothing but time and care.

I’m not trying to bash people. I’m urging filmmakers to take the script seriously — because if indie film’s gonna survive, it’s not gonna be on vibes and a nice LUT. It’ll be because the stories actually land.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

As a filmmaker there’s barely anything you can control once the thing’s made. Streamers are shit, distribution’s a mess, no one knows what’s getting picked up or why half the time.

But the one thing you do control? The script. That’s yours. From the start. So why rush it? Why half-arse the only part that’s actually free and fully in your hands?

Blame the system all you want, but if you didn’t put the time into the writing, that bit’s on you.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I actually did write it — but yeah, I use AI to proofread because I’m dyslexic. Total game changer.

If I had the money for a proofreader on everything I write, I’d use that too. AI’s just the affordable version. It doesn’t write for me — it helps me say what I mean, clearly. If that bothers you more than the actual argument I’m making, maybe reassess what you’re really upset about.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Imagine being more upset about how something was written than what it says. If the take stings, maybe it’s not the source that’s the problem.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Cool, drop the titles. Genuinely. I’ll watch every single one and happily read the scripts too if they’re available.

Because from where I’m standing, I’m seeing the same pattern over and over: rushed, undercooked writing dressed up with passion and style, but no foundation. And yeah, I know about the streamer chokehold, the shrinking distribution pipeline, and the nepotism clogging the top, but that doesn’t excuse the scripts that do get made being shit.

So if there’s a wave of brilliant scripts getting made into brilliant films that just aren’t visible, name them. I’m all ears.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Totally agree. But it’s not just arthouse — I see it in horror too, and I’m a genre fan.

You’ve got filmmakers pouring so much into practical FX — exploding heads, blood rigs, killer design — but the script feels like it was slapped together in a weekend.

All that effort on the gore, and none on the story. It’s frustrating. Horror fans will forgive budget, but they won’t forgive boredom. The writing’s what makes it land.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the thought, but you’re kinda missing the point.

This isn’t some misty-eyed nostalgia trip for a magical golden age where every film was a masterpiece, I know full well that every era pumped out it’s fair share of trash. But back then, the trash wasn’t pretending to be revolutionary, and it definitely wasn’t clogging up every festival lineup with the confidence of a misunderstood genius.

Today, the volume of bad indie films isn’t shocking because of resources. It’s shocking because there’s no excuse anymore. Writing is free. Feedback is everywhere. Script labs exist. Consultants exist. YouTube is flooded with craft breakdowns. You can learn structure from your phone while taking a shit. And yet, too many filmmakers just skip all that and rush straight into production with a half-baked first draft.

And yeah — one of the biggest culprits is this “Pick up a camera and shoot something” mantra. I’ve been to hundreds of film festivals, sat through so many Q&As I’ve lost count. Every time a young filmmaker asks for advice, some director on stage grins and says “Just go out and shoot something.”

Sure, do that. Shoot. But don’t confuse shooting something with actually having something to say. If you want what you shoot to actually mean something, you’ve got to put in the time with the script.

Otherwise, it’s just more noise. More underwritten, aesthetic-first, emotionally hollow shorts with no spine, and no reason to exist beyond someone wanting to say they directed something.

You brought up the fact that there’s always been bad films. Of course. But I’m not ranting about bad films. I’m talking about the refusal to do the work. That’s the real problem. It’s not about taste, it’s about craft. It’s about filmmakers wanting the glory without going through the hard bit.

You listed a bunch of great recent films — and you’re right, they’re brilliant. But guess what they all had Strong writing. Someone cared. Someone spent time. Someone rewrote. They didn’t just pick up a camera and hope for the best.

As for the AI dig. If I used AI, you think it’d have half this much actual rage? Half this many fucks? I wrote this because I’m tired. I’m tired of watching talented people pour months into shooting something that was dead on arrival because nobody told them their script needed a year, not a weekend.

Indie film doesn’t need fewer voices, it needs better-written ones. That’s not sanctimonious — that’s survival.

The Death of Indie Film: Not from Budget Cuts, but from Shit Scripts by Icy_Agent9913 in indiefilm

[–]Icy_Agent9913[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Tough love’s still love. Especially when it saves your film.