Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Graham Streeter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Graham, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
IM JUST AN INDIE FILMMAKER – WHO BELIEVES IN PURPOSE
Do you remember making your first indie film? I do. It felt like I was all on my own…. like stacking everything I owned on top of itself, to make the biggest and tallest structure I could, despite all odds. At any minute I felt it could all come crashing down. The slightest unexpected breeze and the whole thing would topple. But I am not alone. The fact is, indie filmmaking can be a very fragile play ground. One mishap; game over.
But fews filmmakers look like me and my film company; Imperative Pictures. We make sure it facilitates purpose; aka “having the imperative.” This is essential for us. It is the backbone of our company; thus the name Imperative Pictures. Within any true imperative lies purpose..
By purpose, I mean the film serves a function in society; the topic; the bones of your film have meaning for others; that there are other groups and organizations that are also invested in the imperative we are highlighting.
These groups, communities, or organizations are our audience. They seek information, they want answers…and we have something helpful and constructive for them when we are finished. It’s the most satisfying feeling to able to give back through art.
With I MAY REGRET, we delved into Alzheimer’s, Right to End Life, Elderly Abuse. A bulk of our organic viewers long after the film is released On Demand are those who have a personal connection with those imperatives. They found out about the film while we were in estival mode. In IMPERFECT SKY we addressed the gripping effects of Heroin Addition and sibling bonds. In Blind Malice we address sexual abuse, justice and visual impairment.
Along with each of these imperative topics, we partnered with organizations that actively sought our content early in our work. We were engaged in their communities, we supported their efforts. We created alliances. In return, they promoted our work and participated our events to partner up and harness the synergy we had to offer each other. That was purpose.
Our latest film, UNFIX, tackles the sensitive and profound issues surrounding Conversion Therapy and the lasting effects it can have on an individual’s identity. It is fitting for the times because sadly our nation is going through an LGBTQ+ crisis. In fact, the Human Rights Campaign has declared it a “State of Emergency”.
One can argue the benefits of doing indie film over studio film work is that you can create “pure art” when it is independent; you can disregard the commercial demands often associated with profit and instead freely create any body of work you wish. I agree to an extent, however, if that art has anything to say at all, a wider audience would be appreciated. Right? But how will your audience find you? Who will talk about your art and encourage others to find it? Who would write an article about your art to further your artistic passion? The answer lies within the film itself, assuming it has true purpose.
So it goes without saying that a logical and strategic approach to producing an indie film is worth breaking down and considering. Engineering it with strategy could be to your advantage. A little bit of structure is not an artistic sell-out. There are moving parts to indie films that set it aside from other forms of art. Why not take advantage of those moving parts?
By visualizing your indie film already finished you can flag everything from hard initial changes to simple tweaks and adjustments in advance that could dramatically change the projection of your artistic future. Those adjustments can ultimately lessen the burden of production, assure the film’s durability, create more stability and increase demand.
By knowing the exact way you will construct it, with what materials you will use to create it, by whom it will be executed, applying firm dates, and reserving yourself a finite length of time to make it happen, you will ultimately minimize or avoid crippling obstacles, resulting in an easier path toward achieving a successful indie film.
Our new film, UNFIX, deftly explores themes of self-acceptance, the search for truth, and the courage to challenge societal norms – as well as depict conversion therapy as cruel and torturous.
Because we have purpose, UNFIX effortlessly partnered with Conversion Therapy Dropout Network and The Trevor Project, two organizations that specifically speak to LGBTQ+, family and friends about their services and missions to eradicate this torturous practice. It is not without design that our film premiered during National Pride Month in Los Angeles. Our cast and crew were all locally based in Los Angeles, and as luck would have it, we were able to do our World Premiere with Dances with Films Film Festival.
Unfix now goes on a world festival tour, garnering reviews and awards. Unfix is now WINNER BEST FEATURE at the Prague International Film Festival, WINNER BEST DIRECTOR at Vienna International Film Festival, WINNER BEST FEATURE DRAMA at Sacramento International Film Festival and Best Feature Film at Crown Point International Film Festival. The film will launch On-Demand when the year is over for the world to view in their own homes.
So, next time you embark on an indie film think seriously about your purpose. Speaking from experience, it has made all the difference in the world! Fear not when you stack everything you own on top of itself. Make the biggest and tallest structure you can. Go with your vision.
Remember to reverse engineer so you ca keep your eyes on your vision, create a strong foundation to support it, be realistic of time and material, build that family culture, employ the best crew, and build partnerships to help carry the load, implement the most attractive curbside appeal, but most importantly, don’t skimp on purpose. Do that and nothing will come crashing down.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Graham Streeter from Imperative Pictures. The reason why my first attempt at filmmaking felt a bit shaky and unstable was because we didn’t plan correctly. Like a good road trip, you need to know your final destination before you set off on your journey. Because we have no deep-pocket safety nets in indie filmmaking, the indie filmmaker needs to operate with the greatest of efficiency. Indie filmmakers must know exactly what they are creating, what they want to say, how it will ultimately look like, who will be their target audience; and most importantly, who will eventually find organic interested in their films long after they are made.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
STREETER’S REVERSE ENGINEERING
The most important qualities needed for effective filmmaking come from what I call reverse engineering; engineering for purpose, To do this we start at the finish line. We work our way backward and cover all our possible steps so that when we begin our journey, we have already plotted our path.
The way I see it, there are six components to be mindful of.
1. VISION
Most artists start with a vision. Understandably, it’s essential because it’s usually that “ah ha” thing that drives the artist forward, inspired to great length to make it happen. All artist know that feeling. It exited us. It makes us get up early and stay up late!
But unlike an artist who can simply carve away some time to dip a brush in paint and “make it happen”, there are so many moving parts and opposing forces when it comes to indie filmmaking, It’s best to put those impulsive ideas on ice for a short amount of time, take a breath, and prepare for the journey, instead of diving into the indie project just yet. I simply take all my ideas and write the down on 3×5 flash cards. I consider possible endings first. I consider the starting points second. I jot down steps on how one might go from start to end. I keep classic film structure in mind the entire time. Before you know it, I have a large deck of cards. I shuffle it every morning and deal it out on the table and let my mind wander. Each time I shuffle and deal it out, it looks different. It allows me to see the story from all angles.
For me, the final vision, or “ah ha” moment comes after months expanding on the idea, shuffling those cards and wandering aimlessly in research; going down various rabbit holes. If a concept comes into my head quickly I can’t help but ask myself it that idea is indeed’ too simple? Or maybe it’s been done before? Or it’s actually someone else’s great idea I’m trying to take credit for or somehow recycle subconsciously.
Ultimately, I am compelled to hold off on any one idea until it truly hits me like a ton of bricks and I know deep in my heart it’s truly all my idea. That discovery, when I does hit, usually rings loud and clear. The only question then is how will I integrate this “ah ha” thing into the deck?
2. FOUNDATION
Good story starts with a solid foundation. A pillar. A cornerstone to which all else is built upon. Although often celebrated in the world of “art”, moving forward on nothing but a half-baked vision alone can be reckless in the world of indie film. You really do need to plan it well if you wanna see it come true. And like with anything you build, an appropriately well-crafted foundation is the first step.
When I start off on a new film, which is every three or four years, I ask myself “what is important in our world today”. And more importantly, “what will be important in our world in 3 or 4 years, and will it continue to be important for many years to come?” With those question in mind, I usually go on a year-long research journey. I learn. I like to say I acquire mini-degrees in obscure topics and make myself knowledgeable in subjects that I think matters and more importantly, I had no earlier notion of. Let’s just say I learn, I learn, I learn. It’s my time to be a student.
From there I feel both empowered and inspired and I often want to share my learnings with others. Within there lies a new found passion for a very specific thing I want to indulge in. That is my personal foundation. It’s my cornerstone.
Then I embark on a screenplay, driven by my deck…which seamlessly embraces my “Ah ha” point. I do my best to integrate and embed them deep into a narrative that captivates an audience long enough to illustrate the “ah ha”s. By using a simple narrative, like love, truth, honestly, liberty, etc, we create story that will ultimately serve up the importance of the imperative and how it impacts our society.
But it’s not just regurgitating what I’ve learned through some clever narrative of love. It’s about being mindful of how that narrative, that imperative topic and all the elements piled on top of one another, can possibly come together to be a seamless and unique experience for both the film maker and the film viewer.
3. TIME & MATERIAL
Time is, arguably, one of the other great assets in indie filmmaking yet we rarely put much value on. Time burns money when it is rushed, time saves money when it is used in abundance. One of the first things I do when planning a film production is pen in a year-long calendar of milestones. I reserve a finite amount of time. Be it a huge chunk of time, we all know time goes really quick when we look back on it. So, I simply “book myself”. I consider myself “busy” and like any client, I show up daily to serve my obligations. Filmmaking is not done on a whim. You plan it or it won’t happen.
It usually feels surreal. Almost arbitrary. January this, February that. Blah blah blah. It’s a whole year and it seems like it’s so far way. And yet, once you start in on the journey the months go so fast, and with everything planned on paper there is a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes with plowing through the timeline. If you were to build a house you would certainly create a solid construction schedule. Indie filmmaking is no different.
There is also this looming anxiety as we approach key dates…but that just pushes everyone to be better prepared. Without hard dates, there are no milestones to work hard for. My advice, put everything in a calendar. Be very realistic. Pad the dates so you finish before the deadline. Schedule yourself and your team to be winners by creating a calendar that is possible.
Material is the other most important factor to consider when making an indie film. Like a well-planned construction project, you need to factor in what materials you will use to build this project. Material can be anything from Cast to Location. Consider when that material is available. Is it within your budget? How long will you have access to it?
When planning for Unfix, we were super mindful we were in a pandemic. One person falling ill and production could shut down. How would we be able to survive a shooting location financially if we had to extend dates? What if instead of paying of a location we changed it for something we had access to, regardless of time and money? If so, when would those locations be available? How would it effect our story?
We also looked at props, wardrobe, and asked ourselves what we had access to, and what we would need to spend money. Could we modify the screenplay and save ourselves some headache? Then we made some decisions and altered the story accordingly. We reverse engineered the story based on availability. It saved us.
For props it’s the same. Consider all the material you have access to. Maybe it’s friend’s old abandoned house, A vintage car, a doctor’s office. A classroom. It goes without saying this will save you money. It also means your locations are going to be secure way in advance, so you can plan that part of production more effectively. Once you commit, go back and integrate them into the story; reverse engineering to give those choices purpose.
4. FAMILY
Create a family for support. Ask yourself who might wanna take this filmmaking ride with you? Maybe you have an actor or camera man or best friend who wants to do an indie film with you. Plan the calendar accordingly so they can be part of the production. Maybe just adjusting the starting date, or shifting things slightly and before you know it they are locked in. Thank God you have a calendar going!
Inevitably, you have to go from solo film maker, to film family. It takes a team and everyone on board needs to be as sold and passionate about the project as you. You need to make the cool aide as appealing as possible. Everyone needs to drink it.
With a film family you can do anything. You will not be able to lift those heavy items alone, and the work will go on and on and you will burn out if you don’t have a film family behind you. Take the time to build your family. Seek people who may hot have all the experience but want to go on that journey with you. Train them, and let them feel the pride of ownership.
With Imperative pictures we actually create a family that includes Emerson Film School up-coming graduates. We created the Imperative Pictures Internship Program. We recruit and train, carefully considering the film school’s cycle, and try our best to schedule our bigger project so the last days of production end with their semester. We recruit an awesome crew, they walk away having made a feature. Everyone wins.
5. APPEAL
So much of the success in marketing an indie film starts with curb appeal. The initial concept, the superficial skin-deep component of it. Appeal drives initial interest to go deeper. Like erecting a skyscraper, you need curbside appeal that will attract your residents to come inside. Visuals. Pretty shiny objects, sexy young people etc. It goes without saying. It’s unabashedly called marketing to the being human.
But strong visuals are not enough. You definitely need to back those visuals up with substance. In my opinion, you must go beyond looking good and truly address a solid subject matter. Once you have their attention you need to give them a substance…substance that matters; the vision and foundation of your story now has a place to thrive. You are now ready to move beyond the superficial appeal and truly feed your audience they are hungry for. That is your film’s ultimate function. Remember I mentioned functionality earlier? Full circle now.
6. PURPOSE
At Imperative Pictures, we always find a twist, an approach to the topic that we’ve never seen or heard of before. UNFIX explores Conversion Therapy. But there have been many films to date that dealt with gay kids who were subject to conversion therapy to be turned straight like Pray Away and Boy Erased.
So we thought what if we made a straight person succumbed to the tortures of this practice instead? Torture is torture, no matter who it is performed on, but unless you can truly image yourself you may not understand the gravity of it? From there UNFIX was born.
Purpose is the substance within your film that feeds your audience; makes them satisfied; inspires or moves them to a higher level. Not all filmmakers feel the need to do this, but I always say “if you’re gonna spend 3-4 years of your life making a film, it better be something of value to the world”. Let’s face it, you have a captive audience, it’s an honor to take advantage of it and present something that can be constructive and lasting for society. At lease that’s how I view it.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most important thing my parents did for me is support me with tools to achieve my dreams. Knowing I wanted to be a filmmaker, they never once discouraged me. They never once tried to talk me out of it. Both my mother and father knew the strife and struggles that are associated with the arts. My father was a professional artist himself. I remember my parents telling me as a child….as clearly as if it was yesterday “If you want to be an artist, get a business degree”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.imperativepictures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grahamstreeter/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graham.streeter.director#
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-streeter-29936b21/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/imperativepictures
Image Credits
Images Property of Imperative Pictures
