Table Of Content“I’ve always said that I was a ‘Ted Hope-trained director.’ From the very beginning of my
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career and over the course of quite a few films, Ted and I grew together, as he helped me
find the practical path towards realizing my creative vision. I’m just one of many filmmakers
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oto independent film world quite like Ted Hope. His wisdom and heart shine through every page.”
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“Essential for the aspiring filmmaker—read it before you plunk down $150k on film school!” try’s most passionate producers, Hope for Film
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f dustry’s most passionate producers, Hope for
TED HOPE is one of the most respected voices boom in 1990s New York City, its collapse two
Film captures the rebellious punk spirit of the
in independent film. In 1990 he co-founded with “Ted Hope’s remarkable career makes for fascinating reading. He has lived in the center of o decades later, and its current moment of technol-
indie film boom in 1990s New York City, its col-
James Schamus the production and sales pow- independent filmmaking for almost three decades. His insight into the challenges and pro- ogy-fueled regeneration. Ted Hope, whose films
lapse two decades later, and its current moment
erhouse Good Machine. His seventy-plus films cess of independent film offers any reader, whether you’re a film student or indie movie fan, r have garnered twelve Oscar nominations, draws
f o r of technology-fueled regeneration. Ted Hope,
include many highlights and breakthroughs in a unique glimpse into how specialized films really get made, sold and released.” from his own personal experiences working on
whose films have garnered 12 Oscar nomina-
independent cinema, including The Ice Storm, —eDwArD burns the early films of Ang Lee, Edward Burns, Alan
tions, draws from his own personal experiences
American Splendor, 21 Grams, Happiness, Mar- f Ball, Todd Field, Hal Hartley, Michel Gondry, Ni-
working on the early films of Ang Lee, Eddie
tha Marcy May Marlene, and Adventureland. “A relentlessly useful insider’s guide to independent film from a longtime practitioner . . . cole Holofcener, Todd Solondz, and other maver-
i Burns, Alan Ball, Todd Field, Hal Hartley, Michel
Known within the industry for his extraordinary Invaluable for film students.” —KIrKus l film Gicoknsd, rrey,la Ntinicgo tlheo Hseo ldoefcciesnioenr,s Ttohadtd b Srooulognhdt zh,i ma nthde
ability at recognizing emerging talent, Hope has occasional failure as well as much success.
m other mavericks, relating those decisions that
more than twenty first features to his credit, and
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has launched many actors’ careers. As the cre-
mWucehin ssutecicne ossv.er final cuts or clashing with high-
ator and editor of and a regular contributor to
powWerheedth CerA nAa vaiggaentitnsg o nveegr otthiaetiiro nclsi ewntisth, HHoapr-e
HopeForFilm.com, Hope provides a must-read
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forum for discussion of critical issues facing film-
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makers and artists. Now as CEO of Fandor, the
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nology and film culture armed with a sharp focus n E
on the future. be tH d mtheedyia itno rth bee wtwoereldn othf ebsues tiwneos so popr oasritn—g oinnt ehroewst st,o
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ANTHONY KAUFMAN is a highly respected at y minatkeeg rmityo vinietas cwt,h ailned k eheopwin tog lyaouunrc ihn tae gsuristtya iinnatabclte
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film journalist who has covered independent cin- y Jo KA P abnuds ihnoewss toen ctererparteis ea swuhsitlaei nsatabylein bgu striunee ssto e nytoeurr--
ema since 1997. He was one of the founding edi- b u psreislfe. Aougta oinf stth aa t baarct kwdrhoilpe ostfa syeinisgm itrcu ceh taon gyoesu ri-n
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tors of Indiewire.com and continues to write about o m stehlef. Aingdaeipnesnt dae nbta cfiklmdr oipn doufs tsreyi,s mfriocm c hcaonrgpeosr ainte
films and the film industry for a variety of publica- rati An thcoe -oinpdtieopne ntod ethnet rfiilsme oinf dsuosctirayl, mfreodmia ,c oHroppoera ftoer
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tions, including Variety and The Village Voice. He us cFoi-lomp tpiorno vtoid tehse nrioste oonf lsyo caina l emnetedriata, inHionpge afonrd
ll ISBN 978-1-61902-332-1
has been published in The New York Times, Los d i 52500 Fiinlmtim partoev rididees tnhorot uognhly thaen uepnst earntadi ndinogw nasn odf itnh-e
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Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street a T e d H o p e tibmuasitnee rsisd oef athrrto huoguhs et hmeo vuipess oavnedr tdhoew lansst towfe nthtye -
t ISBN 978-1-61902-332-1
Journal, and Slate, and is also the editor of Steven e bfiuvsein yeesas rso,f baurtt ahlsoou sheo pmeo fvoier si tso vfuetru rteh.e last 25
Soderbergh: Interviews. ack SOFT SKULL PRESS 52500 with AnTHony KAufmAn years, but also hope for its future.
J An imprint of COUNTERPOINT
www.softskull.com
Distributed by Publishers Group West
9 781619 023321
9 781619 023321
HOPE FOR FILM
H O P E FO R F I L M
From the Frontlines of the Independent Cinema Revolutions
Ted Hope
with Anthony Kaufman
SOFT SKULL PRESS
An imprint of Counterpoint
Berkeley
Copyright © Ted Hope 2014
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No
part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hope, Ted.
Hope for film : from the frontline of the independent cinema revolutions / Ted Hope.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-61902-332-1 (hardback)
1. Hope, Ted. 2. Motion picture producers and directors—United States—Biography.
3. Independent filmmakers—United States—Biography. I. Title.
PN1998.3.H6865A3 2014
791.4302’33092—dc23
[B]
2014014012
Cover design and illustration by Jonathan Bennett
Interior design by Sabrina Plomitallo-González, Neuwirth & Associates
SOFT SKULL PRESS
An imprint of Counterpoint
www.softskull.com
Printed in the United States of America
Distributed by Publishers Group West
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Vanessa,
You are my hope and partner in all things. May we forever
continue to help each other reach higher, deeper, and truer.
To my son Michael,
May you too find a path that allows your passion to sustain both
itself and you, while never losing sight of the privilege such a gift is.
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Chapter 1—Inspiration 1
Chapter 2—Patience 27
Chapter 3—Joyfulness 51
Chapter 4—Commitment 77
Chapter 5—Ambition 103
Chapter 6—Collaboration 119
Chapter 7—Creativity 141
Chapter 8—Time 165
Chapter 9—Community 199
Chapter 10—Change 221
Appendix—141 Problems and Opportunities
for the Independent Film World 255
Filmography 293
Index 295
Acknowledgments
When people think about film producers, they don’t normally recognize
a “body of work” and how the films fit together. That’s usually reserved
for directors. But the films I make and love all have a powerful and
personal story at their center. And the vision for those stories has a sin-
gularity largely driven by the director, but not the director alone. The
fact that I had partners all along, directors who were generally willing to
listen, and an environment where everyone was willing to figure things
out and make things better is the most fortunate aspect of my profes-
sional life so far.
If I hadn’t arrived in New York City when I did, gotten caught up in
the indie film tide that was then rising and lifted so many, and happened
to be in the same class that Anne Carey was taking, who knows how
things might have gone? Drinking beers on the lift gate of a grip truck
with Rich Ludwig led me to Hal Hartley, and riffing on Godard and
aliens led me to James Schamus. Good friends and collaborators spoke
well of me to Vanessa Guest, not yet suspecting she’d become Vanessa
Hope, a collaborator in the greatest of ways—including filmmaking.
For all filmmakers, collaboration with the producer and the whole
creative team is essential. Collaboration is a class that film schools
should add to their curricula now that they finally have producing
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