Craig Brewer said critics have praised his films for their gritty and un-polished qualities, even though he has never used those words to describe his own work. To him, his signature style came from making his first movie with very few resources.
"The very thing that I thought was my handicap made it great," he said.
Before Brewer gained national recognition for directing "Hustle & Flow," "Black Snake Moan" and "Footloose" (2011), he was working in a Barnes & Noble while writing the screenplay for his premier feature-length motion picture "The Poor & Hungry."
Filmed in Memphis with a handheld camera and paid for entirely out of his own pocket, "The Poor & Hungry" won first place in the 2000 Hollywood Film Festival. He used the award-winning picture as a platform to get his second movie produced. With his background, Brewer may be one of the best authorities on how to make it into the industry.
The director suggested aspiring filmmakers should not run off to Hollywood immediately. He said it helps to refine one's skills and take up as many opportunities near home first.
"There were plenty of times I could have moved out to Los Angeles, but ... This [Memphis] is the place that taught me how to be a filmmaker. But more importantly, it taught me how to be an artist," Brewer said.
One new element to the business he spoke about was "Day and Date" releases, when a movie becomes available for viewing online at the same time it premiers in theaters. Cinema owners are fighting against it he said, but it might be the best way for independent filmmakers to get their name out.
"John Singleton and I got into a big argument about this once. 'We make movies to be in theaters' he said. Yeah, but it cost $25 million to advertise one movie for one month ... Why can't the DVD, on demand and theatrical release happen all at the same time?" Brewer said.
With international box office profits rivaling domestic profits, Hollywood is more interested in funding and advertising a "Pacific Rim" sequel over a meaningful low-budget film, Brewer said. He said the dream of independent moviemakers winning a film festival and getting into the industry is fading out.
"More content is moving to TV and Internet," he said. "Self-distribution is something you need to figure out now, because it is coming. I am a big believer in building an audience even if it is just a thousand people."
One possible model is to make a movie available for free as a type of advertisement for merchandise that relates to the flick. Brewer, himself, is offering free copies of "The Poor & Hungry" online, but he hopes those who download them will purchase a T-shirt or poster from his website as well.
Brewer did not go to film school. Although he is not against people attending the institutions, he said they should think hard tbefore piling on student debt.
"If you think you have to spend the rest of your life paying off $100,000 just so you can be comfortable in film - have a conversation with me first," he said. "Reading books and immersing yourself in movie culture is really all you need to figure out who you are supposed to be as a director."
Brewer's paid intern Zach Parks, a junior film major at the University of Memphis, is caught between the two worlds.
"I like classes but I'm now trying to graduate as fast as I can. I've learned a lot from working for him. I've even met Justin Timberlake," Parks said.
Despite Brewer's past successes and his upcoming projects, "Mother Trucker" and "Gangster Princess of Beverly Hills," he says the struggle never ends.
"It is hell making a movie - even one that you love. It tests you and makes you want to give up," he said.
He said the two most important pieces of advice he could give to those who want to make a film is - find a story you are passionate to tell and identify three collaborators to help you, who after you argue with will fight, go to hell and back with you and will still be able to look you in the eye at the end of the day.
