06 Jun Funemployment: The Start

What is a feature film? By definition it is a film with a full-length running time, these days the golden number for an indie film is around 90-120 minutes. Why is making a feature film so important? To give you an idea, a feature to a filmmaker is like a barmitzvah to a boy. It is what separates the amateurs from the pros.

I have been dreaming about making a feature film ever since I started making movies and finally after many years as a filmmaker, I am happy to say I am ready to take the plunge with “Funemployment”

Funemployment began three years ago (2010) when I found myself unemployed along with a few close friends. I remember sitting together at a bar reminiscing about the challenges of being unemployed and finding it fascinating to see how so many of our experiences, though different, still yielded similarities.

I for one was enjoying unemployment in Houston to the max because I had saved up money from my previous job and was using the time to pursue my true passion in life, filmmaking. My friend, on the other hand, who was in a different stage of unemployment, had a completely polarized experience. Being unemployed for quite some time was making him jaded and depressed.

Eventually, I got to the same point he was at, worried about what I would do without a steady income and feeling like a total bum. I learned a lot about myself during this period and truly discovered the importance of a job to a person beyond the obvious economical benefits. A job should give a person a sense of purpose. If I didn’t feel like I had a purpose in society, I felt depressed. I turned everything around when I made the decision to start my own business, Moth to Flame.

Funemployment is about what it is like to be an entrepreneur — to take the risk of starting something from ground up and not knowing where it is going to go. Austin is a breeding ground for startups and I have been having a blast.

Making a feature is almost like starting a mini business as well. Today is my first table read and I cannot wait to share our journey with you. Please ask us any questions during the process and let us know how you would like to help out and join.

-Christine