Liberty is American & Filmmaking is American
What does Liberty No. 5 Pictures stand for? What does the word "Liberty" and the "number 5" have to do with anything and especially filmmaking? The simple answer? Liberty No. 5 is a personal distillation and interpretation of some of the distinctly American things and filmmaking things that I love. I love that filmmaking and America seem to go hand in hand... the production company logo itself is modeled after a gold American coin, a historically timeless symbol of value. On this, the liberty torch, a symbol oft used in American symbology and in some other film production companies (especially in my favorite production logo title card, the Columbia Pictures 'torch lady' logo). So, I chose Liberty No. 5 to be a strong, centrally placed, round metallic symbol, that also contains my personal philosophy of filmmaking and thrifty producing that i have learned through the years. To me, it means something of "timeless American value."
The Nickelodeon
There is significance to both elements of the company's name, "liberty" and "no. 5". Most of all, the logo encapsulates the primary meaning best... specifically, the old "American-style coin" logo is modeled after the early 20th century American Liberty Head "V" nickel. This coin was used, beginning in 1905, as payment to watch some of the first short films ever made in the first effective film distribution model ever known, called the "Nickelodeons". This industry was founded from these humble means, but grew to great heights very quickly and morphed into longer-format exhibition-style theaters as the early filmmakers like D.W. Griffith would move westward & would popularize feature length films.
Other Liberty Film Production Companies
There is also a great history of Film Production companies using the name "Liberty" in their title, the greatest of which is Frank Capra's "Liberty Films" of the late 40's and the most recent of which is Duncan Jones' "Liberty Films" currently in operation in the UK. I intend to pay respect to these companies as well as the principles of my production company... but in addition, to the concept of freedom, from which we are given the right to make films and to speak freely about whatever matter we wish to speak about through our chosen form of speech. I am grateful for the right & the freedom to speak but if I truly intend to honor that freedom, I recognize that I must use it responsibly.
Auteur Filmmaking & Artistic Freedom
Back to the primary element of "liberty", we will have to take a trip through history. First of all, Frank Capra's "Liberty Films" was intended to be an independent film production company, set up as an oasis, separate from the control of Hollywood power and away from so-called "executive power." Frank Capra's philosophy on the matter was that the auteur filmmaker/or a strong Director/Producer and not the corporate, or executive-run film productions that Capra had known and we still know today, should override the latter on the decision-making process (as it comes to greenlighting-- and as it comes to any artistic decisions in filmmaking).
Capra's philosophy vs. mine
If we look closer, we can see the positive and negative parts of his philosophy. For example, the greatest film that sprang from his company was "It's a Wonderful Life," although the film itself bankrupted the company. It has also grown a legacy for itself, but at the time, it was difficult to outgrow Capra's incredible spending and failure to hedge his bets, which ruined the company. Yet, as we can see today, it was a very significant film in its powerfully humanitarian themes, its sense of moral duty and in its sense of craft. So, we can see that certain problems may bring about exceptions to Frank Capra's philosophy on individual artistic license and this detail may have actually cost Capra the future of his film company.
Yes, as an artist the film speaks for itself as a work of beauty and genius. Yet, we must learn that without maintaining financial stability, an artist cannot maintain his high quality of work, nor can he successfully secure his future. My vision, then is to forge a compromise between the Producer/Executive's power and the Producer/Director's. I have designed a corporate and executive structure that reflects this compromise, a structure that I call "In Touch & At Risk". I will tell you about this in another post, but the important thing now is the relevance to the name and its calling us to remember not just freedom of speech but, also, of artistic freedom.
Yes, as an artist the film speaks for itself as a work of beauty and genius. Yet, we must learn that without maintaining financial stability, an artist cannot maintain his high quality of work, nor can he successfully secure his future. My vision, then is to forge a compromise between the Producer/Executive's power and the Producer/Director's. I have designed a corporate and executive structure that reflects this compromise, a structure that I call "In Touch & At Risk". I will tell you about this in another post, but the important thing now is the relevance to the name and its calling us to remember not just freedom of speech but, also, of artistic freedom.
The 5th
The significance of the number 5 in Liberty No. 5 Pictures is for the most part about the nickelodeon. But, there are some other curious connections with the number five. There are five human senses and the five human wits in Western philosophy and literature. There are five fingers on the human hand, five limbs on the human body and the five elements in eastern philosophy, known as earth, water, fire, wind & void. As it comes to running a film production company, there are five departments necessary in any efficient film production of any kind: Camera, Sound, Art, Post-Production, & of course, the administrative or Above-the-line (which includes the Director, all Producers and the lead talent attached to the project). The number 5 is significant in nature, in the sciences, the humanities and in it's historical significance. A film with this grounding can then not only take shape as a true work of art, but can also, grow, move and speak for itself as a living entity, adapting as necessary to the current situation and cultural context it finds itself. And a film can be a force of nature, given the freedom to do so.
Force and Shape
I hope that, given the time for my vision to take shape, I can breathe life into many films that will give a much needed voice to untold and significant stories. Stories that desires to do more than speak... but to act. To be something of value that can perpetuate continued learning for those who watch, for some decades in the future. I wish to say that there are rules in the universe just as there are in the sciences, in mathematics and in religion. That there is a form to the universe and an absolute shape to the world we live in. These truths are obvious for those who learn, but for the unteachable, there is art.
What I have learned as a writer is that given our recognition to the limitations we are presented with, we can make the best of what we have, instead of being stubborn children who proclaim, in complete ignorance, that we are kings of the universe. Instead, we should first admit to ourselves that we are what we are... women and men... nothing more and nothing less. And we can not only live with that, but we can thrive in these limited conditions, happily. Life is a series of challenges and for most of us, an unfair hand of cards are dealt us as human beings. A well crafted story can enlighten many of us to these facts and can help us deal with these ignoble circumstances where other things will only fail to speak to us on any real level... this is especially true, the more commercial our art becomes.
But, more than so-called "card players", we are individuals... people who must learn to live with one another more nobly and more free. Free to make mistakes, and free to succeed. And free to speak our mind on any number of subjects in the interest of honest discussion and debate. My opinion is that the films and the art that help us to think and to examine the real world around us more, even if on a subtle level, is worthy of much exploration and worthy of support, whether it be through our friendship or through our patronage.
What I have learned as a writer is that given our recognition to the limitations we are presented with, we can make the best of what we have, instead of being stubborn children who proclaim, in complete ignorance, that we are kings of the universe. Instead, we should first admit to ourselves that we are what we are... women and men... nothing more and nothing less. And we can not only live with that, but we can thrive in these limited conditions, happily. Life is a series of challenges and for most of us, an unfair hand of cards are dealt us as human beings. A well crafted story can enlighten many of us to these facts and can help us deal with these ignoble circumstances where other things will only fail to speak to us on any real level... this is especially true, the more commercial our art becomes.
But, more than so-called "card players", we are individuals... people who must learn to live with one another more nobly and more free. Free to make mistakes, and free to succeed. And free to speak our mind on any number of subjects in the interest of honest discussion and debate. My opinion is that the films and the art that help us to think and to examine the real world around us more, even if on a subtle level, is worthy of much exploration and worthy of support, whether it be through our friendship or through our patronage.
Learning Lessons
When I was learning music in my twenties, I learned that there are rules, and very possibly from this there might even be the perfect pop song just waiting to be created if we were willing to learn the lessons necessary to create it. In other sciences and arts the same thing is true, rules apply and we must gravitate to them and humble ourselves to them before we know how to work with them & befriend them. This can only give us an advantage as compared to artists that do not know or acknowledge these rules. I recognize filmmaking to be the same discipline of humility and growth within boundaries, within respect and within rational reason- not something to be constantly challenged or rebelled against- it is instead, a beautiful dance.
And a dance is a constant adaptation to your own limitations in form- you go with your limitations- not against them, and you can find that doing unique things comes easier because you are a unique person and your expression within the discipline will always be unique, without fail. Failure is simply listening to other artists as the authority instead of listening to the real limitations in form and in the filmmaking discipline. And yet, I can always get back on the horse and learn the lesson.
And I would hope that if I do fail as a filmmaker at first, you will continue to give me a try in the future because... I have simply fallen off of the horse, but, as I have to dust off and nurse a bruised rear end, hoping the skittish stallion has not lost confidence in me, all you need to do is... to simply put another nickel in the nickelodeon and watch a man's dreams take shape... into a beautiful dance of flickering light and form. All I can say is, thank you for believing... and enjoy your movie.
And a dance is a constant adaptation to your own limitations in form- you go with your limitations- not against them, and you can find that doing unique things comes easier because you are a unique person and your expression within the discipline will always be unique, without fail. Failure is simply listening to other artists as the authority instead of listening to the real limitations in form and in the filmmaking discipline. And yet, I can always get back on the horse and learn the lesson.
And I would hope that if I do fail as a filmmaker at first, you will continue to give me a try in the future because... I have simply fallen off of the horse, but, as I have to dust off and nurse a bruised rear end, hoping the skittish stallion has not lost confidence in me, all you need to do is... to simply put another nickel in the nickelodeon and watch a man's dreams take shape... into a beautiful dance of flickering light and form. All I can say is, thank you for believing... and enjoy your movie.
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