When a system (like the studio system) stops growing there's a high demand for alternative business models, and they start to crop up. Some of those business models will be built to take advantage of all the folks trying desperately to penetrate the old fort, and others will be based on genuine innovation.
As an aspiring filmmaker, your challenge lies in telling the difference - but how?
When it comes to my own approach to independent film, I try to distinguish myself by acting in service to my collaborators and my audience. Through the spirit of service, my collaborators rest assured that they can use our projects and plans to their advantage. Because they see I'm looking out for them, they stick around and chip in.
Look for business models that don't get their money before you do. Look for people who have good reasons for supporting your work. If someone's getting paid "to validate that you're serious", what incentive do they have to help you?
Nobody will pour time and effort into your career for good word of mouth advertising, when they already have five hundred bucks of your cash. While they may jump through a few hoops to satisfy a contract, it takes more than lip service to establish a new way of doing business.
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