Manifesto

The guiding principles for Moscow Art Theatre, developed by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstantin Stanislavski:

One must love art, and not one's self in art.
Today Hamlet, tomorrow a supernumerary, but even as a supernumerary you must become an artist.
The poet, the actor, the artist, the tailor, the stagehand serve one goal which is placed by the poet in the very basis of his play.
All disobedience to the creative life of the theatre is a crime.
Lateness, laziness, caprice, hysterics, bad character, ignorance of the role, the necessity of repeating anything twice are all equally harmful to our enterprise and must be rooted out.
There are no small parts, there are only small actors.

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For the whole of my life there has been this urge to fall into some form of creative practice. I have had the privilege to touch upon a number of disciplines before entering the craft of film. And for five years my creative voice has lingered behind and in front of a camera with no desire to tangent off elsewhere.

There are a lot of us in competition with one another especially when seeking funds. A healthy rivalry is something we can embrace in motivating our own creative growth, but a lot of people fall into the comparison game, especially when rejections come in abundance.

The industry we are in is far too competitive and result oriented. How your film does at the box office and whether a film will get accepted to festivals should not be what dictates the creative decisions we make. As artists, we need the opportunity to explore in all stages of crafting a film, from its conception to its exhibition.

To explore requires us to strip away our egos and accept all rejections as an encouragement to further refine ideas. This should not mean that you pander to the trends of what audiences fall into. It’s an opportunity to reframe our minds and, “love art and not one’s self in art.” Your passion for ideas are what will motivate you and others to invest into projects, and the same can be said vice versa.

One person cannot make a film on their own. A film is a synthesis of multiple perspectives from varying creative and logistical disciplines. No matter the role, every voice is necessary in serving a vision. Every individual attached to a project is an artist in their own right.

Thus, disobedience and disrespect between others should not be tolerated. With a number of voices involved, a natural rift in opinions may occur. The morale surrounding your project will depend on your actions following it. Creating a safe environment for all will only benefit the creative result of hard work shared. This requires one to be gentle, honest, kind and respectful to others as well as yourself.

The collaborative I embrace is one that focuses on forging bonds with fellow creatives within and beyond the film industry. All with the intent of nurturing voices, encouraging experimentation and celebrating our growth.

I have stayed in film for its creative and emotional challenges. The passion required to tell stories; the courage to confront rejections; the discipline to explore your craft; and the need to be kind and respectful. From a professional and personal standpoint, film has and continues to teach me how to be a good person.

MANIFESTO

The guiding principles for Moscow Art Theatre, developed by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstantin Stanislavski:

One must love art, and not one's self in art.

Today Hamlet, tomorrow a supernumerary, but even as a supernumerary you must become an artist.

The poet, the actor, the artist, the tailor, the stagehand serve one goal which is placed by the poet in the very basis of his play.

All disobedience to the creative life of the theatre is a crime.

Lateness, laziness, caprice, hysterics, bad character, ignorance of the role, the necessity of repeating anything twice are all equally harmful to our enterprise and must be rooted out.

There are no small parts, there are only small actors.

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