Founding Principles

The South East London Film Collective Founding Principles
Below is a starting point for a discussion on the founding principles of The South East London Film Collective. The principles are always open for constructive reconsideration and will be updated regularly in response to the sentiments that emerge here.

The creative act is an essential part of life.
SELFCollective creates an environment for local film and video makers not just to create something but to live a creative life.

The more room there is for ideas, the more ideas there are created, the better the ideas become.
SELFCollective provides a space to get ideas into practice, to collaborate, learn, develop ideas and create for the sake of creating. SELFCollective acts as a sketchbook, a place for not only making film but practicing film. Have an idea? Don't let it stagnate and become relegated to a far off unsurmountable pipe dream never to be realized for the crippling fear of failure! Get it out; make room for more! Get it into practice; make it better! SELFC provides a launchpad for major project ideas and a respectful resting ground for failed ideas. A place too, to constructively reflect on the beauty of the successes and failures of creating.

You don't need a big budget to make something worthwhile.
SELFCollective supports no-to-low budget filmmaking. By pooling resources, finding alternative avenues, putting in the elbow grease and a little ingenuity, film/video can be a relatively inexpensive creative medium. SELFCollective provides a space to pool with others your ideas, time, talent and equipment to create something bigger than yourself.

Filmmaking is not just a degree.
SELFCollective connects traditionally trained filmmakers with visual artists, social scientists, webdesigners, musicians and the like to provide a fresh perspective and innovation. SELFCollective privileges ideas, talent, a collaborative attitude and creativity not credits or degrees.

Filmmaking can be tedious and frustrating.
SELFCollective connects dedicated filmmakers with different areas and levels of expertise to skillshare, mentor and cooperate with the understanding that we all have something to bring to the table. SELFCollective creates a constructive support network to help projects develop from inception to completion.

SELFCollective is a no-budget, not-forprofit member organized network of which the meaning, function and activites are completely dependent and defined by its current active members and the ethos of a collaborative independent creativity.

South East London Film Collective

The South East London Film Collective is a loosely affiliated group of independent filmmakers, writers, directors, actors, technicians, documentarians, camera operators, sound recordists, visual artists, musicians, editors, students and individuals interested in active participation in local film and video production. SELFC is a member organized body which meets regularly in the South East London area to network, share ideas, skills, time, equipment and support.