Such is the plight of the 20-something artist in this brutal economy. Or so suggests Michael Licisyn in No Footing, an independent feature film that he wrote, directed, and edited.
Set in and around Philadelphia, and made on a shoestring (about $10,000) by a local cast and crew, No Footing has engaged young audiences at screenings this fall and won several awards at film festivals, most notably "best feature" at the Philadelphia Filmathon in October.
"It's an amazing work of art, especially considering the limited budget," says Stephanie Yuhas, executive producer of the Project Twenty1 Film & Animation Festival, which sponsors the Filmathon. "It's extremely relevant for artists in general and for Philadelphia-based artists in particular."
Yuhas, 28, who attended the University of the Arts, where she majored in animation, related to the movie "on a deeply personal level" and calls it "required viewing for creatives."
That sort of reaction delights Licisyn (which rhymes with decision). Having devoted three years of his life to the movie, which premiered in December, he is glad that its recent awards are giving it new life.
Film festivals in Detroit, Seattle, and Texas have invited Licisyn to enter the movie, he reports, emboldening him to seek a distributor.
The essential appeal of the movie, Licisyn believes, is that it's a Zeitgeist film - it tells the now story of a generation, and especially those young artists struggling to make a living while honoring the dreams that make living worthwhile.
"When the economy crashed, the jobs affected most were arts jobs," says Licisyn. "The community of indie filmmakers around here is living this life."
So are many others, which is part of the movie's appeal.
