A few weeks ago, I found myself eavesdropping on a pair of film students debating the merits of the digital filmmaking revolution. One of them reasoned that because more people have access to the tools of filmmaking just means that a whole lot more crap is getting out there. That the exclusivity of the film industry was actually a good thing, since it ensured some measure of quality control over the films that get made and seen.

I call bullsh$#. Yes, as any half-hearted search through YouTube would prove, the fact that we can shoot, upload, and share video with such ease does mean that a whole lot more crap is getting out there. But the notion that, especially at this unique moment in time, the Hollywood model, the independent model, hell, anything calling itself a "model" of production and distribution is somehow all we need to accommodate the stories told through motion pictures is, at best, ridiculous.

I could be wrong - and it very well could be a consequence of living in L.A. - but I sense that there's some unwritten assumption in motion pictures that you should strive to reach mass audiences with your work. But there's not now, and certainly won't be into the foreseeable future, any shortage of stories that cater to audiences of millions upon millions upon millions of people.

What is in short supply are stories that are personal, imperfect, idiosyncratic, truthful, and yes, not crappy.