1. Kleinhan’s article discusses the “success myths” (308) and legends associated with independent films –production (accessibility and process), success (critical and economical) and overall autonomy. In so many words, he claims that production companies have cashed in on aspiring filmmakers’ false sense of accessibility and attainable success that scholars’ and film teachers “most attracted to legends of authors/directors who succeed on their own terms within the system” and who tell the legendary stories, discuss the careers as tragedies, and “construct the canon of works” (321) have glamorized. He mentions that the appeal of authorship helped to fuel this aspiration and to create a scene of “Hollywood wannabes.” How could this group be described in terms of gender, age, class, style, and artistic ideology? What other cultures or groups might they be similar to or whose ethics might they oppose? How is the Hollywood wannabe culture more diverse today than it was in the 90’s? And for Hollywood wannabes not exposed to this glamorization that, according to Kleinhan, originates in academic settings and through discourses of distinction, what other institutions, sites, or political structures might contribute to this glamorization? What are the implications of these aspirations existing among and in specific groups and sites?

2. Perren’s articles cites how the video market in the 80’s helped “spur the emergence and expansion” (30) of independent distributors. Personal viewing technologies have changed the way we watch films, with whom, and when and where we watch them; how has the shift in popular formats affected more than just the economical capital of producers, but also the cultural and social capital of viewers; how does the way we consume art or cultural artifacts, specifically alone or in groups, affect production, ideologies surrounding certain genres and tastes, and the overall social environment and wellbeing of consumers? How have different groups’ viewing habits changed over time? Kleinhan’s article cites Michele Wallace’s quote about what we should expect and not expect from certain art forms. Rather than expecting films to have policy or ideology-shifting narratives, how can the way viewers react to and watch films have a larger impact on social structures?

3. Do podcasting networks allow for a more democratic production process and system? Who benefits financially from such networks?