Textbook: the sitcom, "Louie", and the French New Wave

It is through visual storytelling style, Francois Truffaut believed, that a director's expressive tendencies could be seen, imprinting a work with their signature style. In the world of television, collaboration is key and production's industrial processes tend to erase the sign of individual creators. But, in a modern world of narrowcasting and increased access to the filmmaking apparatus, the ideals of the French New Wave have become more and more accessible to creators. This short film and accompanying essay explore production models based on the ideals of the French New Wave. By drawing on Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Louis C.K., Andrew Sarris, comedy theorists, and budding young filmmakers Textbook reveals the results of making low-budget innovative cinema free of oversight and gives a glimpse into the experience of filmmaking in today's increasingly mediated world.