The Philosophy Behind Art Manifestos

We truly believe creativity is most powerful when it’s fueled by honest expression—or let’s say, when you allow your imagination to run wild. Unfortunately art is often created with lack of confidence, or worse fear of industry expectations. Instead of following fleeting trends, or what’s considered “marketable” at the moment, we always push ourselves to create work with honest expression in mind. 

For Blauw Films this meant establishing for ourselves what this meant—on paper. So that anytime we work with new collaborators or simply feel like we need realignment, we can remind ourselves of our ethos. 

That’s where an art manifesto comes in. 

Art manifestos have existed for centuries. They’ve been used to drive movements, disrupt institutions, and build communities of creators who share a common philosophy. At their best, manifestos are declarations of intent and independence. They define how we make art and why we make it in the first place.

The statements written in our manifesto are actively practiced and make part of our daily decisions, our production pipelines, our relationships with collaborators, and hopefully even the way we talk to our audience.

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The Origin of our Manifest I

What most people don’t know is that Blauw Films started as an agency model. We were doing visual effects, cinematography and editing work for a variety of clients. 

And in the time we had left (which really wasn’t much) we would be working on our original projects. First there was a collection of 5 surrealist short films, Animalia. And then we followed it up with our untitled horror short film: Short Film by Blauw Films. 

Everything changed with this project. Our love for creating art, films and for telling stories was so strong that we had to reflect on what we were doing. 

Was this the purpose of Blauw Films? 

Was there even a place for client work at all? 

No. 

That was when we made the radical decision: We will create our original IPs and we will do it independently. There were a thousand things we didn’t know. We had no real leverage in  the creative industry—but we did have projects we were (and still are) incredibly passionate about. 

Not long after I was on a plane to Brazil. And on that multi-hour flight I had enough time to reflect and write down for me and the team what we stood for. 

From now on, it was time for change and following our dreams. 

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There are no Rules in Art Manifestos

In a creative world filled with noise, it’s easy to lose the thread. Easy to get persuaded by external validation, whether from peers or industry leaders or even bypassers. 

It is easy to get pulled into creating algorithm-friendly content, engagement-driven compromises, or watered-down aesthetics in pursuit of commercial approval. 

Art is inherently risky. With honest expression comes the risk of exposing oneself. 

That’s why every artist, creator, collective, or studio needs a clear driving philosophy. Something to return to when the path feels uncertain.

We call ours the Manifest I:

We strive to execute on Dreams of Blauw
We aim to maintain creative purity
We strive to be honest with our thoughts and artistic expression
We strive to be relentless in establishing our own status quo

These are our commitments to the craft of storytelling and filmmaking. And on top of that these are our commitments to the company Blauw Films. 

Dreams of Blauw, for instance, refer to any honest, crystallized thought—a flicker of vision or intuition that feels personal and strangely necessary. It’s that after-image that lingers behind your eyelids. That’s the signal. We follow it.

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Collaboration Is Sacred, Not Transactional

We also believe the best results come from honest creative collaboration. That doesn’t mean every project is open to everyone. It means we work with people who belong to the project.

Those whose contributions elevate the story, the process, and the energy in the room.

Our manifesto reflects this:

We understand the best results come from creative collaboration
We strive to work with those whose contribution is right for the project
We understand the journey will be unique to each themselves

There are many incredibly talented artists all over the world. But not every artist creates the art that will enhance your unique project. It is our job as Blauw Films to curate the right artists for the right projects. This allows us to keep working towards our “Desired Effect” while the artists can bring their best to the table.

Creative journeys are never identical. No pipeline is perfect. There will be unexpected turns, conflicts, moments of friction. But those moments are part of the process. They’re supposed to happen.

So we remind ourselves:

Don’t get discouraged along the way
Everything is temporary and the moment you are currently in should be cherished

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Art, Ecosystem and Community

At Blauw Films, cinema is not just a product—it’s a system. A playground. An ecosystem that involves software, hardware, storytelling, production models, aesthetics and philosophy. We see our work as both artistic and infrastructural.

That’s why our manifesto includes these promises:

This is to personal development
This is to creating an open-source community
This is to sharing our experiences in a pursuit of collective growth
This is to establishing new production pipelines and financing structures
This is to stimulating smaller economies around the world
And to de-mystifying the gate-kept art of cinema, including its parallel industries

We’re not just trying to make films—we’re trying to make ways of making films. And ideally, ways that others can access too.

This is where the open-source philosophy comes in. We share templates, tools, methods, and breakdowns. We invite others to learn from the paths we’ve taken—especially the missteps—because knowledge should be fluid. And because sharing is faster than gatekeeping.

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Everything Has Been Done Before, But Not How We Do It.

If there’s one sentence in our manifesto that captures the spirit of Blauw Films, it’s that one. We don’t pretend to reinvent the wheel. We just drive it differently.

We believe in deep originality—not in concept alone, but in execution, context, and intent. It’s not about being “new.” It’s about being true.

So if you’re an artist, storyteller, or creative—maybe you need a manifesto too. Not one to restrict you, but to ground you. A set of reminders for when things get tough.

We write ours in Blauw.

And maybe you can write yours in whatever feeling your dreams leave behind.

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