I think all your points above are primarily for film as an industry: of course it takes money to make money. But what I meant by "the act of producing" is the act of producing work, of making things. I'm tired of watching polished films from people who don't know how to captivate an audience with their storytelling (narrative or not). Some of the best 'auteur' work I've seen is extremely low budget (the kind of budget you can save up for over a few months or a year). And the hustle? Not everyone wants to be in Hollywood. A lot of very good artists just want to make stuff, while they teach or work on commercials for a living. The film business is harsh and it's not something everyone wants to go all-in for.