[[color=red]size=1][/size]shadowhorse - 06 November 2007 11:37 PM
definitely take the DIY approach, unless you intend to go to USC and get into the industry there. that is the way to go to make life networking contacts in the biz. but if your goal is to be a film makers, film maker, an iconoclastic visionary and make your own films, forget school. while still in NY where I started we often employe[color=blue]
d film school grads as assistants… these kids had to UNLEARN half of what they learned to be able to survive in the real world.. especially in commercials etc where the ny work is most. in the reel world you have to be extremely good and extremely fast.. you don’t have a semester to make a short...[/color]my advice always has been take the money and make a feature.. no matter how funky… no matter even if it’s bad… you will learn… dealing with the labs or post houses and equipment rental houses, whatever by the time you’ve done one picture even on video you’ll have learned as much as four years in film school and in many ways more and better. real pros want to pass on their knowledge and you’re getting it from people actually working at it day in day out. [/color]not to say you can’t learn at school, but it’s not about a piece of paper saying you’re a director it’s about the reel under your arm.. the dvd in your pocket.. about ten years ago I saw a terrific Tarentino style film done by an 18 year old kid in rural Massachesetts.. on video.. he had everything, drug deals, real cops, terrific shoot outs, love interest… etc etc.. when I asked him what the film actually cost him.... wait for it… about $20 for the hi-8 cassettes. everything else was donated or borrowed.. etc. and the picture looked great…
he then went on to Emerson College in Boston and it probably ruined him… I don’t know I lost touch with him.. too many people are hung up on the diploma, the proof of competence… but the great thing about the picture business so to speak is there are no rules, there are no requirements other than to tell a story that people can’t help watching. years ago I worked on a picture in NY as line producer that used actual bums playing bums. one of them told me the way he judged a picture was if he couldn’t get up to take a piss it was a great picture… not bad..
you got a dream., go for it… Woody Allen said 80% of success is just showing up. challenged a few years later about that he said, ‘60% is too low, seventy doesn’t sound good for the quote, leave it at 80%.” so there you go… and I’ve known/I know people with terrific screenplays who don’t put them out there… you got the dream go do it..
btw I’m in post on my eleventh feature, third indie self financed… we’ll see how it turns out… the other pix were low budget thrillers for foreign distros… my film school. plus over 100 national commercials.. as editor/producer/director… mostly editor… plus a slew of corporate films… some docs and a maritime historical tv series in Maine…
writing is the key, if you can’t write find writers you want to see on the screen and direct their stuff. if you want to direct hook up with theater companies, local, regional, whatever, and direct one acts, then three acts… you’ll learn to create life on the stage. and that my friends is the key to film… creating life in front of the lens… otherwise what have you got??? another poor acted barely watchable show.. one of the most compelling films I’ve ever seen was an English BBC production a 45 minute film starring the great actress Maggie Smith as a recent widow. She sits in a wing back chair directly in front of the camera for three quarters of an hour talking about her recently deceased husband a minister and their life together and you can’t take your eyes off her and can’t take a break… one shot, one angle one actress...that’s film making… not so easy to make it compelling… that’s a challenge..
