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Basically, anybody asking about film school needs to know that what you get out of film school is completely up to you. They can give you the equipment, the knowledge, but the drive and motivation and hard work it takes is all up to you. Let me give you an example. Im in my first semester at my second film school. Ive already assisted a DP who is a junior on a shoot and because of my performance on set with this DP he has now asked me to be his G&E(grip and electric) and he has already called me to work on a thesis project. It was just me and him pre-lighting a set till about 1:00am, everybody else who was supposed to show up and help didnt and I learned more in that night than I have my entire semester. There are a ton of a people out there you have to compete with, but the funny thing Ive learned so far is that people are loving unreliable. Be the reliable guy, and it will get you places. Put yourself out there. When our production teacher asked our class if anybody wanted to help a guy out on a shoot for an hour or so, I was the only one who raised my hand. Helping this guy out led to learning a stedi-cam, getting myself in better standing with professors(working film makers, not just teachers) and becoming this guys friend. Now I have a working professional to ask favors, hand my work too etc etc. gently caress your social life that isnt networking, gently caress parties(well, weekly parties), gently caress relationships, gently caress everything that isnt film(well mostly, mental health is important) until you are where you want to be, because it takes that much work. NeuroticErotica I always love your posts where you say poo poo like "Do you really want this?" because it always just makes my desire to be a film maker that much more firm. Your sort of...optimistic cynicism actually gets me excited.
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Nov 18, 2010 09:14
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AccountSupervisor posted:gently caress your social life that isnt networking, gently caress parties(well, weekly parties), gently caress relationships, gently caress everything that isnt film(well mostly, mental health is important) until you are where you want to be, because it takes that much work. This whole post is good, but this part especially made me laugh... this has definitely been my experience so far. I've worked a lot of 14-hour days when I was supposed to be on a break. I've also seen a LOT of people crash and burn or fall by the wayside because they were ho-hum about the whole thing or didn't feel like putting in extra work.
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Nov 18, 2010 11:07
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Voodoofly posted:I'm not as in the business as NE, therattle, or others, but I can chime in on some of this if nobody minds. You again! I've had just about enough of your shenanigans, mister...
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Nov 18, 2010 15:59
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So what you are saying is that my desire to be an actor is going to result in going to cooking school being the best decision of my life? Exactly how much work is there still in California? I've heard so many things about everything moving to places like New Mexico and Vancouver, but I'm still planning on moving to California after I'm done with cooking school (because gently caress not having a back-up). That's still the right move, right?
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Nov 18, 2010 16:35
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I do sound for mostly microbudget stuff and I have to say I agree with the "gently caress your social life that isn't networking" line.  As a freelancer I never really get to have time to make plans for anything other than shooting, and sometimes its really hard but I need the money. And at this level, I am frequently barely making minimum wage. But I am hoping this all pays off and that I can eventually get more proper paying gigs in the future.Pro tip: Want a production side head start somewhere? Be in New York City and have a valid driver's license and car. You'd be surprised how many bonus points that gets you at the lowest level of productions.
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Nov 18, 2010 16:58
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AccountSupervisor posted:gently caress your social life that isnt networking, gently caress parties(well, weekly parties), gently caress relationships, gently caress everything that isnt film(well mostly, mental health is important) until you are where you want to be, because it takes that much work. Funny thing is that I've gotten a lot out of hitting up a house party or dating a girl, etc. It all just depends on who you do it with. In LA, since everybody in your social circle is at least tangentially film related, you can do pretty well. I've gotten better business connections at karaoke than some boring networking mixers. The other part is that you gotta have fun and live life, people who don't only make movies about movies and that poo poo is boring. AccountSupervisor posted:NeuroticErotica I always love your posts where you say poo poo like "Do you really want this?" because it always just makes my desire to be a film maker that much more firm. Your sort of...optimistic cynicism actually gets me excited. Glad to do it. I deal with a lot of people who are unsure and undecided because I'm one of the envoys from film school to LA at this point. I go back home for a festival or whatnot, I end up taking meetings, giving people career advice and end up with like five scripts to read. A lot of people are involved but you can tell they aren't in it. Heck, here we take meetings with people who are wishy washy and just in it for the wrong reasons. People'll tell you to not do it if you can't live without - and that's true for you, but the other side is that if you're doing it for the wrong reasons, you're wasting my time as well. Yoshifan823 posted:So what you are saying is that my desire to be an actor is going to result in going to cooking school being the best decision of my life? During the downtimes of my life, I wish I'd gone to cooking school. I survive on the food trucks, which are amazing, but I wish I could cook more. As it stands, this is me cooking Yoshifan823 posted:Exactly how much work is there still in California? I've heard so many things about everything moving to places like New Mexico and Vancouver, but I'm still planning on moving to California after I'm done with cooking school (because gently caress not having a back-up). That's still the right move, right? I think so. For an actor, LA is the place to be. The casting agents are out here, the classes, etc. By the way, take some loving classes. I don't care how good you are, you can be better - and that's what you want, right? I don't care if you're a natural, take some classes. You meet other actors, you keep acting, you explore poo poo, you make stock characters, you add talents. loving do it. So many actors don't want to do it and get lazy and before too long they're not actors, they're the IT solutions desk at some firm or something. Anyways, going to a hot spot for production like Vancouver or New Mexico or Iowa is always a risk. The tax incentive structure that makes certain states hotbeds could collapse at any minute and everybody kinda knows it. The dollar conversion rate that makes Canada appealing is always in flex. Last time the dollar went down and was equal to the Canadian dollar, Vancouver dried up. But going to production hot spots are only good for a couple things - if you want to crew and do lower level positions - G&E, PA, crafty, HMW, some sort of assistant, etc. You can do that and be fine. Maybe you can be a shooter on a lower budget thing, but generally your department heads come from LA. It's really good if you're a union guy who goes out there. I heard a story where a producer of Gran Torino was shooting in Michigan, and he hops in a car and asks his teamster driver, "Hey, where's a good place to eat around here?" - the driver didn't know, he was from LA! LA people coming in and poaching all the jobs of locals is a good reason the incentives are going to break down. But for you, an actor, I'd go to LA. Going to a hot spot is going to be good if you wanna live somewhere new for a while and get by doing scant extra work and maybe get a featured or smaller supporting role. I remember when Austin was hot, all the actors were excited for the opportunities. A number of $72 days later, they were finding it wasn't the opportunity they were looking for. Sure you can make like $600 if you speak a line, but that's rare. Go to LA, get in front of casting directors (Who are a combination of failed actors and amazing people who can often remember your audition like two years later and give you a call) and try to make it in the big leagues. You can always go down.
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Nov 18, 2010 20:00
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NeuroticErotica posted:Funny thing is that I've gotten a lot out of hitting up a house party or dating a girl, etc. It all just depends on who you do it with. In LA, since everybody in your social circle is at least tangentially film related, you can do pretty well. I've gotten better business connections at karaoke than some boring networking mixers. The other part is that you gotta have fun and live life, people who don't only make movies about movies and that poo poo is boring. This is important. If you want to make a movie, maybe you should forgoe everything else. If you want to make a career in the industry you better start learning life balance now. I do pro bono work for a young band because I met the drummer's uncle at a bar playing pool. A good friend got his most recent writing staff position through a guy he played basketball with on the weekends. I've had friends get acting work from show runners they were randomly playing tennis with, form successful bands after talking music with people they met at a birthday party, and my best friend from film school landed her job as an editor from someone she met at krav maga. Hell, a couple of weeks ago a friend of ours got a hair/makeup job for a small production because we met some of the producers singing karaoke at a dive bar. You have to work hard, but also be smart. You have to be able to sell yourself, and nobody will buy a boring, unhappy person.
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Nov 18, 2010 20:19
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NeuroticErotica posted:Funny thing is that I've gotten a lot out of hitting up a house party or dating a girl, etc. It all just depends on who you do it with. In LA, since everybody in your social circle is at least tangentially film related, you can do pretty well. I've gotten better business connections at karaoke than some boring networking mixers. The other part is that you gotta have fun and live life, people who don't only make movies about movies and that poo poo is boring. Thats pretty much what I meant by "that isnt networking". Always have your "potential opportunity" goggles on. Hell, I am now friends with Mel Brooks first son(not Max) and am PA'ing on a film hes doing this December. I met him because I worked at a dinky little cafe in the upper east side. Basically what I mean is that if you arent actively seeking out people in the business as friends, than you are kind of wasting your time. Of course I have friends that arent doing anything related to film, but being able to enjoy life with those you want to work with makes working with them that much more fulfilling. I dont know I feel like Ive met a lot people who think they can fly solo, sort of keeping a very antisocial attitude towards the whole thing. I think the desire to be an "auteur" is so loving rampant these days(partly because of prosumer tech). I see a lot of film students who are very very protective of their ideas and are sort of disillusioned by their singular idea, and dont really understand just how collaborative this industry is. Even when prosumer tech becomes so easy to use and getting a good image doesnt require tons of time, money and labor, you are still going to have lots of people working on your project with you.
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Nov 19, 2010 03:36
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AccountSupervisor posted:I dont know I feel like Ive met a lot people who think they can fly solo, sort of keeping a very antisocial attitude towards the whole thing. I think the desire to be an "auteur" is so loving rampant these days(partly because of prosumer tech). I see a lot of film students who are very very protective of their ideas and are sort of disillusioned by their singular idea, and dont really understand just how collaborative this industry is. Even when prosumer tech becomes so easy to use and getting a good image doesnt require tons of time, money and labor, you are still going to have lots of people working on your project with you. In my experience it's these "auteur" people who burn out early because they don't communicate well and people don't enjoy working with them. Directors who never listen to their crew end up with lovely movies. I mean, it takes a certain amount of confidence to be any good at directing, but you also need to be grounded and open to suggestions. If your cameraman says the angle looks bad, then it probably looks bad. You can get butthurt about it, or you can suck it up and listen. Also, generally speaking, I get a lot of mileage out of just being nice to people. If they're working on my project, I try to make sure they're not miserable. If I'm working on theirs, I try to approach it with genuine enthusiasm. The result is that people are willing to work with me again, which is pretty important. If I ever find success as a filmmaker, it won't be by bossing people around and refusing to compromise. That way lies burger-flipping.
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Nov 19, 2010 04:50
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Nerd Of Prey posted:In my experience it's these "auteur" people who burn out early because they don't communicate well and people don't enjoy working with them. Directors who never listen to their crew end up with lovely movies. I mean, it takes a certain amount of confidence to be any good at directing, but you also need to be grounded and open to suggestions. If your cameraman says the angle looks bad, then it probably looks bad. You can get butthurt about it, or you can suck it up and listen. This only applies if your name is neither Ridley Scott or James Cameron. Anyway, I too dream of someday working in the film industry. I got back into it by working on my friends' films as an undergrad. Funnily enough, I was probably the only person out of my friends to actually be asked to be on shoots, so much so that I had to juggle school, work, and working on films in such a manner where I was working all the time with no breaks. In the long run, it was a great experience AND I networked with them and other film people and now they're in LA working in the film industry (one works for Robert Zemeckis). If there is anything you should be doing to be successful in film, NETWORK. Meet as many people as you can, befriend them, and for god's sake, work on their movies, because when you help them out, they will help you out when it comes time. As for what I want to do, I think like most behind-the-camera people, I initially wanted to be a director. However, as time went on, I decided that my strengths lay in camera and lighting and technical stuff, so I should aim for becoming a DP since I can actually excel at that rather than being a really lovely director. Which reinforces the point made earlier, KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO and know what it'll take to get there. It sucks to bust your rear end and not have a social life, but it sucks even more to bust your rear end, get to where you are, only to find you'd rather be doing something else.
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Nov 19, 2010 05:59
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VoodooXT posted:This only applies if your name is neither Ridley Scott or James Cameron. I shy away from blanket statements like this. This is such a weird industry you can't stay one thing will or won't go for another.
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Nov 19, 2010 06:14
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NeuroticErotica posted:I shy away from blanket statements like this. This is such a weird industry you can't stay one thing will or won't go for another. I was joking. 
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Nov 19, 2010 06:17
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I'd like to chime in as a film stupid drop out who the only thing that I ever benefited from my education is how to smell fear and how to properly stack gripstands. I also recently got bumped up from a bottom rung grip to a gaffer on a small job and I'm completely out of my element and am likely to electrocute myself or someone else and it's amazing to see how little of 2 years of my educated has benefited me. NeuroticErotica, I know you don't deal with the meat and potatoes types but how important do you think for G&E and Camera dept. people to be based in LA? I'm at the point that I'm looking at going the CSC assistance course and trying to get unionized in IATSE here in Toronto but I want to work in the Hollywood circuit and they just don't come up north as much as I like. I also have a friend and I who are trying to do a far to ambitious short film that gets turned away from all our great internationally regarded Canadian public funding because it's not "Canadian enough" or "innovated in the medium" or whatever else lameduck mandate that the government has put on them. What could I tell to investors to convince them that giving us ten thousand dollars to shoot a short film on 35 that has swearing, an exploding car and black comedic humour that no one will ever see because it doesn't fit into any niche markets and shorts make zero money?
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Nov 19, 2010 06:40
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Lemme say something right off - everybody's doggin' it, but I'm very happy with my film school education. Of course, I went until they couldn't teach me anymore. I learned all the departments and what goes into them, it's paid off pretty well. I can't do mograph worth a poo poo, but I can communicate to those who do. It's a total what-you-put-into-it-you-get-out-of-it situation. If you dog it there, you're not going to get a lot out of it from what I've seen. If you're lazy at AFI, you don't get much. If you kick rear end at AFI, you change the world.Mozzie posted:NeuroticErotica, I know you don't deal with the meat and potatoes types but how important do you think for G&E and Camera dept. people to be based in LA? I'm at the point that I'm looking at going the CSC assistance course and trying to get unionized in IATSE here in Toronto but I want to work in the Hollywood circuit and they just don't come up north as much as I like. Well don't put it that way. I am a man of the people. I love my grips, I love my PAs, I'm with 'em. Can't live without 'em. That said, you're right, I'm totally not the guy to ask for sure. But here's my take on it: There's always going to be hotspots for cheap production, whether it's NM or Prauge or wherever. They're always going to shoot movies in LA. It's easy for everybody involved, you don't have to pay for hotels and travel fees, etc. They might even bring you somewhere if you're essential and they're rolling fat. Mozzie posted:I also have a friend and I who are trying to do a far to ambitious short film that gets turned away from all our great internationally regarded Canadian public funding because it's not "Canadian enough" or "innovated in the medium" or whatever else lameduck mandate that the government has put on them. I wouldn't worry about that. My buddy just went through all that stuff and got his money. It's a highly political process that's completely tied up with pet projects and egos. So I guess it's actually good for learning about the Hollywood process. Mozzie posted:What could I tell to investors to convince them that giving us ten thousand dollars to shoot a short film on 35 that has swearing, an exploding car and black comedic humour that no one will ever see because it doesn't fit into any niche markets and shorts make zero money? Call it a spec commercial.
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Nov 19, 2010 07:39
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This thread has shown me two things; 1. I need to write more. The only thing I've written in the past year is shorts for my web show that we probably won't even use for another half a year if at that. I'm basically just a grad student right now so I have no reason to not be pumping out stuff and sending things into festivals. Thank you thread. And more importantly, 2. Todd. Sklar. Knows. Everyone.
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Nov 19, 2010 07:41
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I've got something that's been on my mind for a while. If you take a look at youtube, amongst all the trash you will occasionally find some gems. And I don't necessarily mean stuff that has a budget (the Onion, Funny or Die, etc). But there are a lot of young people on youtube who are genuinely talented that get together with friends and devote their time to making some entertaining and hilarious shorts with little to no money. Basically what I was wondering is if it seems like this could be the next generation of talent in the industry? I don't actually think that someone can go from zero budget skits on youtube to 100 million dollar pictures overnight, but is there any actual interest in people who have their origins and built experience on youtube or similar sites? Is there any talk of that at all?
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Nov 19, 2010 08:33
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Soulwrangler posted:And more importantly, Haha. There's a good reason for it. He's an awesome guy. There's like three people I look to if on facebook I can't remember for the life of me who that person is - odds are they'll know Todd or one of the others. It never fails. CPL593H posted:I've got something that's been on my mind for a while. If you take a look at youtube, amongst all the trash you will occasionally find some gems. And I don't necessarily mean stuff that has a budget (the Onion, Funny or Die, etc). But there are a lot of young people on youtube who are genuinely talented that get together with friends and devote their time to making some entertaining and hilarious shorts with little to no money. Everybody starts small. Just now you won't have to deal with a tape trader to get the short films of your favorite director, they'll be out there. Now is YouTube a farm system? Far from it. Look what happens when the industry tries to capitalize on YouTube - you get Fred the movie. The system works the way it always has - if you want to get noticed, make shorts, make spec commercials, etc. get them into festivals, make bigger and bigger flicks. Show you can handle a budget, show you can handle a story. People are thinking that YouTube is a lot bigger than it is because right now it's kind of a dumping ground. A last stop. People search around and find this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR9q_pWOn-8 and think it's a great YouTube find. But that short played festival after festival and is made by an Oscar nominee. A lot of articles have been written and a lot of outsiders I talk to say things like "Oh man, the studios are all over YouTube". Not really. The big problem with YouTube is that there's no filter, so if you want to wade through it, go for it. There's more video on there already than you can watch in a lifetime, with 35 hours of content added every minute. The other problem is that everything that's made for YouTube hits really high on the spectacle meter, but rarely do they tell a story. They have plots that resolve, but rarely tell a story. Most of it is trying to be viral, which means that it's fun to watch, but can't expand to a feature, nor is it training anybody to make one.
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Nov 19, 2010 09:06
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Hey N.E. I remembered that you asked some questions based on my first post that were worth answering, so here:NeuroticErotica posted:You don't want to make an indie flick? What do you want? Do you think that self-financed indie films are vanity flicks? They're career investments, even when they don't sell. It probably came out wrong, but what I was trying to get at is that personally, speaking for myself, I would not want to produce my own film. At least, it's not my first choice. I'm not a very good producer. I'm also not that interested in writing stuff all by myself. I'm good at the visual end of things; breaking scenes down into compelling shots, imagining the finished picture and connecting the dots. I feel like if I made a total DIY project, I'd get too caught up in the stuff I'm not so great at. I'm not trying to talk poo poo about indie filmmakers in general. A lot of DIY indie films are totally legendary and brilliant and I love them... but then a lot of them are these really dull slice of life things, or they're really flashy exercises in technique with no real point. Like you said, movies about movies. I don't want to be that guy. This is what I mean about vanity. Obviously I want to make the coolest poo poo possible, but I'm willing to be at the mercy of a producer if it means not having to come up with my own cash. If I had a million dollars lying around, I'd spend it on my own film in a heartbeat... but I don't. quote:TV is a radically different beast and seldom leads to directing films. Directing TV is a lot about hitting marks, keeping pace and such. The Office has brought in a slew of film directors to direct the show. Have you ever noticed a difference? I actually have noticed. The Office tends to be very well directed. Some TV shows just have no sense of style at all, but that isn't one of them. Some of their camerawork is really creative. I've never worked with a live 3-camera setup or anything like that, and I'm not sure I'd be into it. When I say I'd enjoy working in TV, I'm thinking more about shows that are shot single-camera where they can get a little more creative. I mean, in a perfect world. Some of the TV I watched in my youth was really inspiring... like Parker Lewis Can't Lose! Some real artistry went into that show. I think working on a really good TV show would be just as satisfying as doing movies. Re: Youtube, I have a few short films up on there that I made in my beginning filmmaking class, and I've occasionally thought about sharing them with goons... but they're just sort of basic exercises in technique, not mini-masterpieces. I mostly don't hold the copyrights to stuff I've made more recently. I'm making a fake commercial this year that I might post to youtube when it's done, but I'm more excited about some friends' stuff that I'm working on. I don't know if they'll put it online. It might be fun to have a "let's laugh at each other's student films" thread someday.
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Nov 19, 2010 09:29
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Hey everyone, just chiming in as another "Film school grad living in LA and trying to make a run at the entertainment industry." I'm currently out of work due to an automotive accident (here's my first tip, wanna-be Angelinos: Don't cross Wilshire on a pedestrian right of way crosswalk with no light because LA has the worst drivers and you will get run down) and am waiting to regain control of my arm before I plunge back into the biz. I've been doing a lot of freelance PA work, so I've got some knowledge on that. I've also worked a fair amount in development and am an aspiring writer, so if anyone has any questions about the business-y, not-on-a-set side of getting films made, I might be able to answer a question or two. Mostly, this is just an excuse to network with NeuroticErotica though. You never know where that next job will come from!
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Nov 19, 2010 09:35
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Nerd Of Prey posted:Hey N.E. I remembered that you asked some questions based on my first post that were worth answering, so here: Most of the questions were for you, rather than to answer them in public. That said, interesting answers! Nerd Of Prey posted:It probably came out wrong, but what I was trying to get at is that personally, speaking for myself, I would not want to produce my own film. At least, it's not my first choice. I'm not a very good producer. I'm also not that interested in writing stuff all by myself. I'm good at the visual end of things; breaking scenes down into compelling shots, imagining the finished picture and connecting the dots. I feel like if I made a total DIY project, I'd get too caught up in the stuff I'm not so great at. So, a lot of times when I do consulting gigs, what makes me come off the best, and the advice that I give they'll actually LISTEN to, is pointing out the obvious. DON'T be a producer, DON'T be a writer. I'm not sure where you're livin', but this world is FILLED with Producers and Writers. Get out there and find them! Now, the one thing I do have a problem with the producing. Look, my goal is not to be a producer. We all know how life goes and I may end up being that and I ain't got no problem with that, but that's later. BUT, the producer skill set is the one that's going to last you a lifetime. If you can produce you can GET. poo poo. DONE. And this business is about GETTING. poo poo. DONE. If you can produce, you can survive. Part of producing? Find a producer that's better than you, find a writer that's better you, knock poo poo out, keep that writer on task (they're easily distractable, I know because I am one) and get a motha fuckin' movie made. Nerd Of Prey posted:I'm not trying to talk poo poo about indie filmmakers in general. A lot of DIY indie films are totally legendary and brilliant and I love them... but then a lot of them are these really dull slice of life things, or they're really flashy exercises in technique with no real point. Like you said, movies about movies. I don't want to be that guy. This is what I mean about vanity. Obviously I want to make the coolest poo poo possible, but I'm willing to be at the mercy of a producer if it means not having to come up with my own cash. Good. You know your place. A lot of people don't. Nerd Of Prey posted:I actually have noticed. The Office tends to be very well directed. Some TV shows just have no sense of style at all, but that isn't one of them. Some of their camerawork is really creative. But have you noticed when they bring on different directors? No. Every episode of the office looks like every other episode of the office. At AFF Jason Reitman talked about directing an epsiode and they basically gave him a chart of the set and had him layout where the cameras would go. He did so and then they said, "Hey, w'eve kinda been doing it for a while, you wanna see how we'd do it?" He agreed and they did it and he said, "That was perfect!". So him guest directing meant that he's say action and cut and that was it. Nerd Of Prey posted:I've never worked with a live 3-camera setup or anything like that, and I'm not sure I'd be into it. Maybe you should practice that style. Gotta keep your options open. Chewbacca posted:Hey everyone, just chiming in as another "Film school grad living in LA and trying to make a run at the entertainment industry." I'm currently out of work due to an automotive accident (here's my first tip, wanna-be Angelinos: Don't cross Wilshire on a pedestrian right of way crosswalk with no light because LA has the worst drivers and you will get run down) and am waiting to regain control of my arm before I plunge back into the biz. I've been doing a lot of freelance PA work, so I've got some knowledge on that. I've also worked a fair amount in development and am an aspiring writer, so if anyone has any questions about the business-y, not-on-a-set side of getting films made, I might be able to answer a question or two. Mostly, this is just an excuse to network with NeuroticErotica though. You never know where that next job will come from! Were you trying to get to the food trucks at lunch? Because I know in my desire for some India Jones that I've nearly been hit. As for networking for me: What can you do for me? Would you be willing to do it for food and before February? Haha - Welcome to the biz!
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Nov 19, 2010 11:00
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NeuroticErotica posted:But have you noticed when they bring on different directors? quote:So him guest directing meant that he's say action and cut and that was it. quote:Maybe you should practice that style. Gotta keep your options open. And hey, thanks again for the response. I'm taking notes here...
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Nov 19, 2010 11:22
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Nerd Of Prey posted:Ah, I see what you're saying. Like working within an established style. I've seen guest directors on some shows that really rock the boat stylistically, and it has pissed me off, so I hear ya. The best example ever of a director leaving an impression is Abel Ferrara working on the first couple episodes of Miami Vice. He established a style and grammar that established the series and revolutionized television for years to come. Much love to Abel Ferrara that's my boy. He made dope movies and was addicted to dope but got clean. Shouts out to Abel Ferrara! Nerd Of Prey posted:Haha that sounds like easy loving money if I ever heard it... sign me up! Now I'm picturing that scene in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back where Gus Van Sant is in a corner counting a huge stack of money and going "shhhh..." Yeah, that's that poo poo... Now all you have to do is make one of the most radically successful independent films of all time and you're in. Also, for future reference.... The entire indie community has turned against Kevin Smith. Seriously. I've never seen anybody throw away their cred like he has. gently caress that guy. gently caress him. loving gently caress him. I loving hate him. Everything he puts out there makes me hate him more. Everything he puts out on twitter. I used to love the guy. Buy all the loving T-shirts and poo poo - now, I will admit, that's before I learned how to dress myself, but still. Look up to him. Now everything he says is by a guy in an echo chamber of sycophants who think that liking him will get them to be him. Look. Cop Out is garbage. Everybody knows it. Pretending to like it won't help you none. Nerd Of Prey posted:And hey, thanks again for the response. I'm taking notes here... Good. I usually charge for this poo poo and get ignored even. Haha.
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Nov 19, 2010 11:46
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For the record, I haven't paid any attention to Kevin Smith or watched one of his movies in years. Obviously, Clerks is one of those legendary DIY indie films that would inspire anyone, but it's also pretty much the only thing he ever made that I could take seriously. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is sort of a guilty pleasure... it's an incredibly dumb movie with a few great jokes in it. Maybe the wrong thing to randomly bring up in a thread about my aspirations as a filmmaker... I would not readily list Kevin Smith among my influences. I'm more of a fan of... you know... good movies? In general, my taste would not shock anybody here. Edit: I forgot to say, I count the first couple episodes of Miami Vice among the best poo poo ever put on TV. I'm a fan of that whole series but the pilot... goddamn that was some good television! It holds up to this day. Nerd Of Prey fucked around with this message at 12:47 on Nov 19, 2010 |
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Nov 19, 2010 12:35
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NeuroticErotica posted:
Thanks for the welcome. I can't say my accident was food truck related, though I can say the pulled pork and Cheesy grits combo from Barbies Q is probably worth a couple days in the hospital. As a young hopeful I am willing to do some work for free, though as to being healed and capable before February, I cannot say for certain. That would actually be another tidbit of advice to offer: if you can manage it financially, don't be afraid to do a little bit of work gratis. You don't want to let it go too far, but smaller independent productions that can't pay can be a good way to make some connections that will be useful down the road. A friend of mine is an indy producer and has gotten me PA gigs on several music video and short film shoots. While not getting paid, or getting paid a pittance can be discouraging, stick with it. I got a reputation amongst a couple up and coming production teams as a dedicated, committed PA and thus am on their short lists when it comes to crewing up for bigger, more lucrative projects. not to mention its a good way to get some odd days of on set experience, and smaller productions will likely have you performing a wide range of tasks and thus give you a chance to experience more aspects of production.
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Nov 19, 2010 20:57
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NeuroticErotica posted:But have you noticed when they bring on different directors? No. Every episode of the office looks like every other episode of the office. At AFF Jason Reitman talked about directing an epsiode and they basically gave him a chart of the set and had him layout where the cameras would go. He did so and then they said, "Hey, w'eve kinda been doing it for a while, you wanna see how we'd do it?" He agreed and they did it and he said, "That was perfect!". So him guest directing meant that he's say action and cut and that was it. The directors don't direct the actors on the office? I guess maybe the actors are so in tune with their characters and know the tone of the show so well they don't need it? That reminds of something though: It baffles me how many aspiring directors have no understanding of the importance of directing actors. It's so weird - in most genres, it's the most important thing! I've talked to some actors here in Norway who told me most of the directors they've worked with are kind of afraid of the actors and keep their attention on the technical stuff. You get shitloads of brownie points here just by being comfortable with directing actors and keeping your focus mainly on them while shooting.
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Nov 19, 2010 20:59
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Greenplastic posted:The directors don't direct the actors on the office? I guess maybe the actors are so in tune with their characters and know the tone of the show so well they don't need it? As I understand it, there's a fundamental difference between a television director and a film director. While a film director is basically handling the entire scene (with someone as his field marshal), a television director basically gets his shot list completed, since the producer (or, like Star Trek, co-producer Bob Justman) runs the show.
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Nov 19, 2010 22:09
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For people who love the "optimistic cynicism" in this thread you should check out "Tales from the Script" that came out last year. I don't know how popular it is, but for people who haven't heard of it it's a documentary with interviews from different screenwriters talking about their struggles to get into the business then stay in it. It's similar in its structure to what "Cinematographer style" did with DPs (which you should also check out, it has interviews with Roger Deakins and a whole bunch of other great DPs)
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Nov 19, 2010 22:14
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Greenplastic posted:The directors don't direct the actors on the office? I guess maybe the actors are so in tune with their characters and know the tone of the show so well they don't need it? Communicating and being comfortable are definitely important. Still, a lot of the time actors can be trusted to do their job without a lot of meddling... especially if they're good actors and they've spent some time rehearsing. It's usually the thing that isn't working right that needs the most attention. I can see how it would be a problem if a director doesn't talk to actors at all, but sometimes there's nothing more to say than "good job!" I've been on some shoots where the director annoyed the hell out of the actors by micromanaging them. Just, you know, treat people like human beings and it usually goes pretty smoothly. I include actors under the all-important "be really nice to everybody" rule, especially since at the student level they tend to be unpaid.
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Nov 20, 2010 04:35
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Directing as per david lynch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLry85Twhno edit, gently caress the forum software doesn't work with time linking in the new URL names, skip to 2:55
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Nov 20, 2010 05:06
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I've always been curious what movies or films most accurately portray the film industry or how a film gets made.
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Nov 20, 2010 07:20
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Day for Night by Truffaut is probably worth watching. At least it looked like it showed a lot of what goes into making a movie.
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Nov 20, 2010 09:22
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KillRoy posted:I've always been curious what movies or films most accurately portray the film industry or how a film gets made. Save yourself the trouble, as articulated by Screenwriter William Goldman (A Bridge Too Far, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Heat, The Princess Bride, etc) nobody knows anything
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Nov 20, 2010 16:09
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I'd also like to put forth that anyone who even has a passing interest in film, as a business, or even just as a lover of it, should do extra work for a "professional" film, at least once. It's actually really easy to get a walk on role in a film shooting in your area (even cable or DTV films "count")- being a paid extra is a little harder, but still extremely possible. Just look around on the Internet at sites that list shooting locations for films daily (just make sure you never sing up for an "agency that makes you pay up front; real agents only take a commission after you're paid). It gives you a good understanding, and appreciation, for how the industry works on the production side; you learn more about how scenes are constructed and set up and all the different input that comes in, you get to network with people in the industry, and you get a better feel for the whole process in general. Note that I said "do it once," because most people don't have the schedule/stamina to put up with it unless you just love film. For instance, I have a paid extra spot in a Lifetime movie (lol) tonight, I have no idea what my wardrobe is, what time it starts, how long it will be (probably all night, literally), it will probably be cold, I got one days notice from my casting agent, they don't even use you in the final cut half of the time, you get the worst food on earth, most of your time is spent sitting around doing nothing, etc. The only reason I can do it is because I'm an artist and make my own schedule, and I have a low-level stage/extra/small role actress girlfriend that I typically book parts with just so I have someone to hang out with on the set during the endless waiting. Without that combo, there's no way I'd do it continuously. But at the same time, as a learning experience, it's still something I'd never pass up, and I have seen as invaluable in adding to my knowledge of film, probably much more valuable to me than anything I've actually learned in any film related classes I've had. Darko fucked around with this message at 16:48 on Nov 20, 2010 |
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Nov 20, 2010 16:34
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This thread has been relatively interesting especially for an LA native like myself that grew up surrounded by people that went on to do bit role work, commercials, producing, indie directing and other show business stuff. I've never had any particularly serious film ambitions myself but I did get to talk to Justin Lin once and also sit in on one of his lectures. His path is sort of interesting because he's a director that came entirely from the "outside" of Hollywood and worked his way up from film school and directed an indie film that was nearly 100% financed by loans Better Luck Tomorrow which got his foot in the door. Now he's tied to the Fast and Furious franchise which prints money, the last one he directed grossed 350 million and he's slated to do Fast Five. In his spare time he works on indie projects with the money he made directing blockbusters. Now according to him there's a lot of directors that are kind of in his position. They are far from being auteurs but they have a fairly unique voice, work hard, disciplined, and have a proven industry track record. Most importantly they make the studios money..and lots of it. A lot of these guys seem to transition from music videos (ala. McG) and mildly successful indie films to go on to directing relatively big budget films. People here focus a lot on the Kevin Smiths, P.T. Andersons but there does seem to be a lot of talented directors who didn't make one in a million pop culture changing indie films who are still able to get these big jobs. Have you met any of these "other" directors? People poo poo on guys like Michael Bay and Stephen Sommers but you have to admit they print insane money for the studios.
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Nov 20, 2010 16:48
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Since you mentioned him, Michael Bay is as much of a dick as you think he would be. He's a dick to everyone on the set (especially the PAs), nobody likes him and avoids him as much as possible, etc. I ignored the Transformers and sequels shooting because of that because, after the Island, I never want to be anywhere near around his sets ever again. But coinciding with your statement, Shawn Levy shot Real Steel here earlier this year (and he typically makes stuff nobody here cares about like Night at the Museum and the Pink Panther remake), a film I have no interest in seeing otherwise, and he was probably the exact opposite and handled everything professionally and amicably. It's interesting how your attitude changes after a while, I now prefer smaller, more intimate shoots, whereas, when i first started, I just wanted to be in the biggest films that I could.
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Nov 20, 2010 16:59
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Darko posted:Since you mentioned him, Michael Bay is as much of a dick as you think he would be. He's a dick to everyone on the set (especially the PAs), nobody likes him and avoids him as much as possible, etc. I ignored the Transformers and sequels shooting because of that because, after the Island, I never want to be anywhere near around his sets ever again.
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Nov 20, 2010 17:07
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Modus Operandi posted:Since a guy like that can write his own checks what sort of actual fallout does he face? None, really. That's why he's a dick - I think it's just one of those self perpetuating things with him. I mean, as bad as working with someone like him is, having Transformers 2 on your resume is great. So it's nothing most people would turn down. However, I've heard other check writers like Spielberg, run their sets fantastically. Even James Cameron isn't as bad as he's made out to be, he just puts his actors through a lot.
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Nov 20, 2010 17:12
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I guess once some people are successful enough to get away with it, they just start treating everybody like poo poo. I don't think success turns you into a dick, though, I think it tends to amplify whatever your personality is. I always enjoy hearing about people like Spielberg who keep being nice to everybody after it's no longer required. Gives me hope for humanity...
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Nov 21, 2010 01:33
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Like everything Hollywood there's no flowchart - Some people were dicks when they were unknown and then became nice people when they were famous; some people were nice and then became dicks, some people were nice and are nice, some people were dicks and are dicks. That's just personalities and as much as we'd like to think there's a rhyme or a reason there isn't. Personality often isn't attached to success.
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Nov 21, 2010 13:36
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 02:57 |
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Is everyone a pot head or coke fiend? I'm so cynical that I imagine all these clean-cut images we have of people are completely wrong and they are all actually like Lindsay Lohan, but we just don't hear about it.
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Nov 21, 2010 19:43
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