Post Random Movie-Related Thoughts You Have

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[BurtReynolds]

I have a few cinematography books laying around. The Five C's of Cinematography and Film Directing Shot by Shot and something else.

[Jorge]

2016 is definitely not be the year of my directorial debut. Which sucks. I really thought I'd make it happen. Turns out getting a movie put together is like... hard work. Oh well. Fingers crossed for 2017.

Have you ever done any camera work before? Or would you connect with a knowledgable DP? I am working on my first screenplay, and just finished Syd Field's book last night. But it's that stuff in particular -- lenses, lighting, film stock/digital retouching -- that is so far beyond my knowledge base. I get the screenplay format, I get the acting, I get the audio and syncing to visual, and I even get a lot of the legalities around releasing a film. But camera are baffling to me. I hope someday to afford a Red or a steadicam and just figure it out as I go along. It's sort of my retirement plan/dream.

I'm working with a DP, yeah. And I'm starting out with a "silent film" so I don't have to deal with all the audio stuff this time around. It's a short film (under 5 minutes) that I wrote and I have someone who will score the piece.

Man, I'd love to take some filmmaking courses within the next few years.

Read books. Watch movies. Talk to people/network. Save your money. I'm not sure how much more you can get out of film courses (outside of the potential connections) that you can't get on your own by just reading and studying. Unless you're wanting to go full Louis CK and write, direct, and edit and all of that all on your own. In that case, take photography classes and/or editing classes.

You can get a lot of abstract knowledge from those things but the main benefit of film classes is getting your hands on equipment (a lot of which would be too expensive to buy or rent out just for home use) and get some practice. Even if you're not interested in working as a cinematographer it's useful to know about filters and focal length and depth of field and color temperature and tungsten lighting and different lenses and experiencing how all those things work together beyond what you can read about... you use all of that knowledge on a set as a director, even with a DP working under you. Otherwise it's like trying to get a string quartet to play something by just humming it at them.

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[epilogue]

Getting your hands on equipment is certainly a big benefit. If you're wanting to try different devices. But in the age of iPhone movies, cost has to play a big role in your decision to take classes. I'm not against film classes or film school or any of that. I'm just thinking of the people I know in the industry, the people who are making quality films. Of the folks I know who went to film school and are actually working, I know... zero. But that's just personal experience and means next to nothing.

All that stuff is important and I certainly encourage anyone to know as much as possible about the craft if they want to make a career out of it. Or even if they just want to make art for themselves or whatever. So, I'm not disagreeing with education. But it just isn't necessary anymore in the world we live in. Especially if one finds that it's cost prohibitive.

[Jorge]

In contrast, pretty much all of the people I know who are in TV, movies and visual media have some film school education. I'm one of 'em. It costs money, but if you can afford it and you're serious about making something good I think the investment is worth it, even if just for the practical experience and the networking opportunities as you mentioned. We are in a transitional time right now but I think you overstate the "age of the iPhone movie" thing a bit; very few movies made on an iPhone are a) actually completed, b) get any kind of meaningful exposure, or c) are very good. Tangerine is the biggest success story, but that's a rarity; I go to a lot of independent film festivals and the huge majority of stuff out there is still made on more or less traditional means (though "traditional" for an indie movie with a shoestring budget now means a $500 DSLR).

(Also, I thought Trag was talking about taking some courses, not a full-blown film degree. I think that's even better if you want to just try your hand at it)

[epilogue]

In contrast, pretty much all of the people I know who are in TV, movies and visual media have some film school education. I'm one of 'em. It costs money, but if you can afford it and you're serious about making something good I think the investment is worth it, even if just for the practical experience and the networking opportunities as you mentioned. We are in a transitional time right now but I think you overstate the "age of the iPhone movie" thing a bit; very few movies made on an iPhone are a) actually completed, b) get any kind of meaningful exposure, or c) are very good. Tangerine is the biggest success story, but that's a rarity; I go to a lot of independent film festivals and the huge majority of stuff out there is still made on more or less traditional means (though "traditional" for an indie movie with a shoestring budget now means a $500 DSLR).

(Also, I thought Trag was talking about taking some courses, not a full-blown film degree. I think that's even better if you want to just try your hand at it)

I totally agree with you, here. I've somehow backed myself into an argument.

Really, I just wanted to give trag some support and confidence IF he wanted to forgo the cost of taking classes. I (perhaps wrongfully) assumed the reason he hadn't taken any classes yet was monetary. So, I was just saying, "hey, if you can't afford it, don't let that stop you." Because I don't think it's necessary given the transitional times you mentioned.

But, yes, again, I absolutely think classes/school are worth the investment if you're serious about it. Taking it one step further, I do think an argument could be made regarding your point about "very few movies made on an iPhone are..." I think a strikingly similar argument could be made by simplifying the phrase to "very few movies made are..." But certainly, you are right, in that the number is way smaller with iPhone films specifically.

It's an exciting time, I think. I love this new "traditional" art world we're moving toward. I think it's freeing and fun to watch people who have good instincts (but perhaps less formal training) pushing boundaries and taking risks. You see a lot more than I do. Which means you see a lot more shit than I do. I do a lot more picking and choosing based on feedback/reviews/word of mouth. My eyes are probably a little rosier than yours at this point. I've also been to the dark side (film is a bastardized medium; an art form for people who wish they were artists; has no real value; is for idiots) and back. Being back in the light feels energizing and (perhaps naively) hopeful. Sometimes when I get hopeful, I get to feeling like anything is possible and everything should be done NOW while one has momentum.

[McParadigm]

Is The Great Wall an iPhone movie? Because that looks fucking stupid.

[epilogue]

Is The Great Wall an iPhone movie? Because that looks fucking stupid.

That thing really does look awful.

[epilogue]

But the real question is did Yimou Zhang go to film school or not?

[E.H. Ruddock]

Is The Great Wall an iPhone movie? Because that looks fucking stupid.

That thing really does look awful.

Is that the one with a white guy in it?

[epilogue]

Is The Great Wall an iPhone movie? Because that looks fucking stupid.

That thing really does look awful.

Is that the one with a white guy in it?

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Is The Great Wall an iPhone movie? Because that looks fucking stupid.

That thing really does look awful.

Is that the one with a white guy in it?

No I'm serious, I saw a preview recently of a movie coming out that took place in ancient China (I think) but it had like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt or someone like that in it. It was very wtf?

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Jorge]

Is The Great Wall an iPhone movie? Because that looks fucking stupid.

That thing really does look awful.

Is that the one with a white guy in it?

No I'm serious, I saw a preview recently of a movie coming out that took place in ancient China (I think) but it had like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt or someone like that in it. It was very wtf?

It's a Chinese production that cast Matt Damon as the main character to get better funding / worldwide exposure, as opposed to a Hollywood movie about ancient China that cast a white guy as the main character. A slight difference

[epilogue]

Is The Great Wall an iPhone movie? Because that looks fucking stupid.

That thing really does look awful.

Is that the one with a white guy in it?

No I'm serious, I saw a preview recently of a movie coming out that took place in ancient China (I think) but it had like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt or someone like that in it. It was very wtf?

I getcha. I just thought it was funny because all the movies are "the one with a white guy in it."

But, yeah, it's Matt Damon.

[bart]

The Five C's of Cinematography

Courage
Commitment
Calcium
Catholic upbringing
...?

[epilogue]

The Five C's of Cinematography

Courage
Commitment
Calcium
Catholic upbringing
...?

Cock

[bart]

The Five C's of Cinematography

Courage
Commitment
Calcium
Catholic upbringing
...?

Cock

Thought I covered that with the fourth C on the list.