Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects. As an independent filmmaker, film is what makes my world function. Without it I have no idea what I would do with my life instead. With the amazing work that has been put out there I am anxious to put in my part. I am ready.
I've been working for the past month on many projects with film advisers and people in the film industry. I've been taking a little bit of everything that can be done in this field from working on set to post production work. The editing process is a bit tedious but i like it a lot. I sort of have a knack for it but my main goal that i would like to achieve is becoming a film director. Yes they are two different things but i feel its good to be knowledgeable about everything. Just recently I learned a lot about lighting in a film studio where I work as an intern. Creating good light is essential if you want to make a good scene. Setting up the C stands and light stands i had two 300s as background light in the back and had two 1K lights in the front for exposure and one 2k light in the corner in case the 1K didn't work as its supposed to. With my camera setup on the tripod i plugged the camera into a monitor so i can view it in mono tone then transfer the image into making digital look cinematic with the iStudio Final Cut software. I was doing current and post at the same time when i was practicing in the studio. Hopefully with this practice and the direction my boss puts me in i will get better in this field and learn what I need to learn from the best.
With the right direction, advice and practice I will be able to succeed in my film goals.
I know working in the film industry isn't going to make me rich and famous right away. As a matter of fact let me make it clear that i am not in this for the money nor fame. I simply just love making films and I can personally not give a damn if i don't ever become Hollywood famous. Film=Life in my opinion. I just want to make them for the rest of my life and earn a living off of it because it really would be nice to get paid to do what i love most. Thats the beauty i hope to achieve one day as a great career. Things will get tough, but i will never give up. I'll make it one day. Mark My Words. I've been researching a lot on my topic and I came across a blog that I found very interesting. It was hosting a youtube video of various film directors giving their advice to future film makers, people such as Quentin Tarantino and Sam Raimi are among the several successful filmmakers that give their input. What I liked the most about this is that each director gave different pieces of advice and covered different areas of practice. You can view the blogpage here to view the video:
http://garry.posterous.com/filmmaking-advice-writ-large-tarantinos-advic
As I progress in learning about how to improve my film direction I was curious in knowing what other things I should do besides the actual work itself to assure a possible opportunity in this industry. And the answer? YOU GOTTA KNOW PEOPLE. Its all about connections. I was looking up information about this and came across this article. It caught my attention because it gave some insight of a source from the inside. Giving a simple tip or recommendation for future filmmakers. Here is the link to the article I came across that gave this helpful bit of information:
http://www.northernstar.info/article/8516 "He would recommend to any students looking to get into the industry to move to Los Angeles. He said it is sad but true, but most production companies will bring in people they know from L.A. before looking elsewhere. “Even though it is hit or miss in this industry, I have had more hits than misses in the past 20 years,”
The filmmaking life can be very hard sometimes. I always accept a challenge and complete what needs to be done. Sure there can be many bumps on the road that may "delay" my work but its overcoming it that matters the most. A major obstacle for many beginning filmmakers is creative block. Yes its just like writer's block where you get stuck at point. I came across the link
http://photofocus.com/2009/10/28/five-tips-for-overcoming-a-creative-block/ that helps give tips to pass that annoying creativity block by trying new angles and giving advice through different perspectives. Ideas such as using new cameras and trying writing your script and film ideas in different locations/atmospheres is what I think is good for filmmakers. Watch more films and get some more influence. The site deals with photography tips but this is very useful for filmmakers to read to learn new styles. As a matter of fact many filmmakers who work with video cameras usually take/took photography classes. So in a way this is universal advice for many other people.
Now for a moment of truth. A very bold statement that stood out to me a few days ago was "You're never going to direct unless you get a little crazy." That was the title of an online article that i found which can be found with this link, http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/411637_film30693270.html. The way the Director Wes Anderson works and handles his films is amazing. He is, just a stated in the news piece, "a little sociopathic". I like directors that go out in their way. To be honest I'm not surprised. I've worked in a few film productions and not only is the director a bit "out there" but so are a few other of the crew members. Even my boss once told me "You have to be somewhat crazy to make it in this business"
Film is a big part of my life. And well really, I'll take whatever I can get my hands on and I will never give up on things i love the most. Whether it takes me 20 years or 80 years, I will do what I love to do and be proud of it. Defeat isn't an option for me. It can be temporarily, but never would it be permanently.
