Best Advice you've ever received

C

c.g._eads

Veteran
I was writing this in another thread and thought I'd share it.

The best advice I've ever received as a writer was this: You have a guy breaking up with a girl at a restaurant. Write that scene. Oh, but don't use dialogue.

You quickly find out that almost every scene can be accomplished without dialogue if you have enough imagination. Approach each scene like that, only using dialogue if it's necessary.

This isn't a hard and fast rule. Dialouge heavy films (a la Kevin Smith) need dialogue. But ever since I received this advice, I always try to solve things first without dialogue, and slowly work in dialogue as needed.

What's the best advice you've ever received?
 
I desperately wanted to avoid moving to LA for a number of years... gave the small
indie scenes in the midwest, florida and the southeast a shot. Wasted a LOT of time.

Then one day an LA buddy of mine said that there are three things for certain in
this industry... death, taxes and 5 years in LA.

If you want to do anything movie related at a professional level, you can't avoid
putting in your LA time. Hehe, I get more networking done in a single trip
to the grocery store than a year of 'networking events' outside of this place.
 
From a college-era girlfriend's father: Don't assume that the route from where you are, "A," to where you want to get, "C," ever necessarily has to go through "B," wherever anyone else thinks "B" might be.
 
on the other end of the spectrum, the worst advice I ever received was in regard to pleasing clients at the cost of your self-respect. I was told "you're going to have to learn to take it in the ass."

I gave him some advice too... told him to go f*ck himself.
 
The best advice that I ever received regarding this industry is one that I try to live by daily...

never spend your own money!
 
cygnet74 said:
on the other end of the spectrum, the worst advice I ever received was in regard to pleasing clients at the cost of your self-respect. I was told "you're going to have to learn to take it in the ass."

I gave him some advice too... told him to go f*ck himself.
Click to expand...
Well, on the bright side, at least there wasn't any acrimony, on anybody's part. And, hey, maybe that was the best advice that anyone had ever given *him.*
 
khmuse said:
The best advice that I ever received regarding this industry is one that I try to live by daily...

never spend your own money!
Click to expand...

Which is a rule that I semi-regretfully broke...
 
"The key to success is being too dumb to know when to quit." - taken from Sad Max's signature.

I guess you can kind of call it advice, depends how you think about it. But it's true.
 
i've recieved a lot of advice, but one that i've pretty much stuck to is, "do or do not." there is NO in between.

:)
 
Greggl said:
I desperately wanted to avoid moving to LA for a number of years... gave the small
indie scenes in the midwest, florida and the southeast a shot. Wasted a LOT of time.

Then one day an LA buddy of mine said that there are three things for certain in
this industry... death, taxes and 5 years in LA.

If you want to do anything movie related at a professional level, you can't avoid
putting in your LA time. Hehe, I get more networking done in a single trip
to the grocery store than a year of 'networking events' outside of this place.
Click to expand...
BUT YOU"LL NEVER LEAVE!

I came here for five years, that was twenty years ago.
 
Sad Max said:
Well, on the bright side, at least there wasn't any acrimony, on anybody's part. And, hey, maybe that was the best advice that anyone had ever given *him.*
Click to expand...
he earned it.
 
Probably the best advice I have ever received is to understand WHY you are doing something. If you are honest about your own goals and motivations, it makes your decision making process a lot easier.

A very close second is to be willing to work your ass off for what you want. If you aren't, then see rule number one.
 
"Watch out where the Huskys go, and don't you eat the yellow snow..."
F. Zappa

Ok, maybe not the best advice I ever got, but it's still good :)
 
hoofandmouf said:
"get out"

-my drunken old man the day I turned 17

kinda put things into perspective you know
Click to expand...

One of my best friends had that experience.

Today he's one of the most successful people I know.
 
Yes Brandon. Spoken by someone leading by example.

=

I came home from High School one day when I was 16 and my old man said

'Pack whatever you can fit into this duffel bag and get out'

And I did an was emancipated about 8 months later.

-

Best advice recently ?

"Instead of spending all your time on DVXuser, why don't ya spend that time making movies ?'

(Courtesy of my wife)

She also once asked

"Why did you spend all that money on gear if you aint gonna use it?"

Yes yes yes. Rare gems these are.

It was/is in large part to my recent hiatus and resurgence of the inner fire.

=

Let's face it; not the most prolific group of artists on this site. But damn if we can't post replies.

Here's to filming in 2007 !


My advice ?


MAKE MOVIES

LOTS OF THEM. SHORTS, EXPERIMENTAL, FEATURES ...

MAKE EFFIN MOVIES
 
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