Is everyone's ultimate goal to direct Hollywood features?

Hollywood no..

My ultimate dream is to capture my dream physically, so others can see and experience exactly what I've seen and experienced, shame no camera will ever be able to do that.

I guess cinema is the next best thing...

Anhar.
 
Just to happy with what I do in life, that's my goal !! Now being able to make some of my stories come to life on the big screen, that would be a rad job!
 
I've always flown solo, so I don't have much experience leading/working in a crew. (A couple of PA jobs, that's about it...) I'd love to get into bigger stuff, but for now I'm OK with woodshedding for another year.
 
taormina said:
Yes. Hollywood features. I want to be fiercely dependent. :laugh:
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you want to know the unpleasant truth of being a new director in the Hollywood system now? your first Hollywood gigs are a total sham, and will be for a long time. you will have no say in the actors you work with, the screenplay you direct, the production design, the cinematography, nothing. and i mean NOTHING. you will even have the storyboards handed to you. you may think i'm joking but i have personally seen it happen on everything from the texas chainsaw massacre remake to die hard 4... storyboards given to the director and he's told, you will shoot THIS. doing what i do to pay the bills has given me the opportunity to see what it's really like.

i say this not to contradict your ambitions Adam, just to define why the "fiercely independent" path is so much more appealing to me.
 
that would be no fun. If you control nothing, what the hell is the point?

Zak Forsman said:
you want to know the unpleasant truth of being a new director in the Hollywood system now? your first Hollywood gigs are a total sham, and will be for a long time. you will have no say in the actors you work with, the screenplay you direct, the production design, the cinematography, nothing. and i mean NOTHING. you will even have the storyboards handed to you. you may think i'm joking but i have personally seen it happen on everything from the texas chainsaw massacre remake to die hard 4... storyboards given to the director and he's told, you will shoot THIS. doing what i do to pay the bills has given me the opportunity to see what it's really like.

i say this not to contradict your ambitions Adam, just to define why the "fiercely independent" path is so much more appealing to me.
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There are cases where some writer/directors get to direct a script that they themselves brought to the table.
The script that helped them get the gig in the first place. Those cases are extremely rare but one can dream. :)

Mike
 
I agree witjh Zak, I do the same kind of work and have seen the same things countless times. I also see a surprising number of EP/money type people actually directing today on features and on TV. Some of them are amazingly inept and non-artistic but like everything else in the Hollywood racket, it's who you have lunch and play golf with or who you have blackmail material on.

I think that a lot of you have this romanticized notion of how working in Hollywood is and don't realize what a back-stabbing snake pit it can be. There are some great people in Hollywood. There are some not so great people in Hollywood who pretend to be nice to you and help you and screw you over. Happens all of the time, it's happened to me a couple of times and I see it happen to some really nice and honest people. Am I right Zak?

Dan
 
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puredrifting said:
There are some great people in Hollywood. There are some not so great people ion Hollywood who pretend to be nice to you and help you and screw you over. Happens all of the time, it's happened to me a couple of times and I see it happen to some really nice and honest people. Am I right Zak?

Dan
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This notion doesn't just apply to Hollywood, it applies to all walks of life as you try to climb the ladder in almost any field.
Especially when the competition becomes fierce.
Some people will always stab you in the back or use you as a stepping stone to further their career. Just par for the course.

Why should Hollywood be any different?


Just my 2 cents.
 
Hi Michael:

In my life, I have worked in retail, real estate, the restaurant business, publishing and construction besides this business and the only experience I ever had that was halfway as slimy as Hollywood was the car business.

Competition and getting a leg up are a given in any business but mainly in Hollywood do you seem to encounter the most people who you will feel a genuine friendship with (so you think), you will work with, create, artistically collaborate, go through the fire and then they will still turn around and cut your throat, not even slyly or accidentally, but viciously, with vengeance.

Directing a Hollywood feature is so far from what most aspiring directors think it will be. The climb and balancing act is even insanely tough for the biggies and you really cannot be what most people would consider a kind, considerate, rational and moral person and succeed in Hollywood. It's fine if people want to make a deal with the devil to make it here, they should just know going in that you have to sign on the parchment in blood.

That's one of the things that I enjoy about EPK, docs and bonus material, you have a really good seat to see the debauchery that is going on, but you are just a spectator for the most part.

Dan
 
hollywood = want nothing to do with it

goals = write/direct/produce/dp/edit good stories.... and make $$ doing it

more specifically, I'm interested in producing content that raises important social/political issues.... which is why this forum bums me out sometimes.... we cant discuss important issues
 
puredrifting said:
Hi Michael:

In my life, I have worked in retail, real estate, the restaurant business, publishing and construction besides this business and the only experience I ever had that was halfway as slimy as Hollywood was the car business.

Competition and getting a leg up are a given in any business but mainly in Hollywood do you seem to encounter the most people who you will feel a genuine friendship with (so you think), you will work with, create, artistically collaborate, go through the fire and then they will still turn around and cut your throat, not even slyly or accidentally, but viciously, with vengeance.
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Like in sales when there is commission involved? :D

I'm having a bit of fun but I think you get my point.
Talk about laying a steak out in front of a starving pack of wolves. :grin:

I get what you're saying and have yet to work in Hollywood so I really have no idea. I'll take your word for it.

Mike
 
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