Are you guys friends w/ other directors? Can you be friends w/ other directors?

luvjaimie said:
I love these stories!

I'm definitely running into the "you have to prove yourself" mentality. It's true I'm new to the industry and I understand the mentality, but it's interesting because everyone here has back stories - something they did before film.

Coming into the industry in my thirties with mostly a business / marketing background - people tend to blow me off. I just chalk it up to not having paid my dues yet. I'll have a feature and a web series or two out into the world by the end of the year and then maybe it will get a little better. Until then I just keep my head down on pre-production and soak up as much information as I can.
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That's crazy. If they were smart, they'd try to tap you for tips on business & marketing which is one of the main things that keep a decent filmmaker from EVER being noticed.

In Atlanta, we need more Business/Marketing people in our film scene. Of course, the flip side is they usually find amatuer filmmakers and hitch their marketing and business talents to sub-par (at best) projects...and they never seem to drift over to the more talented filmmakers to help them take their decent projects to the next level.

So, its not just a matter of having more business minded folks, it's getting them to work with the right projects.

-M
 
Olaf99 said:
Threat and Martay,

I'm in a similar boat. Imagine being an NCAA defensive end and an art major. You always hear about football players not accepting "everyone else" but, it definitely works both ways. I finally dropped to an art minor and took up Biology for the financial gain (HAAAA HAAA HAA HA!!! Yeah right.)

Anyway, I'm 36 now and not as intimidating but, I've asked people if I'd offended them and they told me they thought I hated everyone. I became a bartender/bouncer after school and was the only one who never through a punch. I was almost an expert at talking people out of the bar. Once people get to know you they realize you're just like everyone else but, a little scary looking.

Anyway, I digress. I now live in a very small town and a guy here is making really good films. I met his sound man and told him I wanted to volunteer at any position they needed help with. I told them I'd boom, assist the gaffer, pull focus, do set design, etc just to get some experience watching another director/DP. He was all cool with me and then no phone call. Saw him two months later and took down his email address. Emailed him. No reply. Saw him again and he pretended I wasn't there. Then I got the picture. It sucks when you know you can use the experience and you're limited in a smaller community. Such is life.
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Well, sounds like every city or town has similar issues with their film communities. I'm often complaining about ours with colleagues who wish to improve our standing in the business and even just on the indie scene. Heck we even started an online film magazine to help foster the scene CinemATL but we're still fragmented.

I went to a post house the other day who used to reach out and partner with indies like crazy but they can't do it any longer because a) many of the projects didn't work out...and b) the folks they partnered with who are successful don't return the favor and bring projects back to the post-house. It's a shame.

-M
 
Martay said:
I went to a post house the other day who used to reach out and partner with indies like crazy but they can't do it any longer because a) many of the projects didn't work out...and b) the folks they partnered with who are successful don't return the favor and bring projects back to the post-house. It's a shame.

-M
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Reminds me of what's called a 'spec deal' in the recording studio business for unknown musical artists. They play out just like you describe, which is why I haven't participated in one in decades...
 
Most cities the filmmakers seem fragmented. I even tried to start a group to get people together and I just couldn't get the support. Then I found other groups in the area, but there are like 4 or 5 of them now, and while there is some overlap, I still meet TONS of people all over the place that don't know each other :) Nevertheless, no matter what kind of reception I get from people, I still reach out. Every once in awhile, you meet an awesome person who you want to work with, and vice versa.
 
I like where this discussion is going, but I have to say that I won't accept attitude from anyone here in Houston or many other places for that matter. If we are in the same place, then the other guy is not in LA or in NYC. He or she's here. In Texas. At an event with the rest of us. C'mon. I get it that you have to pay dues and everything else, but that's no reason to be a db about where you are in relation to the other guy. I don't mind giving the greats their props, and I have a lot of "friends" who are directors (many of whom are amazing directors and great people), but the fact is that we have some very "talented" people here in Houston, but they can be extremely aloof and can have an ego that is so over inflated it could raise the Titanic, and then we have some guys like the venerable Larry McKee who is both well respected because of his talent, vision, and honesty, and is very kind, good-hearted, and respectful toward anyone who honestly represents themselves, and there are just simply more others than McKees a lot of times.

It could change though.

I think an important part of the puzzle is not forgetting where you were when you started, and when you do get big, remember to lift others up. That should stop this BS attitude some people have just because they finished shooting a half baked, poorly written, poorly lit and poorly reviewed low budget indie horror feature film that has no story and is told in close ups with halogen work lamps, a plastic knife that's bent for most of the production, and red corn syrup (or juice as Buster Bluth would put it) aka Houston Crack.

$0.02
 
I think it's interesting thing too. I haven't really met giant egos thst much from other directors - just aloof and wary about being friends, or taking the time to read each other scripts or watch someones work.

I post here with my real name and production company and the board archives will be in google, so I am just mentioning a disclaimer that I am not putting anyone down. Its just a comment on human nature

I got introduced to a girl in a cafe by a actor , and we swapped cards. I thought the intro was nice and I checked out her site and saw that she had done some good work. I would have even said, maybe incorrectly that we were in the same area career wise - although she seems to produce just as much as direct.

I sent her a email, why not? No answer. Now if I run into her at the cafe, it'll be awakward. I joke about it to disarm the situation (most likely) or will we reconnect a few years later and meet and it goes nicely and a window opens up for us to work together - or do we meet later and I stare blankly as she attempts to convince me we met before.

I think too much, but I just plunge ahead, you never know what roadblocks the other person on that side of the phone or email is going thru
 
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