Film Class Assignment

monte

monte

Bag of Douche
BFCA for short

What our teacher had us do was write up our storyboards and shotlists etc. and I was so happy at the time, i came up with a groundbreaking new creative way for me to use the new 3d editing tools in vegas, i was oh so happy!

Then we find out, luckily, right after i reveal this topic to the whole class (we were forced to) that we have to work in GROUPS and that one person has to be DP, 1 has to be actor, and the person who wrote it has to be the 'Director'.

So what I get to do, as director, is, kid shoot my idea. However, it really is almost that bad. Not only that, but now they'll learn all my tricks that I've picked up by making **** all summer, but I will have to go in post to my project do all this work on it, and it will still be NON whitebalanced, shaky, and OUT OF FOCUS.

This wouldn't make me so mad if I didn't know that directors like Micheal Mann spent 75% of the time behind the camera, with professional camera ops.

Then i thought, "Hey wait a minute, maybe i can make this a special tripod only project" so i asked if my DP could be a tripod (More reliable and skilled) however, it was to no avail.

This is a sad day in the history of the human race, and it saddens me that I have to spend some of my perfection on a horrid piece of canine fecis.

Rant done

Just blowing off steam


Edited in hindsight for some anger
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

I feel sorry for the "other" members of "your" group.....but I'm sure they have the same opinion of having "you", in "their" group.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Actually no, somehow magically, everybody wants me to DP now, so I have another 11 projects on my plate, plus my inclass project, plus a music video which I have to shoot 9 days from now...



They think its bullshit too, we all want to shoot our own films, I didn't want to come off as an ass, but seriously, its really... ugh  :-/
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Working in a group is part of the learning experience. Well good luck on the project though. Working together and using each others talents and ideas will only improve your short.
Maybe I'm just rambling. But again good luck on the shoot.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Am I missing something here? You're complaining about having to cooperate on a group project in class? You don't want to reveal your "secrets"? Isn't class about learning to cooperate and sharing knowledge? You'd do well to learn to work with your other class members and figure out how to bring out the best in their skills. *That* set of skills will serve you better in life than a few Vegas tricks. Maybe you need to spend a day working with your DP if you want something in particular. Even if the finished project isn't what you envisioned, I'm sure your future work will be better for the experience.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

You do sound as an ass, monte. I sincerely hope I missunderstood, because I'd really be happier if there wasn't any more people like thins entering the industry right now. I can understand your wish for your work to be the best as it can, as I can understand your affliction for having to work with an unexperienced crew. I cannot understand however, your fear that people would learn things from you and your self comparisson with Michael Mann. First of all just try to imagine how many wise asses exist, thinking they are the next great thing in the movie industry. Second, whenever you feel you are so good and talented (wich is not bad at all), take a moment to humble up, and look at all the things you should have done better. Don't compare yourself with others, just compare yourself to the best you can be.

Second, as a director, and as the most experienced person in your group, you should be eager to let people learn by working with you (and not for you), and I'm sorry to say, it is YOUR responsability if you ask your crew to do stuff they are not capable of and for it turning into crap. So basically, if you were stuck with a DP that don't know ****, it's your job to teach him all you want. Being a director is a combination between having a creative, artistic view and leading people. And if people don't want to be led by you, it's your leadership skills that need polishing.

I don't want to come of harsh, and sincerely hope you don't take offense by any of the things I worte, but fact is, you need to look at things from a different point of view.

Good Luck with this project, and all the others you have lined up.

Cheers!
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

I think I can see where Monte is coming from; he just wants to direct and have total control. Nothing entirely wrong with that. Seems in this day and age even the top directors want to be behind the Camera (RRod, SSod).

But, I have to agree with the other sentiments expressed. If and when you make it to an industry level it will be nothing but collaboration and teamwork. If you are so lucky to be picked to direct a project they will most likely assign a DP for you. Film is a collaborative medium and its best to learn not only how to work with others but to welcome this. So many ideas from the same passion can bring out the best in everyone.

IF its your DVX100 (which I doubt? Its film school, surely they are not making you provide YOUR camera?) then I'd be like "no no no - no one touches my camera".

Monte, when you get out and start making your own films outside of school independently then you can DIRECT, EDIT, DP and anything else you want but in the mena time welcome this collaboration.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

I relate to your frustration, but there's a lesson here.  The first time I had to seriously collaborate I ran into a shitstorm.  I had always done my own shorts, and the people who I had helping me out pretty much did what I told them.  I would ask for input, but there was no doubt about who got the final say, and I had a very clear vision of the final product.  I recently produced and wrote a short and brought in a partner to direct.  My vision did not even make it in to the editing room, much less the screen.  That taught me 2 things:

1)  Learn to communicate effectively.  This often means relating to people in a way that they understand, even if it's not the way you ordinarily communicate.  I realized after most of the shooting that I had not been very effective in letting the director know what I wanted.  It seemed obvious to me, but most of what I wanted was in my head and I never passed it along.  He couldn't read my mind.

2) I realized how tense both a set and an artistic collaboration could be.  I think that's something a lot of people don't think about until they experience it. On the upside, that conflict can often bring forth a better end product than either person thought of individually.  On the downside, it can be a tough environment to work in.  Most of us have other careers, families, bills, and other stressors.  We make movies because we love to, and we think it should be a source of joy.  Arguing isn't fun, at least for me.  I get enough stress in my real life. So I had to ask myself if this was what I really wanted to do.  And if it was, I needed to set specific criteria for the circumstances I was willing to work under.  There's a price to pay for everything.  One of the prices of becoming a filmmaker is learning to work with other people.  Seeing as I pretty much don't like people very much, that's the biggest price for me.  But (sigh) I love to make movies.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Working with people is hard when they don't meet the expectations in your head, but that's just part of your pool of experience. Trust me, you'll find many more times in your life when people will disappoint you either in art or business, so it's an important part of your professional and life education to become accustomed to dealing with such issues early on.

The way in which you learn to deal with people that fail you will have a resounding impact on all your future relationships. Your ability to get more out of someone who gives little, to confront and neutralize problems, to reframe your expectations within the context of your realities...those are the things that will make you a better director, producer, artisan, or technician.

The resolve that drives your vision is the mark that others will use to measure your abilities, but it is the grace that you afford your peers that will drive them in pursuit of that vision.

Chances are that this groundbreaking and creative idea you’re attempting to capture isn’t really that good, but you’ll only know that when you start to have ideas that are even better. You’re not professionally or creatively capable of perfection at your point in life, so setting such assumptions on your work is really detrimental to your potential. Where are you left to go if you’re already turning out perfect work? How can you expect to exist if no person is capable of translating your perfection without tainting it?

If you really felt that way about your ideas, then you’d be far better suited in quitting now and sparing yourself a lifetime of agony.

This one project will not define your career, it probably won’t open doors for you and it probably won’t stay on your resume for any longer then a year if you choose to list it…so keep your frustrations in perspective.

Your present attitude will result in you not working in this industry and that is an absolute fact. I’ve had conversations with members of the DGA East’s Board of Trustees in which they vocally expressed an industry-wide reluctance to hire ANY film school graduates who don’t have significant post-education experience. The attitude of film school graduates is generally so universally ungrateful and arrogant, that they wind up costing a production far more then they’re worth.

You have an opportunity now to identify that arrogance and correct it.

There’s a lot you can learn about dealing with people by positively confronting and dealing with your own frustrations. Being able to manage your own expectations and work well with others will do far more to get you consistent work then any technical knowledge you pick up in class. Anyone can learn how to load a 535 mag, so your knowledge won’t make you special. Being able to deal with subordinate and superior team members is something that no book is going to teach you.

Take it for what it was originally intended to be: a learning experience!

The next one will be better, it almost always is.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

I for one love the collaboration process. I learn so much from the people around me and I hope the same is true for them. I got my DVX to create, make some dough and have some fun in the process. Every time I go out on a gig and work with the same ol' guys or a brand new crew, I always try and make the best of it, have some fun and remember why I am doing this.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

J_Barnes: Very well put.

And I agree with RCE as well: always remember why you are doing this.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Well, monte, if you want to creatively dominate the other people, go ahead and dominate them to the degree that you can. People without strong opinions or skills will be happy to go along. The people who don't go along, who have strong ideas of their own, you might want to hear what they have to say.

I met one of my closest friends 20 years ago in such a group. In the end, we both dropped out of the film program but have been collarborating on creative projects ever since.
 
Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

Re: Bullshizzat Film Class Assignment

I am happy that some people understood that I was posting this in a time of intense anger, and gave me helpful meaningful replies.

What angers me in the past is that people have ripped off my ideas, and when I have been dping for other people, they tellme to shoot something, I give a suggestion and they get snippy about it... pot calling the kettle black? Maybe...

But ya know what? I think i will take your advice and look at this positively, i mean, if i can make shakey unwhitebalanced/out of focus footage look good, then Imagine what I could do with footage that I shoot on a DVX or respective cam.

Thanks alot, your feedback has given me hope...

EDIT:
And yes, I guess it will be a learning experience, its just that at the school i go to (which is not really a film school) many people take the class just because they think it's easy (Film, Art, and Drama) and it saddens me when they rip off my stuff.... thats the only reason i'm dubious with working with people in my class...


EDIT EDIT: Also, to the people who believe I am alienating my classmates or whatnot, that is not the case, we all had a good laugh when I went over to help them with their film about how these 'group' ideas were unfortunate.
So what this project is turning into is just screwing around with friends, which is not what I had hoped for but oh well...
 
Re: Film Class Assignment

Hehe pookie, now please, calm down

I do not think i am narcissistic in any way, if that's what you were getting at :D
 
Re: Film Class Assignment

Monte,
Props to you for taking constructive criticism well. That's a quality you will always be able to draw on. And we all need to vent sometimes

Pookie: Sorry but I didn't get the point either. Enlighten?
 
Re: Film Class Assignment

Monte,  I understand where you're coming from, I think, and I would like to make a suggestion.  When I was in middle school I was a fanatic about music.  I was a string bassist (and electric) and I practiced at least four hours a day.  I lived for jazz and when I wasn't practicing I was composing or arranging.  When I got to high school I was brought into the schools big band.  I loved it and hated it all at the same time.  I loved it because I loved playing the music and preparing for it and would kill myself to be as good as I could and to try and make the band as good as it could be.  Out of the 16 members of the big band only one other felt this way - the rest were there for an "easy" credit, were never prepared, could care less about the music and had no interest in pursuing it further.  It was like a bad dream for me.  Halfway through my first semester I received a scholarship to a performing arts high school where everyone was as dedicated as I was.  It was heaven on earth, we all pushed each other to be the best we could be and it literally saved my life.  Some of the graduates went to regular colleges to get a "real" education, I went to a conservatory to continue studying with real players who would push me as hard as I could be pushed.

I think you are living my high school big band nightmare.  Now, that doesn't mean that what the others here have said is invalid, it isn't - it is very valid, and I would read this thread three or four times because it is THAT important.  But you're also young and you'll learn much of this in time anyway.  You'll either take the advice and criticisms of your elders and learn the easy way, or you you wont and you'll learn the hard way, but learn you will....

My suggestion is to step back, look at your life, look at what you are studying, where you are studying and what you want to do with your life.  Really take some time to think about this.  This may sound stupid to you now, but college is the most amazing time in your life and for most of us, it is a time and experience that we only have once.  If your passion is filmmaking, and you want to make a living in that industry and it frustrates you that something you take so seriously is being treated as an "easy credit" by your peers, well perhaps you are in the wrong school...

I don't normally give advice like this, hell for all I know you're studying to be a dentist.  BUT, while I am no longer able to perform due to physical problems, I can tell you that everything I learned about being successful, things like teamwork, discipline, tenacity, hard boring work, organization and determination, I learned by studying music.  I had a teacher once tell my parents, "you don't choose music, music chooses you, and music has chosen your son".  Perhaps film has chosen you...

Best wishes,

Matt
 
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