How personal does your work get?

jpbankesmercer

jpbankesmercer

Director Mod
Obviously we all invest huge amounts of time and energy into creating our works of art. My question to other Directors is this…

Do you find you place your own personal emotions on the piece of work you’re creating at that moment?

Looking back at my own work, there are plenty of examples. I began to notice five years into directing that certain pieces where an exact photoflash of my state of mind at that time. It’s almost like a diary, though I wasn’t fully aware of it during the process. Did I also subconsciously choose certain themes to express myself?

Obviously I’ve answered my own question. Just wondering others thoughts on the matter. (I’m trying to open discussions on more abstract themes of directing)

J.P.
 
The huge danger is accidentally making something so personal that no one else understands it.

But putting your personal emotions into a film in such a way that it's accessable to others - that can produce very powerful work
 
clang said:
The huge danger is accidentally making something so personal that no one else understands it.

But putting your personal emotions into a film in such a way that it's accessable to others - that can produce very powerful work
Click to expand...

I agree. The movies I try to make are obviously personal, but I never forget the audience.

My motto:

"Its a lot harder to tell something complex and personal to a group of people than to some individual that thinks like you".
 
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Its not that obvious in my work, more subtle. Sometimes I might pick a band whose music reflects my mood at the time, only Im not fully aware of it.

Jp
 
It may just be the terms we are using, but I think that the more personal---the more it will be understood by audiences. As artists, what we have to go on comes from us, our experiences or the experiences we can imagine.

I think we agree but I take "personal" to mean the details... and that's what makes a brilliant work.
 
jpbankesmercer said:
...certain pieces where an exact photoflash of my state of mind at that time. It’s almost like a diary, though I wasn’t fully aware of it during the process.
Click to expand...


VERY intriguing idea - and I have to be honest, I've never thought about it -
I'm going to get a cup of coffee and come back to this thread.

Just wanted to say JP, that once again you've got me thinking.
And that's always a good thing.
 
i agree with the first post one hundred percent.

i think i read a quote from some director - can't remember who - it was something like: "every film i make is a self-portrait."

actually i just remembered - it was david cronenberg.

mind you i've only seen one of his films, eXistenZ, and hated it.

but i agree with the sentiment.
 
It would be a pain if my works weren't personal.
Yes, my work is very personal, but still in harmony with the client.
The client has to transmit a message. My task is doing it. As my average standard is quite high (or at least it tries to be....), the client ends always with a "wow" because he didn't expect a so high level.
At a certain point i realized that it's not my standard which is high... hehehe, but it's the low standard and expectations of my clients...
They are just local small business, and they appreciate anything...


.
 
i think it's def difficult separating you're own feelings from "work"...whats that old saying? life imitates art and art imitates life or something? ive been trying to think about it haha...but i think personal emotions are good because that keeps your work grounded and real..as long as it's not out of control
 
Well the Television Pilot I'm working on especially myself and the writer are trying to put in as much as our personal experiances as possible. Brings a touch of realism to the script and storyline. So people can connect with the project more. Care more.

But yeah in general i tend to add a touch of realism or my emotions into the script,
 
Almost all of my work has personal experiences in it. In my How To Be a 00 Agent short film, I put the farm I grew up on, in the film because it made me laugh, and I thought it'd be fun to show that.

I think everyone's work has at least SOME personal experiences in it. Even if its subconsious.
 
Personal is great if it informs the work and gives it depth, dimension and honesty, but it had better be a pretty universally understood form of "personal", which is not as much of a contradiction as it might seem. Personal is bad if it's "precious": something that has deep resonance for you, and pretty much *only* you. It's a very easy pit to fall into, especially in writing the screenplay.
 
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