Re: Where to go to school?
[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=news;num=1087913677;start=90#97 date=07/22/04 at 14:39:56]Yes, but -- there's a world of difference between "do what I say" and "do what I did". Rodriguez' book is fascinating, but you have to acknowledge a few things first: Rodriguez DID go to film school, and he was an accomplished (and published) comic strip artist (which teaches you how to make a story with pictures), and he'd shot thirty short films on a VHS camcorder and edited them deck-to-deck, which is crucial experience for learning how to think of a story in pictures, how to shoot in a sequence that is efficient and makes for the best use of time and energy, and how to get only the shots you need.
If someone picked up Rodriguez' book and read "forget film school, just go shoot something" then I can guarantee that the film they shot would be utter crapola. If they instead did what Rodriguez DID (as opposed to what he SAYS), they'd shoot dozens and dozens of short films, win top prizes at film festivals, then go to film school, and THEN shoot their first feature. And maybe then they'd get the kind of success he's had.
Heck, just read the introduction to the book and he says it right out: "What I needed was as much practice making features as I had gotten making short films. I realized it was the experience that had gotten me where I was. If you want to learn the guitar, you don't take a couple of guitar classes and expect to do anything innovative. You practice in your garage until your fingers bleed. I had done that with my home movies. I made over thirty short narrative movies, edited, with opening and closing credits, sound effects, and music."
If someone says "Forget film school, take that money and shoot a feature instead?" That's crazy talk. Anybody who does that would be foolish. Start out small. Practice until your fingers bleed. Win top awards at festivals across the country. Win screenwriting awards at screenwriting contests. Consider going to film school as well, although it may not be necessary. Once you've done all that, THEN you can try to make a movie.
Taking shortcuts before paying your dues will likely lead to failure.[/quote]
Yes, Rodriguez did to to film school. Then he dropped out. ;D
Every time I try to clarify what I'm saying, new assumptions are made. Again, I think you're missing my point, and I thought it was easy to grasp. Oh well, gues not.
I've said in two posts now that chances are a first film will be bad, or in your words, "utter crapola." By doing, you learn, and I would argue some folks would learn better in the trenches pursuing guerilla filmmaking than attending lectures. Here's my basic philosophy: The more failed a crapola film ends up, the more lessons that are learned.
Again, Rodrigruez planned on failing from the onset. Sure he had short film experience, but he deliberately shot his film in Mexico for the Mexican market so he could avoid the embarassment of failure. So to understand the point I'm making, remove the fact he ended up with a profitable film. Subtract his happy ending from the equation and you're still left with an extremely educational experience. It's the experience, not the outcome, that matters. That's what I'm saying.
Furthermore, the person who started this thread sounds very much like Rodriguez. Zach_Lein said "I've been making 'films' since i was 12." It was to Zach that I was giving my advice too. It sounds like he's ready to make the next leap. With his experience, he stands a much better chance of making a successful film *and* learning a ton. But of course, the choice is his to make. I've only tried to offer my two cents.
[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=news;num=1087913677;start=90#97 date=07/22/04 at 14:39:56]Yes, but -- there's a world of difference between "do what I say" and "do what I did". Rodriguez' book is fascinating, but you have to acknowledge a few things first: Rodriguez DID go to film school, and he was an accomplished (and published) comic strip artist (which teaches you how to make a story with pictures), and he'd shot thirty short films on a VHS camcorder and edited them deck-to-deck, which is crucial experience for learning how to think of a story in pictures, how to shoot in a sequence that is efficient and makes for the best use of time and energy, and how to get only the shots you need.
If someone picked up Rodriguez' book and read "forget film school, just go shoot something" then I can guarantee that the film they shot would be utter crapola. If they instead did what Rodriguez DID (as opposed to what he SAYS), they'd shoot dozens and dozens of short films, win top prizes at film festivals, then go to film school, and THEN shoot their first feature. And maybe then they'd get the kind of success he's had.
Heck, just read the introduction to the book and he says it right out: "What I needed was as much practice making features as I had gotten making short films. I realized it was the experience that had gotten me where I was. If you want to learn the guitar, you don't take a couple of guitar classes and expect to do anything innovative. You practice in your garage until your fingers bleed. I had done that with my home movies. I made over thirty short narrative movies, edited, with opening and closing credits, sound effects, and music."
If someone says "Forget film school, take that money and shoot a feature instead?" That's crazy talk. Anybody who does that would be foolish. Start out small. Practice until your fingers bleed. Win top awards at festivals across the country. Win screenwriting awards at screenwriting contests. Consider going to film school as well, although it may not be necessary. Once you've done all that, THEN you can try to make a movie.
Taking shortcuts before paying your dues will likely lead to failure.[/quote]
Yes, Rodriguez did to to film school. Then he dropped out. ;D
Every time I try to clarify what I'm saying, new assumptions are made. Again, I think you're missing my point, and I thought it was easy to grasp. Oh well, gues not.
I've said in two posts now that chances are a first film will be bad, or in your words, "utter crapola." By doing, you learn, and I would argue some folks would learn better in the trenches pursuing guerilla filmmaking than attending lectures. Here's my basic philosophy: The more failed a crapola film ends up, the more lessons that are learned.
Again, Rodrigruez planned on failing from the onset. Sure he had short film experience, but he deliberately shot his film in Mexico for the Mexican market so he could avoid the embarassment of failure. So to understand the point I'm making, remove the fact he ended up with a profitable film. Subtract his happy ending from the equation and you're still left with an extremely educational experience. It's the experience, not the outcome, that matters. That's what I'm saying.
Furthermore, the person who started this thread sounds very much like Rodriguez. Zach_Lein said "I've been making 'films' since i was 12." It was to Zach that I was giving my advice too. It sounds like he's ready to make the next leap. With his experience, he stands a much better chance of making a successful film *and* learning a ton. But of course, the choice is his to make. I've only tried to offer my two cents.
