Why is guillermo del toro considering so amazing?

[JPNola]

Am surprised by this foreign vs local thing that is mentioned here. Don't you guys go abroad and shoot? If so, then why the hell complain when some "foreign born DP" shoots a Hollywood film?

I loved M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense. Since these days he is making movies at 5 or 9 million dollars and out of the studio system, I am sure the pressures would be off and soon you would see many original stuff from him.

I don't think I complained about foreigners working in the U.S.

It doesn't operate in reverse, to my knowledge. "American" is not associated with sophisticated, artsy, or "cultured" in other countries in the manner that being British, French, Spanish, etc. is associated with sophisticated, artsy, and "cultured" in the U.S. On the contrary, an American accent is often negatively associated in other countries. The American accent is often ridiculed by Brits, for example, and associated with sub-par language skill. Or associated with "the ugly American". Associated with lack of sophistication or even crudeness / rudeness. The French are known for being, or at least stereotyped as being, "anti-American".

If I was complaining about anything it was not complaint in regard to foreigner DP's working in the U.S. It was complaint that foreigner DP's sometimes benefit from the mere fact that they are a foreigner, from something having absolutely nothing to do with their talent as a DP. And there are times where they win out over an American DP in part because of their being foreign. It isn't their doing. It is the doing of the Americans who associate foreign with artsy, genius, brilliance, and "auteur". Many of those Americans taught in film school that "foreign film" was superior to American filmmaking, was more artful and more brilliant than American film.

"Have you met our DP? He's French." or "He's Italian". And that is supposed to impress in and of itself, is supposed to suggest that the individual is particularly artful and the production is impressive for having an "exotic" DP.

 

[Liam Hall]

I am curious as to why it is that so many DP's working in film production in the U.S. are "foreigners" but comparatively few Gaffers, Best Boys, Production Designers, Producers, etc are foreigners / foreign-born.

They have agents. And they have proven track record. The market in the US is bigger and more financially rewarding than most other countries, so it attracts talent. My father-in-law moved there in the 80's and trained-up quite a lot of the current crop of DoPs doing A list work.

It doesn't operate in reverse, to my knowledge.

It doesn't operate in reverse because few Americans travel, they don't need to or don't see the need to. America is a big place.

"American" is not associated with sophisticated, artsy, or "cultured" in other countries in the manner that being British, French, Spanish, etc. is associated with sophisticated, artsy, and "cultured" in the U.S.

I don't think people see American as one type of person; it's viewed as a diverse nation. And most foreigners loved your last President and thought he was sophisticated. The current occupant of the White House, not so much...

The American accent is often ridiculed by Brits

Everything is ridiculed by Brits. Don't take it personally.