You WILL NOT make IT.

V

Voytek_Stitko

Well-known member
How do you know that you WILL NOT BE A FILMMAKER?
I am asking cos I feel I cant do anything else than shooting. Even though sometimes it is so ... you know.

My friend just told me that he decided to give up after pre prod of his first feature. No money, no this or that...you know.

He told me: I ve got enough.

I did not know what to say. It is HARD sometimes. But come on...life it hard sometimes. Right? Not only filmmaking.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

Once you give up, then you're done. I'm never giving up something I love doing, why? becuase I love doing it. It's a tough battle and I'm not quiting and neither should you! Keep the fightin. When your happy with what you do regaurdless if your movie never gets picked up then you've made it. I don't know what else to say.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

You will not make it if you are in it for money or fame; if you happen to achieve either, more power to you. You WILL make it if you shoot because you are driven to shoot. You have no other choice, it comes from down deep inside, it is your expression. Consider yourself lucky if you are surrounded by people who support your passion.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

Forgive my cynicism:

Screw the poetics. You do it or you don't. If you quit, that's fine. But it's because something else was more important to you.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

It's true. Most of us will not make it. If everybody was able to make it, we'd all be rock stars.

Jim said it best above. If you really want to do this, you'll find a way. Otherwise, you don't really want to do it, because you have other priorities that get in the way.

Good luck! ;)
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

You are missing the point. It's not about "making it". It's about doing it.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

Filmmaking is not easy for most of us. It takes time, practice, committment, and willingness to learn from our mistakes and do it again the right way.

Heck, i just got done doing a little project with the kids today, and felt frustrated by the whole ordeal. The lighting was wrong because of quickly changing weather, I didn't get the manual focusing correct during my pans, the kid actors were not listening to my instructions, finally at home I took a look at the footage and found that I set the sound settings wrong on the camera and lost audio for the hand held shots (because I didn't want to look like a dork in the park with a headset). Man, i felt like a failure just doing the easiest of things. But I'm going back and we are going to do it again, and fix those problems.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

Well not for me , Filmmaking is not a career :P

Producing, Directing, Editing, DP, gafers, make up etc are careers.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

[quote author=Jim Brennan link=board=Directing;num=1103412379;start=0#7 date=12/18/04 at 21:44:59]You are missing the point.  It's not about "making it".  It's about doing it.[/quote]

Good point. I guess we should define "making it." In my opinion, it's earning a decent living by only making films. This means not having a day job to pay the bills. It doesn't mean Fame and Fortune. Very few ever achieve that.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

i'd be happy if i could be a blue collar filmmaker. work as a professor at a college or something and make a personal film every couple years.

Of course the only flip side is that i would like people to see it. That is the bigger trick.

I'm trying to concentrate on learning to do things inexpensively (ie free). How do i get the best performace out of a non actor? Bresson was famous for doing this. It has to be possible. How do i achieve higher production value? Right now i am making a film wtih a large Mummer's backdrop. The philadelphia mummer's parade is one of the oldest folk parades in teh us, if not THE oldest. They are allowing me to shoot with the band, put my actors in on their actual rehearsals, and at the parade. So i am getting 10,000 extras for free if it pans out.

I think if you concentrate on being a craftsman (or woman) that is your best option. If your skills are strong you can always make some extra money doing freelance shooting or editing.

Of course i say all of this but have been in a panic over this very issue for 10 years now. ha.

good luck to all.

www.stationhousefilm.com/thenyp
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

I love hearing people define what "making it" means. I would assume that many would say it means what Jaime said, making a full-time living at it.

This past year I made the transition from being an amateur to a professional "filmmaker". Am I doing what I love? Absolutely. Do I feel like I've "made it"? Well sort of, some times more than others. I think its human nature to not ever be quite satisfied. We always want more. What is the next step? Look at people like Michael Jordon, he became the best, then he was like what the hell do I do now? I'll do baseball! I think this is a wonderful quality of human nature, but also a source of a lot of depression and sadness in this world.

I love the quote, "Success is a journey, not a destination."
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

[quote author=natob2 link=board=Directing;num=1103412379;start=15#15 date=12/19/04 at 15:56:37]

I love the quote, "Success is a journey, not a destination."[/quote]

Nice quote. Found it inspiring today. And this thread in general.

I don't have much to add, but I have a lot of respect for many of you. I would not advocate starving to death because of your passion or dream, but it certain does seem to take a lot of guts/gumption to develop yourself filmmaker..or many creative ventures.

"Making it?" if you are engaged in any creative venture ( or risky one?) then you have to define that for yourself for the stage of life you are living. If you do not, then media and society will easily make you feel like a failure.

I guess I can add that is brave and smart..to eventually oneday see that even though you love what you do..that you may not have the ingredients necessary to continue doing it forever.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

The idea of "making it" or "success" is a very personal thing.  The best definition of success I have ever heard comes from an author named Glenn Bland:

"Success is a progressive realization of a worthwhile dream or goal"  

But I also believe it needs to be clearly defined for you.  Otherwise, how will you know if you have "made it"?  We've all heard the cliched tales of the struggling artiste who finds what should be their success, yet is still not happy.  That's usually because they don't understand what they are really trying to achieve, or why they are trying to achieve it.  

I also like the phrase "set your goals in cement, but your plans in sand"  Again, understand what you want to achieve (the most important part of which is knowing WHY you want to achieve it) and hold fast to that goal.  But be flexible about how you get there.  There is no "one way" to do something.

I have always highly recommended to the people I care about that they study the basics of human success priciples. There are thousands of books by hundreds of authors on the subject.  Where you find the info is not as important as the fact that you look for it.  They are long-standing ideals that, when reduced to their lowest common denominator, are the same.  Maybe reading an inspirational biography or a book about success principles once a month will do as much (or more) for your dreams as reading about lighting.  You need to understand your craft, but you also need to understand the craftsman.
 
Re: You WILL NOT make IT.

Filmmaking is not easy for most of us.  It takes time, practice, committment, and willingness to learn from our mistakes and do it again the right way.  
Click to expand...

So very true!  Just because someone can pick up and point a camera, it doesn't make them an instant great filmmaker.  Practice, practice, practice.  Even the "pros" say they are constantly learning and practicing new techniques.
 
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