An interest in a subject is like being handed a piece of steel rod stock. Heavy, but almost useless unless you do something with it. Put that rod in a lathe and draw it out to a point; eventually, you win.
So true it hurts. If by "lathe" you mean "10,000 hours of hard work".
This isn't a fail more-so than it is a realization that makes me sad, but something that I've somewhat made my mind up on. I've made the decision to give up on my film dreams. What's the point? I question my own logic for wanting to become involved in the film industry which is because I love movies. There are millions of film buffs out there, but how many of them ever seriously consider the possibility of getting a career in the film industry? I really don't think I have a chance out there, and I'm pretty sure I'll mostly be resigned to doing commercials or something similar which is just abominable and completely uninteresting in my opinion as there really isn't any actual creativity in most ads out there. Also looking at the state of Hollywood and how much it is in the shitter disheartens me greatly. The indie circuit doesn't look too much better either because in most cases, indie films barely get any notice by the media or anything and that angers me quite a bit. I had a dream and high expectations...well guess what...I woke up and my plane just crashed and burned. The real question remains though...what the hell am I gonna do with the rest of my life?
What? Why? If you want to give up now, sure, give up. There are going to be hard times chasing any dream and there will be times when you are frustrated and wonder why you ever wanted this as a career. Do you expect to become some sort of Steven Spielberg right out of the gate, adored by millions in a year or two? If it were that easy everyone would have done it! There are going to be some rough shoots and some late nights in the editing booths, there is going to be rain and mud and cranky actors. However, most of my friends have jobs, art directing and editing, producing and animating. And though most of them are not famous right now, they enjoy their lives, and wouldn't have given up film for the world. And how do you think I feel! You think film in Hollywood is becoming stereotyped and frustrating, look at animation, the trick pony for kids that many live-action producers laugh at. Seriously! But listen. It's still worth it. Edit for a living to finance you indie film, file scripts at the studio while you write your own. And you will make something. You will make art. And it becomes worth it. However, like I said, if you are the type that refuses to cut together ads or something because it is against your artistic vision, quit now, because you're not going to make it. Look at Michel Gondry. Dude started out making music videos, and made them damn well. Now he makes beautiful feature films. It's not like he woke up one day and suddenly he was a big-shot. You see what I'm saying?
As a side-tangent, that film exactly states my point as it is a horrible and poorly made film. The fact that someone made this movie, decided someone should see it let alone allowing a distributor sell it is unbelievable. Whoever made this should not be let near a camera...ever.
If you like bad films or want to have an example of a poorly made film and what you shouldn't do if you ever decide to make a movie, go see it. Otherwise, stay away.
Or would you rather be a critic? Geez Louise! At least they made a movie, and someone saw it. It sucked hardcore, but they made it and put it out there. Even bad art should be allowed. STFU and go film something. RIGHT NOW!
Emily...I don't know what to say. I..I'll do it. I feel kinda stupid that such motivation could just change my mind just like that...but that's what I needed. I'll do it, regardless of what happens. If I lose and something bad happens because of it, at least I lived my dreams and finally made something or some things that I was proud of. If I get big, hooray for me.
To everyone else, I'm sorry I wasted your time with all my moping.
I've actually had some thought and I think I'll edit for a little while, but what I truly wish to do is direct something. Nothing would please me more than to make my ideas and find passable screenplays of some of my favorite books into movies. I know how they work and I've spent most of my spare time figuring out how they work.
This entire exchange was dramatic enough for an entire roll of hipster 38mm experimental footage. You're well on your way.
And as far as difficult paths go, don't think you're alone just because you are pursuing an artistic field. I'm majoring in biochem in order to get an MD/PhD so that I can go into radiology. That means 12 years of school followed by 5-8 years of residency. At best, I'll be 35 before I'm doing what I love (unless I drop the PhD, which will drop me down to 30). A TA I know advised me thusly: "Don't worry about how much work it will take, just let things happen. You'll get there eventually."
I really wish I had a recording of Kevin Smith from last night. A lot of the stuff he talked about was very relevant to you wanting to quit. I'll basically give a gist of what he said, hopefully this will make you see differently.
One person asked why is Hollywood raping our childhood memories and remaking a bunch of stuff from the 80s? Kevin Smith answered it's because that's where the money is. People want to relive parts of their childhood and be nostalgic and be shown with today's technology how amazing it can look. If you truly want to see something from your childhood done well, you have to pretty much do it yourself.
In the beginning he talked about how he went to film school in Vancouver, B.C. and how he went with Scott Mosier to the Seattle International Film Festival and saw movies that inspired him to make Clerks. Movies where people were basically talking about random things. He said, "Hey, you can do this? This is what me and my friends do all the time. You can make a movie out of this?". It then got him into working on Clerks. When Clerks got picked up, he said it got picked up because he said the right thing at the right time. Getting your film picked up is all about timing and luck.
As for the indie film industry, he said the popularity with them is cyclical. They get popular, studios opt to buy them and released them, then they get unpopular, and eventually get popular again. Indie films are always being made, it's just who and when companies buy them and show them is all part of a cycle.
There was also a very long bit about his whole experience when Zack & Miri Make A Porno didn't do so well as they expected and how he went through a phase of depression to where he wasn't doing anything. He thought he finally had made a movie to where he was going to come back to no longer being the old thing and show that he still mattered out there. Later on after periods of herbal refreshment and watching some video library about the life of Wayne Gretsky, he realized that he could no longer make the films he used to make, because they won't work properly. He's taken all the experiences he's had as a twenty-something, and now he's almost 40. He's a changed person and the world looks different to him. He realized he has to do something different, which he is. He recently directed a movie he didn't write, A Couple of Dicks, starring Bruce Willis.
Jeremy tells me that a lot of this story is in 2 of his podcasts, if you want to get a better telling of it.
Hopefully this will show you that if you truly want to be a director, you need to put yourself out there. You're young, fresh out of high school, so I can see how easily your dreams can get so swayed. Go to a film school. Learn about how to make a film. Start working on a film. Find people with the same interests to help you make that film. People here have given you great advice. Stop whining, suck it up, either shape up or ship out. You're not going to get anywhere with crying about it because shit got hard. If you're going to cave in this easily, you'll only keep on quitting on things you do in the future just because it got hard. Getting what you want takes hard work. You have to start somewhere so start now and keep doing it.
If you're going to cave in this easily, you'll only keep on quitting on things you do in the future just because it got hard.
I was going to say something exactly like this. You need to make an ultimatum with yourself. If you're going to quit, quit now. If you're not going to quit, never entertain that idea again.
Just seems like you are trying to run before you can even crawl. If you are holding out for the perfect screenplay or a magnum opus to fall in your lap to get started, then you probably are setting yourself up for failure subconsciously out of fear of failure itself, as to have an excuse "Oh, I just never got the right script" or "All the projects were too small" or "Didn't have the money for great actors", etc. Deal with all the insecurities you may have now, and plunge right in, MAKE SHIT and make shitty movies, they will make your good ones look even better.
This entire exchange was dramatic enough for an entire roll of hipster 38mm experimental footage.
Jeeze, tell me about it. When I read Yupa's post, It reminded me of a manga I read once.
*rose petals flutter around Emily* Emily-Sempai...*turns head to the side, face half shadowed* I don't know what to say. *single tear* I..I'll do it. I feel kinda stupid that such motivation could just change my mind just like that...but that's what I needed. *Raises head, two solid streams of tears flowing down. fist clenched infront of chest* I'll do it, regardless of what happens. If I lose and something bad happens because of it, at least I lived my dreams and finally made something or some things that I was proud of. If I get big, hooray for me.
*dramatic turn to face apethetic FRC forumites* To everyone else, *Dramatic bow* I'm sorry I wasted your time with all my moping. *runs off into the distance*
*rose petals flutter around Emily* Emily-Sempai...*turns head to the side, face half shadowed* I don't know what to say. *single tear* I..I'll do it. I feel kinda stupid that such motivation could just change my mind just like that...but that's what I needed. *Raises head, two solid streams of tears flowing down. fist clenched infront of chest* I'll do it, regardless of what happens. If I lose and something bad happens because of it, at least I lived my dreams and finally made something or some things that I was proud of. If I get big, hooray for me.
*dramatic turn to face apethetic FRC forumites* To everyone else, *Dramatic bow* I'm sorry I wasted your time with all my moping. *runs off into the distance*
-stifling laughter- pttthph!!!! ROFLMAO!!! I'm sorry but that just made my fucking day! Thanks Sonic!!
*rose petals flutter around Emily* Emily-Sempai...*turns head to the side, face half shadowed* I don't know what to say. *single tear* I..I'll do it. I feel kinda stupid that such motivation could just change my mind just like that...but that's what I needed. *Raises head, two solid streams of tears flowing down. fist clenched infront of chest* I'll do it, regardless of what happens. If I lose and something bad happens because of it, at least I lived my dreams and finally made something or some things that I was proud of. If I get big, hooray for me.
*dramatic turn to face apethetic FRC forumites* To everyone else, *Dramatic bow* I'm sorry I wasted your time with all my moping. *runs off into the distance*
-stifling laughter- pttthph!!!! ROFLMAO!!! I'm sorry but that just made my fucking day! Thanks Sonic!!
The manga exchange reminded me why I love this forum. Hahaha!
Also, hearing Yupa get down in the dumps kinda made me want to work harder towards my goals. It sounds very mean and fucked up when you think about it, but nobody should quit their dream.
The manga exchange reminded me why I love this forum. Hahaha!
Also, hearing Yupa get down in the dumps kinda made me want to work harder towards my goals. It sounds very mean and fucked up when you think about it, but nobody should quit their dream.
...That sounded so shojo. *sigh*
It's okay. Dreaming is better than what I do, which is just whine about stuff all the time. That pisses off a lot of people, trust me. ^_^
The manga exchange reminded me why I love this forum. Hahaha!
Also, hearing Yupa get down in the dumps kinda made me want to work harder towards my goals. It sounds very mean and fucked up when you think about it, but nobody should quit their dream.
...That sounded so shojo. *sigh*
It's okay. Dreaming is better than what I do, which is just whine about stuff all the time. That pisses off a lot of people, trust me. ^_^
Fail of today and this weekend, I'm getting the itch to upgrade my computer again. I really don't need a new computer, but I enjoy playing with the hardware. I want one of those shiny new AMD dual cores or maybe a nice nVidia card so my wobbly windows work right.
What did we learn today? That when Yupa broods, his forumite friends kick his ass around until his mood is something resembling "Irrational Exuberance," or, failing that, a sappy shojo manga.
What the hell does Ganbatte mean anyway? Also thanks guys, you sure do know how to make a guy feel better when he is upset. I think you all were capable of saying what Emily, why wasn't what she said, said sooner?
Comments
To everyone else, I'm sorry I wasted your time with all my moping.
I've actually had some thought and I think I'll edit for a little while, but what I truly wish to do is direct something. Nothing would please me more than to make my ideas and find passable screenplays of some of my favorite books into movies. I know how they work and I've spent most of my spare time figuring out how they work.
And as far as difficult paths go, don't think you're alone just because you are pursuing an artistic field. I'm majoring in biochem in order to get an MD/PhD so that I can go into radiology. That means 12 years of school followed by 5-8 years of residency. At best, I'll be 35 before I'm doing what I love (unless I drop the PhD, which will drop me down to 30). A TA I know advised me thusly: "Don't worry about how much work it will take, just let things happen. You'll get there eventually."
One person asked why is Hollywood raping our childhood memories and remaking a bunch of stuff from the 80s? Kevin Smith answered it's because that's where the money is. People want to relive parts of their childhood and be nostalgic and be shown with today's technology how amazing it can look. If you truly want to see something from your childhood done well, you have to pretty much do it yourself.
In the beginning he talked about how he went to film school in Vancouver, B.C. and how he went with Scott Mosier to the Seattle International Film Festival and saw movies that inspired him to make Clerks. Movies where people were basically talking about random things. He said, "Hey, you can do this? This is what me and my friends do all the time. You can make a movie out of this?". It then got him into working on Clerks. When Clerks got picked up, he said it got picked up because he said the right thing at the right time. Getting your film picked up is all about timing and luck.
As for the indie film industry, he said the popularity with them is cyclical. They get popular, studios opt to buy them and released them, then they get unpopular, and eventually get popular again. Indie films are always being made, it's just who and when companies buy them and show them is all part of a cycle.
There was also a very long bit about his whole experience when Zack & Miri Make A Porno didn't do so well as they expected and how he went through a phase of depression to where he wasn't doing anything. He thought he finally had made a movie to where he was going to come back to no longer being the old thing and show that he still mattered out there. Later on after periods of herbal refreshment and watching some video library about the life of Wayne Gretsky, he realized that he could no longer make the films he used to make, because they won't work properly. He's taken all the experiences he's had as a twenty-something, and now he's almost 40. He's a changed person and the world looks different to him. He realized he has to do something different, which he is. He recently directed a movie he didn't write, A Couple of Dicks, starring Bruce Willis.
Jeremy tells me that a lot of this story is in 2 of his podcasts, if you want to get a better telling of it.
Hopefully this will show you that if you truly want to be a director, you need to put yourself out there. You're young, fresh out of high school, so I can see how easily your dreams can get so swayed. Go to a film school. Learn about how to make a film. Start working on a film. Find people with the same interests to help you make that film. People here have given you great advice. Stop whining, suck it up, either shape up or ship out. You're not going to get anywhere with crying about it because shit got hard. If you're going to cave in this easily, you'll only keep on quitting on things you do in the future just because it got hard. Getting what you want takes hard work. You have to start somewhere so start now and keep doing it.
And no, I'm not even kidding.
I smell a contradiction!
Also, hearing Yupa get down in the dumps kinda made me want to work harder towards my goals. It sounds very mean and fucked up when you think about it, but nobody should quit their dream.
...That sounded so shojo. *sigh*
So don't feel bad about it.
Ganbatte, Yupa. Ganbatte.