I've mentioned this before, but I think it needs to be said again. There are two types of people in this business. Film fans and filmmakers. A film fan becomes a movie critic. They can dissect the film from an academic standpoint, but couldn't make a movie to save their lives. The nuts and bolts and sacrifice doesn't compute with a film fan. There are a few who have bridged this gap. Directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Peter Bogdonavich both seem to possess a wealth of film knowledge as does Martin Scorsese, BUT...if you watch their movies, they are derivatives of stories they've seen. Tarantino gets the worst of it, since his movies are essentially, the greatest hits of movies of the underground. He's a mix tape artist, but still...they are entertaining enough...but after the first viewing.
Scorsese is probably the most celebrated of film fans. Though, in HIS defense, he studied the craft of his favorite directors. His trivia is based a lot on HOW a movie is made rather then the content itself. Everyone I graduated with in film school were film fans. Needless to say, none are working in the business anymore. Some do it peripherally. Like teach film studies. But it's NOTHING like production. Even today's production is guided by film fans and not film makers.
It may seem sour of me to say, but I really don't like film fans. I consider myself a film watcher. And I defend my own taste as most other people do. But, in reality, I love the craft itself. Yes, I know...you've heard me say how much I HATE being on set. I do. But there is also the comraderie that does come with pushing the boulder up a hill together. And then, actually putting physical pieces of film together (for which NO ONE does anymore). I do it when film breaks during a scan.
It also sounds elitist of me to say. But I have plenty of friends who study film and are convinced they know how to put a movie together. Absolutely true. ANYONE can make a movie. Seriously. ANYONE. But it also takes craft. And craft takes FOREVER to learn. Some do have inherent talent that is envious to people who struggle. I recall being grossly jealous at this new generation that grew up with a camera in their hands and instantly knew what made the best images...compositionally. It always irked me it came so easy for them.
A film craftsman LOVES the artistry of putting these things together. Every bit. Though, in my case, the post production side is daunting. Most people prefer sitting quietly chiseling away at their images to form a story. It's excruciating to me to whittle it away. Because I know what goes into those images. Film images more than anything. I am also very envious of the people who aren't married to their images. That's one I still try to learn from.
Film fans can be filmmakers, don't get me wrong. But it takes separating something you saw and want to emulate (yeah yeah yeah, everything is copied from something else). But, most film fans are aggravating in that they can't get past a movie they want to copy. "That shot from 'Touch Of Evil'!" Or they "Jaws" shot where you push in and zoom out. Blah. That's film fan talk.
Most of this town are film fans. Very few are filmmakers. I continue to work at being the latter.
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