Jodie Foster On The Nerdist

I was listening to the Nerdist podcast with Chris Hardwick. A very interesting one on Jodie Foster. I share a similar wonder and confusion as she does for social media. She’s fairly clueless on what goes on, but she seems to be fine with the ignorance. What I also picked up in their conversation is that the new technology of filmmaking while newly presented for awe, seems to have this thing about it as to be the only choice of movie makers. In other words, why are people in such a hurry to embrace the technology that isn’t proven yet, just because it’s the latest and greatest.

All these so-called new movie makers embrace digital capture because it is what is readily available to them. They could shoot a movie on a phone, and some have. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for the story. People are jamming every type of story into the new digital technology simply because it’s cheaper. There are no artistic choices when it comes to that (in the pocketbooks of the studios anyway). So a few cinematographers are attempting to crack that code. For some reason. They’re trying to mimic a craft that already exists. For what purpose other than to circumvent…??? IF it’s purely an economical choice than state that instead of your technology is better. No…it’s what you can afford.

I had this conversation with the guy who I bought film from. He’s in his late 50’s and still refers to his export as “we’re going to first screen our movie in 1080.” This is a guy for which technology has bypassed him. Which is confounding considering I always had a theory that people who shot on film did their research. Or at the very least, don’t speak at all. I don’t mind ignorance at all. I mind people talking themselves aloud with false information and arguing with me about it, when I’ve got more experience.

The interview had me nodding my head repeatedly at Foster’s viewpoint of how enamored we are of the new. Some would probably point out the technology she has in her hand in terms of getting things done, but it sort of dawned on me…her sole purpose in life is to get rid of clutter. Things that take up space and distract to take away the main idea…to make movies.

She professed to loving movies to a degree of which she gets physically ill when they’re made wrong. Which, obviously, is a subjective thing. But I think what she was speaking about was craft. There is so much out there these days, in terms of media. Videos of everything can be posted and it clogs up the system (clutter). It seems to Foster, people never figured out if they SHOULD make a certain movie only that they just do it. Which I applaud that they do. But to pass yourself off with the title that is on par with Coppola, John Ford, Billy Wilder or Scorsese is ridiculous. That’s why I always do a “directed by” credit rather than a “director” credit. It’s not low self-esteem, it’s respect for the ones who are so close to its mastery. YOU most certainly don’t deserve it.

I really liked listening to Jodie, as I grew up watching her in movies. She’s taken some wild parts, but really smart roles. I always considered her a very smart person (Yale graduate), but in her self-effacing way, it was a survival skill she’s learned through the years of growing up in the movie business.

This is a great listen if you get a chance to hear it.