For my third piece of research I wanted to get into the minds of the professionals. After gaining knowledge on the technical sides of filmmaking I wanting to gain a better understanding of the intangibles of the those who make films. One the most prominent film communities currently is the “No Film School” community. They provide a web page, social media, and youtube clips of resources for young, up and coming, and even experienced filmmakers. I recently came across this youtube video that is added below and I was able to get in the mind and creative thinking of directors from the Sundance film festival.
There were many interesting ideas and thoughts that were shared from these directors. What I enjoyed most about this film was how they gathered a group of people who bring different stories, perspectives and worldviews together for this video. One director spoke on tapping into what you know. Many young directors and filmmakers often try and overthink their stories and lose authenticy from their films because they are trying to create a world that they know nothing about. I learned to stay true to myself and stay within the things that I know. I hope to use my own experiences and thoughts to create a real and authentic film, regardless of the genres that will take place; I hope that the style and story stays true to who I am as a filmmaker.
Another idea that stood out to me is when one filmmaker said you’ll never know until you try. This concept is often being used and can easily be overlooked despite the importance that it holds. I found myself many times doubting the possibilities of my ideas and then water down my creativity because I feel as though I wasn’t able to create what I am envisioning. There will never be a perfect time or scenario so it’s best to just try and don’t fear failing because even if you fail you be able to learn from it. Growth cannot be achieved unless failure was present beforehand. This is a motto that I live by and will carry into my thesis project.
The main idea that was being talked about was the idea of staying true to who you are. Another director shared with the group that if they were all to create a film about Hurricane Katrina they will all create totally different films despite it being the same topic. The reason this is comes the fact that we all have different perspectives and journeys so we all see the world differently. What makes a great filmmaker is the ability to show the audience how you see the world from your own eyes. When a person is able to create with authenticity then it will be apparent to the viewers and in turn will make the viewers more attached and invested into your film.