Sounds like a nice guy – the kind of person I’d like to work with if I was in any way involved in the world of film. I am now interested in watching his films.
nice little read, thanks for posting this.
i should probably get around to viewing some of his films huh?
I dig Rule #5
basically,
nothing a can stop him and there is nothing anyone can do about it
Jim is cool. If you say “hi” to him on the street, if he has the time, he will chat. A stand-up guy. Thurston Moore is the very same way. Totally bullshit-free. Reasons why living in this over-priced nightmare of a city is still pretty ok.
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How nice! I feel warm.
Yeah, KJ is right on. I bumped into him in NYC about ten years ago on the street (he’s hard to miss with that flock of hair) and he was nice enough to stop and chat even if I probably came off like starstruck blabbering idiot.
I like Rule 3 best. The other ones are slightly more obvious but this one is spot on.
Rule #2 has some resonance with me right now as I have just recently had the following conversation:
Industry guy #1: “You need to do it this way, or else you won’t work in this industry.”
Industry guy #2: “Yeah. We know it’s bullshit, but that’s the way it goes.”
DiB: “Ah.”
Industry guy #1: “So that is probably how you’re going to be able to get a film off the ground.”
Industry guy #2: “Yeah, if you want to make it, this is a good way to get the connections to do it. Otherwise, it might not happen.”
DiB: “Oh it’ll happen.”
Industry guy #2: “Yeah?”
DiB: “Yeah. I’m loving talking with you guys because it seems like you all can really help and I can get connections together to take this off the ground. But rest assured, if it doesn’t work out, I’m making this movie anyway.”
Industry guy #1: “It won’t look professional.”
DiB: “So?”
Industry guy #1: “Sooo….. yeah, that was the argument in my entirety, really.”
DiB: “Cool, we’re in agreement then. Anyway, lunch is on me.”
Industry guy #2: “Won’t argue against that.”
I’ve been dealing a lot with this lately and it’s kinda fun. Don’t know if anything at all will come of it, but at least I’m talking to people.
—PolarisDiB
User de Faux-Fuyants
Article
Rule #1: There are no rules. There are as many ways to make a film as there are potential filmmakers. It’s an open form. Anyway, I would personally never presume to tell anyone else what to do or how to do anything. To me that’s like telling someone else what their religious beliefs should be. Fuck that. That’s against my personal philosophy—more of a code than a set of “rules.” Therefore, disregard the “rules” you are presently reading, and instead consider them to be merely notes to myself. One should make one’s own “notes” because there is no one way to do anything. If anyone tells you there is only one way, their way, get as far away from them as possible, both physically and philosophically.
Rule #2: Don’t let the fuckers get ya. They can either help you, or not help you, but they can’t stop you. People who finance films, distribute films, promote films and exhibit films are not filmmakers. They are not interested in letting filmmakers define and dictate the way they do their business, so filmmakers should have no interest in allowing them to dictate the way a film is made. Carry a gun if necessary.
Also, avoid sycophants at all costs. There are always people around who only want to be involved in filmmaking to get rich, get famous, or get laid. Generally, they know as much about filmmaking as George W. Bush knows about hand-to-hand combat.
Rule #3: The production is there to serve the film. The film is not there to serve the production. Unfortunately, in the world of filmmaking this is almost universally backwards. The film is not being made to serve the budget, the schedule, or the resumes of those involved. Filmmakers who don’t understand this should be hung from their ankles and asked why the sky appears to be upside down.
Rule #4: Filmmaking is a collaborative process. You get the chance to work with others whose minds and ideas may be stronger than your own. Make sure they remain focused on their own function and not someone else’s job, or you’ll have a big mess. But treat all collaborators as equals and with respect. A production assistant who is holding back traffic so the crew can get a shot is no less important than the actors in the scene, the director of photography, the production designer or the director. Hierarchy is for those whose egos are inflated or out of control, or for people in the military. Those with whom you choose to collaborate, if you make good choices, can elevate the quality and content of your film to a much higher plane than any one mind could imagine on its own. If you don’t want to work with other people, go paint a painting or write a book. (And if you want to be a fucking dictator, I guess these days you just have to go into politics…).
Rule #5: Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.” MM
Interesting.