The Purpetual Padawan

[Martin Anaya]

So as we discuss what will really help local film making everybody has a take. Some will tell you that the most important thing is getting better state film incentives or getting a meeting with the state film commissioner, a Hollywood executive, the mayor or some other messianic figure who'll deliver us from our film netherworldlyness into a a film-Utopia created, constructed and delivered conveniently to our own porch, like some kind of amazing and delectable piping hot pizza from my favorite pizza place, "Zelda's". 

 

Only one problem with that scenario: Zelda's doesn't deliver. And neither does Hollywood!  Don't get me wrong: both serve a tasty pie. It's just that the notion that Hollywood should come and discover YOU is a misnomer. The only way to get Hollywood's attention is to make a good movie! To help you with THAT we are continuing your education with ongoing workshops hosted by industry pros, Academy Award winners and others who KNOW HOW to make a good movie! 

 

Understand, the majority of film makers in these parts are not making million dollar plus movies that would qualify for incentives nor major distribution deals. The lion's share majority are barely learning the craft on a VERY rudamentary level. Nothing wrong with that. That's how we learn. But we must learn. And many are simply closed off to learning. Many naively think that by finishing their movie and executing their "vision" they have arrived. They do not want constructive criticism nor feedback that isn't just hero worship. They haven't done the due diligence...haven't truly studied the medium, nor mastered the craft. Yet they want the kudos, the fame, the adulation. They want to get up and create meetings so they can instruct others.

Look, The cost of doing business can be very high and I don't want to see any filmmaker mortgage his/her house for a sub-standard product that has zero chance of getting seen.  That's why I try to learn the craft to take myself to class.And yes, I put myself in that student category. I used to wonder why Hollywood never made the trek up here and discover all the wonderful things I was doing too! That is until I became humbled by life. I'll never forget the time when Joe Carnahan had just finished the film "Narc' with Jason Patric and Ray Liotta. He brought it down to the Crest theater to take a look at it and check the sound before it's big premiere that night. I was the only other person in the room (save for his two kids).

The lights went dim and the first reel spooled up. As we watched the amazing first scenes that introduced us to Jason's character in a frenzy of drug-deal-gone-bad cinematainment, I happened to glance over at Carnahan. He was watching, silently, with tears streaming down his cheeks. That's when it occuured to me that this man had not only bled for this film, he had prepared. He had studied. He was living, breathing and eating it. Not merely content to say, 'the film industry should be delivered to my door',  Carnahan made sacrifices to live his dream like the heroic figure in one of Joseph Campbell's classic arch-type scenarios. He had undergone catharsis. He had been transposed, transfixed and transformed by it.

I've had several such humbling moments in my lifetime, where the enormity of the raw talent, coupled with the film knowledge and tenacity was such that I instantly knew what was missing. Folks, it's not for me to decide nor judge your level of commitment. I would simply suggest that when you look at the very few film makers from our region who HAVE made it in this industry, you'll note a couple of things: Number one, they weren't waiting around for incentives...and number two they are COMMITTED STUDENTS of FILM!

Look, you can say what you want about Joe Carnahan. But you can't question the man's film acumen. He is a walking, talking encyclopedia of cinema. He can chapter and verse directors, styles and genres. He has immersed himself in film theory and knowledge. Why? Isn't it enough to get his hands on a red camera, hire a cousin to do sound and holler "ACTION"! ??  Question, would you hire a brain surgeon who was self taught? An architect? Just like trying to build a building with no blue-print nor understanding of construction practices, we could conceivably create a film product that will be commercially viable without any understanding of the media? Answer: doubtful...

That's why I say that the we need to continue learning, growing and accepting criticism. Stop being a know-it-all on topics we know practically nothing about. You want your voice heard? Spend time learning to communicate. Get a mentor, someone who has been there and done that.  Get education that challenges your notion of what film is. Learn to discuss film as a communication medium, within a context of styles and substance. We should, as Carnahan has, learn from the masters: Kurasawa, Truffuat John Ford, Capra, Scorsese, Copolla. Learn from the modern day masters: David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Steven Soderberg, the Coen brothers etc. Learn their styles, their visual and auditory communication cues. Eat it and drink it. That's what is missing for most and that is the meeting we NEED to be attending.

That's why Cal Film brings people to our meetings like Carnahan, Dennis Willis, Stefan Fengmeier, Oliver Stone, Paul Martin of the DGA, and others. Don't get me wrong. Ego is important. Drive. A good self image...But we should get to know our craft. We need mentors. Attend meetings where the focus is in educating you, not coddling nor congratulating you constantly. Focus your efforts on being a purpetual student of the craft, a purpetual padawan. With this spirit of humility, we may yet make a movie that Hollywood or anyone wants to see, aside from our mother that is.

[David W. Valentin]

Ahhhh....Obi Marty.....As always you speak the truth. It's important to realize that we as filmmakers are ALWAYS in learning mode because we deal in a medium that rooted in technology. I read an article not too long ago that said if automobile innovation had kept the same pace as processor power and pricing we would all be driving cars that travel faster than the speed of light and cost five bucks to own. With the very fabric by which we practice our craft changing as we sleep how can we as film makers NOT be in constant state of learning? And what's the best way to learn? By doing.
That said...outreach toward financing has to be rethought as well. With comtech changing the way we communicate with one another on a global scale how many different ways are there to get into a room with a "player?" And if your audience is no longer sitting together as a group in a darkened room...does it change how we make films if the end experience is a solitary one? (Sigh) The mind boggles in the very best of ways.