Networking
After working in low budget film for a number of years, I started running into people I’d worked with before. At a certain point, I realized this was a bad sign. As they say, you’re the average of the five people closest to you. Professionally, the five people closest to me were all working on […]
Faking It
I went to a screening of Frost/Nixon, yesterday. (If you’re not aware of Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s screening series, you should totally sign up.) Good movie, but not half as entertaining as the gaggle of film students sitting next to me. They were arguing over pointless trivia (“Was Temple of Doom the first PG-13 movie?”) and […]
After Film School Special
There is an important thing that I neglected to mention in my discussion of film schools last week. It has more to do with what happens after you graduate than choosing a school. See, the thing is, you don’t know anything. Well, you know a lot, but you also know very little. Film school can […]
New Year’s Links
Like many Americans, I’m busy looking for a job. I’m just more used to it than most. So, instead of writing a real post, here’s some links! Cracked has the most inspirational, patriotic piece of writing I’ve read in a long, long time. Ken Levine complains about Standards & Practices, as well he should. He […]
What Film School is Right for You?
How to decide between the hundreds of film schools in the world.
Speaking of Mr. Bordwell…
David Bordwell has an interesting post on his site about the sorry state of action scenes in American films today. Girl on Girl action concurs. A lot. (Check both posts out; they’re pretty awesome.) I have to agree, too. They just don’t make them like they used to.
Who Wouldn’t Want to go to Film School?
Yesterday, I told you why going to film school is stupid and pointless. Today, I’ll explain why it can be smart and pointful. When I graduated from high school, I didn’t know any more about filmmaking than what I’d read in Entertainment Weekly. I knew there had to be a writer, and actors. I knew […]
Who Needs Film School?
Reader Sarah asks: I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature, but am very interested in becoming involved with film production. Problem is: I live in Wisconsin. But am very close to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Not exactly the hub of film production. Anyway. The question is: where to start? Obviously, moving to L.A. seems […]
Who the Hell Watches NCIS?
My parents, apparently. One of the great mysteries for those of us who make television (and if you’re feeling generous, that would include me) is who the hell watches those procedural dramas that take up a good chunk of the Neilson’s weekly top 20. I literally don’t know anyone who watches them. Then, just today, […]
Where to Begin…
Reader Robert has a few questions– I have no experience in the entertainment industry – do productions ever consider or hire candidates with absolutely no experience? Having no experience is one of the key qualifications of being a PA. If you had experience, you’d find a better job. But the truth is, you do have […]
Sightings
The thing people in Los Angeles like to talk about most, besides an earthquake, is the last time they saw a celebrity. I’m not really sure why. Seeing famous people is a fairly common occurrence, here. (How we’re the 9th best city for people watching, I’ll never understand.) Just today, I passed an three-time Oscar […]
What a Waste
Making movies is a wasteful business. Back in the day, nothing was thrown out. You’d see the same Greco-Roman pillar in everything from Ben Hur to Caligula. No longer. Everything is either thrown away, or sold to prop houses. Which makes no sense to me. Why throw out the ten thousand outfits you made for […]