THE Topic: ( The NEW Filmmakers)

[Matt J Heaton]

I myself am not just in this for the money. I'd still want to act/make films if you were payed peanuts.

But we all know that people with no real love for cinema DO make it big. Not all obviously but look at all the hollywood asswipes. And not just Hollywood.
There are plenty of money grabbing businessmen out there making crap films.

[LAmind]

There's nothing wrong with Hollywood. It's the idiots that make movies there. The movie-going public (US, UK, the whole world, whatever) is very stupid as a majority. That's why TITANIC is the highest grossing film ever. People see it and think "DUH, pretty graphics". Ok, yes, it had the best grathics anyone has ever seen. But it was shite. When I saw it, I wanted to cut my fingers off so I could forget about the crap that is... Titanic. It had a crappy ass story and horrible actors. Leanardo DeCaprio my arse. More like Leanardo DeCRAPIO!!

There are a bunch of VERY talented young filmmakers living in Hollywood but since the movie-going public (in majority) are all dumbasses, their films might never make it big. Unless they are lucky. Almost all of the world wants now is "cool effects" and action. Most people don't care about the story. That's why "Mission Impossible 1&2", "TITANIC", made so much while "Clerks", "Kill the Moonlight", and "Six String Samurai" made SO little. My saying: "The movies that make less money are the best and most creative".

I think there are millions of determined TALENTED young filmmakers (some are on this list)out in the world. But most of filmakers are greedy corprate wankers.

Hollywood is a place where almost anything can become art, no matter how bad it is. But a LOT of great films get made there to. And it really, really is a great place to live if you're a filmaker. There are a lot of opratunities for talented people. I can't walk on the streets now-a-days without seeing a movie being made.

In closing, Hollywood has nothing to do with the stupid people who make crappy films. It's just a place, I seriously doubt Hollywood MAKES people make crappy movies.

-Ivan

[miker]

I actually thought Titanic was a good film (saw it for the first time a couple of months ago on DVD).

A bit mushy in places, but a good film.

And I thought the graphics were shite.

Clerks is also a good film, but for me it failed on one level, it was all about people talking. Yawn.

As Hitchcock used to say "The British make films about people talking". Not just the British anymore it would seem.

I would probably enjoy watching Titanic again at some point. Clerks would probably send me to sleep (much like any Woody Allen film)

Horses for course basically, innit?

I like fx and action. Cinema is an escape. But you are right, an underlying substance is needed if it's to be a meaningful experience.

And, fuck me, Clerks must've looked SHIT on a big cinema screen! (I wish I'd been able to see Titanic at the cinema though...)

[eddie]

I saw clerks on the big screen shortly after it came out and I thought it was brilliant.
I dont remember it looking shit. (except for one evil jump cut in the middle which I can still recall) The look was all a part of the culture/story. I saw it knowing the history, which helps. That also helps enjoy it, since they do sod all in the film except talk and play hockey, and then at the end they have a fight, basically one person telling the other that if his life is so bad then fuck off and DO IT. Make it better! There is no such thing as destiny, the universe doesnt owe you a living or a life. You HAVE TO MAKE IT YOURSELF.
Similiar to Slackers in some ways. Talk talk talk talk talk and no do do do do doings. Except at the end, which is more a rejection of the talk talk talk talk talk rather than a do do do do do, but its a start.

Oh and I thought it was hilarious too.

Hope you understood that. BTW havent seen Titanic, and can think of other things Id rather spend my money on.
Horses for Courses.

[cash]

your thinking of Kevin Smith, i like all his film, although i think chaseing amy was his weakest, i loved dogma i thought it was very funny, and they were good in scream 3, pity the rest of scream 3 wasn't any good.

Shopping was a Paul Anderson film, who did Event Horizon, Mortal Kombat and the god awful Solider, (warner brothers most expensive straight to video film in the UK!) i heard that Paul Anderson was doing a Dr Who movie next.

www.cashproductions.co.uk
www.thehunted.co.uk

[Ruthie]

Remember there is a whole industry out there and not just Hollywood. I am a video producer in the music industry. I wouldn't trade my job for the world. You can be just as creative working in education, music or promotions as you can in Hollywood.

[miker]

What I meant was, I don't think Clerks was *designed* for the big screen in the same way that, say, Lawrence of Arabia is. (Have u ever seen that camel crossing the desert in letterbox on a TV!)

I think I enjoyed Mallrats more, but I have no particular desire to watch it again. I forget the film-makers name, but wasn't his latest 'big' film panned? Shame, I tend to think Alan Rickman generally adds credibility to a film.

And whatever happened to the ppl who made 'Shopping' I wonder. Now that one I might just dig out again, as an experiement to see if I think it's any good now...

Did you ever see 'Hardware' or 'Dust Devil'. Those are my kind of low(ish) budget flicks. Again, I have no idea what's happened to the film-makers...

[Eliud25]

I agree that hiring a filmmaker would be an interesting thing to do. You know that is an idea that has merit but noone ever does it. I think filmmakers don't hire other filmmakers because it is kinda like cheating. I mean you would be paying this director to make a movie for you and taking all the credit unless you hire him/her to help you make the movie. Then you would pay the filmmaker more money when the movie was sold. You said something about hiring a filmmaker in different ways. Well I think you could hire him/her by putting an ad on the paper, putting an ad on the internet, putting an ad on a forum(exposure.co.uk), or just by hiring some aspiring filmmaker friend of yours. Do remember to bring the cash. Like they say" Money talks, bullshit walks"...........

[This message has been edited by Eliud25 (edited August 13, 2000).]

[eddie]

well yes, but to hire a filmmaker needs money, do you have any? are you likely to get any? enough?
you can run around all you like asking people to do things for free, isnt it Strangely easier in the end to just do it yourself?
Or are you really asking people to come up with an orginal way of getting into Hollywood? So that people will give you a job?
Och! Think BIG. Think hiring people, paying people...if you talk the talk then who is to know the secrets you keep?

[Mark Jury]

Not sure if this fits in in this topic.... but I got thrown off the set of MUMMY 2 recently -- Stephen Sommers the director didn't want me there and called the cops. You know, he thinks he's bloody great. He only got that film because he happened to be pals with the new owners of Universal. He deserves a good punch in the face.