Hey, I've posted one message already and got no answer to it but I try it again now. Maybe somebody will answer me this time.

Currently I'm planning to apply to Temple and North Carolina. I think they are great schools for all I've seen and heard.
Now I talked to some guys in my filmer community. They told me if I want to be a director then I go to film school in NY or LA, no place else. They say it's because I can make contacts while enrolled in film school.
So I was thinking to myself: What about all the grads from the other good film schools? Do they lack contacts? Are NY and LA really the only places to go to become a famous director?
It would be cool if you could give me your opinion or stories from hearsay or something like that.

Thanks in advance

Dave

didn't David Gordon Green go to film school in North Carolina? maybe hes not quite working in hollywood, but his films are (most importantly) BETTER than theirs, and he had actual budgets, shot on real film etc... and hes more famous to me then Brett Rat-ner

I assume you're in Germany. Why not go to film school in Europe? FAMU is probably not as prestigious as it once was, but still good. Lodz is still operational AFAIK. We have enough 'American' filmmakers. I'm not sure I'd be ready to become one of them if I were from somewhere else

NY and LA are simply the overpopulated epicenters (can there be two epicenters?) of the industry. BUT it dosn't mean that other places don't have great opportunities, but if your talking numbers than NY and LA win. But I'm a big believer as a student filmmaker going to school where you have the best resources, and I don't mean the schools resources but your own. Access to locations friends and family support, it all goes a long way when making a student production.

I live and go to school in the Bay Area (San Jose California) and we have a great independent movie scene which means lots of actors directors and creative types and NO money! But it's fun and a lot of work gets produced. Plus I've seen many friends go off to LA just to return disappointed that success wasn't inherit in an LA address (of course one friend and graduate from my school now works on CSI Miami, but he is the one we do not speak of.)

But honestly I'm more disturbed for your need to be a "famous" director. That's a big concern because that says you may be in this for the wrong reasons! There is so much work involved in making a film that ego eventually runs out and if your drive doesn’t come from the work itself you're going to find yourself out of gas. It's cool to call yourself a director but in many ways it sucks being one!

Such as the day when your lead actress’s' throat closes up because she's allergic to the nuts in your homemade craft services while the local cops show up looking for your permit as your grip staples his hand to a prop and your gaffer "mildly" electrocutes himself and when they ask who's responsible for all this, it's no longer cool being a director. In my experience the only thing that keeps you afloat is loving the content. So you perform an emergency tracheotomy on your actress, tell the cop to F*ck off it's private property, hand your grip a staple remover and tell your gaffer to stop being a pu*sy. Scene 1A Take 2.

Plus LA smells funny and the Yankees suck.


----------------------------------------
BUY Product
http://www.studentfilms.com/film/view/play.do?id=2325

This message has been edited. Last edited by: REDking,

Going to school in LA or NY is definitely not crucial. A lot of successful filmmakers didn't even go to college. Regardless of whether you're in film school or not, or if you're in LA or NY or not, nothing is going to be handed to you. You need to go out and get it either way.

I agree with REDking completely. And your desire to become a "famous director" is troubling to me as well. I think you desparately need to reconsider your real interests before you continue any further.

Filmmaking isn't something you say "well if this doesn't pan out I'll be a filmmaker." or if you try and it doesn't work after a year or two, you don't say "oh, well this wasn't for me." Filmmaking is a lifestyle. It's something you wake up and are excited to do regardless of the monetary rewards or social status you'll receive. It's when you start framing shots of real life in your mind, or constantly asking yourself "what if?" or writing scripts in the margins of your math homework, or whatever it is that you do, that you know you're choosing a career that's true to your real passion.

Filmmaking has absolutely nothing to do with being famous. No matter what anyone says. The work you'll produce with that shoddy motive won't get you famous anyway.

quote:

I agree with REDking completely. And your desire to become a "famous director" is troubling to me as well. I think you desparately need to reconsider your real interests before you continue any further.

Don't rag on the guy. I think he has said it in a way that isn't intended to be our description of the term "famous." He is from Hamburgh, maybe english isn't his first language or maybe he's got another meaning for it. I think what he really means is not "famous" but rather the term "successful." Besides, it's highly hypocritical for almost anyone here, who would ***** themselves for the $$$ (seeing as so many worship those who do *cough* Scorsese, Jackson, Haggis *cough*). Damn near everything on this site is just some regurgitation or imitation of everything else out there, so even if this guy is serious about wanting to be "famous" big deal, I'd respect him more than the ones who hide behind the "I'm an artist" BS that would go right out the window the second they get asked to direct a Fast and the Furious sequel or a Macdonald's commercial with a fat nut paycheck.

You know when I'm not the guy ragging on him for the "famous" comment (which I consciously left out of my response) that it's not the important part of his question, or that even I'm not ******* enough to call it out.

quote:

Originally posted by Hill Dawson Kane:

it's highly hypocritical for almost anyone here, who would ***** themselves for the $$$

If that was true this site would be called Weddingvideos.com but we choose short films, like em or not, because we want to tell a story not just get paid for using our know how.

quote:

even if this guy is serious about wanting to be "famous" big deal, I'd respect him more than the ones who hide behind the "I'm an artist" BS that would go right out the window the second they get asked to direct a Fast and the Furious sequel or a Macdonald's commercial with a fat nut paycheck

And again your logic is flawed; how many "famous" MacDonalds commercial directors are there?

This is honestly a stupid discussion (no offense)- you can't base your future career, or the reason why you want to create films off of other peoples advice (cus I might be seeing this wrong- but that's what it looks like your talking about). Ppl create films or commercials or docs not because it's a good and interesting field to go into (although it is), they do it because that's what they love and if you have an idea, you feel the most effective way to portray this idea is to get your camera out- now that's filmmaking. Someone please add that to my E true hollywood story! Just kidding, but seriously- do it.

quote:

If that was true this site would be called Weddingvideos.com but we choose short films, like em or not,

HDK was referring to becoming a hack *within* narrative films, not totally changing to 'event videography'...

thank you for the replies guys.
And thank Hill Dawson Kane to point out that to become "a famous" director could be misinterpreted. I apologize for that. I'm not planning on becoming some director in Hollywood who would win academy awards every other day.
No, I know who I am and I know that directing films is my passion. But since I live abroad I have not enough insider information about the film business in the US. Therefore I was asking about where to work. I've heard of the Pittsburgh Filmmakers and Savanna in the South. But that's basically it. So if you know about for instance famous directors who went to Temple or North Carolina or if you know about the Hot Spots in the US then you can post something. Again, please don't misinterpret expressions like "famous director". I am fully aware of my future profession and what it will take to do that job. I am only asking for objective information.

Thanks guyz

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by REDking:


If that was true this site would be called Weddingvideos.com but we choose short films, like em or not, because we want to tell a story not just get paid for using our know how.

A good editor/photographer can tell a story with filming a wedding/reception, not just "get paid for using [his or her] know how." I've seen better stories come out of some wedding videos than I have out of many student films before. But, maybe it's an argument of semantics.

quote:

A good editor/photographer can tell a story with filming a wedding/reception

*GASP*

Sorry to throw wedding videographers under the bus to make my point, in fact its a commendable career and a good way to pay the bills once mommy and daddy stop the support. I even helped out an a few shoots and found it a complete soul destroying experience that I quit immediatly, so it's an informed opinion.

If you want to be a filmmaker I believe anything you do that distracts from your main goal is a WASTE of time, so I'm a bit hostile towards it! Much like my graphic design day job, my boss hates me.

And Kabunker, HDK can speak for himself. He plainly said that most of us here would prioritize money over our ideals, if that was true we would go for the easy money hence "Wedding Videos" or porn or wedding porn (hey a new genre!). Try to keep up.

I like to think we have more character than that.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: REDking,

quote:

Originally posted by REDking:

quote:

A good editor/photographer can tell a story with filming a wedding/reception

*GASP*

Sorry to throw wedding videographers under the bus to make my point, in fact its a commendable career and a good way to pay the bills once mommy and daddy stop the support. I even helped out an a few shoots and found it a complete soul destroying experience that I quit immediatly, so it's an informed opinion.

Not trying to be a complete jack rear here, but you dodged completely around what I said. I admire that you (and many others) are so dedicated to filmmaking, but it's extremely arrogant to trash something like wedding or event photography as "easy money" and not recognize that there is a strong element of storytelling involved. Not everything has to begin with "FADE IN" and end with "FADE OUT" to be a story.

I'm of course talking about high quality event/wedding photography. Yeah, make a crappy wedding production and I'm sure it would be a soul sucking experience with little redeeming story quality; I've been there as well. But, I think the same can be said about a crappy film, too. I think the real talent is when you can use the skills carried over from the filmmaking realm and transfer it to the other.

quote:

If you want to be a filmmaker I believe anything you do that distracts from your main goal is a WASTE of time, so I'm a bit hostile towards it! Much like my graphic design day job, my boss hates me.

Why work there then? There's plenty of films to be made.

Yo JOE!

Sorry to step on your toes, and I'm sure you're a great Wedding Video guy and if you can find satisfaction in that then by all means, more power to you.

I guess when talking about art and the filmmaking medium I aspire to personal expression at least saying something about some aspect of the human condition. Whether trying to talk about "self esteem" through a talking potato (huh?), examine a persons sense of duty, www.mrmilitant.com or bust a nut in the eye of hip-hop materialism http://www.studentfilms.com/film/view/play.do?id=2325

They're not masterpieces but they say something, like it or not.

Wedding videos have a pretty straightforward goal, "please your client" and by no means can you stray from that. I do admire trying to pay the bills with whatever work you do (my graphic design gig) but to pour your soul into something that at best strokes the ego of a middle aged woman on her third marriage isn't my cup of tea.

That's why I'm poor and like the world's worst employee, because outside of filmmaking and family I do the bare minnimum.

And Destro is way cooler anyway.

Ah, you're not stepping on my toes or anything...I only film weddings occasionally on the side to a) pay off college loans and b) fund equipment purchases. But, even as a side gig, I am really starting to enjoy it. This is coming from the guy who a year ago said "I hate friggin weddings..." or something to that effect. I think the difference now is that I look at the challenge (i.e. you have one take...don't eff it up) and see that it can potentially be a true test of skill. That said though, writing, directing, filming, editing and displaying your own film to an audience is definitely a hell of a lot more fun.

I will concede that there is little room for personal expression with event photography (at least, from my experience). Sure, I can have my own little touches to it that make a production special (such as star wipes! I kid, I kid...), but my expression is severly limited. That's definitely a pro that narrative filmmaking has.

I won't concede, however, that Destro was cooler. But that's an argument for another day, another forum.

And now you know...

does anyone has an answer my questions?

Just to throw in my two cents about the wedding thing... I do it only for the money. It's not an experience that I learn anything from or find fulfilling in any way. I've done so many that I really hate doing it now, but it's far too easy and far too lucrative for me to justify giving up. I'm sure there is some storytelling element to it, but to be honest, I couldn't care less. I shoot weddings to fund the projects that I'm really interested in pursuing.

quote:

Originally posted by Josh:
I shoot weddings to fund the projects that I'm really interested in pursuing.

That's a great way to put it! I didn't mean to come down so hard on Wedding Videos in fact when compared to many jobs it's a great gig! And when you start paying your own bills its a great way to go. I've just seen some upperclassmen graduate and then lose sight of what they really want to do and get caught up in the day job scene.

So wedding videos are fine if used as a hustle to fund your real love, for me that's naked maple syrup squirrel boxing.

anyone has any comments on my post that have not to do with weddings or whatsoever?