Books worth reading on the path to become a better director

[webrunner5]

6 minutes ago, kaylee said:

every filmmaker should read this book

Ehh How OLD are you kaylee, JK I think?  Yeah I can see Comic books being a hell of a lot like a mini series that goes on, and on, and on. Same concept.

[HelsinkiZim]

6 hours ago, fuzzynormal said:

Empower your (good) actors as true collaborators. Let them bring their best skills to the process and you'll be rewarded for it.

Change the article from "the" to "a" and I'll agree with that.  His "oner(s)" are a simple conceit, but take alot of work.  Consider that he copped a lot of this technique from Kurosawa (among numerous others) but, really, Akira was ahead of the curve with modern film making craft.  And, of course, Wells sort of re-defined the whole process of American cinema waaaay back in the day...

I would be horrified if my legacy was being good at 'blocking'.

Literally, being the best at telling an actor how not to trip over their counterpart.

I would imagine this would be a 2nd AD role at Spielberg's level.

If we are, in fact, talking about the theatrical genesis of the term.

[kaylee]

9 minutes ago, webrunner5 said:

Ehh How OLD are you kaylee, JK I think?  Yeah I can see Comic books being a hell of a lot like a mini series that goes on, and on, and on. Same concept.

with all due respect, you have no idea whats in that book. maybe you should READ it, as i suggested

[webrunner5]

2 minutes ago, kaylee said:

with all due respect, you have no idea whats in that book. maybe you should READ it, as i suggested

Just to piss you off I Won't read it. Over and Out.

[fuzzynormal]

55 minutes ago, HelsinkiZim said:

I would be horrified if my legacy was being good at 'blocking'.

Literally, being the best at telling an actor how not to trip over their counterpart.

I would imagine this would be a 2nd AD role at Spielberg's level.

If we are, in fact, talking about the theatrical genesis of the term.

How subjects behave in a frame and move through it in context to the story and the camera is the essence of accomplished cinema. It is what it is.  The movement and placement of actors in front of the lens creates, if one is doing it right, interesting compositions.

To dismiss blocking is to dismiss the medium.  To me it would be like trying to create a painting without paint.

[webrunner5]

1 hour ago, HelsinkiZim said:

I would be horrified if my legacy was being good at 'blocking'.

Literally, being the best at telling an actor how not to trip over their counterpart.

I would imagine this would be a 2nd AD role at Spielberg's level.

If we are, in fact, talking about the theatrical genesis of the term.

 I think Blocking is Very important in a film. Other than the dialog maybe the most important. Well the talent to speak the dialog helps LoL.

It is more about setting it up for how the film flows, how the DoP even Knows what you want the film to look like. What focus pulls you want. The drama of it or lack of drama in a shot. You can't just expect people to stand in the right place and the camera guy to just start shooting when They feel like it. Blocking as I know it IS telling people where to stand and where to go. Gee, sort of important. It is a vision, and that is not a very easy thing to figure out in a movie. And that is the very first thing you have to do on a film, is to set the actors. I do realize there is a script, but how do you really interpret it to put it on film.

  Even just whipping out a camera on the street you are Blocking the people you want to shoot. You cut the people that are in goofy locations, too close, too far. Even buildings you are blocking to fit them all in or a few of them in.

Hell I would love to be able to have the foresight to see beyond what normal people envision. To Create a scene that draws you into it, or make you repel with fear. Damn make me do that. That kind of talent leans on Genius, not just being pretty good at something, at least in my mind it does.  I would like to have that legacy.

This article here explains what I think I mean. The 10 minute movie in the middle shows it in action. http://nofilmschool.com/2016/11/pre-blocking-movies-orson-welles

[HockeyFan12]

1 hour ago, HelsinkiZim said:

In laymans term:

People are freaking out right now about many emotional issues. It is a great time for a up-and-coming director to try and explore different opinions on a variety of hot topics. We are seeing loyalty on measures unknown to even Facebook.

Niche thought leaders have more power than they ever have had.

It is a good time to build a following.

By doing so, filmmakers may form an style of their own - by which they can proceed to pay da bills.

I cannot simplify any further.

Im on his side - if his response was doing what he is doing now, then that is a lesson for all of us in resilience.

Ah. I see. I strongly disagree. Certainly we see a lot of neotribalism etc. in the world right now, a lot of it informed by the internet, twitter, 4chan, and divisive identify politics, but I don't think it's a great place for filmmakers–whose work tends to be more universal and emotional–to be. Ideologues work in dicta not in empathy and the choir doesn't need more people to preach to it. I find filmmaking to be an emotional medium, and while that emotion can be tied to any story and any ideology, I don't think it needs to be politicized further. The middle left has already politicized film too much for my taste, and I'm not hungry for the far right's response, either.

The type of filmmaker you've identified has already emerged and it's Dinesh D'Souza and Steve Bannon. Their films might or might not be very good politically (I haven't seen them and obviously that's a matter of taste) but even based on the trailers I can tell that neither is a great director. 

I for one don't look forward to the era of ideologue filmmakers.

Also, blocking is not "not tripping over something." Where you stand and in relation to whom is a tremendously powerful and emotional tool. Treat the camera like a character, and treat the characters like people. Spielberg has many gifts, this is one of them, and nothing to sneeze at. I work with many A-list directors and DPs, and many of them (not all of them) share my opinion on Spielberg. And not because his actors don't trip.  You can accomplish with strong blocking what would otherwise take a lot of effort with camera movement, editing, etc. It's the first step in crafting the scene... then the camera... then the edit... and in my opinion, the most important. I also remember a Guerillmo del Toro interview (not someone I know!) where he said he would love to show up on set one day just to see Spielberg's blocking in action. 

We needn't agree on this either. But if you're dismissing blocking as "not tripping" either you're the most gifted filmmaker alive or you're missing something, and either way, you should leave us little guys our appreciation for what we appreciate.

[webrunner5]

God, Dinesh D'Souza and Steve Bannon, AKA Otis the Town Drunk! What a couple of useless, goofy bastards they are. Yeah I hope no one aspires to become a film maker in their image.

And what the hell is that fat ugly guy about 50ish by now, that makes movies about hating Everything a Republican likes and loves Everything Democrats like. I hate that squirrely bastard also!

There is nothing worse than an extremist on either side. I hate all of them.

[Liam]

2 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

Just to piss you off I Won't read it. Over and Out.

With less due respect, open your mind like a lot, Web.

[Liam]

2 hours ago, kaylee said:

every filmmaker should read this book

Btw, I found a copy of this already, and after one page, I'm hooked

[webrunner5]

Nah, I read the Cliff Notes. Not impressed. Been there done that. If you do 1/100 of the stuff I have done you will die a lucky person. Now some of the stuff I had done I would not wish on, well thinking, well not you I am sure. You seem like a really nice guy.

But to have done all the stuff I have done you end up with a lot of ,ahh baggage that, ahh you can't get rid of.  But that comes with the territory.

So I am not really into the "Triangle Thingy". It is a go with the flow thing. Not a lot that I have not done that I want to get done. And reading that whole book, well I have the time, but it looks like something I just don't want to embrace his concept. I see it as helping in repetitive stuff, and that is stuff I don't like. I want something that is fresh, not a thing that you already know the outcome before you start it. And doing Comic Book stuff, well you have to have continuity. So it is a win for him.

 But at your age, I think it might be a lasting asset, his opinion, his read. At your age you have to , well you don't really, but knowledge is top of the heap thing. So yeah try new stuff, that is how you form it to what your beliefs, outlooks are in life.

Oh one more thing for you and others here. Learn how to speed read. Best thing you could ever do in your life if you want to grow, be entertained reading, enhance whatever you want to do. You can cram years of stuff into months. It is the cats ass.

[kaylee]

1 hour ago, Liam said:

Btw, I found a copy of this already, and after one page, I'm hooked

aww thats great i think youll really like it... itll definitely be great inspiration for your web comic...!!! i look forward to hearing your thoughts!!! ?

[odie]

stock up on this...it surprised me how old school became new school..and every frame became cinema