Dumb and Hot vs. Smart and Ugly - What's More Important?

Going off of the Holy Motors review from yesterday, a glaring topic came into mind. There's an ongoing debate, it seems, as to what exactly is the most important aspect of a film? Is it the story? Is it the visuals? Is it the stars? 

I have debated this idea in many discussions with fellow film students and have come up with my own philosophy. I believe that the importance of a film all hinders on what you, yourself, place the most emphasis on. For screenwriters, it's generally the story that they key in on when they watch a movie. For cinematographers, the visuals dominate their thoughts. Basically the question of whether the visuals or the narrative are more important than the other is something that does not truly have a definite answer. There are some films that are able to achieve a balance between the two ends of the spectrum, but there are often times where films veer towards one end only. But at the end of the day, the question still lingers. Is it more important to make a impact in the film visually or within the story? While it's hard to justify a singular answer, here are my thoughts.

As a wannabe screenwriting, I tend to steer more towards the story end of the spectrum. In my mind, I don't fully feel emotionally satisfied with a film unless is has a good story. That's not to say that I don't appreciate the visuals of a film, I do, but when push comes to shove, story will always be the top in my book. That being said, I can fully understand where the other half comes from. If a film isn't visually engaging, then what's the point in shelving out loads of money to watch it? Cinema is inherently a visual medium so the image must look good, but does that come at the expense of the storyline? Movies depend on the visual, but without a story, movies end up just being sequential pictures without any real resonance of emotion in them. Beautiful images can only get you so far, but if you have a narrative that is just as beautiful, more times than not, you'll have a memorable film experience. 

Movie List: Why I'm not really a film student

I'm a film student, but I'm not really a film student.

The title of my major is Cinema, but I possess no lifestyle attributes that decipher that I am in fact pursuing a life of film. I'm the film student who doesn't watch any movies. I mostly watch television, which would initially be deemed acceptable, if I was watching award winning television programs. Sadly, that is far from the case.

I watch reality TV. Bad reality TV. It's my crutch, my vice, my ultimate chocolately treat. So after determining this sad, but true fact, I have decided to come up with a list of films that I must watch as a "film student". Well I'm not the only contributor to this list. My fellow film students are also a huge determinate as to what films should be watched. Basically every time I mention I haven't seen a movie and the eyes roll or the throats scoff, I write down that mother fucker.

The list is long. Excruciatingly long, but I will get through it. Someday. Somehow. I will get through it.

Film School vs. Experience

With every blog or podcast or interview that deals with the film industry there are a couple key questions that always seem to arise when people think about making this into a career. From the structure, "How do I write a script?" to networking "How do I get an agent?" to everyone's carnal desire "How do I make it and become dirty rich?". The same questions always rise to the top of these conversations. Another question/debate that seems to follow this pattern is the standings on Film School versus nitty gritty experience. 

People have different answers in regards to this question. I am in film school. I plan on getting a film degree. Am I an advocate for film school? Sure. If that's the path that best suits you. My whole belief on this topic is that some people are meant for film school, and others aren't. I've been privileged to have some experience in both worlds and I've drawn positives and negatives from both. 

I'm not the most motivated person in the entire world, hence why I have ruts in my postings, so having a strict deadline to learn things and to create things helps me get further. That being said, I have learned so much more being on a film set than I have being in a lecture hall. Nothing beats hands on experience. No article or chapter in a textbook beats having to set up this light or move this piece of equipment.

Purely speaking jobs on set wise, real world experience is much better than taking an introduction to production class. If you want to learn more about the business and filmic aspects of things, than school really is the best bet. I've learned devices and different view points on films and styles from lectures and books than I could not have possibly learned working. Having to analyze and dissect a film truly helps when coming up with your own content. I have found that I am able to tap into different perceptions of the world and of people in my own scripts and films because of studying styles from the past.

A major positive about experience is that you are able to actually work, and if you are actually decent as a production assistant than people will ask you to help them again and again on various different projects. Networking is key in this industry, and film school provides something that set work doesn't have, a built in network. Film school allows students to branch out to each other, an aspect that is much harder to do in the real industry. It also provides the chance for students to work in different fields and positions in a set. You could dabble in directing, or cinematography, or screenwriting in school. In the industry you would typically just start off as a production assistant. 

Ultimately there are many pros and cons for each side of this debate. I've decided to be in film school mainly due to the idea that if I'm not lucky enough to break into the industry, I could fall back and teach, something that almost always requires a degree. The film industry is a funny environment. While other careers strive on scholastic competency, film is more about dedication and knowledge of the craft rather than what grade you got on your senior thesis. Film school is not for everybody, but that is a decision that I think ultimately comes down to the person in question. You decide if school is the right choice for you. If not, strap on that leatherman and find the nearest set to work on.

The "Useless" Degree

So while I was trolling around on the web of world wide proportions I stumbled across this picture. 

The Today Show had recently discussed the topic of useless degrees. Now there is some sort of mathematical and scientific equation that figures out the median income of graduating students added to the circumference of the earth times the latitude of a straw divided buy Shaquille O'Neal's shoe size to come up with a plausible basis for determining the best majors to strive for in college. 

I have a huge problem with this. I've always felt that a career in the arts or degrees in the arts have been deemed as unimportant in society's eyes. As if being an art major was merely just a dreamers sense of false importance. My main gripe is that some people feel so unaffected by these creative people when in all actuality everything we touch, see, hear, and wear are all products of creativity.

Most of my friends have gone the route towards the holy grail of parentally accepted professions; being a nurse. Stable job, stable pay, always a demand. I get scoffed at for picking a major centered on the arts. "What good is that going to do for you?" "Dreams don't pay mortgages."

They feel so isolated from artists and designers, but in all actuality everything centers around art. A fashion designer designed the scrubs you wear to work everyday. A product designer made sure that your syringes and tools were the most efficient use of materials and space. An architect designed the hospital and the halls that you walk down everyday. If we didn't have people pursuing these "useless" degrees, we'd all be naked in the middle of the woods with caves as our shelter.

I think the biggest irony that I see is that the actual Today Show would not be functioning if it weren't  for the skills of the people whose degrees they call "useless".

I'm just taking this out of context of what I see in the picture. I didn't watch the segment, but this has been a sore spot for me for a while now. Taking into consideration the term "useless" in the picture, the list could be implying that you wouldn't actually need a degree to succeed in these fields. Now that, I sort of understand with the whole film school thing. The other degrees I'm not sure that this mentality holds true. But there has always been a debate of whether film school is the answer for people to break into the industry. That's a topic for another post.

All in all, I'll leave you with this. The products of creativity are all around us, no matter how secluded we believe we are. Every time you change your clothes, or watch that movie, or pick up a box of cereal at the grocery store, art and design are forever a presence in our lives. So it's about time we stop overlooking the art and appreciate it. 

The Film School Lecture: Talent vs. Marketability

This goes along the lines of a post I did a couple weeks ago, based on a lecture that I heard in screenwriting class about how many new scripts are sold each year.

The film industry is a tricky beast to conquer. It praises for unique ideas, yet scolds because of failure to conform. The idea that you need to fit into this mold is not one that is a new concept. The idea of how marketable a person is, many times overcomes their genuine talent as an actor, writer, etc.

This sadly leaves many of the immensely talented people left on the way side due to their lack of popularity. Big names sell tickets.

Case in point the barrage of teen queens who could take a few (or many) pointers from an actual acting class, that are getting leading lady roles merely based on their status and name.

I'm not trying to ride some high horse here. I too have been sucked into the perils of the newest Twilight movie, but sadly, looking at this career wise rather than audience wise, it's a bleak realization.

I watch trailers for new movies coming out and I think "Who in the hell approved this to be made? Oh. My. Jesus."

I sadly can't seem to find the disconnect. Why is a name much more important than talent? That my friends is a tough question to answer. Amazing actors and actresses are looked over just because they want to sell tickets.

Audiences will watch movies if they are good. True, they will watch bad movies too if they can see some abs, tits, and ass. The idea of the smart audience who can tell what a good story is has been eliminated from the equation of making a movie. The shiny name instead has replaced the talent.

Ugh. I digress. Ramble ramble ramble. Although I've come to this sad realization I still strive to make in the industry. But rather than just break in, I'd actually like to change the industry and make the head honchos realize that just like rock shatters scissors, talent will rise above a name.

The Film School Lecture: You should write Fast and the Furious 12.

Today a class of potential screenwriters and I learned the harsh reality of getting new stories and scripts produced in the industry today. 55 spec scripts were sold in 2010.

55.

The number of days it took Kim Kardashian to realize she shouldn't have gotten married.

55.

As this number jumped onto the power point screen I heard mine, and many others', heart begin to break. Why were we here anyways? What the fuck are we thinking?

I sat there in shock. A mini life crisis had begun. Was I choosing the right career path? I should have just become a nurse like every single one of my friends. But as my full fledged panic attack was about to reach it's apex, I breathed.

Nothing feels better than watching the small blinking line zoom across the bright white computer screen as the words and thoughts from your head give it meaning.

I've chosen to go to film school.

Ok.

Maybe I didn't choose to go to Film School. I wanted to go to film school. My parents probably would have disowned me already if i didn't finish school. So yea. I choose to go to film school.

A part of me aches, because instead of listening to a droning lecture for 5 hours everyday, I could be spending that time learning and growing on a film set. But I'd rather be watching Citizen Kane for the 27th time than working as a PA next to an extremely underqualified director.

All bitterness and angst aside. You do learn a lot in film school.

Here's to hoping that sometime in the future, my name will appear on a script that gets sold.