May 23, 2005
The last entries of the NY Times Cannes Diaries found the paper's two critics distressed over an article claiming that there's no audience for challenging cinema in the United States.
The latest Series Of Letters from Matt Clayfield and myself could be seen in part as both a precedent and extension of this subject. We discuss the role of an audience in the creative act, the responsibility a filmmaker has towards an audience - and vice versa. Then we delve, ever so slightly, into matters of distribution and exhibition. There's less philosophy, this time around, and more practicality, less argumentation and more agreeing - but hopefully, it'll prove to be an interesting skim across the surface of a very deep topic.
Today is the 23rd of May, which means it's been five years to the day since I started this journal. If I was ever going to quit this thing (something I nearly did about a month or so ago), today would be a good day to do so.
Postscript: thanks to everyone who had kind words to say about the Star Wars video below, in the comments and elsewhere. You all made my day.
Posted by David Lowery at May 23, 2005 3:26 PM
Comments
Once again, I am astounded by our similar attitudes.
have you read moviemaker's master class? crap title, but great book. They ask a range of filmmakers - like Goddard, Wong Kar Wai, Marty - a range of questions on what they would teach in a master class. One of the most interesting questions is 'how do you make films for?'
One of the most surprising answers comes from Wong Kar Wai. He's man which have forged a very personal cinematic space. Yet he says he only ever makes a film for the audience...
Posted by: Stuart Willis at May 24, 2005 9:02 AM
Apparently there's a Moviemakers' Master Class II, which I'd really love to read. The first one, as Stu says, was excellent.
Posted by: Matt at May 25, 2005 12:46 AM
Just what I need, more reading material! I'll keep an eye out for both of them - from Stu's description, they actually sound sort of invaluable.
Posted by: Ghostboy at May 25, 2005 12:51 AM
Master class II isn't due out to 2006.
But Master class, My first movie, and Directing the film would be amongst my essential books on film*making*. I don't care what else you need to read or are reading, those are gold. Why? Because it candid, bull-shitless, from-the-horses mouth discussion about actually directing films.
(Frankly, I wish there was something like American Cinematographer for Screen Directing... but that would never happen. Sadly.)
Posted by: stu willis at May 25, 2005 11:22 AM
I very much enjoyed My First Movie. And while everyone's experiences always are and will be different, it's always nice to feel pangs of sympathy and admiration when you read about a director you admire going through exactly what you've been through/are going through.
Posted by: Ghostboy at May 25, 2005 1:55 PM
Well, personally I like books like Master class and My First Movie because they're about the theory (and philosophy) of filmmaking as opposed to the theory of filmreading. Related fields, yes, and both valid but separate...
Posted by: stu willis at May 26, 2005 7:27 AM