THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE NOTED

Ken Cangi · April 24, 2007

A question was posed in yet another locked forum, which prompted me to take a very close look at my behavior in some of the forums. To the moderators of this site, I don't want you to think that I am trying to resurrect that particular thread. I only pasted that post here as a reference point for what I have written below.

David Mullen

There are ways of being critical that don't drive down the level of discussion, but you just have to choose your words carefully in order to be more effective and convincing.

Carl Brighton

Ah well, I'm sure people probably say that about nasty lawyers who insist on cross-examining people in court cases.

The thing is, witnesses in court cases are often guilty of various forms of misbehaviour, either it's outright fabrication of testimony, or simply "embroidering" their evidence because they've aready made up their mind about the "correct" outcome of trial.

However, where you have a story that really is true accounting of actual events, if the lawyer suddenly changes gears and asks about something apparently not directly relevant to the case, but that the witness would reasonably be expected to know about, they should still be able to provide a coherent account without needing to think about it too much.

But if they aren't being entirely truthful, holes inevitably begin to appear in their testimony. This then alerts the jury that the person's testimony might not be reliable.

Crudely put, that's what I'm doing here.

Should I be ashamed of exposing posers? Don't feel any...

Hi Carl,

I'd like to interject here - not as a criticism to you, for we all now that I am in no position to criticize anyone for appearing abrasive at times - but because I think David has a very good point. In fact, this is the first website, with forums in which I have participated, that has caused me to seriously question my style of interaction with its members. It probably has a lot to do with my having a great deal of respect for some the people here, like David, Adam, and a few others, who are willing to share their knowledge with those of us in the beginning stages of our careers in the motion picture industry. What stands out among these people is their ability to stay focused on the topics, as well as their willingness to demonstrate patience and tolerance for lesser experienced filmmakers. They rarely get in involved, as I have on too many occasions, in criticizing others for their less than congenial behavior. Instead, they stay humble and focused on adding constructive input to these forums, which ultimately benefits everyone involved.

You asked if you should be ashamed of exposing posers. I can't speak for you, although I am rapidly coming to the realization, for me, that it really isn't my place to police the behavior of others. I guess it is some misdirected sense of social obligation that has prompted me, hitherto, to get involved in such judgmental behavior in these discussions, although, in retrospect, none of those justifications makes sense. I am actually starting to question whether I am possibly frustrated about something else, and am using such encounters as a vehicle to vent those frustrations. In any event, it is not my place to play judge and jury, as it probably isn't your or anyone else's. That's just my opinion.

David also mentioned white noise, which really struck me, because who really cares about your, mine, or anyone else's personal and outspoken judgment of another member of these boards - especially when that judgmental diatribe interrupts the flow of an otherwise constructive topic? He is absolutely correct about that, and I am embarrassed and ashamed of myself for having contributed to such interruptions on any level.

I came here to learn. The information as been made available to me on a regular basis, and I have repaid that courtesy by playing ethics cop and in-house critic, when I should have kept my mouth shut and stayed focused of the task of learning. I want to apologize to everyone on this board who has had their experience lessened because of my actions.

Cinematography.com is a great learning resource, and I eventually want to be known as a positive contributor to its forums. I hope that my behavior from here on in will reflect that.

Sincerely,

KC