Would any please be willing to refer me?

[Lars Zemskih]

A Chief Executive Officer is a managerial position. They answer to the shareholders, or more specifically, the Board of Directors.

 

Well, yes, he doesn't actually own the company if we talk about the actual CEO's and it is a top managerial position (I was wrong to say the own the companies), however I think it is more that it is a type of managerial spectrum, sure. However, there is a huge difference between somebody called a manager in the company and the CEO. And the film directors are who would be called Project Managers if we are doing the business analogy.

[Brad Grimmett]

The problem with this argument is it is a difference of schools of thought. You seem to be of the school of thought that making movies is about technical prowess, which is part of it. I'm more of an artistic type who goes for the creative aspect moreso than technical. I guess that's why you choose to be a DP and I choose to Direct. I don't think your way of thinking is wrong, however, just different. You seem to think I'm wrong and that's fine. But even if I stink as a DP, it doesn't matter if I have the sense to realize that I stink and hire someone who doesn't. It's not all about technical skills.

It's not about a different school of thought. I'm not a DP, I'm a steadicam operator, but both DP's and steadicam operators have to be artistic and creative. These aren't strictly technical jobs at all. But no matter how good an artistic eye I have for composition, it doesn't matter if I don't know how facilitate it in the real world. It's the same for a director. Every good director I've ever worked with has had at least a broad understanding of the technical side of filmmaking. Without a fair amount of technical knowledge a director would be totally lost in most conversations that happen on set. It would be hard to be a good director if you didn't understand what was going on on your own set.

You're welcome to disagree, as you obviously do, but you're wrong in my opinion. I certainly wouldn't want to work with another director who thinks he knows how to make movies just because he's watched movies.

[Brad Grimmett]

I feel I can run a construction company, and I've never done it professionally...

According to this argument, I'm sure you think you're qualified to run a studio or be the President of the United States too.....

This is such a ridiculous argument. I'm sure you're not serious.

Maybe you could just watch a few episodes of The West Wing and run for President....

Or you could watch some episodes of Law and Order and get a job as a District Attorney....

Or you could watch The Player and get a job running Warner Brothers....

[Matthew W. Phillips]

This is such a ridiculous argument. I'm sure you're not serious.

 

Those are your words, not mine. Who said anything about being president of the USA? Or who said you don't have to know ANYTHING about technical issues? I thought I said that I didn't have to know AS MUCH or be AS GOOD as a DP to have good images, as long as I know enough to get someone who does. Do you think I need to be heavily skilled in Cinematography, as a Director, if I had the opportunity to have David Mullen DP? Comeon now, let's be serious for a moment. Any Director is only as good as the people he works with. THAT was the point I was getting at, none other.

 

As far as management, I stand by my point that management is management. If that wasn't the case, then why do managers hop from one type of business to another? Don't argue with me on that one, argue with the Universities around the USA that teach that management is a universal skill that can be applied to anything. I'm currently in my Graduate studies in Management, so I fill I am qualified for many different management jobs, not all by any means. But you think what you want.

[Lars Zemskih]

Those are your words, not mine. Who said anything about being president of the USA? Or who said you don't have to know ANYTHING about technical issues? I thought I said that I didn't have to know AS MUCH or be AS GOOD as a DP to have good images, as long as I know enough to get someone who does. Do you think I need to be heavily skilled in Cinematography, as a Director, if I had the opportunity to have David Mullen DP? Comeon now, let's be serious for a moment. Any Director is only as good as the people he works with. THAT was the point I was getting at, none other.

 

That is so so not true, a good director, can write, shoot, edit and sometimes even act in his own film. I doubt someone like Kubrick would make a bad film just because he doesn't work with good people, in fact I'm sure you know a famous incident when a DP made different settings to the shoot than Kubrick's original thought and he spotted that and threatened to fire him if he ever did it again. You think in the beginning he succeeded and was noticed because he just found best people who did everything for him?

 

Directors don't need DP's to do all the work for them and they can just sit in their chair, they need them to have a dialog on set and decide together how to best photograph something. It would really suck to work for a director, who first of all doesn't know what he wants, and second doesn't know how to do that or if it is even physically possible. Everyone will just think of you as an under skilled director and you will have a very unmotivated crew and a bad film. How can you expect to know less than people that work for you?

 

You don't need to be heavily skilled in cinematography, but do you need to be a good director? How much is film about photography and image? Probably the most important part together with story. It is a visual medium. I just don't understand this. I want to direct and I have a lot of books about cinematography and I want to learn about it as much as I can or anything to do with filmmaking, like screenwriting, editing workflows, acting, etc., will you actually tell yourself where your knowledge of the film should stop as a director?

 

Maybe we need David Mullen to tell his opinion on this, I am sure after that it will be much clearer to all of us.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Emile Rafael

[Matthew W. Phillips]

This whole argument is foolish and it stems from Emile and Brad being POed because I had the nerve to say that film school isn't necessary. Get over it! You have your opinion, I have mine. Deal with it, not everyone is going to think like you. You can get whoever you want to try to insult me or make it look like I don't know what Im talking about...fine! It doesn't change the fact that I still don't think film school is necessary, nor do I think that being a good Director means you have to be like Robert Rodriguez and be a one man show. I think it is wiser to realize when you need help than to think you can know everything about everything. Maybe there is just too much ego and testosterone on this thread right now.

 

I'm done with this thread. Argue by yourself.

[Lars Zemskih]

This whole argument is foolish and it stems from Emile and Brad being POed because I had the nerve to say that film school isn't necessary. Get over it! You have your opinion, I have mine. Deal with it, not everyone is going to think like you. You can get whoever you want to try to insult me or make it look like I don't know what Im talking about...fine! It doesn't change the fact that I still don't think film school is necessary, nor do I think that being a good Director means you have to be like Robert Rodriguez and be a one man show. I think it is wiser to realize when you need help than to think you can know everything about everything. Maybe there is just too much ego and testosterone on this thread right now.

 

I'm done with this thread. Argue by yourself.

 

Nobody is trying to insult anyone, this is a forum after all, and arguments sometime can feel personal. David Mullen might have a different opinion than me or Brad and actually agree with you, that is why is I mentioned all of us here.

 

I'm sorry if I insulted you. If I thought you didn't know what you are talking about, I wouldn't argue with you in the first place. We all voice our opinions.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Emile Rafael

[Brad Grimmett]

This whole argument is foolish and it stems from Emile and Brad being POed because I had the nerve to say that film school isn't necessary. Get over it!

There's nothing for me to get over. If you had read what I wrote you would know that my issues with what you wrote don't stem from your comments about film school being useless. My issues stem from you saying that you can become a director simply by watching movies.

You have your opinion, I have mine. Deal with it, not everyone is going to think like you.

No, I have the facts and you don't, it's not a matter of opinion. Whether someone "thinks" like me or not is irrelevant. And what is your "opinion" based on anyway? How many films have you directed? Better yet, how many features have you worked on? I think it's important that if you want to give good advice about a subject you should be experienced at what you're giving advice about.

You can get whoever you want to try to insult me or make it look like I don't know what Im talking about...fine!

No one has to make you look like anything. And to say that anyone tried to insult you is a bit melodramatic don't you think? The things you write make it very clear to experienced people whether you know what you're talking about or not. In this case I think it's safe to say that you're misguided and incorrect.

It doesn't change the fact that I still don't think film school is necessary, nor do I think that being a good Director means you have to be like Robert Rodriguez and be a one man show.

You can think whatever you like. But it might help your argument if, say, you were a working director who had enough experience to make informed comments, and give advice about the best way to get into directing. And if that was the case I very much doubt you'd be saying things like, "Everything you learn in film school can be learned from watching movies." And no one mentioned anything about Robert Rodriguez or anything about being a one man show. I'm not sure where that's coming from.

I think it is wiser to realize when you need help than to think you can know everything about everything. Maybe there is just too much ego and testosterone on this thread right now.

 

I'm done with this thread. Argue by yourself.

You should take your own advice regarding knowing everything about everything.

Maybe it's your own ego that is causing you problems. The fact that you're so irate about people disagreeing with you makes me think that maybe you should be done with this thread.