Can you make it without film academy?

rapidbear20 said:Come on, man... what am I supposed to say? You're just waiting for me to say "yeah" so you can laugh and call me an idiot...
Sure, there was a war in America, but that's over and done with. My point was that some directors just lack any real imagination and end up leaning on wartime tropes because they don't know what else to do with a script. That's all I was getting at.

Honestly, there's no point in us going back and forth about which movies are masterpieces and which ones suck. Everyone's got their own taste, their own perspective, and their own way of seeing things. That goes for me, for Eric Jackson68, and yeah, even for you, quietdriver3...

War isn't just some passing storm; it sticks to everyday life way more than almost anything else. It feels kind of unrealistic to expect filmmakers in the US—since movies are mostly just mirrors of our own reality—to make films where war isn't mentioned at all. So, I guess it's a bit silly to bash "below the line" just because one character has a military background or some other small nod to the conflict.

quietdriver3 said:War isn't just some passing storm; it sticks to everyday life way more than almost anything else. It feels kind of unrealistic to expect filmmakers in the US—since movies are mostly just mirrors of our own reality—to make films where war isn't mentioned at all. So, I guess it's a bit silly to bash "below the line" just because one character has a military background or some other small nod to the conflict.

That is an excellent point, and you've actually beaten me to it. It's true, but that's exactly why I find myself wondering if he’s even seen much cinema. Please, give me your actual critiques regarding the film's craft and execution, rather than focusing on the subject matter.

Sean Brown3 said:I’m wondering if there's any way to actually "make it" in the American film industry without graduating from a top-tier film academy.
I want to direct, but from what I can see, spots at these academies are incredibly limited—and most of them seem to go to people who already have the right connections.

Luck plays a massive role in life.

Eric Jackson68 said:And honestly, that explains exactly why we have to sit through so much absolute nonsense. Cheers to the rare exceptions who actually know what they're doing.

Come on, don't be silly...
You can find plenty of actors and directors without a degree. Let me correct that... GOOD ones!
Don't make me start listing them...

slyeagle13 said:Come on, don't be silly...
You can find plenty of actors and directors without a degree. Let me correct that... GOOD ones!
Don't make me start listing them...

Exactly. Eric Jackson68 was just pointing out that most of them aren't actually any good.

p.s. Wong Kar-Wai doesn't have a degree ☕ so go ahead, name them. I'm dying to see who else is on that list. 🙂

You know, I was just sitting here thinking about those heavy hitters who never actually bothered with film school—or maybe they just skipped the whole academy thing entirely. I’m talking about names like David Lynch, Pedro Almodovar, Todd Solondz, or Todd Haynes. Then you’ve got the New Wave crowd, like François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, and Eric Rohmer... or even Gus van Sant, Werner Herzog, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Throw in Sergei Eisenstein, Dziga Vertov, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Luis Buñuel, Ingmar Bergman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini... even Edward Yang. It just kind of popped into my head all at once while I was staring at the ceiling.

🙄

Gus van Sant is absolute top-tier👍. You know, that movie about college students and messy romance? There’s this one scene where the guy is hooking up with one girl while his mind is totally elsewhere on another... honestly, it hits hard. And then there's that part where a girl takes her own life and nobody can even wrap their heads around why. It’s just such a deep, layered piece of filmmaking. Does anyone remember the title?

rapidbear20 said:Gus van Sant is absolute top-tier👍. You know, that movie about college students and messy romance? There’s this one scene where the guy is hooking up with one girl while his mind is totally elsewhere on another... honestly, it hits hard. And then there's that part where a girl takes her own life and nobody can even wrap their heads around why. It’s just such a deep, layered piece of filmmaking. Does anyone remember the title?

You're definitely thinking of Rules of Attraction, which was actually directed by Roger Avary... not Gus...

lonelynx16 said:You're definitely thinking of Rules of Attraction, which was actually directed by Roger Avary... not Gus...

Right... the rules of attraction! But... I could've sworn I read somewhere that it was by Gus van Sant...

rapidbear20 said:Right... the rules of attraction! But... I could've sworn I read somewhere that it was by Gus van Sant...

Probably just me getting mixed up...

Kate Torres said:Exactly. Eric Jackson68 was just pointing out that most of them aren't actually any good.

p.s. Wong Kar-Wai doesn't have a degree ☕ so go ahead, name them. I'm dying to see who else is on that list. 🙂

True, but you've also got plenty of people with degrees who totally suck...
I still stand by the idea that a degree isn't everything...

slyeagle13 said:True, but you've also got plenty of people with degrees who totally suck...
I still stand by the idea that a degree isn't everything...

Obviously it isn't. Talent is what actually matters, period—it's just a damn shame that in America, it's so hard to get anywhere without that piece of paper.🙂

Since you all seem so incredibly convinced of yourselves, fine then—prove it. Get out there and actually find some work. Given how much "talent" you claim to possess, I’m sure the industry will be tripping over itself to hire you. Stop hiding behind your degrees if they aren't doing anything for you; you clearly have everything you need. If those other guys managed to make it, you can too. Just let me know when you’ve finally shot an 80-minute feature that actually hits all the marks of a decent movie. I’ll be right here, waiting to watch it with absolute, breathless anticipation. Truly, I'm counting on it. You’re all just so remarkably capable. Personally, though? I’d probably just take the path of least resistance and call it a day.

Eric Jackson68 said:Since you all seem so incredibly convinced of yourselves, fine then—prove it. Get out there and actually find some work. Given how much "talent" you claim to possess, I’m sure the industry will be tripping over itself to hire you. Stop hiding behind your degrees if they aren't doing anything for you; you clearly have everything you need. If those other guys managed to make it, you can too. Just let me know when you’ve finally shot an 80-minute feature that actually hits all the marks of a decent movie. I’ll be right here, waiting to watch it with absolute, breathless anticipation. Truly, I'm counting on it. You’re all just so remarkably capable. Personally, though? I’d probably just take the path of least resistance and call it a day.

See, that’s just classic for people around here. Everyone's a critic or a philosopher, always ready to spout some deep wisdom, but nobody wants to put in the actual grunt work. When it comes time to stop talking and start doing, everyone suddenly has an excuse. Sure, maybe there are talented folks in the mix, but honestly? In a setup like this, grit and sheer willpower matter way more than raw talent. Seriously, screw the diploma! It's all about the hustle.

Two words: pure boredom.

Eric Jackson68 said:Since you all seem so incredibly convinced of yourselves, fine then—prove it. Get out there and actually find some work. Given how much "talent" you claim to possess, I’m sure the industry will be tripping over itself to hire you. Stop hiding behind your degrees if they aren't doing anything for you; you clearly have everything you need. If those other guys managed to make it, you can too. Just let me know when you’ve finally shot an 80-minute feature that actually hits all the marks of a decent movie. I’ll be right here, waiting to watch it with absolute, breathless anticipation. Truly, I'm counting on it. You’re all just so remarkably capable. Personally, though? I’d probably just take the path of least resistance and call it a day.

Chill out, man...
What's gotten into you?
In this country, nobody can actually make it because the system is totally broken (sorry for the language, but it's the truth). Everything runs on who you know and shady connections. If you want to be a director or an actor and your parents aren't already in the industry, you're basically stuck. That's just how it works here. Unless you have "money to burn" and a dad like Warren Buffett or Elon Musk...

It's the same deal if you try to get into that top-tier drama academy that only takes like 12 people... you won't get in unless you have the right connections (or a ton of cash, though connections still come first).

I don't even know why I'm writing all this. I've never written such a long post before... 🙂
Take it easy...

slyeagle13 said:Chill out, man...
What's gotten into you?
In this country, nobody can actually make it because the system is totally broken (sorry for the language, but it's the truth). Everything runs on who you know and shady connections. If you want to be a director or an actor and your parents aren't already in the industry, you're basically stuck. That's just how it works here. Unless you have "money to burn" and a dad like Warren Buffett or Elon Musk...

It's the same deal if you try to get into that top-tier drama academy that only takes like 12 people... you won't get in unless you have the right connections (or a ton of cash, though connections still come first).

I don't even know why I'm writing all this. I've never written such a long post before... 🙂
Take it easy...

Everyone upstairs seems equally convinced of this. I'm not worked up at all. By all means, let them try to succeed when everything is supposedly so wonderful and perfect. 🙂

I’ve been wondering about this too... how hard is it actually to break into directing here in America? And for those who do make it, what kind of movies or shows are they even making? It feels like they've just given up on being successful...

slyeagle13 said:Chill out, man...
What's gotten into you?
In this country, nobody can actually make it because the system is totally broken (sorry for the language, but it's the truth). Everything runs on who you know and shady connections. If you want to be a director or an actor and your parents aren't already in the industry, you're basically stuck. That's just how it works here. Unless you have "money to burn" and a dad like Warren Buffett or Elon Musk...

It's the same deal if you try to get into that top-tier drama academy that only takes like 12 people... you won't get in unless you have the right connections (or a ton of cash, though connections still come first).

I don't even know why I'm writing all this. I've never written such a long post before... 🙂
Take it easy...

hehe, this reminds me of an article from http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/USA

"When they aren't talking about politics, they brag about how colorful American profanity can be. They take immense pride in the fact that certain slang terms are nearly impossible to translate into any other language due to their sheer nuance. Half the time, a single versatile swear word can mean practically anything depending on the context."