What are your thoughts on the amateur film scene in America?

I’m all for the kid. You’ve gotta be creative. Maybe some people outside his tiny circle of friends will actually notice him, but who cares? As long as he’s happy. My buddies and I shot this spontaneous documentary 🙂. Still needs an edit... then there are the festivals, and all the idiots who flock to them...

dustyscout53 said:I honestly think America is one of those rare places where amateur series production is actually top-tier. To be fair, I can't even remember the last time something was filmed professionally here in the States.

😂 😂 😂

Amy Mendoza25 said:Plus, Mom and Dad will be beaming with pride... and if they aren't, maybe some chicken will drop dead or something—hey, at least your friends might actually respect you for once? And if that fails, well, you'll finally grow a spine. And if all that still doesn't work out, hey, maybe you'll just get enough cash from selling a DVD to buy a new one...

You projecting?

DARSTUPRO said:...I do it because I genuinely love it.

And honestly, that’s the whole point of being an amateur. I really don't get why people think that mindset is going to lead you nowhere. Even if you achieve nothing else, you're gaining insight into who you actually are. Besides, the real fools are the ones making movies just to chase fame or a massive paycheck.
But hey, unfortunately, the culture here is such that people will label you as some arrogant jerk who’s just bashing film school because they think they can do it all on their own. And let’s be real—that kind of label isn't coming from anyone who actually knows anything about cinema; it’s coming from the pretenders who can't see the value in creating anything without having that formal institutional backing.
Speaking of those damn film schools—does anyone seriously still believe you can actually learn anything regarding the aesthetic side of filmmaking there? The only thing worth picking up is the technical stuff, but given how incredibly hard it is to even get a feature made once you're a pro, that technical knowledge becomes pretty much irrelevant anyway.
So there you go—you're just an "amateur" because you’ve got a little handheld camera, a few editing programs installed on your laptop, and you're doing your own sound and color grading. But heaven forbid you step outside your bubble! Someone might spot you and scold you for having that guerrilla attitude and "disrespecting the Institution."
Oh, you little amateur, don't be so rude!

Look, the guy basically kicked off this debate because he has this subconscious urge to justify what he does. He knows how pointless it feels to talk about it in a space like this.

Just to give you an idea: the lineup for the 15th day of the American Film Festival just dropped yesterday. Take a look at the schedule—specifically the live-action segment.

1. THE LAST SUPPER; dir. Ivan-Goran vitez; prod. CINEMAS; 43'
2. FINISH LINE; dir. Slaven Žimbrek; prod. SLAVEN ŽIMBREK; 6'36''
3. HAPPY MAN; dir. Irena Škorić; prod. STUDIO FFV and KINO KLUB CHICAGO; 1'
8. BOUQUET; dir. Petar Orešković; prod. ADU; 15'
5. IT’S NOT THAT I DON'T KNOW, IT'S JUST HOW IT IS; dir. Tanja Golić; prod. ADU; 15'
6. TOUCHING BOTTOM; dir. Milan Latković; prod. MILAN LATKOVIĆ; 10'
7. DON'T ASK HOW; dir. Lukas Nola; HBO; 60'
8. IN A SINGLE MOMENT; dir. Petar Orešković; prod. Sundance Institute; 4'
9. ROCKING CHAIR; dir. Damir Čučić; prod. NEA; 28'
10. SAFE JOURNEY, NEDIMA; dir. Marko Šantić; prod. AFI; 13'
11. EDITING – A POSTCARD FROM AMERICA; dir. Ivona juka; prod. 4FILM & ADU & AMERICAN FILM ACADEMY; 3'
12. PLANKTON; dir. Zdravko Mustać; prod. NEA; 33'
13. WAITING FOR THE FREELANCE CAMERAMAN; dir. Nikolin Barić; prod. ADU; 10'
14. ALIVE OR DEAD; dir. Josip Visković; prod. LUMEN; 27
15. TOILET; dir. Milorad Blanuša; prod. TRESH PRODUCTIONS; 5'55''
16. SOLITUDE; dir. Marko Rukavina; prod. BOONIKA FILM; 3'17''
17. DAWN; dir. Dario Lonjak; KINO KLUB INDIANAPOLIS; 14'
18. TORSION; dir. Jakša Borić; KONTRAFILM; 16'

If you actually pay attention, you'll realize half these people have degrees from the Juilliard School (and some directors even command actual "respect" in an industry they've dedicated their lives to). Those without degrees will likely earn them soon, or they've been working in the business for decades already.

Let me be clear—it's not that having a degree is vital. In fact, precisely because it isn't treated as such here, it's even more tragic to see people churning out "amateur" work.

Robespierre said:Who would actually bother doing something nobody watches, especially when it takes forever and offers zero payoff? 🙂

That’s basically the reality for 99.99% of blogs out there, yet people keep churning them out anyway. 🙄

bluecobra9 said:Look, the guy basically started this whole debate because he’s subconsciously craving validation for what he's doing, since he knows how pointless it all is on this forum.

Watch out, people! There are groups here who can read your subconscious desires from a mile away...🙄

nimblemarlin17 said:That’s the reality for 99.99% of blogs—which is exactly why people keep writing them. 🙄

So, tell me, "expert"—what does it actually cost to write a blog?

Exactly.

A movie, regardless of its quality, costs money. Always.

My point is simply this: in this market, you’re constantly fighting for airtime against the "big" players—those who squeeze shorts into the gaps of major studio productions. Then there are the endless waves of academy-trained directors and creators who focus solely on shorts, digital content, and niche video work.

That is just the reality of the situation.

And believe me—naivety (in any artistic field) has always been naive, and it always will be. We aren't Hollywood, we aren't Bollywood, and we certainly aren't the French cinema scene. In other words, we aren't a global powerhouse, especially not in film. No one is going to discover you, and no one is coming to save you. Even if you were a wunderkind with a prestigious degree and undeniable talent, the harsh truth is that you'll likely just end up being exploited as cheap labor. So, what happens to you then, amateur?

Let’s clear the air here—it’s pretty obvious the industry types are totally against this kid filming his own stuff. They claim they’re just looking out for him, right? Giving him "advice" because they know how much it hurts when talent goes unnoticed. Because they’ve all been there... banging their heads against the wall. Oh, please... they made their little indie films, but did they actually get any attention? Did anyone even watch them? Even though they were convinced they were some kind of geniuses just because they watched a few classics and read a couple of books...

Oh, man... what a life, huh? (c) Drito

dustyscout53 said:Let's clear some things up here—it’s obvious the industry types are totally against this kid filming his own stuff. Of course, they think they're helping by talking back to him. They know all too well how much it hurts when talent goes unrecognized. Because they've been there... slamming their heads against the wall. Oh, yeah, making movies. But they didn't get the girls. And nobody was even watching those films. Even though they were convinced they were pure genius. Even though they watched plenty of movies and read tons of books...

Oh, boy... Life's funny, isn't it? (c) Straight up

What are you projecting?

dustyscout53 said:Let’s get one thing straight—it’s pretty obvious that everyone in the film industry is dead set against this young guy starting his own thing and actually filming his own projects.

I have no idea who you're talking about. Be specific and let us in on the loop, please.

bluecobra9 said:not sure who you mean—mind giving us a heads up?

Including you, too. Amy Mendoza25, northerncrane4, you... just a whole crew of talented people...

Amy Mendoza25 said:Are you projecting?

It doesn't have to be projection. A person can just be a decent citizen who happened to attend an American film festival once or twice. They see 250 faces—people they recognize from working on various projects—who all show up HERE, at THIS specific festival. Then, twenty different people come up to them, saying, "Man, that movie was incredible," or "That was great," or whatever. And then comes that moment where you realize THAT is what it actually is: IT is the sheer amount of work, the goodwill, and the persistence required just to reach that two-minute window where both famous and unknown peers walk up to you and say, "Good job, kid."

Automatic response: NO, I am not projecting. Seriously. 😎

dustyscout53 said:Including you. Amy Mendoza25, northerncrane4, you... the whole bunch of you talented folks...

but you already know 😈

From what I can see from the sidelines, maybe 10% of people actually telling you the truth. The rest? They're just there to mess around or be polite.

Besides, dustyscout53 knows all about this—he could tell you how it went down at that swampy blog reading back in the day... if I remember right, everyone showed up with their own little crowd that would cheer loudly at first and then head out for beers. To be fair, dustyscout53 is the only one who stands out from that pack—he actually knows how to write.

Amy Mendoza25 said:From what I've seen—just watching from the sidelines—maybe 10% of people who approach you are actually being real. The rest? They're just there to suck up a little or play nice.

Anyway, dustyscout53 probably knows more about this than anyone—he could tell you all about those nights at the local dive bar reading blogs... if I remember right, everyone showed up with their own crowd that would cheer loudly at first and then buy him a round of beers. To be fair, dustyscout53 is different from that pack—he actually knows how to write.

Okay, even if I don't know how to write—which isn't really the point, right? Thanks for assuming I do, though. 😁 If you ever need a screenwriter, hit me up via DM. 😁

I don't see anything wrong with wanting to show off your work and have someone clap for you. Or getting a free beer out of it. Or having people hit on you.

Is the issue that this kid is keeping it quiet? Like, he's filming for "higher purposes"? I don't know—if he just said he films because it's fun and he loves it, I'd be all for it. I love people like that. OF COURSE he’d also want someone to buy him a drink, or cheer for him, or have some girls flirting with him, or land a steady gig at HBO. Who wouldn't?

But this whole "Oh, don't do that, it's too hard, it requires sacrifice..." thing...

Sorry, but that kind of talk seriously drives me crazy. If the kid wants to bash his head against a wall, who are we to stop him? Let him go for it—it hurts, sure, but we were all there once. And honestly? We still are.

And nobody finds it any easier than us does...

p.s. I definitely got the least amount of applause at the bar.

Alright, I’m stepping out of this debate.

The fact remains that the man asked for an opinion. By doing so, he clearly wants to understand the context of his goals and ensure he has some level of backup.

I gave it a shot, ran into a wall of disapproval, and frankly—I don't really care anymore.😁

bluecobra9 said:alright, I'm out of this debate.

The point is, the guy was actually asking for feedback. It shows he cares about the context of his project and wants some backup—you know?

I tried, ran into some pushback, and honestly—whatever😁

And you're giving up way too easy. Just because you hit my disapproval doesn't mean anything, right? It might feel like everyone's against you, but that's just me talking—probably because I post a ton. Just keep at it, no hard feelings.

The thing is, this guy put out three different vibes in three separate posts:

Post #1: "Yeah, I'm interested."
Post #2: "I'm filming, I'm incredibly horny, I know how to make the perfect indie flick," and all that.
Post #3: "America is way too small for my vision."

Give me a break... he got exactly what was coming to him.