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

Look, I’m officially issuing an apology and calling a truce on this whole debate. 😘

Good luck to you, kid!

Henry Campbell5 said:unless you're just some director's kid or an actor's child—which, let's face it, makes up most of the academy anyway. just little kids of industry elites.

Oh, don't forget the spouses. 🥳 🙂

bluecobra9 said:Alright, I'm officially throwing in the towel and apologizing, so let's just call it a day on this whole debate. 😘

good luck to you, man!

well, thanks🙂

I honestly don't get why everyone is making such a huge deal out of this flick because, if you ask me, it was just a fun way to pass the time.

By the way, have you ever actually filmed anything yourself?

This whole thread is heading in a completely wrong direction. Why even bother throwing out these impossible arguments about production costs, professional competition, or industry standards... when we're talking about basic human passion here. And look, you can't just argue your way out of passion.
Bit by bit, a guy scrapes together maybe 300--$133 just to cover his tapes, or maybe a round of beers for the crew on set. And then it hits him—this isn't even some low-budget indie flick. But hey, who cares? Why sweat the small stuff? It’s all just a damn hobby anyway (meaning, he’s not going to see a dime of profit, and most people won't even notice him—kind of like how nobody notices my cousin who collects stamps, even though he actually has some pretty cool ones).
Someone diving into the madness of filmmaking will eventually realize that even big-shot directors shoot documentaries, experimental stuff, and shorts all the time. But again, who gives a damn? He'll shoot them too. And if he plans on sending his work to a festival, he’ll just think—ugh, the brutal competition—and get right back to polishing his own private vision. That’s the whole "competition" thing in a nutshell. Besides, didn't someone once say that competition is healthy?
Maybe our amateur enthusiast is just a hardcore dreamer with the words of Robert Rodriguez rattling around in his head from back in the day, something like: It doesn't matter if you've shot a single frame; if you consider yourself a filmmaker, then you're a filmmaker. And nobody can tell you otherwise.
Or maybe our guy is just trying to rise above the daily grind, looking for those occasional escapes to some—mostly imaginary—spiritual plane where questions of money, success, and competition don't exist...
If you're one of those rational types who thinks this is all nonsense, please, when you spot an amateur at the local pub, don't go dumping your narrow-minded views on life and cinema on him. Even if he's polite enough to patiently explain that he simply loves it, deep down he'll be thinking—man, screw you!

Well, I just hit send on that post, only to realize the whole debate is already wrapped up.

vividmason5 said:Man, I just hit send and realized the debate is already over.

Honestly, we could probably go back and forth on this for days... I'm just dying to know if any of you guys actually caught any footage of it??

vividmason5 said:Maybe our amateur filmmaker here is just a die-hard fan who’s still got Robert Rodriguez quotes looping in his head from back in the day—something like: It doesn't matter if you've shot a single frame; if you consider yourself a filmmaker, then you're a filmmaker. And nobody can tell you otherwise.

Exactly! 👍

I see Bruce Lee being mentioned. Honestly, the guy was just living his dream—can't fault him for that. You guys clearly don't have dreams quite like his, though I doubt he'd even know you exist. Life's just one big illusion anyway, right?

The real struggle with amateur filmmaking is just breaking through to a wider audience.

But hey, the internet is moving faster than ever. Look at how the Arctic Monkeys are basically rewriting the script for the next Robbie Williams, or whatever the hell his name is lately.

Personally, I think quality eventually gets noticed—doesn't matter what kind of art (or job) you're doing.

If you're actually good, someone's gonna spot you. And those things usually happen through the weirdest channels.

Finally, an answer! 👍

Justin Smith83 said:I honestly don't get why everyone is making such a massive deal out of this whole controversy, because if you ask me, this movie is just pure entertainment. Besides, have you ever actually tried filming anything yourself?

Oh, you definitely stirred the pot, man. 🙂 And look, everyone’s got their own little reasons for getting worked up and making noise. But hey, sometimes kicking up a bit of dust does more good than harm in the long run. 😬

And it's not just about this one movie being the trigger for all those people who feel slighted, jealous, lazy, misunderstood, hypersensitive, defensive, (...insert whatever label fits here...) or just plain bored. You see the exact same thing happen in the music industry! The only difference is that the line separating the pros from the amateurs can be a little blurry there. Well, except in classical music—in that world, if an amateur tries to step up, they'll fly straight into a hornet's nest! 😬 Whether it's painting, graphic design, journalism, you name it...

Seriously, go back and reread what vividmason5 wrote to you and just soak up every single second of this project!

Found some more enthusiasts just like me 🤣

northerncrane4 said:So, how much does it actually cost to run a blog, genius?

Depends on a few things. Your internet connection and how long your posts are. If you're writing constantly and stuck using dial-up, those bills add up fast. Plus, you gotta buy a computer. You can shoot an amateur movie with a digital camera, sure, but man, the costs pile up. 😛

nimblemarlin17 said:It really all boils down to a few different things, honestly. Like, how you’re getting online and just how much you're actually writing. If you're someone who writes a ton but you're stuck using some ancient dial-up connection, you could end up looking at a pretty crazy bill. Plus, you've gotta drop cash on a computer. And hey, you can always shoot an amateur movie using just a basic digital camera. Man, the costs just add up. 😛

Yeah, sure thing. Just grab some cheap digital junk, edit the whole thing on your smartphone, and then send it off to a film festival via carrier pigeon. Seriously, if that's your logic, why even bother with a PC? You might as well just write your entire blog on your phone! 😬 🤣

nimblemarlin17 said:You can shoot an amateur film with a digital camera. God, what a waste of money. 😛

Oh right—you belong to that Bob Saget generation.

nimblemarlin17 said:It really comes down to a few things. Your internet connection type and how much you're actually writing. If someone is posting constantly on a dial-up connection, those bills can stack up fast. Plus, there's the cost of the computer itself. You could probably shoot an amateur movie with a digital camera, but man, the expenses add up. 😛

I don't think the guy is planning on using some cheap digital camera. In fact, he was quite vocal about his ambitions to make sure his work is technically precise and engaging.

Maybe even use a Polaroid: 60 sets of 25 photos plus some extra gear. The gear includes: a marker, paper, and a portable scraper. Use the marker to number the shots (the worst part of the whole job), then on the paper, write instructions like 'flip through them like a deck of cards while actually paying attention' and, obviously... put on some music. And there you go—done in a minute!

bluecobra9 said:I don't think the guy plans on shooting with a digital camera. Actually, he went out of his way to brag about how precise and technically interesting his work is going to be.

He could, though. In the end, the result will be the same—garbage. Using a basic camera would keep his costs at rock bottom and show some humility, which people actually respect. People, get real. In this country, the peak of amateur filmmaking is basically Bruce Lee. Americans just don't know how to make movies. Anyone with actual ambition left the States a long time ago to work overseas. It’s completely pointless to ask, "Why do so few people in America watch amateur films?" Hardly anyone even shows up to see professional movies in theaters here, let alone some guy's home movie.

Look, the final product doesn't necessarily have to be total garbage. There’s just one major catch—you actually need to have something worth saying. And man, that is a rare thing these days. If you look at the lineup for most of those local indie film festivals or those little community video showcases—you know, the ones where everything feels a bit DIY—it’s pretty glaring how many entries are technically "correct" but completely soul-less. They hit all the marks of being competent, sure, but they lack any real cinematic intrigue. It just goes to prove my point: if you actually have a perspective to share, you don't need to be some technical virtuoso to make an impact.

I say we wrap this discussion up right now; it’s becoming an exercise in futility.

Opinions are split—as they always are when art is involved—so there's really no point in souring the few actually coherent points we managed to make on this thread.

bluecobra9 said:I honestly think we should just call it quits on this debate since it feels pretty pointless at this point.

Everyone's got their own take, which is just how it goes whenever art comes up, so why ruin the few good points we actually made in this thread?

Totally with you! Honestly, let's just pick this back up in January 2007 once I finally wrap up my big Hollywood blockbuster, then you guys can all tear it apart properly once it actually hits the screens!!! 👋:

vividmason5 said:Look, the final result doesn't have to be garbage. There’s one massive condition: the creator actually needs to have something worth saying. That's the rare part. If you look at the lineup for most amateur festivals—you know, those one-minute shorts or indie video showcases—it's obvious there are way more technically competent entries than there are films with actual substance. It just proves my point: if you have a message, you don't need to be some technical virtuoso.

Here's the thing. We've hit a new issue. Even mainstream American professional movies don't have much intelligence to offer lately. So why on earth would we expect anything different from the amateurs? 😁