1.) What sort of school requirements are there in today's film-making industry.
2.) How can I, a 15 year old high school student, get involved in the field I wish to be in? What sort of activities might I want to look into.
3.) What things would you recommend me to do in order to break into film-making?
4.) How did you get involved in the field you are in?
5.) What are certain things today's film-making market are looking for?

If you could answer these questions with your name as best you can before Wednesday, the 24th, it would help me a whole lot.

Tough one, and it varies depending exactly what you wish to do in film. Directing is a lot of the time down to talent and proof that you can tackle a project well.
Directors dont usualy go to studios and say "hey look, I've got this, this and this as a qualification! hire me!". A piece of paper wont prove you can direct a film and normally the best bet now for new filmmakers is making their own films (short or feature) taking them to festivals and getting recognition that way.

2) How can I, a 15 year old high school student, get involved in the field I wish to be in? What sort of activities might I want to look into.

Watch movies, study movies, and damn it, MAKE MOVIES! Make em, even if it's with a camcorder! Just do it!

Along with this, try and get work in the film industry. It's not THAT hard to apply to be a runner or something. Yes, its a sh*t job with no pay but use your time on sets to gain an inside input about filmmaking. Ask the cast and crew questions when they dont look as if they're doing anything. If you dont ask you dont get.

15 is a tough age to begin studying filmmaking, but do look regardless. There are short courses out there that are not as strict on age as film schools that will teach you a knowledge of film and filmmaking.

Try reading too, there are millions of books out there about filmmaking!

3) What things would you recommend me to do in order to break into film-making?

Kinda the same answer as 2, just try your best to get work on movies (even if it is as a runner, your IN the movie biz, just VERY low down in it). From working on movies make connections, and USE em. Classic saying of "it's not what you know, but who you know".

Again though, you wanna break into the movies? Make movies then, show them to people, show them at places where the right people would be (festivals..etc) and so on....I think you get the idea.

Questions 4 is harder for me personally to answer. I'm not there myself yet, I just have this short film I am funding myself in pre-production right now and hope to show it at festivals late 2000/early 2001. So I got involved out of my own belief in that this was what I wanted to do.

As for your final question, freshness and talent is probably the answer. Can you tell a good story?

Dan (UK)

[This message has been edited by Dan Brecher (edited 11-21-99).]

--Crono/Kyp
Writer/Director/Producer

NP: Walt Disney Millennium Celebration: Gravin Greenaway/Various (****) (<--Happy Jeron )

Dan (UK)

Dark City (the height of great directing and cinematography)

Sphere (yes, it's not that good a film, but still the cinematography works great for making action sequences very tense)

Ghost in the Shell (a japanese film. Some interesting shots in the many dialogue sequences. The camera shots are always very symbolic' in this movie)

Bringing out the Dead (cinematography in this creates an overall tense atmosphere, and has some cool scenes of hilarious hyperactivity and energy)

Saving Private Ryan (interesting style... camera acts as if your seeing through the eyes of some trooper. The lack of motion blur in the, well, motion makes the movement very "sharp")

The Matrix (rediculously fun cinematography in the action scenes at some moments)

Any Sam Raimi film is eye candy also.

The only one who I've seen who broke that pattern was Spike Jonze, but Being John Malkovich was just cool, and his music videos were weird to begin with. Anyone seen that Fat Boy Slim music video to "Praise you?" Crazy stuff.

Michael Bay started out in music video industy, a lot of directors did, that and doing commercials is a higly paid way for directors to fill times they have no work and can pull in at least 6 commercials a year.

Unfortunately (though I enjoy his movies) Bay has not seemed to loose his music vid style and has applied it to his movies. David Fincher started in music vids, it still shows maybe if you watch fight club (and his first, Alien3), but The Game and Seven he veers away from it. It's good to see that he can do just that, veer away from music vid style.

Also, Alex Proyas ("The Crow" not the sequel, "Dark City") started out in music videos too.

I also hate it when people bash Armageddon for being what it is... almost as if they didn't "get it". It's a useless action film, built only for pure theatre entertainment, and when you go to the theatre expecting that, that's what you'll get. Two great hours of useless, but very entertaining cinema. Don't go to these movies (armageddon, starship troopers, etc.) expecting some sort of plot or charactor development or anything.

PS... It's also fun to watch 'old school' (in other words, "old") rap videos with a friend because they're hilariously... 'retro'-ghetto. It's funny to think what was "cool" a few years ago now looks somewhat goofy. There's a whole bunch of them at www.musicvideos.com

Movies: These can be the likes of Armagddon, popcorn flicks, mindless plotless romps telling stories that are beyond belief and would never happen in the real world. Mindless entertainment that exploits the big screen experience. They're in your face and LOUD!

Films: These can be productions that dont nessicarily exploit the medium to the max but do use it as a good way to bring drama to a wide audience on a bigger scale then TV. So this is parhaps something like Schindlers List, a feature that documents truth. A film is something that can be based on truth or rality, something that can, has and/or could happen.

Its the difference between Drama and Entertainment, which is why I hate people comparing something like Jurassic Park to Schindler's List, why bother? You dont compare a film to a movie or a movie to a film, both have different objectives in what they set out to gain from its audience.

Dan (UK)

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But that doesn't make it okay for studios to release cliche action movies and cheesy comedies.

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Why is it wrong for studios to release brainless movies for pure escapism and entertainment purposes? If it were wrong no one would bloody well see them in the first place. These movies tend to rake in the $$$ worldwide, so obviously millions of film goers dont thing it is "wrong" either.

There is a market for things like that. People like it, you dont, thats cool, but you being one who does not like that thing does not make you right, it also does not make those who do like it right either! No one is right and no one is wrong...everyone has different tastes.

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I love Dumb and Dumber, because it is funny and
entertaining but it doesn't mock the audience ala Armageddon.

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You love it because its funny and entertaining? Ok, so if someone came to you and disagreed, saying its a worthless and unfunny piece of sh*t you would argue because you would know yourself to be right.? WRONG! You're not right, and neither would the one with the opposite opinion. You can't win.

My whole point above where I decipher a difference between a film and a movie, it's a FILM that carries a message. A serious work of art is MADE to carry a message. If movies carry a message at all then its to "have fun and enjoy!"

Dan (again)

What bugs me these days is that everything MUST have a damn message. Almost everything we do these days has a MESSAGE. I'm surprised no one has come up with a message everytime we sit on the John.

For crying out loud, why can't I watch Donald Duck get angry and blow his temper and laugh about it without some moron trying to dissect the cartoon for any anti-values or values and any HIDDEN meanings and then trying to figure out what I am all about. Why can't it just be funny?

When I do a portrat of Nick from the Backstreet Boys for my neece because she goes goo, goo, ga, ga over the guy, is there any message to that? No, I just made the picture because she begged me to and because I love her and would die for here. So, there.

When I watched Independence Day, I din't watch it for any Messatge. Neither did I try to find one in Armaggeddons. Suere, great film making it probably isn't, but you know what, I had fun, adn didn't regret spending the money adn for about two hours I didn't think of the probglems in the world adn how I fit in them.

I think the world would be a better place if we could all just sit back and relax adn let a movie be a movie and a film a film .

And, most importantly, don't watch it if you don't like it.

Sigh,
I think I feel better now...oh gush, wonder what THAT means?

So you dont like these brainless flicks, you feel they're a waste of time. SO DONT SEE THEM, you're clearly not their target audience sir! You like messages within you stories? Brilliant, but please accept some crave for total 100% escapism, escapism that goes beyond truth of reality in which we know it.

You're one guy, with one opinion and it means sh*t, because it's coming across as a single minded opinion. If you can accept that a vast majority of people worldwide enjoy specific types of movies and be open minded on such a situation than excellent, I just dont get that vibe from you.

I could say Toy Story is crap, would I be right? Nope, would I be wrong? nope...Are you right in saying its excellent? Naa, you yourself feel it is excellent, and I agree, it rocks, but there are people out there who will see otherwise.

Dan (UK)

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If you believe it, then nothing can convince you not to. If you don't believe it, then nothing can convince you otherwise.

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But anyway... the point I was trying to make earlier is appreciate the film for what it is. The people who hate Armageddon are the people who expected plot & charactor development in this movie. I went to the theatre expecting mindless entertainment and fun, and that's exactly what I got, and I can appreciate the director's ability to make one of the most mindlessly-entertaining productions of the year.

It works the same way in the other direction. So called "Hardcore Anime Fans" complain about "GHOST in the SHELL" not having enough action scenes... because that's what they expect from japanese animation. Instead, they got an intelligent, challenging, and almost spiritual science fiction film.

You say that who I am I to judge wether a film is badly developed because it has been successful. Just becuase people liked and saw it doesn't mean it has to be good in my opinion.

I cannot argue that these films have been successful and people have enjoyed them, that is fact. But I can express my opinion.

In Aramageddon, the one-sided view of the material is a fact. This movie is so obnoxious when it comes to its patriotism. I believe in patriotism, I believe in our country, but I don't believe that America would be the only ones to try to save the world nevertheless that the film bashes the Russians all the way throughout. I thought it was offensive and I am not even Russian!

I am blabbing now but the point is is that basic conversation is based on opinion. I am not threatning you or anybody here just trying to make people believe that you can stand up for what movies you think are worth being made or not.

Anyways, lets end this before we both get out of hand.

Dan (UK)

[This message has been edited by Dan Brecher (edited 11-25-99).]