One thing that I am discovering as a filmmaker is the absolute need to stand out amongst other filmmakers. There are an insane amount of scripts and films that are made or written yearly and if something is good then why should you be the one to write it or direct it? I often times here people say that they could have written a better script or could have made a better movie than the ones they have seen. So why is it that they are not?
There is so much that is repeated in the entertainment industry that there is not a need to have a new director do something that someone else is doing exactly the same. That is the need to make sure that you are unique, find your style, focus on it and use it as your selling point.
In my current endeavors and throughout film school I seemed to always get myself into stupid situations just because I wanted to be different. It resulted in me learning to make the most of what I had and ended up completing a musical before leaving school and a number of other projects. It provided me with a lot of experience and propelled me into taking on something that may be bigger than me, or is it? I guess that is what makes me unique. - I at least hope so.
My current project, being my first feature film, is a western. The so called rules usually say that for your first film you should: never work with animals, do not do a period piece and don't work with children...Oops. I am doing all three. On top of it all our budget is really way to small for the scope of project but if it goes as planned then we will have a multi-million dollar looking movie with far less than that.
Drive and determination is sometimes all you need, but the practice and experience that goes with that is just as important as actually doing it. Don't go straight into an epic feature if you have never made a movie before in your life. It is called baby steps, just like in "What About Bob?". Work your way there and when you feel ready to do something grand, do it period. (2006, The Pursuit of Happiness)
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