By Scott Shaw
Recently, a guy contacted me and
wanted to fly me into his city to make a Zen Film. He explained that he really
needed my sensibilities in a movie he hoped to create. Initially, I thought
that might be fun. Working with an entirely new and unknown group of people who
were into Zen Filmmaking. But, then I started to see the flaws in this guy’s
hopes and ideology. Though Zen Filmmaking is entirely about freedom—about
simply getting out there and doing it, I was being asked to come to a city I
had never been to and basically do everything. I mean everything. I decided to
pass on the offer and I suggested to the guy, “Why don’t you buy a camera and
make your own movie.”
In today’s world, you can
literarily make a movie with your phone. I have. Or, you can use any number of
relatively inexpensive cameras that are on the market. The fact is, it is very
doable if you have the focus and the dedication. But, I believe that is
the issue, the focus and the dedication. There are a lot of people who want to
DO but very few people who will DO.
Sure, I have my advice for
budding filmmaking. …Like don’t try to mimic what has already been done. Make your
own movie, using your own cinematic philosophy, and so on. But, it can be done.
And, it can be done relatively cheaply. Not like in times gone past.
This all kind of struck me as
interesting when I gave that guy the advice, “Why don’t you buy a camera and
make your own movie.” That was something I had said to someone else, way back
in the way back when, under entirely different circumstances.
The story, I was making a movie
and this guy/my friend (I surmised) was helping me out. He was an actor. I had
met him working on the set of someone else’s film. And, like so many others, he
wanted to break into the Hollywood game. Me, being me, I was charting my own
course to achieve that goal. In any case, we were filming one day and I
was realizing that we were running late and we were having some technical
issues and we should not film this girl he was crushing on very hard that day.
He completely freaked out and started yelling and screaming. This obviously
really messed with my small cast and crew. It wasn’t that I was not going to
use the girl. It was just that I realized her scenes would be better filmed at
a better location I had in mind and on a different day. In any case, we
finished the day. Once home, I left him the message, “Why don’t you buy a camera
and make your own movie.”
Though he apologized, we
finished the movie, and remained in contact over the next several years; I knew
I could never trust him again. That style of reactive behavior is just not
healthy for the emulation of art: cinematic or otherwise.
Certainly, on sets, I have seen
this style of behavior before and after that occurrence. But, it is just not
good. It poisons the fruit. I mean, in worse case, if you are not liking what
is going on, leave. I know I have done that. I have done that even in the case
of one big A-film I was cast in and on a TV series. …That one was an
interesting one… I was cast to do a role in the last (short-lived) sitcom that
the great actor James Garner was doing. In any case, we were on the set, we had
done the rehearsals, and then Garner shows up. We started to do rehearsals with
him and what an asshole! I mean this guy was a total jerk! That was sad because
I had always really liked him as an actor. We shot the scene as Garner
continued to go off at me and everyone else. They called lunch. I left and
never came back. The production company claimed I ruin the story by leaving. My
agent got really pissed and dumped me. But me, good or bad, I stood my ground.
I didn’t throw a fit. I just left. …And, you wonder what happened to my career
in the A-Market. There’s your answer. :-)
Anyway… That’s just kind of a
side note to the story and the point of all this. If you want to make a movie,
why don’t you buy a camera and make your own movie. Use your phone. Use
whatever it is you have. Get out there and film something everyday. It doesn't
have to have story structure. Lord knows, my films don’t. All it has to have is
you doing something. Film it, take it off of your phone or your camera, edit it
if you want, and make something! Make art!
This is the same with any art
you desire to create. Do it! Draw, paint, write.
Art is based in one person doing
one thing. Again, do it! Because if you don’t, all your life will be left with
is all of those artistic projects you envisioned in your mind but never
created.
Copyright © 2019—All Rights
Reserved
Originally from the Scott Shaw Blog
