Movies and the Things You Never Know By Scott Shaw

 By Scott Shaw

            For anyone who has ever created a movie, or any creative project for that matter, there are things that take place that only the people who were there truly understand. For everyone else, it is simply speculation, projection, or guessing, at best. This is why I forever find it troubling when someone describes what took place on the set of one of my films when they were not on the set. They don’t know! Yet, there they are, telling the world what they believed happened. But, it did not.

            People believe. That is one of the realities of life. They hear and they think it to be true. But, look around at life. Look at all the things you have listened to. Think of all the things you have heard. How many of those things were the truth spoken by someone who lived it verses how many of those words were simply someone’s interpretation of what they believed might have happened? Me, personally, whenever I hear someone talking about something they have no true experiential knowledge about, I tune out. Why listen to them? They know nothing!

            I think to some of the movies I have created or been a part of. There is the completed product. There is what the audience sees. There is what the critics interpret and judge. But, so many times I am confronted with the fact that what people construe, what people think they know about what took place behind the scenes is so far off the mark that it is almost impossible to calculate.

            I can think of one film that I have rarely spoken or written about to use as an example…

            In the world of independent filmmaking, there has long been this seeming need to bring people onto a project that have some name recognition. This is most commonly done in order to hopefully boost potential sales.  I have never been a fan of this process. For me, as a filmmaker, I have always been much more happy to introduce the unknown actor to the world. Yes, in some cases, I have become friends with, “Name talent,” so that is a completely other ballgame. But, “The Name,” for name sake, in independent filmmaking, has always proved problematic.

            I remember my Zen Filmmaking brother, Donald G. Jackson, was at the helm of this one film we created. The shooting title for the film was, “It’s Showtime,” but Don never liked that title so I changed it to, “Strip Club Nights.” The script was written by Mark Williams (RIP).

            Don was always a bit Star Struck. Me, growing up in Hollywood and all that… …Seen it all before… Anyway, Don decided to cast Don Stroud. Great guy! Great choice! Plus, the actor who become famous from the movie, Grease and the TV show, Taxi, Jeff Conway for the, “Name talent,” of the film. Now, by this point in time, Jeff had a sorted past and was known to be a problem on the set. Yet, Don wanted him even though I questioned his judgment. On the set, it’s time for Jeff to come on and do his part. He refused to leave his trailer even though he was a paid a lot of money to be there. Everyone was trying to coax him out, to little avail. The guy was obviously high as that is what he did. Don even ended up being a totally dick and yelling at the great actor Don Stroud due to his frustration. If I was Don (Stroud) I would have told him, “Fuck you,” and walked off the set. But, he was a total professional. Conway, on the other hand…

            Anyway, Don finally talked Conway out of his trailer. He delivered a piss-poor performance, constantly forgetting his lines, but that is what you get when you hire a person of his mentality. He wanted to be treated like a star. He wanted to be pampered and babied. He was in the film, he was a, “Name talent,” but at what cost?

            Now, this is a very obscure film. I could go into what happened with the master copies of it and all that but, again, that is just something that if you weren’t there you would never truly understand. In the past, I have been pointed to people who actually viewed the film and have spoken about this film. All I can take is a moment or two of that kind of stuff because immediately I realize they are totally wrong in what they say. They weren’t there! They don’t know! Yet, they talk…

            So, what is all this discourse about? It is about the fact that what YOU live is what YOU live. If you have not lived it, why are you even thinking about it? It was not your life. What you think you know about it is only speculation at best. Why waste your Life Time contemplating anything that you were not a true part of?

            Life is about experiencing. Life is about living your life. If you are attempting to live your life via the doings of someone else, all you have done is to turn your life over to them. You are attempting to live your life through them. What is accomplished by interpreting the experiences of someone else? …Experience you have not and cannot ever truly understanding.

            Live your own life. Experience what you experience. Don’t attempt to chart the anything of anyone else because you were not there. Don’t waste your time attempting to understand it, because you can’t. All you can do is live your own moment as fully as possible. This is the place/the space; the state of mind where living a GOOD life is formed. Forming the Pure Mind is not out there. …Thinking you know and telling the world about something that you never personally experienced. It is found by living a good life as inquisitively and as positively as possible.

            Live your own life. Talk about what you know. Speak about what you have personally experienced. Then your truly knowledge, your inner-realization may be rightly exhibited to the world.

Copyright © 2020—All Rights Reserved

Originally from the Scott Shaw Blog

Scott Shaw Zen Filmmaking 

Filmmaking: Keeping the Artist from Creating Art By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

As most of the people reading this blog know, I’ve made a lot of movies. Whether or not the people reading this blog have seen any of them, well that’s a different story…

People often ask me, (because I’ve made so many films), “How long does it take you to make a movie?” The answer is, I have it down to a science. If I have a location, a cast, and a crew, I can shoot a movie in a couple of days, have it edited, and sound tracked in a week or so. So, within a month, the whole film can be in the can. And, in some cases, already released.

The reason I can do this is that I do everything. I do not delegate the jobs. I always have ideas, my equipment is ready to go, I am always working on new soundtracks, and I keep my software for editing functional and up to date.

The problem is, the devil is in the details, as the old saying goes. Ever since 9/11 it has become more and more difficult to find free locations to shoot at. Everybody thinks that you are up to something bad if you show up with a camera. And, you do get shut down. So, my lack of locations, in recent years, has truly hindering my filmmaking.

An ideal and somewhat amusing example of this happened to me when I went to shoot some stock footage in the L.A. Harbor. I didn’t even have a cast or a crew. I was by myself. I was grabbing some shots and The National Guard drove up and before I knew it I was in those plastic handcuff things. I thought I was on my way Gitmo. They were telling me, “We are at war...” Luckily, they checked me out and figured out I was cool, no threat, and just a filmmaker. They let me go with just a stern warning.

The other problem is, as I have detailed in so many articles and books, here in L.A., everybody thinks that they are going to be a star tomorrow. And, this mindset has continued to get worse. So, there is a lot of misplaced ego floating around.

This is not just the case for actors and actresses, as you may expect, but for crew, as well. I cannot tell you how many times I have had an entire shoot day ruined by the cameraman. Yet, they remain all full of themselves.

Though I am personally a very meticulous cameraman, as I appear in many of my films, I need someone to shoot some of the scenes.

From this, the question is often asked, “Why do I appear in many of my own films?” Again it goes back to egos.

With everybody thinking they are going to be a star tomorrow, you never know when somebody is going to get their panties in a bunch and walk off the set. With me in the film, I know I am going to show up and, therefore, can fix any problems with the story if some cast member leaves.

Outside of the industry, people don’t realize all of these subtle particulars. This is how producers get people to invest in a film. Because somebody doesn’t know what to expect, they expect nothing.

I know producers are always promising the investor everything: how much money they will make, how they are part of the greater good, how great the cast, crew, and director is. They are told they will get an executive producer credit and they pull out the checkbook. Everybody wants to be a part of the film industry, don’t they? But, these words are all bullshit. Nobody makes big money on little films. Well, at least not the investors. Maybe the distributors…

The whole essence of my filmmaking style, Zen Filmmaking, is freedom and art. It is about removing as many obstacles as possible from the filmmaking process. But, the unfortunate reality is that times have changed. So, I do not make near as many movies as I could. Or, as some believe, I should. And, it’s sad because all I need is place to shoot a film and a few competent and willing participants. I don’t even need or want money.

By the way, I never take money from investors. It just makes everything too messy...

So, you see, every realm of art has it problems and its own set of unique circumstance that keeps the artist from creating. How long it takes for me to make a film is not the issue. The issue is, do I have a place and a posse.

Copyright © 2011—All Rights Reserved

Originally from the Scott Shaw Blog

Scott Shaw Zen Filmmaking

You Wanta Make a Movie? By Scott Shaw

 By Scott Shaw

I’ve been professionally in the film game for about thirty years. In that time I have witnessed a lot. There has been a lot of changes in technology, audience reception for films, and the attitudes that people bring to the table when they wish to become part of a project.

I have met some really great people in association with filmmaking. People who are a pleasure to be around and great to work with. I have also met a lot of not so nice people—people who bring their own weird agenda to the table and/or do some really uncool things on and off of the set. But, that’s just the nature of the beast.

One of the main things I have realized, in all of these years of filmmaking, is that most people do not want to partake of the craft. Sure, many-many people have dreams of being a filmmaker but very few step up to the plate and actually conceive of a project, learn how to actualize it, and follow it through to completion. There are a lot more people who simply want to walk on a set, spit out a few line, and walk away a star. That’s great! Good for them. But, not many of them are going to get very far in their quest.

Being based here in Hollywood, there are all of these people who come here with the dream. I have spoken about this subject in a lot of my articles and books on the subject. Many of them believe that if this certain famous person could do it, so can they. Sure, that’s a great belief to have. Unfortunately, of the literally millions of people who come here, maybe one in that group makes a name for themselves. The rest are left going to auditions (if they are lucky enough to get an agent) for roles they will never get or being an extra.

All this being said, early on in my immersion into the film business I realized that the true art of filmmaking is behind the camera. Actually creating the film. There you possess some control over what is actually being produced. There, at least you can create a something, as opposed to hoping for something to be created around you.

Throughout my years in the film business, I have actively tried to help other filmmaker actualize their dream. I offer people crew positions when I have them available. I give them advice when they ask me for it and so on. I have even offered to create a movie with some people who seem to be very driven. But, what I have experienced more times than not is, even the person who really talks the game, even the person who really expresses the desire, even the person in film school, when push comes to shove and I say, “Let’s make a movie,” they always find a reason not to. What happens to their career? I don’t know. They never do anything. But, the reality is, it did not have to turn out that way. They could have joined forces with me (or anybody else) made a movie and got their name out there.

Sure, as stated, there have been a lot of people who have worked with me over the years. They did something with their filmmaking dreams. They achieved something. But, there have also been so many more that have not.

Yes, yes, periodically people ask me to finance their films. But, I don’t do that. I have seen way to many people take money from whomever and never finish what they started. Dreams and promises mean nothing in this business.

As a personality, I am frequently asked to be an actor in other people’s films. Like I always semi joking tell them, “The only bad movies I’m in are my own.” But, the truth is, I am an active member of the SAG/Aftra Union so I cannot be in a nonunion film—which most indie films are. But, I am asked by the people who are already out there doing it. They are living their dream. They are actualizing their creative vision. If they ask me to help them behind the scenes, I am happy to do. And, that’s the thing, particularly in the realm of indie filmmaking, you help each other out. From this, new realities of cinema are created.

So, what am I saying here? …Particularly in this day and age, there are filmmaking opportunities everywhere. You can make a movie with your phone! You simply have to have the fortitude to actually do it. Sure, dreams are great. But, if you don’t make your dreams your reality then they are nothing more than something that is locked inside your head. …Lost forever inside of your brain.

If you want to make a movie, make a movie! Reach out to people that you believe can help you and get it done!

All creation is art. It doesn’t matter if it is loved or hated by the masses. Who cares what they think? The only criteria is, if you get it done, it becomes a something and from this you have become something, a creator.

Create. Make art. Make Cinema.

Copyright © 2019—All Rights Reserved

Originally from the Scott Shaw Blog

Scott Shaw Zen Filmmaking