Wannabe Filmmakers

Yesterday also listened to couple of scripts from wannabe film makers.Both happened to be engineers infact.They had completed studies,decided not to work,try movies instead.As usual both started by criticizing existing movies,.As usual when they started narrating their stories they turned out to be worser.As usual I tried my best to convince them of the same.As usual they got offended. 

It has almost become a routine exercise for me.Probably would have heard more than 1000 scripts in the past one year.One came close to be a good movie from those.When I say one came close to being good,others not etc they are completely my personal opinions.That I believe is the only way someone can judge or make movies.

Most people who call me are professionals,people in good jobs who wants to quit and enter movies.Ofcourse that’s how new movies has to happen,but the point is whether you have the right script with you?Have you done enough homework for the same?I try to tell people leaving a job is not a must to enter movies.I am someone who still work.You can use it to your advantage if used properly.

 I get calls from people who wants to be assistant directors.When I ask WHY they think its such a silly question.Obviously they want to direct after being assistants.The bigger question one should ask onleself is WHAT do you want to direct?When a new person comes a new movie should happen.Do I have that new movie with me?Is it worth spending years assisting?

 What is assising a director actually?For me it’s a clerical job.A director has a vision and has a movie to make.You assist him by giving clap,writing reports,looking after makeup,art,costume,action continuities..Doing just that for years makes you a director?I don’t think so.That will make you a good Assistant or Associate.If you become a director from there most chances are that you become a good technician,not a director.For me a director is someone with an outlook,who has his own perspective to whats happening around him.He tries to bring that outlook through his movie.When people like his approach he becomes a successful director.Not necesary that he should write his scripts himself,but he should be able to conceive his movies for sure!

 How can you create an outlook?It can be nurtured by good reading,watching good movies,good television,observing life,try and be a good social human being,opening yourself to new windows life gives you…Probably doing all these for 10 years could make someone a better director than being an assistant for 10 years.

 How does a new movie happen?I mean probably there are 10 or 15 orginal stories in this world.They have been told n number of times. Then how does a new movie happen?My answer is that each one of us are unique human beings.There is noone like you,who thinks like you in this whole world.The way you look at an incident is entirely yours if you have an outlook of your own.That fresh thinking gives birth to new treatment and new movies.

Discover it!

The most recent movie in which I saw an interesting idea converted into really interesting commercial screenplay was 3 Idiots.Loved Chathurs sanskrit speech scene which wanted to convey that u shud learn understanding the subject.It could have been written so intellectually and preachy which wud have left the common audience sleeping in cinema halls.Instead u found urself laughing loud and louder.

Thats the magic of a good screenplay!