I'm going to be honest with you, with that kind of attitude you may as well give up because you aren't going to get anywhere.

If you want to go to film school, go! Everyone had to start exactly where you are, at the beginning.

--QD Jones

i agree with knotty. Everybody started where you are right now. So even though some film people can be stuck up sometimes, ignore them. Whether they want to admitt it or not they were in your place once too.

"Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write 'War and Peace' in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling." - Stanley Kubrick

If you've want to do it and have the drive to do it why should you care what other people think? People spend too much time worrying about what other people think and feeling insecure and not quite enough time living how they want. Do it.

And were an epitaph to be my story
I'd have a short one ready for my own.
I would have written of me on my stone:
I had a lover's quarrel with the world.
Robert Frost (1874-1963

And I agree with Knotty and robi and sword.

I have found that many (not all and not most, but many) film students are less than helpful to the inexperienced at school. So I understand why you would feel intimidated.

If film school is really what you want to do, then you're going to have to grow a tough skin and work through that lack of help from some students.

I have found that professionals don't treat the inexperienced badly. Most professionals are really helpful to "newbees". Another path is to apply as a PA on small, very low budget indie films. While other film students tend to look down on PA's, indie filmmakers with very little money to spend are really grateful for the help. And many of them are happy to teach and answer questions.

Another path you could take is to spend a year making movies. You don't have to use top of the line equipment or the best actors to learn the process of putting a movie together. If you made even one movie every three months, you would have four, finished movies by this time next year.

And if during that time you also helped out on two or three low budget indie movies (for free even), by the time you're 22 you will have four finished movies, and three movies as crew on your resume.

Then hit the film school. You won't be a loser and you won't be saying "I want to be a filmmaker" - you can say "I am a filmmaker."

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Where's that from Instigator? I read a book a while back, I think it was "Rebel Without a Crew" or some other tidbit from Rodreiguiz <sp>, but in it the author said once you think you're a flimmaker, you're a filmmaker. Make yourself some business cards that have your name and say filmmaker extrodinaire on them and pass them out to people. Congrats, in a sense, you've always been a filmmaker. That was the jist of it i believe. Good advice, it slipped me mind.

And were an epitaph to be my story
I'd have a short one ready for my own.
I would have written of me on my stone:
I had a lover's quarrel with the world.
Robert Frost (1874-1963

I don't know, sword. I never read Rodriguez's book. But I don't believe that making business cards or thinking you're a filmmaker or calling yourself a filmmaker makes you a filmmaker.

What I believe is: making movies make you a filmmaker.

Rodriguez was mostly talking about the mindset. The business cards were just a concrete way to say that.

Rebel without a Crew is a great book from a motivational standpoint, from a technique standpoint its lacking.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

I really respect what all of you are saying. But I have to agree with Instigator on this on.

I remember meeting this girl sometime back in New York who was just fresh out of college and had landed a job teaching. Me all of 27 at the time asked her what she wanted to do in life and she said "This is it. I just wanna teach." She had arrived at 21 and here I was still struggling to be a filmmaker. She didn't dream of becoming a Principal or a Dean but the fact is her single-minded dedication and love for the vocation will surely see her becoming one of those in no time, and that too without being overtly ambitious. The point??? I don't know.. someone help me out here please.

The thing is all us filmmakers are nothing but over ambitious. Alas only ambition can't get you anywhere. Almost every film school student wants to be a director. How about being flexible about other options within the field and hey you never know what you might grow a liking for and eventually end up excelling in that, instead of obsessing over becoming only a director. And seriously, after having learned enough about the craft, you'll KNOW if you are ready to sit in that cross legged chair. Until then keep on.. not waiting, or hoping, or begging, or dreaming, but learning.

And I don't think you can call yourself a filmmaker until you've made a film that others have really liked. and you can still manage to do that all over again. Calling yourself a filmmaker before that is like Amway salespeople calling themselves 'marketing executives'.

And by the way after all these years, I still wanna ONLY direct. Am no way compromising on that front.

To follow up on what Instigator said, I've read books that talk about the number of "Filmmakers" and "Producers" running around Hollywood who have done zero filmmaking or producing but hope the business card and title will get them laid. There is no regulation at all, anyone can make the claim and get business cards made up.

If you run around making the same claim without an actual film credit to your name a lot of folks will lump you in with the phoneys like it or not.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

I was refering more to the mindset. You can't possibly be a filmmaker and make good films if you aren't in the mindset. Thats like have an eccentric plumber perform brain surgery, it doesn't work. If you run around telling yourself "I can't do this, people think I'm a failure" then thats exactly what you'll become, a failure. Not meaning that just because you made a business card saying that then the subject is done. Again that would be like the plumber/brain surgeon. But you can't make a good film if you think you're going to fail.

And were an epitaph to be my story
I'd have a short one ready for my own.
I would have written of me on my stone:
I had a lover's quarrel with the world.
Robert Frost (1874-1963

Confidence doesn't breed out of emptiness. One needs to have acquired, inherited, learned or experienced something that can work in our favor in order to achieve that state. You can't walk into Saks Fifth Avenue confidently if you have no money on you. You can't confidently walk up to a hot girl if you have nothing going on for you, you can't walk into a ferrari showroom confidently if your maternal uncle's rich only sister hasn't left you millions.

And still if one manages to do all of the above with nothing backing them up but their 'confidence' then congratulations, they are great con artists. And chances are that's the only one thing they are going to be good at - pulling cons. And you'll agree with me on that because am sure we have seen enough of those kinds around.

"Confidence doesn't breed out of emptiness. One needs to have acquired, inherited, learned or experienced something that can work in our favor in order to achieve that state. You can't walk into Saks Fifth Avenue confidently if you have no money on you. You can't confidently walk up to a hot girl if you have nothing going on for you, you can't walk into a ferrari showroom confidently if your maternal uncle's rich only sister hasn't left you millions.

And still if one manages to do all of the above with nothing backing them up but their 'confidence' then congratulations, they are great con artists."

They might also be great actors. They might also have a belief in themselves that money and experience can't explain. Perhaps its misplaced optimism but your con artist reference tends to be overly cynical or overly broad, in my humble opinion.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

I can't make Titanic even if I had all the money in the world. Because I am confident I DON'T have what it takes to pull something like that off - at least not yet. Does not mean I have a negative mindset. It's pretty positive in my opinion because am being true to myself and my craft.

If, however I'd come up with the script of say Sideways, I'd have gotten it made no matter what. Even if I didn't have any money, contacts or other resources. I would be confident of making a film like that because that's where my sensibilities, skills and experiences rest. And no amount of negativity or turn downs would discourage me.

Indiefilmfan feels s/he can't make films only because s/he does not have what it takes to make a film - at least not as yet. Once s/he begins learning the craft, s/he'll start thinking otherwise in no time. Something has to drive the confidence which in turn drives you. Confidence by itself cannot exist nor can drive anything on its own. Again just in my opinion which is equally humble?:)?

And as to my con artist reference, hope didn't offend anyone. On a lighter note let me say all con artists might be good actors, but all good actors are definitely not con artists.?:D?