In Words I Never Said, Lupe Fiasco said that fear is a weak emotion. I don't disagree with this statement, but I also don't believe it's that cut and dry. Fear can be a powerful motivator; it can force someone to look in the mirror and make necessary changes. It can propel people to do amazing things. Fear can also be crippling; it can keep people stuck in frustrating jobs, and bad situations. It depends on how the person uses it. Fear is like fire; if controlled it keeps you warm, but if not it can burn you alive.
I had a fear of following through with pursuing screenwriting despite writing being my passion. I never thought I could identify with any filmmaker at Cannes, but that changed after Jeff Nicholas visited our class. Jeff Nicholas is a up and coming director who came to Cannes to promote his new film, Take Shelter. Take Shelter is about a man who has vivid dreams of a coming storm and the stress these visions put on his relationship with his wife, and their deaf daughter.
With Shotgun Stories (his debut feature), every dime he made went towards making that movie. He told our class that making films is like a compulsion; something inside of him that would not leave him alone. He needed to prove to himself that he could do it. One of the reasons I needed to come on this trip was to prove to myself I could step out of my comfort zone. Even before discovering my love for writing I felt I needed to write; I could not shake the feeling. My passion for writing and movies is something I cannot explain or control, it just is.
Shotgun Stories is about the relationship and interactions between two sets of half-brothers. The inspiration behind the idea came from thinking about how he would react if he lost one of his brothers. It's hard not to think about the anxiety fatherhood can bring when watching Take Shelter. It's rare nowadays for directors to put themselves, or at least part of themselves on display to the world. As much as I love Christopher Nolan movies, I could never sense any of his personal experiences coming through in his work. Everything I write (this post especially) are about my personal experiences; I learned that lesson firsthand during the table reading of my script. It was like I was naked, and I was. My words, my experiences, my view of the world were on display for all to see. I couldn't even imagine how Jeff felt during the first showing of Take Shelter or Shotgun Stories.
With my own fear and insecurities in mind, I raised my hand and asked Jeff if fear would play a role in what he does next. He took a minute to think before saying yes. He explained that there is a price for trying to find his voice and not selling out to make bigger movies; he's not rich. There are not a lot of directors who have a say in what movie they do next. I want to be able to write and direct my own films, but bills have to be paid. With that being said, Take Shelter gives me hope; it's garnering a lot of buzz and could win awards this coming year. Jeff Nicholas is close to becoming a household name; it's a matter of when, not if. In the coming years, I hope to be in his position as a up and coming director who talks to aspiring filmmakers. I hope to tell them fear should not change or dampen their fire for film-making; it should be used as fuel to power their ascent to greater heights.
I had a fear of following through with pursuing screenwriting despite writing being my passion. I never thought I could identify with any filmmaker at Cannes, but that changed after Jeff Nicholas visited our class. Jeff Nicholas is a up and coming director who came to Cannes to promote his new film, Take Shelter. Take Shelter is about a man who has vivid dreams of a coming storm and the stress these visions put on his relationship with his wife, and their deaf daughter.
With Shotgun Stories (his debut feature), every dime he made went towards making that movie. He told our class that making films is like a compulsion; something inside of him that would not leave him alone. He needed to prove to himself that he could do it. One of the reasons I needed to come on this trip was to prove to myself I could step out of my comfort zone. Even before discovering my love for writing I felt I needed to write; I could not shake the feeling. My passion for writing and movies is something I cannot explain or control, it just is.
Shotgun Stories is about the relationship and interactions between two sets of half-brothers. The inspiration behind the idea came from thinking about how he would react if he lost one of his brothers. It's hard not to think about the anxiety fatherhood can bring when watching Take Shelter. It's rare nowadays for directors to put themselves, or at least part of themselves on display to the world. As much as I love Christopher Nolan movies, I could never sense any of his personal experiences coming through in his work. Everything I write (this post especially) are about my personal experiences; I learned that lesson firsthand during the table reading of my script. It was like I was naked, and I was. My words, my experiences, my view of the world were on display for all to see. I couldn't even imagine how Jeff felt during the first showing of Take Shelter or Shotgun Stories.
With my own fear and insecurities in mind, I raised my hand and asked Jeff if fear would play a role in what he does next. He took a minute to think before saying yes. He explained that there is a price for trying to find his voice and not selling out to make bigger movies; he's not rich. There are not a lot of directors who have a say in what movie they do next. I want to be able to write and direct my own films, but bills have to be paid. With that being said, Take Shelter gives me hope; it's garnering a lot of buzz and could win awards this coming year. Jeff Nicholas is close to becoming a household name; it's a matter of when, not if. In the coming years, I hope to be in his position as a up and coming director who talks to aspiring filmmakers. I hope to tell them fear should not change or dampen their fire for film-making; it should be used as fuel to power their ascent to greater heights.
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