Is Filmmaking About StoryTelling Or The Gear You Use?

[carlweston]

Is Filmmaking About StoryTelling Or The Gear You Use?

[BigBeaner]

Everything in harmony at once.

[Scotness]

Story telling mainly (which is why I voted for it) but gear is important both for practical and aesthetic/story telling reasons - thugh there does seem to be a preponderance of gear related discussion here - hence the other forum I guess :oops:

Scot

[reflex]

Good question, Carl. Without decent gear and technical chops, your story has to be *extremely* good to shine.

That said, being technically good doesn't really count for much if you haven't got something to say. It doesn't have to be a traditional three act structure, but it has to MOVE the viewer somehow, whether it induces happiness, empathy, rage, disgust, introspection, or agreement.

In many ways, filmmaking isn't different from other art forms. A painter has to hone her/his technical skills over the course of years. She studies the masters, picks and chooses from styles of the past, and might rebel and innovate in beautiful ways. But at the end of the day, a brilliant landscape artist still requires a canvas, paints, brushes, and skill.

[Alex]

Is Filmaking About StoryTelling Or The Gear You Use?

Yes!

[steve hyde]

...I don't know. I don't know what the word "filmaking" or Film-making or filmmaking even signifies. Truth is the best photographers and cinematographers spend most of their time engaged in the business of advertising. That makes filmaking about selling shit.....

Steve

[npcoombs]

...I don't know. I don't know what the word "filmaking" or Film-making or filmmaking even signifies. Truth is the best photographers and cinematographers spend most of their time engaged in the business of advertising. That makes filmaking about selling shit.....

Steve

Depressingly true.......*despairing glimpses into the future*

[sunrise]

I've just had a weekend of videomaking at the Videomarathon contest. 24 hours from the subject is given to you have to submit your tape. And 8 hours of editing.

My biggest obstacle was being limited to use Pinnacle's editing program. That program is the most crap I have ever worked with! It was definately a challenge to be robbed of the tools I normaly take for granted in storytelling.

michael

[drsanchez]

It's all about the equipment and you know it. The sign of a true filmmaker is having awesome equipment, and lots of it. Listen, I don't have time for this. There's some great stuff on ebay I gotta bid on. When you get stuck creatively, or are just in a rut, spend a few hundred on a camera. That will surely get those creative juices flowing.

[timdrage]

Neither.... the question is pretty meaningless.

If I absolutely had to pick, I'd say gear, as you can make a great film with no story at all, but you'd be hard pressed to shoot anything with a good story but no gear!

[Alex]

If you interpret the question differently, it's a terrific question.

It's not about whether or not you should own more gear, it's more about should you keep acquiring gear and in the process take away time from making a film with the equipment you already have.

[timdrage]

That's true... it's easy to end up accumulating film, cameras, gear etc and not get round to shooting anything!

[etimh]

It's all about the equipment and you know it. The sign of a true filmmaker is having awesome equipment, and lots of it. Listen, I don't have time for this. There's some great stuff on ebay I gotta bid on. When you get stuck creatively, or are just in a rut, spend a few hundred on a camera. That will surely get those creative juices flowing.

lol

Is Filmaking About StoryTelling Or The Gear You Use?

Yes!

Alex, perfect answer. Carl, why didn't you offer a third option in your poll? A successful symbiotic interface and balance of the two--decent and well-maintained equipment used effectively to tell compelling stories?

Neither.... the question is pretty meaningless.

This is actually the truth for me as well. Don't have much interest in "conventional" storytelling so I've shot with some relatively crappy cameras that have served my purposes fine. Then again, I enjoy using my better camera as well. It just seems to feel better making images with superior equipment.

Tim

[studiocarter]

At first, it is all about equipment, then later, it becomes about story telling. Pretty soon it is about more new equipment then different stories.

Right now, I am about to make my first camera test on my new H16T outfit with lots of filters including ND ones. No story there. Just about how steady is this thing, how fast does it really run at 24 or 16 settings, where should I set it? Will it scratch the film? What is the best light setting for projectionj? Afterwards, then I'll worry about a story or two.

Hello, this is Michael in Pittsburgh. See my house, city, me, son, wife. See my car. This is my camera. I like to make movies. Isn't this a great location? How about this one. Come to my city and make a movie, too.
What is it like where you live? Bye.

Buy then hi & bye.

[Evan Kubota]

Who cares what condition the camera is in? As long as it produces workable images, that end is more than satisfactory. Hell, I was watching the screen of my cell phone camera and even that would be adequate to make a short movie. The basic rules of storytelling still apply. People are much more sensitive to sound quality than picture quality.