“Tell the ‘Experts’ to Go to Hell”

by
Donald L. Vasicek
rabbit-ears-pass1
What I get from the experience you shared with me is
that with people like this, you need to take from them
what benefits you and let the rest go past you. Anything
that is said that ignites your emotions should be set to
the side. When listening to people like this is to be,
“What can I learn here? What can I sift from all of this
bullshit that will help me with my project?” Let your mind
go to work on that and let the rest of the bullshit go.

Remember, film is subjective. What one person likes,
another person will not like. Screenwriter/writer William Goldman (Dreamcatcher (Movie)
2003
Hearts In Atlantis (Movie)
2001
Mission: Impossible II (Movie)
2000
The General’s Daughter (Movie)
1999
Absolute Power (Movie)
1997
The Ghost And The Darkness (Movie)
1996
The Chamber (Movie)
1996
Maverick (Movie)
1994
Last Action Hero (Movie)
1993
Year Of The Comet (Movie)
1992
Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (Movie)
1992
Chaplin (Movie)
1992
Misery (Movie)
1990
The Princess Bride (Movie)
1987
Heat (Movie)
1987
Magic (Movie)
1978
A Bridge Too Far (Movie)
1977
Marathon Man (Movie)
1976
All The President’s Men (Movie)
1976
The Stepford Wives (Movie)
1975
The Great Waldo Pepper (Movie)
1975
The Hot Rock (Movie)
1972
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (Movie)
1969
Harper (Movie)
1966
Masquerade (Movie)
1965

said no one knows anything in Hollywood. And he’s right.
There are no “experts” in the film industry because each
person and whatever job they have is always based on
subjectivity. For example, Steven Spielberg
is a Hollywood filmmaker, so he is good at making Hollywood
films, period. That doesn’t mean he’s an expert regarding how to,
or how to not write a script or make a movie. It
means he is an expert at making Hollywood films, period. It means
he has a brand that will not work for anyone else. So, one
needs to sift from talk about their project what benefits them, and let the rest of the Hollywood bullshit in his films go.

When your work is being critiqued, remember this, they
are going to be critical because they are critiquing your
work. This means that they will always have a tendency
for overkill to impress upon you they know what they’re
talking about, which really translates to mean, that the
more they say, they less they know about your work.

All filmmakers have to get themselves to a point where
they settle on who they are and what kind of films
they make. They have to just take from criticism what
benefits them and let the rest of it go. Usually, this
means about 90% about what anyone else, I repeat,
anyone else, says about your work, doesn’t know
what they’re talking about. Remember, you’re the one
in the trenches creating and during your work. Remember,
you’re the one who is sweating blood and bleeding tears
to get your work just the way you want it to be. No one,
I repeat, no one, has any concept of that experience,
except you. So, ask others to tell you what they
think about your work, but don’t believe most of what
they say because it isn’t true. And never, never, never
argue with anyone about your work. For lack of
better terminology, f*** them, they don’t f***** know
what they’re talking about. Bleed and sweat with
you, and they might know a bit more about your
heart and mind and how much of that you put
into your work, but for the most part, they don’t
know shit about your work because they are
perceiving it from their point-of-view, which is
different than your point-of-view.

I have often noticed that filmmakers find a television
director to direct their feature film, or find a
television scriptwriter to write their feature film
script. Guess what? They don’t know shit about
writing or directing a feature film. The reason for
this is that writing and/or directing for television
is different than writing and/or directing feature films.
And that is where their experience is at, so be careful
with getting television people to help you with your
feature film.

Take care. Keep up your chin. Be proud. Be confident
to the point of arrogance, and at times take yourself
past the point of arrogance regarding yourself and
your work. Do not allow anyone to take anything
from you you do not want to give to them. Nothing!!!

It matters not who it is that is bombing you with
their thoughts about your work, always remember,
film is subjective, which includes everything it takes
to make a film. How many times have you watched
a movie and discussed with another or others, or
found very few if any who agreed on how good or
how bad the movie was? Movie goers and people
who are involved in different facets of making movies
are subjective, the same as favoring one politial
candidate over another candidate. That’s just what
movies generate in people, subjectivity, which is
based on their total life experience to date, and that
includes their upbringing, their education, the location
or locations where they have lived, etc. It’s supposed to be that way, but you don’t have to buy into everything someone tells you about
your project, because, unless they jump down there
in the mud and grime with you, roll around in the dirt,
and mud and swamp water and work hard to make your project, they know little, if anything about your work.

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