East vs. West

     It's been a while since I've watched Asian films. Ever since I came back, most films I've watched here have  been mostly American fims. I got my steady diet of Asian films while I was in China. In order to familiarize myself with traditional filmmaking technicalities/aesthetics, I've turned to Hollywood films since most studio films are all made the same way. Tonight, I had the pleasure of a throwback and watching one of my all time favorite films in the world in Suzhou River. I started talking about this film as well as Millenium Mambo with some friends last night and telling them these two are must-see films that represent our generation.

      This film is so complete and beautiful in the ways it expresses relationships/characters/life through a never been done before structure. The other beautiful aspect is the filmmaking and how free it is. The film was mostly shot on handheld. Films like this aren't very much American due to the fact that its prominence is mostly due to style. Most American films are considered cinematic due to production value: beautiful sets, beautiful cinematography, name actors, great editing, etc... Quite on the contrary, Asian films gain prominence due to lavish styling. In a way, I think American films are all the same due to the ways that students here are taught  the same formula to make a film: get all the coverage you can get, find a good editor, make sure your scrīpt is complete, PERIOD. All the high production value films made here are obviously the best due to production value; and that's why people love American films because we have this high standard of production value backed by million dollar budgets(avg. Hollywood film is around 20 million).

     Aesthetically speaking, I think it's a lot harder to find your own style when your cramped in an environment where everyone is taught the same rules and shooting the same films. That's why we have so many directors and so few that standout due to their own style. That's why it's quite refreshing for me to watch Suzhou River again to appreciate the genius and beauty in such a film that is flawless with the perfect structure that hasn't ever been done before. No one can ever be this original because this is the first time it was ever done and that's why it stood out. You would think this director's other films are just as good, but Lou Ye's other films aren't even close to Suzhou River in every way. It makes me wonder if it's sometimes luck that drives certain filmmakers to gain prominence and make amazing films.

     I did a comparison of my own films 600 and Drowning in retrospect since I officially finished our festival cut today YAY! 600 was very much Suzhou River influenced style in that we tried to capture the feelings we wanted to without worrying about technicalities; we didn't care for it because we weren't there to showoff our skills because we didn't have any(we were all 1st timers in making a film at the time). On the other side, Drowning is a much more technical film and more cinematic due to my goal in trying to show that I can technically complete a good film. I believe Drowning still holds strong content due to the scrīpt which I spent a while writing. People often say Drowning is a very mature film compared to 600(even my buddies that helped me make 600 said so). From a technical perspective I believe Drowning is a lot more mature than 600 since it tells a complete story and does it with good visuals/music/sounds/editing. In a way I feel the film is a lot different than 600 in that it's less raw and has an energy that is much more contained.

      I think every film we approach as filmmakers, we do our best in different situations to make the best film possible; and each experience is different. Every film has its own soul and energy, and a lot of that is who I am as a person living in this universe, things I've seen, experienced, heard, or imagined. Everyone draws inspiration differently; most would say my imagination is a little darker than the rest, and that's fine with me, I like it like that.  I was surprised and proud of 600 due to it's realness that I  was able to capture which I didn't expect when I first shot it. I am also proud of Drowning for my technical achievements and the completeness in this film which tells a compelling story in a longer length than 600(600 is 7 minutes, Drowning is about 20 minutes).

     I am more proud I got Drowning made because I basically pulled all the stops and produced this film with my own money and dealt with all the BS a producer has to go through to get a film done. The experience from Drowning has taught me the process from writing-scrīpt-preproduction-production-postproduction and dealing with every level of personnel(that was the hardest part). In the end, I proved to myself it's possible to make a good film if your heart's really in it and you don't give up. However, I don't think I want to make another Drowning b/c I'll probably go bankrupt, hahaha, jk, not really, lol. But I know I HAD TO have done Drowning in order to get to the next level; both from a director and producer's perspective. I did Drowning because I didn't want to be like everyone else who complains they can't ever get their project complete due to some BS, and I didn't want to be the guy telling everyone I have this scrīpt that's about to strike gold; I believe in creating my own luck. I don't expect some guy to walk up to me and give me a mill. to make a movie because I don't believe I deserve that. Even if someone did that, I'd tell him I'm sorry, but I can't take his offer. When I am ready, I will take that money, but now is not the time. That's the main reason I used my own money. I am not worthy of people's investments yet. I don't like to owe people or shortchange them, which is why I don't ever take out a loan or borrow money from people. When I am confident in something worthy of investment, I believe I'll get it because by then, I'll have proved myself. Let's go back to Drowning since today is almost like a 1st day of completion even though more post needs to be finished, haha, I'm just happy I can start sending out festival cuts and DVDs to friends who have been waiting for this.

     Drowning... Let's see what I remember... 1st time dealing with acting/writing/producing/directing at the same time was a good way to test my limits. Enough with Drowning, all I can think of is our theme music, no more... Anyways... I am beginning to think about my future projects and what kind of films I want to make next. A similar film to 600 with more completeness is an idea that popped up recently, along with my documentary film that's already in motion. I think after these projects, I'll be truly ready to attack a real feature and do a good job with it. But as I look back into this East vs. West film philosophy and style, I think I fit the East mold more than the West due to the intensity of intimacy in my films. I love to be intimate and show the closeness of certain aspects of life. Let's put it this way: I made 600 for myself, and I made Drowning for other people. For my upcoming projects: I'm making the documentary for others, the follow up to 600 for myself. I think my training will be complete in the next year, and then it will be time for do or die; no more training wheels. Now that I have more help on my side, it will be easier for my next few films to be made and I am thankful for that. The best part of filmmaking is meeting new people, sharing our lives with each other, and working together to do something special that's never done before; that's why I love filmmaking. I can't wait to my next project and the different people I will encounter on that journey, it will be a lot of hardship and fun. After each film, you come out with not only more experience but a better idea of who you are as a person due of those experiences, and the people that influenced your life who have shared your pain and glory. I can't wait...