I feel like John Fiege was a refreshing guest to come speak with the class. He brought a lot of hope for film students soon going to graduate and I feel that is very essential at this time. But even in doing so, we are not disillusioned with challenges that may and most likely will happen. I remember the most about how he talked about getting a geology undergrad and a geography masters and then getting into film school. This shows that not everyone has to have their future mapped out exactly the way it is going to happen. Change is not always a bad thing.
I also liked John Fiege because he really showed how he got to where he is today and also has interest in helping others get into the film industry. I myself am not going straight to film after I graduate but hearing his advice and his beginning story really motivated me in anything I wanted to do. It applies to more than just flm students; it applies for life.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree with a lot of what Vi said about John Fiege. His honesty was incredibly refreshing, and I felt like his journey was surprisingly relatable. Like Vi said, when he graduated from college, he may not have known that his life would lead him down a path of film. For us, we know that we want to take that path, but it's entirely comforting to find out that there is time and room for diversion. Documentary film has always been my top priority and goal, but there are still so many other subjects that I am interested in and lives that I think I may want to lead. I convinced myself that if I stray from the path to documentaries, I may never get back. John Fiege's story showed me that there isn't just one way to get to a career in film, but there are many.
ReplyDeleteAs I leave UT, it's obvious that it's due time to plan for the future, due time to find a job, due time to make some decisions. But I know where I want to end up - in documentary film - so what's wrong with taking a zig zag road to get there? Currently, all I want to do is help people. I want to get out into the world and put my hands to action and just help. I have time to do this. All I have is time. And maybe starting with non-profit organizations is how I'll get to that future in documentary (incorporating the two is always ideal). John Fiege began in geology and geography and ended in film. I've already begun in film, so it can't be too hard to get back, right?
On a different note, Fiege actually gave the first lecture I've been to about the Red camera. For some of us (or just me), the Red seems like this ominous, lurking entity that is slowly casting a shadow over Austin (and elsewhere). But it's not scary. It's just something we have to adapt to. And I'm all for adapting and getting better at what I do. His opinions and experience with the Red camera were incredibly helpful for someone who hasn't yet worked directly with it.
So yes, John Fiege was an inspiring speaker. But of course, Bradley Beesley was, too...
I also thought John Fiege was the most inspiring speaker we had the opportunity to meet this semester. I remember walking in late to class on this particular day and by the end of his presentation I wish I hadn’t. Apart from having a lot of useful information about the nature of the business and of course the RED, he really had a down to earth quality to him like Ashley mentioned. For me personally, this is what set him apart from the other guest speakers. I think more than anything he emphasized that filmmaking is always going to be a learning process, which is something I think a lot of us often forget when caught up in the storm of things. I felt comfortable asking questions about anything, as I think we all did, and that is exactly what happened. By far Fiege’s Q and A was the most beneficial to me as a filmmaker.
ReplyDeleteI also felt like although most of the speakers came prepared to show us some of their work, it was Fiege’s examples that I came away with the most from. He was able to criticize his own work at the expense of giving us some great advice about what to avoid and what to be prepared for when shooting and in the best sense of the words, I really felt like he was just another film student who has had the opportunity to produce some really great work. Essentially, his speech made the dream of making a high-caliber doc a considerable reality and I came away with aspiration to do just that……quite possibly with RED.
I posted a while back about Bradley Beesley and thought I'd copy n' paste a paragraph from that, because I felt he was the most inspiring speaker for me. (Although John was awesome as well)
ReplyDelete"I love when Bradley Beesley visits the class; there is something inspiring about that man. He is very different from our guest 2 weeks ago, Peter Esmonde, who left a rather bitter taste in my mouth. Instead of being cynical about post-graduation and entering the film industry, I liked how he told us about people he knows that have started out as production assistants for different television shows and have eventually worked up to becoming executive producers. Although this takes a good amount of years, it is still nice to know that we can start somewhere after we graduate and work ourselves up the ladder to the position we would like to be in. I know there are other ways to make it in the industry, but starting out at the bottom isn't so bad, and heck, you'll learn a ton on your way up."
Anyway, I've always thought Bradley had a happy outlook on the film industry, and this rubs off on you as a listener. He has had tremendous success as a filmmaker, and when he describes his pathway it seems hopeful that we can do the same. He also has a way of speaking at our level, even though he is far beyond that. He doesn't get up in front of the class and sound like a big shot and talk over our heads. By doing this, it is easy for the audience to make a connection with him.
I also really enjoyed listening to both Bradley Beesley and John Fiege this semester. Beesley is an incredibly honest and open person, and that made him appear so genuine before us. I thought it was so nice that he thanked and acknowledged us for the feedback we gave him on his documentary last semester. How humble is that? He never once acted like he was some kind of big shot even after all the successful films he had made.
ReplyDeleteBut John Fiege really inspired me because I could relate to the background he came from. He was a geology major! I’ve been feeling so out of place with my background (I’ll be graduating this May with a degree in biomedical engineering) that it would make me wonder whether I’ll ever really be able to make that transition into film. And after listening to Fiege, it really gave me a lot of hope that I can. I actually waited after class to ask him more for advice, and he just suggested to jump right into it, not necessarily to wait for a few years to make enough money and gain more skills. He said that it is much harder to take those kinds of bold risks later on in life: to go overseas to film and travel at the same time…that there really is no better time than now to do it. And I think I can see why.
Do what you love…I’ll try my best to follow that motto.