Does being a "jack of all trades" work?

[OldGod]

Are there many filmmakers or writers out there who successfully create stories in vastly different genres/settings? I find myself wanting to dip my toes in so many different genres but I wonder how realistic that is.

 

[indietalk]

In other words... jack of all trades or jackass... know the difference!

(Damn, that's good!)

 

[Cinephilist]

What really sucks is micromanaging. If you assign a job to somebody let them do it! What this means is you need to hire the right people. The people you can let loose and do their thing. If you find yourself micromanaging either 1) You have hired the wrong people or 2) You are a control freak/asshole (the former is how you see yourself, the latter is how others see you).

Don't confuse this with not paying attention to every detail or not caring. Micromanaging is not letting someone do their job and you get in their way telling them how to do it instead of knowing how to work with them and voice your opinion.

This is so true!!!

When I first started, I used to do everything like write, act, direct and edit. Even for music, I used to find royalty free music. End result was a huge mess but it was a huge learning experience. Now I found out how to not make a film. Since then I began networking with film school students and took help from friends. Best decision ever!!

My friend's sister was studying acting in drama school and she brings in her classmates to fill the cast. Likewise found a composer student and a great cinematography student and our working relationship has been great so far. We usually discuss before the shoot what I'm looking for so it makes things easy but on the day of the shoot. The cinematographer and also the actors put in their suggestions wherever necessary if they feel the scene could be better. The guy behind the camera is really good, so most of the time I trust his decision. This also helps me a lot personally to focus on other areas. Since all of them are students who are starting out to build their portfolio so it actually helps to film without any budgets. Also, most of them return back for other projects because they enjoyed working together

You need to accept that you are working with a great team and give them the freedom to put in their creative inputs. Ofcourse, the final decision is still upto you but at the end of the day your team should be comfortable working with you. You need to trust them with their job

 

[Drowynaut55]

Are there many filmmakers or writers out there who successfully create stories in vastly different genres/settings? I find myself wanting to dip my toes in so many different genres but I wonder how realistic that is.

bro, anything works if you work hard