frustrated big-shot filmmaker wannabe.

Nikki Malkavian Z-boy

Nikki Malkavian Z-boy

hey guys. :)

i didn't know in which section should i make this thread, so i apologize in advance.

i'll get straight to the point. i live in Greece which has a very rich history of important quality films, as well as garbage. the only greek big budget film is "To Kako 2" with Billy Zane, i also played a zombie in that movie. well, Greece isn't big enough for me, i had enough of small-time shooting and practicing. i wanna reach the top with the new big script i'm working on these days, because when i write i don't have restrictions, i want my films to come out exactly as i imagined them, no matter the cost. Geographically, i won't succeed in Greece. in the near future though i will move to Morocco, which also sucks in film quality and budgets are too low. :(

in a few words, i need the appropriate connections so i can fulfill my dreams. do you think i should migrate to a different country or something? i would love to work with important like-minded people. anyone here wanna collaborate with me? or pass it down to a friend, who also has a friend, etc. i have big dreams and i would like to share them with the world. :yes:
 
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It seems like Morocco would be worse than Greece if you want to be a filmmaker. Why go there? Or do you have a choice?

If you go to a big media country you'll be small fish in a big pond, and if you come to the US you'll be a minnow in an ocean. Why can't you stay in Greece and become a big fish in a small pond? Then move on to a more film friendly location when you have credentials that will be attractive to investors or whomever.



Just my 2 ducats.






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I met a New Zealand producer (where I'm from) and we talked about the fragile state that our national cinema's been in ever since its conception. Her advice was to make your first and maybe second feature here, within the constraints of a small budget. As a NZer, it's easier to get government funding, you're around people you know (i.e. the comforts and support of family and friends), have the contacts you've built up (even if it just means your grandma is going to cater for you and save you a few thousand bucks doing so), etc etc. Her advice was then to flee the country, with some track record to try and make it overseas.

As Alcove said, you'd be a small fish in a big pond, and it might be harder to get those first initial low budget films even created in a more competitive environment.

Regardless, no one is going to give you your unlimited budget without a proven track record. Even with one, you may find it hard to get your film to come out the way you imagined, "no matter the cost." Moving countries won't help you, you're still going to have to struggle a while longer.
 
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Nikki Malkavian Z-boy said:
... when i write i don't have restrictions, i want my films to come out exactly as i imagined them, no matter the cost.
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Your post in general and this quote in particular raises 2 points:

1. As others have said, the small fish in the big pond scenario. There are many people with your dream/desire and sooner or later they all gravitate to one of the filmmaking centres: London in Europe for example and of course ultimately Hollywood. There maybe a hundred or a thousand times bigger/more budget available in places like this but then there are a thousand or ten thousand times more filmmakers fighting over it! So the odds really aren't much better.

2. The quote above indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of the film industry or at least the budgeted film industry in the major film making centres. The "industry" does not exist to provide funds to filmmakers to make "films exactly as they imagined them", it's the other way around! Filmmakers exist to make films as the industry imagines them. There are exceedingly few, even amongst the very biggest names, who get to write and make well budgeted films exactly as they imagined them. It's a vicious circle; the bigger the budget, the more control the studio/investors require to minimise their risk and the more compromises the writer/filmmaker has to make. On the other hand, smaller budgets may give the writer/filmmaker more control but then you're back to the problem of insufficient funds to make the film "exactly as you imagine". In other words, your dream (as you've described it) isn't really fulfil-able in the real world, it's unrealistic!

I don't know what state or private film funding is available in Greece but recent announcements from the Greek government indicate a willingness/desire to promote filmmaking in Greece. Furthermore, living in Greece potentially gives you access to EU funding. Both of these facts would indicate more filmmaking potential in Greece than in say Morocco.

From the few clips you've posted which I've seen, you appear to have some potential as a filmmaker but potential on it's own, or worse still; some potential plus unrealistic dreams, is professionally/commercially worthless! IMHO, you need to: 1. Start approaching your filmmaking from the point of view of you adapting to the market rather than searching abroad for a (mythical!) market which will adapt to you. In other words, what sort of script/film would be most likely to attract EU funding, state funding, private funding or some combination of these potential funding avenues? 2. Continue practising/improving your film making/writing skills (relative to point 1). 3. Either spend much of your time learning the role of Producer; identifying, locating, obtaining/co-ordinating funding and then producing a product to meet/exceed the expectations of those providing the funding or, partner with someone else who wants to learn this role.

None of the above is probably what you want to hear. What you probably want to hear is that there is some place in the world you can go and live your dream of effectively being a professional amateur-filmmaker. An amateur filmmaker can make what they want, when they want and how they want, within the boundary of little/no budget. A professional filmmaker has much fewer budget boundaries but then has greater compromises on the what, when and how aspects of filmmaking. You can choose to be an amateur filmmaker or you can choose to be a professional filmmaker but you can't really choose to be a professional amateur-filmmaker!

G
 
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note: my wife is Moroccan, that's why i will move there.

i know that this place is worse than Greece when it comes to arts, but i don't have a choice. what is the most i can do out of that situation? should i finish film school in Morocco so i can get the connections? i'd rather reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. i'm not gonna give up on my dreams, even if i moved to Somalia.
 
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my scripts and ideas are objectively awesome, i just don't have the connections and the big budget needed to make them happen. my wife and me decided not to move to Morocco but stay here in Greece. if a big opportunity comes up though, i won't hesitate migrating somewhere else. i'm always on the lookout for important people that can help me out, so if there is any big-shot directors-producers out there, they are most welcome. trust me, if the result of my ideas comes out exactly as i planned it, many people will shut their mouth. ;)
 
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Nikki Malkavian Z-boy said:
my scripts and ideas are objectively awesome
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This is one of the best examples of an inadvertent oxymoron I've ever seen! A better understanding of the terms "objective" and "subjective" and how they apply to your scripts and ideas from the perspective of a "big-shot" producer would drastically improve your chances of success.

Nikki Malkavian Z-boy said:
... trust me, if the result of my ideas comes out exactly as i planned it, many people will shut their mouth. ;)
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You really, REALLY (!), need to gain at least a basic understanding of how and why films are financed, what exactly is the role of a Producer and what makes a Producer "successful" or a "big-shot"!

It's good to have dreams but if you have any serious intent about turning those dreams into reality, then by definition you need to apply some reality to them!! Without any understanding whatsoever of film funding or what a Producer is/does, your best chance of success currently is to buy lots of EuroMillions lottery tickets and then fund your film yourself from your jackpot winnings. Good luck!

G
 
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Nikki Malkavian Z-boy said:
just gimme the "green light" and the rest will flow naturally. :D
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Thank you for proving my point! The vast majority of low (but decently) budgeted films fail, so it's more than easy to prove that "the rest" does NOT "flow naturally" but requires considerable talent, experience and skill. The very fact that you believe "the rest will flow naturally" is only one reason (but nevertheless reason enough) that no one in their right mind would ever give you the "green light" in the first place!

If you're serious about making budgeted films then you need to get serious, otherwise you're just trolling (yourself more than this forum)!

G
 
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You asked for an open check book. If anyone here had those kinds of connections and resources they'd be taking advantage of them themselves. People's "criticism" was an attempt to wake you up to the reality of filmmaking.
 
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Let me interpret.

nevermind,
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I'm bubbling up on the inside.... I'm a little upset you guys didn't share your super secrets with me. You know, those ones that not even the biggest Hollywood hotshots know...

i was just asking for some help
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Yeah I know you guys are right, but you need to share the secret of the fountain of never ending unaccountable cash cow. I know you're all worth billions of dollars. Just show me where to get some of those wads.

but all i got was criticism.
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Harsh reality hurts guys.... if you don't stop I'm going to present my feelings are hurt. I'm going to rage!

i'm never gonna post here again.
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NEVER. EVER.


EVER.

NEVER.

Until next time.

bye.
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This one has me stumped. Anyone?

But really Nikki, if you're going to have a hissy fit on a forum every time people say you're being unrealistic, get out of filmmaking. It's not for you. It'll eat you up and spit you out. Take some time off and do some soul searching and see if the filming dream is really something you want to chase. The era of unaccountable money in this industry is long gone.

I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do.
 
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Nikki Malkavian Z-boy said:
nevermind, i was just asking for some help but all i got was criticism. i'm never gonna post here again. bye.
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I think what you got was a reality check

amazing idea does not equal amazing film. two of my best ideas have been on the back burner for years, because they would be tarnished to attempt them at such an early stage. I am working toward one of those finally though :)
 
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