With The Artist up for an Oscar this weekend, I found this little item to be apropos. If we were to travel 100 years back we'd be avidly reading articles like the following interview with silent film director Marshall Neilan - "How To be a Motion Picture Director." There's a lot we can learn from watching silent films in terms of pure visual story telling, but it's not often you hear advice about the business side. Mr. Neilan delivers in a big way, showing that as much as things change, some things stay the same:
A couple of choice quotes:
Q. What are the essential qualifications of a director?
A. The ability to convince producers that you are a better director than your pictures show you to be.
Q. How can this be done?
A. Easily. It is being done every day. Read a book on self-confidence and salesmanship.
Check out the full interview:
Do you think you could hack it in early Hollywood?
Link: Spectacular Attractions - How To Be A Motion Picture Director
[via Go Into The Story]
