I always find it comforting to watch the early work of big-time directors. Not because it's terrific or terrible -- it's usually somewhere in between, which just goes to show that you never know where your filmmaking career is headed. The important thing is to get started. Christopher Nolan
shot his surreal three-minute short "Doodlebug" with actor Jeremy Theobald, who would star in Nolan's $6,000 first feature Following a year later. Nolan then followed up with the brilliant Memento and the rest is history. Here's "Doodlebug:"
Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WhKt_CkXD0&feature=player_embedded
Shot on 16mm B&W film.
[via FilmmakerIQ]
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14 Comments
Neat. Interesting that his first two films were black and white...
May 11, 2011 at 5:29PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Well that's just cause black film stock was cheaper...
October 30, 2011 at 9:57AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
If you go to fiml school you are weak! :), another director that never went to film school.
May 11, 2011 at 9:32PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Mario you are an idiot...
May 12, 2011 at 5:13PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Yes, i am :)
May 13, 2011 at 2:28PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
That was great, very original.
@Mario, Really dude??? Use big boy thoughts when your writing on big boy sites.
Thanks for all the great info Koo.
May 12, 2011 at 6:36PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
What an inspiration. Nice! Thanks for sharing!
May 12, 2011 at 7:42PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Mario-you're right in saying he didn't go to film school. But he didn't just make a film straight off the bat. He educated himself by involving himself with his university's film society, and he took courses at Raindance and apparently Dov Siemen's course. Not film schools exactly but still an education.
May 13, 2011 at 6:07AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
I'm not saying not to study, i'm saying not to spend the high quantity of money that "good" film schools steal from you for something you can find cheaper :) and even better, of course education is neccesary, i do it myself reading, photographing, writting, shooting, watching movies, living, traveling, etc.
May 13, 2011 at 2:32PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Mario-I don't completely concur with your point. I, like yourself, prefer to learn via books, web resources, practising etc rather than through class based tutorials. I've done some of the courses Chris Nolan has taken and have found them to be personally worthless, yet others in those classes have stated the opposite to my experience. Some need a class based environment to learn whilst others are happy to learn by themsleves. Each to their own.
May 14, 2011 at 1:24AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
Of course some need class based environment but those classes can be taken without spending such quantity of money.
May 15, 2011 at 9:31AM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
THAT´S RIGHT MARIO!!! SPENT HIGH QUANTITY OF MONEY TO LEARN SHOOT,WRITE.EDITE,ETC FILMS IS ALMOST COMMON MISTAKES BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO WANTS TO BE A FILMMAKER...
(SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH HEHEHE)
May 21, 2011 at 7:06PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
christopher nolan's always wants to confuse the audience, that has always been his narrative. He does that so well.
May 13, 2011 at 9:09PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM
When you read Borges or Cortazar you can do easily those kind of things :), i good writer also has to be a good reader before.
May 13, 2011 at 9:56PM, Edited September 4, 7:54AM