M. Night Shyamalan Puts All His Advice And Filmmaking Answers on YouTube

For my entire life, M. Night Shyamalan has been an incredible draw at the movies. He really broke out with The Sixth Sense, and even now that I'm in my late 30s, his movies still get my butt in the theater.

I find him to be an exquisite craftsman, someone who is willing to shake up a genre or a bland story in favor of a twist that keeps you on your toes.

And I love how open he is in interviews where he talks about the good, the bad, and all the decisions that go into how he puts his work together.

If only there were a way to access all his tips, tricks, advice, and honest opinions about his work?

Well, now there is one!

Shyamalan sat down with students at Villanova University to candidly discuss artistic identity, fear of failure, and the future of storytelling.

And he recorded it all and put it on YouTube!

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Rethinking the Hollywood Press Circuit

So this whole idea came about as Shyamalan decided to rethink how he promotes his work and how he uses his time around rolling out a movie.

We're so used to reheated soundbites and the same interviews; Shyamalan wanted a twist in that.

So he legit just goes to a cafeteria at a college and hosts an AMA in person. The idea is that there will be multiple episodes in this series where people just ask him questions and he gives unfiltered answers.

The resulting interactions reveal more about the creative mindset than standard promotional tours ever could, and I feel like it endeared Shyamalan even more to me.

Plus, the vibe is great, and the advice was really tangible.

Develop an "Ear for Yourself"

While young creatives often attempt to imitate trends or "code switch" to fit industry expectations, they often fail because they're not being themselves.

Shyamalan says that an artist's original voice is their competitive advantage.

You are trying to develop your ear, and you are enough as an artist, as long as you stay true to it.

The process of aging and gaining industry experience can sometimes create distance from what once drove us. You have to go back to that and find the voice that still speaks to you.

This is a marathon, not a sprint, so you can use bumps in the road to only make yourself better and to make your voice even cleaner.

Summing It All Up

I can't wait for more episodes in this series and to get more of his intricacies and nuances from this stuff and these subjects.

Happy watching!