The key difference between 99% of the “online to feature” breakouts we’re seeing VS the YouTuber explosion of the 2010’s, in my opinion, is that all of these folks are people making truly great short form narrative content first.
They’re getting really good at it before making the jump. These aren’t TikTokers making bad UGC content or vlogging or random low hanging fruit jokes suddenly being given film budgets. So the lesson is yes, make short form content. Figure out your voice, build an audience but also get really really good at filmmaking. I knew over a year ago that Obsession was gonna be great just because of how great their short form content has been. It takes a lot of luck and a LOT of talent. But when that talent is finally given a real opportunity? This happens.
Matthew McConaughey straight up defended ego on Theo Von's podcast and honestly kinda blew my mind.
He said ego gets trashed too much. There's the toxic "look at me" version, sure. But the real one? That inner "I" where you know you're prepared, capable, and willing to go for it. The confidence that comes from judging yourself harder than anyone else. Without that, you got no real identity or direction.
This hit me. I spent years thinking killing the ego was the move. Now I'm rethinking it. That healthy drive feels necessary.
We've gone from arrogant show-offs to everyone acting fake-humble. A balanced ego might be what actually keeps you grounded and moving forward.
Do you see ego as mostly toxic, or can the healthy version actually push you to be better?
First clip from ‘TANGLES’, a new animated film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston and Seth Rogen.
The film follows an artist who returns home after Alzheimer's disease begins to erase her mother’s vibrant personality.
Major cheat code in life: Stop announcing what you're going to do. Every time you tell people your plans and don't follow through, you're training them to stop believing you. The person who says nothing and delivers is worth ten people who promise everything and deliver nothing. Show up quietly.
Most people quit because they forget that you have to be bad at something before you can be good at it. It's so obvious. You suck. Of course you're not going to win in 2 weeks. But if you can learn to enjoy extended periods of failure, you will make it very, very far in life.
When we were kids we were watching a popular kids cartoon. He came in the room and said that what we were watching was the most disgusting thing he’d ever seen in his life.
It was CATDOG. My dad absolutely hates CATDOG.
while it’s not wrong to wanna see large networks and streaming services distribute your work, this is the route more black creators need to be following. i’m sat
It's interesting that A24 is not-so-quietly recruiting filmmakers like Kane Parsons, Curry Barker, the Philippou brothers, Ian Tuason -- all guys who created viral content prior to their big-screen debuts. The next generation of filmmakers will already come with their own built-in audiences because they cut their teeth creating content on YouTube or elsewhere.
Everyone likes to rag on influencer culture, but not enough are talking about the positives of YouTube creators shaking up the movie business -- Markiplier among them, too. I'm sure A24 is trying to get him to make his next movie there as we speak.
James Cameron on what makes a good story:
"I think a good story sets up a character or a small group of characters that you can somehow relate to, even if they’re in a very strange setting, maybe they’re in very strange jobs, but the relationships between the people are recognizable to us in some way. Maybe it’s boy meets girl, maybe it’s father-son, maybe it’s husband and wife undergoing a divorce. Where the story is set we can relate to these universal kinds of relationships. Then that relationship must be tested. I always say, 'All my movies are love stories.'”
Do you agree with him?
It’s a privilege to make a movie. A bigger one to do it with your best friend. Bigger still to have so much help from so many brilliant artists and friends old and new. But the biggest privilege of all is when people you’ve never met give you their time and attention and take a seat. Without that generosity a film cannot exist. Thank you, friends. Thank you strangers. Hope you love it.
How to develop good taste:
1. Copy others
2. Learn the rules
3. Study history and learn why the rules are the rules
Good taste = a language. Good taste means speaking the right words so you can say what you're wanting to say.
This clip is a great example.
"I'm not a good drummer. I just copied what worked. Works every time."
He's dumbing it down, but Dave Grohl learned the fundamentals of drumming by copying others then took bits and pieces from history to create something new but effective in the language he wanted to speak (grunge).
I define that as good taste.