Jim Jarmusch

I happened to watch one of Jim's films only the other night, 'Broken Flowers'. I enjoyed the movie but I didn't really soak it all up, so after the film had ended I went on-line and did some reading. The film suddenly became very clear to me, my own interpretations of the film started to develop further. It was an art house/independent film at its best. Its not a contemporary film, it doesn't follow standard procedure. Its almost like a poem. Suddenly I became interested in the guy behind the camera. I had never heard of Jim Jarmusch before, I almost feel ashamed now that I didn't know of this great guy before now. I'm not going to say I've become a huge fan, I've only seen one of his films but after doing some light reading on him, also checking out some You Tube interviews, I certainly understand some his ideologies and I'm interested to learn more about this film-maker

In one section of the first interview, displayed here, he mentions that he did not use storyboards or a shot list during the filming of Dead Man. This is interesting because Peter Jackson, another film maker I'm currently looking at explains that he filmed his first feature film, Bad Taste, with no story boards either. I think this proves what powerful tools their minds are, to process a film purely in their minds eye. But I also believe that it gives them complete control of their work, to bend and shape their film as they see fit. During my time making El Campamento I was forced to throw away my story boards and just film. Campo turned out fine and I'm quite impressed by some of the shots, I think as a film maker you have to trust your instinct and do what feels right.

In his second interview he mentions a few things regarding his time at film school. As I'm just about to embark on my own journey through film school I was pleased to hear some of his own experiences. He mentions that he learned a lot of things by attending film school but some of those things, in latter life, he would have to unlearn. Rules on editing and acting in particular he didn't like. He says when he creates he tries to create his own way, the only way he knows how. Its very inspiring, many of these thoughts are similar to my own. I have never been comfortable with the notion that I'm expected to make films a certain, by the books, sort of way. If I always have to return to the rule book whenever I'm writing or filming then I'll end up making a film that is not my own, if those films become a success or a failure is irrelevant. They are my films.

I will have to do more reading, I'm sure I've a lot more to learn from Jim.