I think there's something to be said about "late bloomers" in the arts. Many great artists didn't break in until almost mid-life and that goes for a lot of different artistic mediums.. but especially film. When someone gets fame later in life I believe they can handle that fame better too and navigate it a little easier.. making better, more fruitful decisions.

@louismcg7601

Ай бұрын

Brendan Gleeson is a good example

@tronam

Ай бұрын

James Cameron didn't release his first film until he was 30. Unlike acting, directing tends to skew older.

@tedh79

Ай бұрын

Think Ridley Scott was about 42 when he made his feature debut. But to be fair he was one of the top commercials directors in the world!

@rizzo-films

Ай бұрын

Excellent point. Often, these late bloomers had been working in some capacity for years or even decades before getting the right project or getting noticed. Yeah it's about who you know and all that, but also because of one of the toughest facts about filmmaking: it can be extremely difficult and time consuming to get a film funded or even made. A lot of directors have multiple projects in development because often it takes years or even decades to go from screenplay to a fully-staffed and funded set, and most of those projects will probably never get made at all. The level of stamina and grit that you cultivate in that process should certainly help you keep a level head through later-in-life fame.

@georgevillalba2810

Ай бұрын

No secret here. Just be persistent and choose the right project.

He also took a long break and went back to school. He indicated in a recent interview that this was pivotal to getting back on track.

@KnarfStein

Ай бұрын

Yep, D.V. took a 9 YEAR break after his 2nd film, Maelstrom, because he felt he was merely playing around with the camera with nothing to say, even though the film was selected as a foreign entry in some prestigious award festival. That's how much he takes his craft seriously.

@slimelove3493

Ай бұрын

Do you know which interview that was? I’d love to watch

@KnarfStein

Ай бұрын

​@@slimelove3493 I know the time period to be a fact, but I can't remember where he says it. I know he mentions in his appearance on the Team Deakins podcast, but I can't be sure whether he states the figure outright.

@slimelove3493

Ай бұрын

@@KnarfStein thanks I’ll check out the podcast

@louisecote3542

Ай бұрын

​@@KnarfSteinYes but during this period,he also wrote two scripts: Polytechnique and Incendie.

Just the advice I needed to hear again! At 40 years old, it's great to hear it's never too late.

The twist was so well set up. Not gonna lie I was getting depressed hearing about the “first filmmaker” and it shows you just how much our minds lie to us. We are our worst enemies and the only thing stopping ourselves from our goals.

You made a lot of good points about Denis being a late bloomer in terms of mainstream recognition, but I think you grossly underestimated the MASSIVE importance of the major film festivals he was able to get into from his very first film. Cannes, TIFF, and prizes from those places are SUBSTANTIAL not financially but for your self esteem; they’re the equivalent to making back double your budget in the box office

@kpwand

Ай бұрын

This is a good point, but competition art house entries into Cannes and TIFF don't get you Hollywood deals. There are hundreds of filmmakers who got into Cannes who aren't able to make a Hollywood movie. What is more important to say is that he evolved his style to suit Hollywood projects. Polytechnique is much more accessible than his first two art house features. You never know what will get you the breakthrough.

I am 45yo- 20 something shorts 1 low low low no budget feature, I am in NYC area since 2015 but I COULD have written this post... THE fact that was DV has sparked my heart again. THANK You again your video comes when I need to hear it! I feel inspired .

This video is exactly what I needed to hear for so long now. I no joke cried after watching it. Thank you for making it. You are probably the most honest and helpful person on KZread. Thank you.

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Appreciate the words, really glad this video helps you!

His story is exactly like mine…so far. Well…almost. I’m 45 now. It was almost as if I wrote that comment and you were reading it for this video. This video gives me a lot of hope. I have a lot of drive and we’ll see where this journey goes.

@typical8915

Ай бұрын

You got this man! Don’t stop doing what you want to do, that’s what it’s all about. I bet one day I’ll be watching one of your projects up on the big screen

Key point made perfectly: You have to prove you can do the work first. Yes, you can BELIEVE in yourself but if you don't BET on yourself and make some of the sacrifices to DO the wok (especially sacrifices of your time) and make things, you just can't expect much. It's like an athlete...they will never get off the bench or win anything if they don't do lots of work alone and in the "dark" and show what they can do in practice. Practice is where coaches decide who should play.

I really love your perspective on the industry, but also on economics as a whole. You're neither a "the world is broken and everything sucks" or a "You have to fight your way and crush everyone else around you" type of person. You're honest about the fact that life is hard and doesn't give you preferential treatment but also clear about what needs to be done and optimistic about being able to do it. Thanks for the info and the great perspective!

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Appreciate the words, thank you!

"Wayside" becoming "Weight Size" in that quote had me in stitches. It made me sit up and pay attention more than before, so I guess it was ultimately good?

Bang on! (Again). Recently, I told someone that (if I can pull it off) some people will be annoyed wondering how I suddenly "came out of nowhere" to find success. What they won't see is the last 30 years I've spent exploring my creativity while learning and practicing. I said that while it will still take some time, when it finally happens it will happen quickly. But the reality is that the perceived momentum is really only the latest exponential trajectory of the last 30 years.

I prefer it when directors work within the constraints of smaller budgets - ergo their early films. Villeneuve is no exception for me.

@disliked1390

Ай бұрын

after dune I hope he finds the time to drop some fincher level lower budget smarter movie.

Thank you for taking the time to tell this story. A lot of people go thru to same situation and is very difficult to keep going. Take care of you!

Have been a big fan of Villeneuve since watching his short film Next Floor at Film School. Loved Enemy and Prisoners and now his recent scifi epics! Really enjoying your recent content

Such a wise and astute video! The note about finding your tribe is absolutely key. The number one thing holding me back is crippling social anxiety. I've got years of experience in commercials, documentaries, music videos, etc. And directed a narrative feature in college. I run the video department full time for an advertising agency and am writing multiple screenplays. I LOVE to work, I've got the ideas, the stamina and the skills. But putting myself out there and finding this special tribe of like-minded, deeply inspired people is the most daunting task in my life, far more daunting than shooting/directing/editing two back-to-back feature length documentaries! You put it beautifully when you said these people will help keep you sane and motivated. It's not just about knowing good crew members and creatives. You need other people to believe in you, and people for you to be inspired by and believe in as well. Trying to do this on your own can be an incredibly lonely and desperate experience.

Every video, more value. Thank you!

I love your attitude about breaking in to the industry and having no illusions about the time it takes to break through . You have to make all the small little things and learn the trade in the craft and be able to do everybody’s job Thanks for the objectivity and this is a great lesson for filmmakers

Great stuff man. As someone that’s dipping my toes on YT videos, now that I’ve done a couple I can get over how tough it is behind the scenes to create a video. Your channel is a huge inspiration. 🙌🏼 keep up the great work!

Great video - insightful, honest, well-articulated

Hoyte van Hoytema (director of photography of Nolan) is similar, he got into filmmaking in his early 30s and now at 52 he’s one of the biggest names in the industry

Very well done. Thank you for this

I look forward to your videos, informative and inspiring.

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

Spitting truths! I'm in my early 40s and, after more than 20 years in the industry, I'm feeling that I'm just starting to get it. Keep learning, stay hungry and have fun!

thanks for the reminders!

loved this video! watching your channel really made me change my mindset on filmmaking and I'm happy to share it with my folks looking to get into the filmmaking industry. You are kinda like the Lisan al Gaib of filmmakers on youtube, haha

Appreciate the encouragement. Very timely. Thank you!

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Great video Luc. What audio gear are using for your KZread videos? The sound is amazing.

Such a great video Luc...always thoughtful and full of superb insights...

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

Denis Villeneuve expresses poetry through his scenes. He sees poetry through his lens. He said it in one of his interviews. Thanks. Akim K

Beautiful advice, thank you!

this was great, thanks 🙂

Persistence and working with people who are brilliant at their chosen craft.

Oh man, you really had me going until 2:11. 😆Thanks for taking the time to share this super valuable reminder. Well said.

Good vid - Love Denis work!

absolutely love this one man 👏👏

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Thank you 🙌

informative video Thanks Luc.

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Thanks John!

I saw the “Next Floor”

Fantastic video here, Luc. Love to hear the story of Denis' rise to the top. Successful careers aren't made overnight - this video was a great reminder.

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Next floor is one of the most insane movie I've seen.

I watched Next Floor as a part of film-school. Visually, it never left my mind. Only forgot the name of the director

True that! I guess like in all professions we're prone to miscalculate a lot. A sort of Dunning-Krueger effect, probably we made something the first time and it made some traction. Then we suddenly feel we're ready for the big games and become complacent.Then reality hits, we're not as good as we think we are. You're right. Laboring on your craft, reaching out to others, and beating your craft to some refinement (eventually refining it some more) will make you personally and the craft better. Denis Villeneuve level though, it's only reserved for a few. Hopefully someone out there who saw this video will get there. Thanks for the vid bro. Nice as always. ✊😅

The story of Denis Villeneuve is that he stepped back from chasing directing features in his early thirties, having made two features by then. He was ready to roll then by the end of the 2000’s with Polytechnique, which demonstrates everything that he can do as a filmmaker, and was able to see the play that was the basis of Incendies in a Canadian theatre and make it into his next movie, a complex international prestige level movie, that was Oscar nominated. He took some convincing by Jake Gyllenhaal to sign onto Prisoners, because the script needed to be elevated by his direction and Deakinx cinematography-it’s a dark and perhaps needlessly unpleasant story without their touch of class.

A great video Luc!

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

Glad you think so!

@suyogmarlecha4466

Ай бұрын

@@LucForsyth Ohh yes. People rarely consider the decades put into the work before that 'overnight success'.

One thing you forgot to mention is that people love to work with him because he's a kind and generous person they'll go all out for him.

that is very helpful. thanks

The older I get, the more I realize that persistence is the most powerful tool we have.

I need to start upload my projects

Muchas gracias Luc por el consejo. A veces las cosas se ponen difíciles y hay que luchar contra los demonios propios y seguir adelante. Saludos!

I mostly like what you said, but as a Quebecer, I must say, we have an extremely strong and tight knit cinema community. Most of them are very successful in Québec, and once in a while, one of them pop up in Hollywood, but they still have critical, and commercial succes in Quebec. Villeneuve started his career in a popular public broadcasting show : "La course destination monde." Aspiring young filmmakers were sent around the world to film a documentary on local culture, mores and reality. The season Villeneuve was on, most of the participants are still very much successful film makers in Quebec, which nobody else knows about cause they make movies in french. The point being that Villeneuve is extremely good, but him popping up in Hollywood is a matter of chance. But what made him and his peers thrive, to different degrees, is very much community support and a community of like minded artists helping each others. And also.. I think that as a Quebecer, and non native anglophone, I can speak to this and I know that my brothers in other parts of the world where Anglo/US is not the be all end all of culture. You can be a succesful artist, that speaks to people and influence people and is in conversation with culture without winning a fucking Oscar, or Golden Globe or whatever.

@ponfed

4 күн бұрын

That being said, I love Villeneuve, and followed him from the start and I'm glad that he is where he is. But winning whatever bullshit prize shouldn't be on your bucket list if you want to create art.

5:08 Naming Gerwig with the other directors you mentioned is hilarious.

Quality always shows. If you can tell a good Story and emotions come through the screen you can become a filmmaker. I think it is also very important to understand the fundamentals of every aspect thats needed like, lighting, fouley, music, screenwriting and of course the technical aspect because in the beginning you dont have huge teams of pros that take care of it. you have to judge and tweak the quality by yourself because every one of these things are hugely important. just my 2 cents, good luck to all of us

He told great stories

He also participated and won a Quebec TV show La course destination monde where he did short documentaries around the word.

Fanatic advice, which is why I am pointing out that at 8:30 it's "wayside" not "weight size" just in case you want to reupload before this gets the usual great conversations in the comment section.

@LucForsyth

Ай бұрын

noted, thanks a lot for your feedback!

Mr Villeneuve should make a film in the "Alien" saga, I'm sure he would bring something new to the franchise and it would be spectacular.

7:27 Lmao I love that even you got the movie name wrong. That's how obscure he was. Look at him now. Insane. Everything he's made is in my top 50 films easily

Why because Denis knows what audience want.

Fast forward to 13:10 for the point. This KZreadr is spot on but hard work is no secret.

I can't figure out if I should be concerned or excited about my future 😅. Either way, I probably need to find my "tribe", because I'm getting pretty damn tired of getting nowhere alone lol.

The big American productions that come to film in Quebec always come back because of their professionalism and their joie de vivre and the actors particularly appreciate the non-rigor that they do not have like on American sets. Denis Villeneuve is surrounded by Quebecois in his team and the actors like to work with him precisely for this reason and the producers see it as a winning recipe when the actors want to work with him, even those who have only heard of ambiance, like we find them in Quebec. If the actors play without feeling stressed, they all give their best and the producers, the actors and Villeneuve know that they have an excellent movie to show us. You have to be envious and jealous to make a video like you do to try to denigrate him.

I don't remember seing a producer getting all the love Villeneuve is getting now. And why does everybody call him by his first name now? Is that because it's to hard ro pronounce ? (it is not) Is it because he seems like a kind, easy going guy? I mean, I'm Quebecer like him and I'm proud to see him triumphing like that but I'm amazed by the reaction an sudden familiarity fans have with him.

He also benefitted from a system in Hollywood that sadly does not exist anymore: The mid-budget adult-oriented film. Prisoners, Sicario could barely be made today but back then they used to be stepping stones from smaller movies to bigger ones if the director chose to pursue it. It proves their abilities to studios and also gives them the experience they need to tackle bigger and bigger projects. Now it's mostly split right down the middle from low-budget Indies to mega blockbusters. If Christopher Nolan was getting started today, he would have gone from Memento straight to the Batman films and there's no way they would have been as good.

Like many filmmakers in here, as a music producer/sound design this resonates with me in different but very similar ways. If any filmmakers or podcast creators need help with sound/music, I'd love to work on something. Let me know if you want to connect!

A) He´s very good B) The competition sucks.

8:32 wayside.

because he is HIM

Consistent output and improvement over time. That’s the secret. Hard work 😂

I still think Nolan is top but I'd love to see Denis be the bigger of the two. Nolan's had the title for over a decade now

Yeah but not everyone has Dennis talent and genuine love for Cinema Even if they do make in Hollywood, most Directors simply look at movies as Videogames, going from level to level where stuff happens

40 is the new twenties, and 50 is the new thirties.🎉

I think the 'gain support of your peers' is being really underestimated about Denis right now, even by your video. Yes, through Enemy, Prisoners, Arrival, Sicario he was a rising star in the film world, but he was still not a known name. Even after Dune Part 2, a lot of filmgoers still don't recognize his name. You talk about his ability to achieve consistent success and act like it's a foregone conclusion at this point, but even up to the release of Dune Part 2, it just was not.... It would be hard to say Blade Runner 2049 was a bomb financially or critically, but it also didn't really succeed in either arena. It was a disappointment that was hard to justify the budget and star power. I was so worried he'd be knocked down from any big productions again after that. The reception of Dune was... Not unanimous, and the box office was not strong. The fact that part 2 was not guaranteed made me extremely worried. Even David Fincher was not able to keep Dragon Tattoo going as a franchise after the middling response to that endeavor. If everyone in the industry, especially actors, were not chomping at the bit to work with Denis, I don't think there is any way in hell Part 2 would be green lit. For anyone but the top few directors out there to get that cast, at that price, is just unfathomable. Without the commitment of all the actors involved to be a part of this, and to work with Denis... By the numbers, his career should long be over.

Great Video - interesting Channel - Topic suggestion - Why does Disney and other major studios put multi million dollar budget movies in the hands of inexperienced directors with limited experience that result in total garbage movies.. Such people would never get such budgets outside Hollywood but I guess reality does not exist in Hollywood.

I was a 1000 likes! Neil it! 😮

Look at this site, you will have all the answer about what makes Denis Villeneuve special. I don't put the link, they always erasing it. Do your research with Denis Villeneuve & His Cinema of Ambiguity - Directing Styles Explained

I respectfully disagree. You are 100% right on the community thing. That's undeniable. Even Kubrick delegated and consulted. But Villeneuve has succeeded for the same reason that Nolan and Eggars and Aster have: *they make increasingly **_interesting_** films.* If you look at their filmographies, you see that their budgets grow with their expertise. Each one of them said with their next film "how do I find the most interesting idea I can accomplish the most interesting way with the money and skills I've gained since last time?" Villeneuve figured out with INCENDIES that if he makes his next film slightly bigger in budget, but restrained in scale, but bigger in execution, he could replicate it again and again with cumulative returns. And he has. Nolan is different only because he gamed Hollywood. He took this same principle and applied it to the journeyman route. After MEMENTO he took a journeyman job with INSOMNIA and made it as interesting as he could. Because it worked, he was given BATMAN YEAR ONE and he turned that into BATMAN BEGINS by using all of his skills, experience, and creative power and made it successful. From that point on, he made other people's movies with his vision and Hollywood kept writing checks. He also applied Ford's mantra of "make one for them and one for you" and that's exactly what he did. He used his creativity to make the work interesting and it paid off literally and figuratively. I love Collider...but they have $1M tools and $5 ideas--their stuff looks great but sucks to watch. And a million other filmmakers have $1M ideas and $5 budgets. But if you take a $100K idea, with a $10K budget, a $1M vision and a $1K set of skills, you can make that $10K budget look like a $50K idea. But you have to fuse vision with skill and a lot of filmmakers lack the strategy to do that.

@TheDabombg28

29 күн бұрын

Denis and Nolan are in no way in Kubrick's league. Kubrick delegated but also had complete control of his movies. Every shot and line of dialogue was carefully crafted. He cared less about the masses than Nolan and Denis. Kubrick never spoonfed the info to the viewer. His films hold up on repeat viewings. Nolans and Denis film don't inmo.

@Theomite

28 күн бұрын

@@TheDabombg28 Nolan is kind of 50-50 on rewatchability. Villaneuve has a higher rate of rewatchability. Also, Nolan is gaming the system, so he has to work within the confines of that system, which is why his work is more accessible and genre-based than Kubrick. But I would argue hat Nolan and Villaneuve carefully craft every detail of their work, just not to personal extent that Kubrick did. Villaneuve lets his team calls shots under his supervision and doesn't have to do 67 takes of Sarah Ferguson picking up a glass of water. Kubrick was defined by his pathology as well as his work ethic.

I feel that a film director in 2024 should be able to produce his own images by himself with his own hands, excellent images, with his own cinema lens kit. Otherwise, he is a slave director of some system or a group of people. I'm not trying to reduce the power of the collective - with competent people, cinema becomes the spectacle it is. It's just a specific observation based on the history of great films made by humanity: a reduced team where only a few elements remain standing until the end.

I would also argue that he's having all this success due to his talents and despite of his flaws. He is pretty good at creating an ambiance, hypnotizing the viewers, but his style is slow, boring and feels calculated. His success is the proof that sometimes artists are rewarded for being themselves.

Calling Denis privileged is wild. He grew up like most of us man regular city dude, the only person I think to get out of french canada and go global besides Celine DIon. French canadians doN't have Hollywood contacts he just made damn good movies and kept climbing the ladder. He wasn't dropped on the top by helicopter like the other privileged hollywood phonies.

There are 3 major movie directors in today's world. There's no rule for that. It is an anomaly not related properly to talent but a little luck as well

You just need God given talent and luck similar to winning the lottery and you'll be fine.

"Left by their weight size"

Think of it this way...Denis Villeneuve is behind a camera and the real Desert people are......in the Desert.....2 different movies. Now review the other movie for us.

Stop the hero worship. He’s good at telling stories. Great awesome, now focus on your self and stop worshipping others

Taking over, for the good or the bad? Sometimes "succes" is not "quality".

It might seem, that screenwriting isn't your thing. Sorry bud.

Denis was amazing until he started making Hollywood blockbusters

Finally… he lost that stupid hat

He doesn't focus on woke nonsense like the rest of Hollywood. But just focuses on good stories and cinematic shots.

…it’s simple - he is not WOKE, and he actually read the books and worked to bring the pages to life. What he did is not rocket science…

He does things that seem smart and creative but aren't really. Just like Nolan. He also benefits from the fact that most movies are shit so his 5,5/10 movies look like masterpieces if you only saw movies from the last 20 years. There yo go. Here's your answer. You're welcome. Didn't watch the video. Maybe later.

dont make woke garbage all about diversity and respect the fans and source material. is that simple

Movies are just so bad now that it makes him and Nolan’s films look better than they are

@bbrother92

Ай бұрын

I also think so

Christopher Nolan is more talented, on my opinion. He is my role model

@bbrother92

Ай бұрын

I also think so, Dune 2 is hype. But Nolan had brother

The Secret is that Denis does not burden himself with all the nonsense american foolish trends like promoting women instead of men, trying to get the LGBTQ more placement, and all those other things that are tying filmmakers down who just wants to make a good movie! It's that simple. If the movie doesn't require a gay character or whatever, why can't it just be that? why? what's all this inclusiveness? I just want to make a movie. And not just LGBTQ, but pretty much everything wrong with America in 2024. Here's a kicker, A lot of the movies that won Oscars and awards this year 2024 were not either either Directed by or Written by Ethnic Americans, or both.

@nickhtk6285

Ай бұрын

Funniest thing I've read all day. WTF is an ethnic American?

MID AF. SORRY, SO IS NOLAN. LYNCH'S DUNE WAS BETTER

@olleydrum9016

Ай бұрын

Wahhh wahhh

@patrickkitson9293

Ай бұрын

@@olleydrum9016 how articulate, z'er

Your view of Denis’ early career is extremely Anglo-centrist