Sun Tzu for the filmmaking world?

October 19, 2015 10:56 AM

In the world of media (and more specifically filmmaking), wars are commonplace and there are basic Sun-Tzu-like tenets that guide people through it. One example is Jean-Luc Godard's " In order to criticize a movie, you have to make another movie." Any others?

I am looking for any kind of resource that treads the same path as the Godard quote, namely: How to change the status quo when it comes to established stereotypes, how to respond to movies that are clearly ad hominem attacks on a specific person, how to "mask" ulterior motives when writing a story, ... I know this is the kind of question that needs an incredible amount of research, but any stepping stone is appreciated.

posted by omar.a to Media & Arts (2 answers total)

Film-making is not literally a war. There may be martial aspects to it, like coordinating resources and organizing tactics & logistics, but we're not really fighting against other artists. The real battle in art is against ourselves, with the aspirations and limitations of our own egos.

In my opinion, Godard is a conceptual outlier in the film world. He made his own way and succeeded with a personal quirky theory-oriented approach that wouldn't work with anyone else. If you want to follow in his steps, go for it.
posted by ovvl at 7:50 PM on October 19, 2015

Response by poster: Filmmaking can be an incredible tool for propaganda. Even in times of peace, it can be used to fix certain ideologies in place, while seeking to destroy preconceptions in others. This is the context which I am referring to (I should have been clearer).
posted by omar.a at 9:00 PM on October 19, 2015