In case you hadn't figured it out by now, I really like books. While I prefer them over any other medium, there's something about movies that's true... unbelievable.
For any given movie, hundreds--sometimes thousands--of people are involved. With budgets often breaking into the hundreds of millions nowadays, the coordination these projects require is virtually unmatched.
Sure, we go to the theatre to see our favorite stars, but the actors are such a small piece of the greater puzzle.
For any given movie, hundreds--sometimes thousands--of people are involved. With budgets often breaking into the hundreds of millions nowadays, the coordination these projects require is virtually unmatched.
Sure, we go to the theatre to see our favorite stars, but the actors are such a small piece of the greater puzzle.
Massive production teams create sets, costumes, and manage all the gear needed to record. Coordinators make sure months of schedules are set and that everyone is in their right place all the time. Dozens of editors comb through hours and hours of footage, putting all the shots together just right.
And these people still only represent a fraction of the personnel and systems behind filmmaking.
And these people still only represent a fraction of the personnel and systems behind filmmaking.
Last night, 24 awards were given to the greatest filmmakers in the world at the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood. The star of the night was a major underdog, Korean director Bong Joon Ho, who won several awards for his film Parasite. Here are 3 lessons you can take away from Bong's acceptance speeches:
1) Study The Greats
It was unclear how many speeches Bong was prepared to give, but when he accepted his second Oscar, he went naturally to his education in filmmaking. He quoted the legend Martin Scorsese (who received nominations as well), and made it clear that he had spent much of his career poring over Scorsese's classics.
2) Great Work Requires Isolation
1) Study The Greats
It was unclear how many speeches Bong was prepared to give, but when he accepted his second Oscar, he went naturally to his education in filmmaking. He quoted the legend Martin Scorsese (who received nominations as well), and made it clear that he had spent much of his career poring over Scorsese's classics.
2) Great Work Requires Isolation
"Writing a script is always such a lonely process," Bong said as he received the award for best original screenplay. It's something most entrepreneurs and artists understand well: Doing great work and achieving great things requires that you spend a lot of time alone, sometimes wracking your brain to learn something complex or to get something just right.
Ultimately though, your hard work and the loneliness you went through always prove to have a wider impact. Bong recognized this when he said "We never write to represent our countries. But this is the first Oscar to South Korea." In other words, when your nose is to the grindstone, your focus is set solely on the task at hand. But when that task is complete, your hard work can turn into a collective good for the cause, organization, or people you represent.
3) Gratitude.
This is no surprise, but Bong Joon Ho and every single other Oscar winner had a long list of people to thank in their acceptance speeches. Most even thanked the other nominees from their categories--people you might otherwise think are competitors.
As I explained above, no one does these things alone. Like movies, a business or a project requires a team. People with different talents and different points of view all come together to make something that is beautiful and something that works.
Next time you reflect on who you're grateful for, be sure to think of all the "little people" that may not typically come to mind. The ones who you may never even see or hear, but are impacting the work you do nonetheless. Be thankful that you're able to benefit from a complex system of human contributions because they do what they do.
Ultimately though, your hard work and the loneliness you went through always prove to have a wider impact. Bong recognized this when he said "We never write to represent our countries. But this is the first Oscar to South Korea." In other words, when your nose is to the grindstone, your focus is set solely on the task at hand. But when that task is complete, your hard work can turn into a collective good for the cause, organization, or people you represent.
3) Gratitude.
This is no surprise, but Bong Joon Ho and every single other Oscar winner had a long list of people to thank in their acceptance speeches. Most even thanked the other nominees from their categories--people you might otherwise think are competitors.
As I explained above, no one does these things alone. Like movies, a business or a project requires a team. People with different talents and different points of view all come together to make something that is beautiful and something that works.
Next time you reflect on who you're grateful for, be sure to think of all the "little people" that may not typically come to mind. The ones who you may never even see or hear, but are impacting the work you do nonetheless. Be thankful that you're able to benefit from a complex system of human contributions because they do what they do.
Ron Mills
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