I felt his excitement. I felt it reach all the way back to Two Towers. Up on that stage he looked and sounded like the genuine article. He really loves what he does, and he's good at it. It's easy to take that for granted, that celebrity filmmakers are all excited and passionate about what they do. The reality is that it's a rare, precious trait in a collaborator, which is probably why these people are the ones we see in interviews. Filmmaking is such a burdensome process. Even agreeing to participate in the creation of a film can be harrowing; can make you feel like you swallowed a rock, if you have any frame of reference for what building one involves. It's a business, it really is, and the path of least resistance is often profitable enough to be the usual path. After the compounding stress of not knowing if you'll have money tomorrow, or if you have enough time for all the normal problems in your life, or even if the work you do is good enough for any audience's standards, it seems crazy to put forth any extraordinary level of enthusiasm while you work. On top of everything else, who has the energy? It's a hard job for any member of a film crew. It's a heavy load to carry, in a fast, sharp environment, and usually no one has time to slow down and encourage you. To have energy and enthusiasm in that environment, when it's taxing enough just to be effective, is special. 

Seeing Andy Serkis talk made me appreciate the difficulty of my own filmmaking experiences, in that it made me appreciate the collaborators I've found who have been able to transcend those difficulties. It made me realize, again, that passion is maybe the most key ingredient in every great film. That sounds obvious, but it's not taught in many classrooms. So many filmmakers aim to make good films through good craft and sustained effort, but the Tarantinos are the ones who don't just make films, they obsess over them and can't help but tell you about the lists they've created of their top 20 since 1992, their top eight since January, ad nauseum. Kubrick didn't need to film Barry Lyndon by candlelight, but he wanted to, and had specially made NASA lenses modified so that he could. In interviews Guillermo Del Toro is all too happy to talk about the separate house he owns just to store and display his movie memorabilia. These are not symptoms of a masterful understanding of cinema; they are symptoms of excitement and indulgence in the existence of cinema and in its creation. A person need not have the symptoms in order to make an entertaining movie, but all the best movies are made by people who do. Orson Welles had a hole cut in the floor so he could get the camera as low as he wanted. Kurosawa famously waited for the clouds to position themselves before he allowed the camera to roll. When I was young and I read about famous directors and actors who went to extreme measures for the movies they made, it seemed natural to me. Why would anyone do anything else, when they're lucky enough to be making movies? If Kurosawa wants to wait for the clouds, let him. But until you've worked back-to-back 14 hour days, getting up early to plan your shots in between, worrying the whole time that you won't have enough money to finish the film, it's hard to fully understand how audacious and confident that sort of artist must be. And excited. He must be very, very excited.

I think what I'm getting at is that good film is made by people who love film, and even more than that, really great films are made by film lovers who surround themselves with other film lovers. Peter Jackson is obviously a film lover - who else could be responsible for Dead Alive? - but on Lord of the Rings he also surrounded himself with the likes of Ian McKellen and, of course, Andy Serkis. That's the difference, I think. Lots of very talented people work very hard every year to produce terrible films. It's only when the perfect combination of talent, excitement, and perseverance is found in not just the director, but in as many of the cast and crew members as possible, that a great film happens. So when Andy Serkis gets on stage and tells me that performance capture is an artform and that he is able to express himself completely through it, I get a kick out of that because I know he must have said the same things on set, and all the tired and beat-up crew members must have seen him doing it. I believe that it must have soaked straight into the DNA of that film, and I think that must be the secret sustenance that great films thrive on.

I had the opportunity to interview the director of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Rupert Wyatt. As a film student, this was an unbelievable opportunity yet also one that I was approaching through two different lenses. As a fan, of course, I was excited to get to meet the director of a movie that I was looking forward to seeing. Yet, specifically as a student, I was initially rather intimidated.

There seems to be this underlying culture amongst students, particularly film students, to be fearful of and intimidated by big-named industry professionals. I'm not particularly sure why this culture exists, but we are almost intuitively taught to fear these successful people. It's as if the closest we could ever get to these professionals is to have the honor of pouring them a cup of coffee. Sitting and having a conversation with them where we can talk about their creative process, pick their brain for career advice, and just talk person to person? Forget about it.

So naturally when Rupert Wyatt walked onto the set of Life After Film School, I was nervous and had thousands of questions running through my brain. First, there were the ultra-optimistic, 'young student filled with big dreams' questions: "I wonder if he'll offer me a job as a P.A?", or "Maybe a role in his next movie?", or "Wait, Freida Pinto was in this movie, maybe he can set me up on a date with her?" 

But those were followed by the nervous, 'this guy is way too successful and superior to me to care what I have to say' questions: "What if I stutter?", "What if I ask him a question he thinks is stupid, and he gets up and leaves?"

As Rupert walked in, I was ready for anything. Yet rather than being greeted by an authoritative, over-bearing figure, I was greeted by a kind handshake and a friendly smile. "Hi Monish, I'm Rupert." At that moment, I wasn't a lowly film student talking to a big, Hollywood director who was more important than me. At that moment, we were two people, both in the same place for the same purpose. We were going to talk about creativity, about successes and failures, and about a particular film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, that we were both excited about for different reasons. This wasn't an interview; it was a conversation.

The show went great. I got to hear about Rupert's early journey as a filmmaker, about how this project came to be, about the incredible new technologies used in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, how he balanced that cutting-edge technology in the midst of an emotionally charged, human-driven story. Yet what was even more tremendous to see were the moments while our cameras weren't rolling, and we continued talking. He asked about what it was like being in the film program at USC, or being a senior in college, or just simply how my summer was going.

It taught me that at our core, we are all people. Some may be more experienced, qualified, talented, and successful, as was the case between Rupert and I. Yet that doesn't mean that we all don't have something to offer, something to learn from one another, or perhaps, to teach one another. At no point did Rupert ever treat us as though we were immature, unworthy, or inferior, but rather as people, who shared a similar passion for movies as he did. That was a truly eye-opening experience for me.

When audiences flock to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes, they will undoubtedly discover that there are characters in the movie that treat the intelligent chimpanzees as inferior beings and those that value the contributions that they make to the world. It's been my experience with Life After Film School, and particularly my conversation with Rupert Wyatt, that has shown me that there are plenty of creative, talented, and successful individuals who take that second approach with everyone they encounter. Because after all, people are people.

When we were interviewing the wonderful Peter Tolan, the co-creator of Rescue Me, one
of the questions we asked him was what it was like to work with the same partner, Denis
Leary, for so many years. He had a typically entertaining and insightful response where
he said that their partnership is so valuable because they have the same vocabulary.
While with some people we have to explain exactly what weʼre thinking, what we mean,
why it makes sense, how it pieces together, and so on and so on, there are certain
people that simply understand it from the simplest words. The concept of speaking the
same vocabulary saves so much time from explanations and allows for creating new
and innovative ideas. This concept really hit home with me because I feel that I have
found that with my team in film school. I have grown so close to these students who
literally speak my language, and I trust them fully and completely. Their capabilities only
inspire me to reach my potential further. I am so lucky and honored to grow with them
because we are so confident in knowing that we are so much better as individuals when
we are together.

Life After Film School has been such an incredible experience because I have had the
opportunity to learn about what is most important in this industry from the professionals
in it. Peter Tolanʼs words expressed the importance of friendship and partnership, and I
was so excited in knowing that I have found my own. I am only looking forward to
seeing where our teamwork will take us.

It's actually something I mentioned to Monte Carlo director, Tom Bezucha as well... which I will reflect on more at a later time, but it's this whole idea of using what is real in our life to try to create something that makes us feel special, real, inspired, excited. What made the Atwater's write their little story that 20th Century Fox is soon releasing as a film? Something from real life. Call it escapism if you want, but this whole idea with entertainment, perhaps it's really not about escaping but rather finding things that make us feel better about the "real" life around us...

Whoooah there Marie! Getting all philosophical, and its' just a movie about a man whose life changes because he inherits some very pesky penguins! Yes, I know, but seriously, if it's not really meaningful to people then why is it created? Why does Jim Carrey do it? Act? Why does Mark do it? Why do my fellow students pursue careers in this industry? Why do I run after acting- living off of PB&J (which I don't mind), and being paid so little? Hmmm?

Well I think the answer kind of hit me last week as I started working a new job at a theme park and learning about the secrets of Hollywood and entertainment. The youngsters around me were having so much fun. It reminded me of my little brother (who no doubt will sit rapt with attention enjoying Mr. Popper's Penguins sometime this summer). The young kids were just smiling and playing in a land of "make-believe." Completely free. Not escaping from anything. Just enjoying themselves apart from any self-consciousness of what anyone else thinks. It's not contradictory. It's how it's supposed to be.

And as the people went up in age, there seemed to be that same trend... a return to child-like freedom. I don't care how old you are! Isn't that the same thing that Mark is doing, what we all are doing? Creating a theme park where people can enjoy themselves, but take something with them that makes their "real life" more enjoyable? I think so. As far as Jim Carrey goes, in the portrayal of his character Mr. Popper, and the majority of the roles he's played, I would say that is accurate. He is really enjoying himself like a kid at a theme park.

Now does Mark feel that way? I'm not quite sure, but I know I love entertainment. Movies. Absolutely. And I am inspired speaking to him, as I have been with other moviemakers on Life After Film School, learning about these artists personal connections and passions to what they are doing. It only makes it more exciting to pursue my own dream, be a kid at heart, and live off of PB&J. And the journey continues. Yum.

- Be someone people want to work with. Like many of the Life After Film School interviewees have shared, they have relationships or love to work with certain performers. That's because life on the set filming is not just what you see on screen.

-Take direction well. While it's fun to be filming on location, daylight is precious and time is... you know... so be able to change up what you are doing quickly if directed to do so.

-Make a decision and go! Sadly, no one can ever see exactly what is in the writer's mind, and a great director likewise can only tell you, maybe show you, what's in his head. In the end, it's going to depend on the actor/actress actually made a choice that works. But no choice will go nowhere.

-Ask questions to learn from others. At the last Life After Film School filming, I was able to talk with LAFS alum Annie Melchor and get tips from her on breaking into acting in LA and some things she learned from her time on the show. I've carried out some of her advice, and it has been very helpful!

-Love what you are doing! Very rarely will there be people on set who are just there because they are bored and have nothing else to do in life. So do your best and make the project the best it can be.