BetterHelp considers themselves a tech company, not a mental health company - So they see no issue with selling your information, and they do so. Just an FYI for anyone out there that doesn't know.
I thought by now we’d all be smart enough to just skip the beginning sponsorship part and get right to the actual content, no? Regardless of who the sponsorship is.
This was honestly up there as one of my favourite Van Neistat videos. I think there's a lot of value in the meandering 'where is this video going' vibe, because that's the subconscious pulling together all these little gems. The 'guiding thread' or 'what the video is about' is deeper than a clear, conscious decision.
Robert Rodriguez’s 10 Minute Film School, Casey Neistat’s Guide to Filmmaking, and now this masterpiece. Are the 3 essential pieces of media for a filmmaker in my opinion. Excellent work.
Totally agree with you Van. I'm 59 and lucky enough to grow up in a time as a kid we helped our fathers or grand fathers doing repairs on things. Those older generations never threw things out and made due with what they had. Along with we we learned skills that today are rare and in high demand. We read books and used our imagination which is a great skill to develop in the creative process. I've been a a content creator since 2006 part of the TH-cam old school. I didn't know jack about film making but over the years I've had a lot of great friends that were honest and gave great feedback to help be better. Great talk. Love the show.
My god I needed to see this today. Every-time I stumble across your videos, I'm reminded that first, I should watch more of your videos, and second, I need to keep going, and I also need to do more. I'm not a young filmmaker in age, but I'm a young filmmaker in experience. I sometimes tense up when I hear advice intended for "young" filmmakers, I initially think , "oh gosh, I'm too old to be doing this..." But then I shake those thoughts off, like really shake-hair swishing around shake, and I just listen and take in what you're saying. I'll be picking up those books. And thank you.
As someone pretty much the exact same age you are, I have to say that this video of yours resonated more than most, especially in the moments that you probably see as the ones you thought about leaving out: the struggling to connect ideas, the trying to figure out how to turn private chaos into something while not making that private chaos public in the process because the other people involved didn't sign up for it to be, etc. I feel like I'm having these conversations with 45-60 yr old men in my life every few days in the last year or 2.
thanks Van. I love you as a filmmaker, as an artist, as a pioneer, as an underdog, as a non conformist, and as a huge inspiration to my creative persona. Speaking of persona, I hope your personal life is increasingly satisfying as your persona & shadow continue on the path of individuation.
I love most of your videos, if not all of them. The style and mindset attracts me the most. For whatever reason, this one spoke to me the most. I think it’s a learning lesson for all of us, in that, you seemed to struggle with this one a lot, professionally and personally, behind the scenes, yet you finished it and left some of the scenes that you might have wanted to cut, but it gives us a deeper look into the artist’s mind and process. And even if you hate it or wanted to scrap it or thought that it was good enough to ship and move on to the next, something more raw or not perfect or whatever, it still has the power to change random strangers in a way you couldn’t expect or believe. I don’t even know what this comment is about or why I’m typing it, but I’ll hit publish anyway and it will help me but maybe it helps you or maybe it helps another stranger. Regardless, keep doing what you’re doing, and we’ll keep doing what we do. Maybe we all inspire each other in different ways at different periods of our lives. Sometimes we are the actor, sometimes the cameraman, sometimes a member of the audience. Thanks and you’re welcome. 🙏🏼
Van, I love your sincerity. I don’t have the guts to publish such videos myself, but I’m still filming them as a way to spit it out and relieve myself. So they wait unpublished and no one (except my wife maybe) will ever see them. But I’m really glad there are people like you who have the courage to make these videos and publish them for people like me. For that I am grateful. Thank you
Candid, raw, truth seeking, honest, humble, these are the words that come to mind when I watched you work your way through this video. Thanks for sharing.
As TH-cam turns into a hot mess which grinds the average content maker into the ground, there remain a few wonderful highlights like this that the algorithm somehow couldn’t destroy. My kids brought me to Casey, which led me to Van. As it should be when you follow along with someone, I may not always agree with all of your views but sometimes you reach me.
Love this less structured train-of-thought style. I'm reading Herzog's memoir and it's incredible and intimidating. Live a rich life of focus and leave no room for doubt
Most of the time people don't realize that what they're doing could be novel and they should just keep going. Video essays have way more reach in this short attention span world we live in. Keep going. Keep writing. Keep as content as possible. Thank you.
Thank you Van! In this era where the audiovisual realm is hiper-created, knowing yourself is the best path to really make a difference. The questions and doubts that arise for choosing a creative lifestyle and the struggle is powerful and something really brave. How to make art that transcends and how to have a good life with the ones you love!? I really relate with the part of "figuring out" as for me it is rare to understand people that already have it figured out. I'm still in that process and sometimes is overwhelming to know where my future is going... considering that I want to make it big. I relate with you so much! Thank you! You are Amazing, sharing this is what the world needs. We need reality. We need love.
FWIW, I started in 1999 with a Mac G4 450. I made loads of videos which got me corporate jobs. Fitness videos got me one friend away from you when I hooked up with Alley cat rider Lucas B from New York for videos I was making for a spin bike company. I’ve struggled with the term filmmaker over the years. I have written a screenplay and worked on movies. Maybe I am. I couldn’t agree more that filmmakers are problem solvers and that’s what’s kept me in the game for 25 years- finding creative solutions. Thanks for making this vid.🙌 Adam
I’m 19 and have already chosen to give my life to video making, I struggle to find the happiness in the pursuit. Maybe it’s more about the end result that matters most but your point of being a problem solver and not a film maker stuck with me. I’m always stressing about problems in life but taking them head on as a productive challenge has been my biggest demotivator. Thanks Van for sharing your perspective and book knowledge!
I’m early enough on my YT journey, that when struggling that I still get benefit from your Artist resentment & gratitude diagram, which is on my workshop wall just beyond my eyeline from my laptop. It helps when focus drifts.
Back in the day a Journalist asked Picasso if he was an artist. Picasso replied “no, I’m a worker… instead of working with metal in a factory or with wood or building with bricks, I use paint, and pencils and clay, if I create art, that’s for others to decide” (my favourite Picasso quote)
I loved this video. I feel a little bit like I'm in the same headspace these days. I'm not a filmmaker. I started a little theater so that I could choose plays and direct them. And in order to do that I do marketing and everything else - all of the millions of things - that have to be done so that the bliss of directing a play that I love can go on. It's very messy, and some days I'm amazing and some days I struggle to keep it all going. Your video helped me see where I am and what I'm doing, and helped me recognize that I think I am doing what I was born to do. I so appreciate your honesty and vulnerability. It makes me feel like I have a kindred out there fighting a good fight.
I agree with very little that you say. But for some reason I watch every video and can't wait for the next. You are also one of the only channels I make my kid watch with me. I think it's the perspective and commentary and discussion and thoughtfulness and beauty. Even if I don't agree with it. I appreciate it.
I love this channel so much. I love your style and maker mentality. Coming from a world of business and high tech, white collar jerks like myself with soft hands-this is so refreshing. Perhaps a look at the life I wish I had.
I love this so much. One of my favorites of yours. Videos? Films? Essays? Who cares. I love your take on Hollywood and agree that the future is probably not movies as we think of them. Those will probably end up as something from the past. People still go to the opera and live plays, but it's more of a novelty thing.
I like how you said "diagnose yourself as a filmmaker". This is exactly how I feel. I feel sick, abnormal. Everyone else manages to put themselves in a suit and drive themselves to a desk where they sit all day, and then go home not minding it much. But I can't. I just can't do it. Filmmaking, I cannot do anything else. It calls to me like a siren. I can't have a boss. I can't have someone telling me when to do this or that. I have to be on my own. It's a sickness, but it's the only thing I can do without going crazy.
Preach haha. I have been miserably working a grown up job I took just to make money for almost 3 years now, and every single minute of every day my mind is consumed with filmmaking, music making, story telling, content creation. It’s like a poison at times. I can’t switch it off. I will likely never be able to work a “normal job” again after I decide to leave this one and there’s definitely a level of disability in that. Some days I wish could shut my brain off and just be “ignorance is bliss” for a day 😅
I read the The Peregrine on Werner Herzog and Paul Holdengräber's suggestion. I got through most of it in one sitting while waiting to have my tires rotated. I read it again bit by little bit over the course of a year. Really remarkable book.
I can *so* relate to the HST influence, not necessarily wanting to be like him, but having the freedom and drive it felt like he had, the freedom to produce and not care about the consequences.
Bro, you're first and foremost, a great story teller. The medium happens to be film. It could be music or novels or poetry, you'd still be a great story teller.
Van, just wanted you to know that from the very start of your TH-cam channel I have watched I think almost every upload… It’s a genuine pleasure to absorb your creativity and appreciate the effort you go to making these videos… I remember watching a film when I was young in the 80’s called ‘The Wizard of Speed and Time… Wondered if you had seen it…👍🏻
There is some magic about Werner Herzog and his work, in general: Everything has a story worth telling. He imho is one of the most impressive storyteller out there. Every shot, every frame in his movies has it's own story ... the reason why there are so many long camera shots. He tells stories as if one would read them in a book: The main story is there and the rest is up to the viewers mind and imagination. I think he would love chat with you. Cheers Ben
Bravo. I am completely drawn in by your struggle to figure out your video... I often feel like this trying to articulate my thoughts and seeing it visually play out in your video is just such a sense of ...acceptance!😂
There are levels of artistic quality in so far as TH-cam content goes. There is a lot of subjective interpretation as to what art is, but no question to me at least that you approach video creation as an art form. You approach your craft with the mind of an artist. At least that's my subjective opinion of your channel and I watch lots of content ranging from the trivial to the serious. You are an Artist.
You're only human and I still can see you don't fully believe in yourself. Van you are to be held up there with 'genius'. Your medium is a different kind of film making. You inspire me in my daily life. You've proved you have what it takes. Thank you for being a guide light through a tunnel of darkness.
I love you Van I watched this whole thing. You just do something to me. I have maybe put out 1000 videos in my life. 90% of them are short form videos I’m always looking for answers Who am I as a filmmaker? Am I the guy who buys all the new technology? Am I the guy who makes funny videos? Am I the guy that plays piano? Am I the guy that plays guitar? Am I the aspiring rapper? Am I the party boy? Do I go to music festivals? Am I the guy that is now sober for almost 10 months, zero alcohol? Am I an influenza? I meant to say influencer but this trend of pretend fillmakers is a disease Hot girls showing their body should not be considered art I am going completely off the bandwagon Point being, I love you van I have just as much passion as you Fun fact I was the second lead in the movie a regional movie in Gujarat, india I am also the co producer of it
Maybe this is not the end of this essay, but only the beginning. An epic tale. Thanks Van. I just read Herzog’s memoir too and it inspired my own writing over on Substack this week. ✏️📚
I am the same age as Van and when I discovered The Neistat Brothers all those years ago, they were to me what Cassavetes was to the previous generations. They used cheap cameras, they were clearly influenced by Gondry, Jonze, Anderson, the Eames and they didn’t care. They were as blatant as Tarantino was with his references and I found it refreshing. I loved the Nutsy’s videos and all of Casey’s early videos. I went to SXSW to the world premiere of A Space Program where I was one of the first people in line for the general crowd apart from the badge holders (and I saw a young Josh Safdie greet Tom Sachs). I loved film but I thought I would maybe be an editor. There was an apartment building fire and 2 car accidents that knocked me to the ground right after college graduation and I was broke, desperate, disillusioned, and recently single after a long relationship that ran its course. And one day, while I’m waiting for the bus (thanks to my car being totaled a few months before), I pop into a bookstore to avoid the rain and I bought Robert Rodriguez’s “Rebel Without a Crew”. That book gave me the kind of inspiration to get through what I was going through at the moment. It gave the fire and the drive to follow my dreams and passions. The two other books that fueled the fire to continue on the path as a creative was Positively 4th Street by David Hajdu (about Dylan and the Greenwich Village folk scene) and oddly enough, Angela Bowie’s scandalous book about David Bowie, “Backstage Passes”. I ended up pursuing a lot of different creative avenues because I had no idea what I wanted to be. But somehow, I ended up becoming a graphic designer, which I think was a good fit considering all the different interests I have. For me the lesson in these books was about reinvention, determination, getting up after setbacks, and realizing that it takes an incredible amount of work and luck to have things work out. I’ve been a happy and creatively productive man for the past 24 years and I strongly recommend these books for any creative starting at the bottom because it might arm you with the kind of tenacity to not get discouraged.
All endings inevitably become new beginnings. The frustration of not knowing the answer can’t exist without the answer waiting to be discovered. Embrace the process.
Haha! I bought The Peregrine for the same reason. Also, I wish I had the career of a "blacklisted" Mamet. He wrote and directed Redbelt, wrote, directed and executive produced four seasons of The Unit, wrote The Penitent, was in both a Simpsons episode and Beau is Afraid, and almost won a Primetime Emmy Award for Phil Spector.
I'm 45 and still haven't found the thing that holds my interest. I've tried almost everything and nothing sticks. I've accepted that I am a collector of skills, so maybe that's my thing. If only I could monetize it. 🤣
Maybe this part of your journey of creative expression and self-discovery is the beginning of a new phase, and that could be why you’re struggling with an ending! Just as your heroes showed you what is possible, you are doing the same thing for the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers. People who share from the heart, write from intuition, encourage us to embrace our idiosyncrasies as things that make us special - these are the people that will stay afloat when this impending wave of regurgitated and generated garbage content hits us all. You sir, are a beacon of hope that artistry can survive and thrive in this digital age.
Van, take a ‘chill pill’. I need you to still make great content, you give me insights into life. It’s a war of attrition, and I want you in the war (TH-cam content)
I am tempted to think the word we have been looking for is "poet". From the Greek: ποιητης (poietes) which derives from the verb "to make". But as this is a bit too precious, we might be better off reviving the Old English word "scop" which bears no direct linguistic link to the Greek, but was nearly identical in boths its usage and derivation. Culturally by turns an entertainer, historian, or a moral teacher. And to make things even more interesting it is from this word we get the modern English word "shop", which is a place to make or shape things.
I watch 2:51 sec/mins of this video and was already sure I would learn something. I also realized... I am the realization of failure. I should probably fix that. got it... going to absolutely fix that. Thanks for the restart. Also, I'm going to start at the point of inception. That feels natural and honest. The best I have to offer. Which is damn good.
1000% on the trade school route. I graduated college and went back to trade school to learn something I could get paid to do. Not everyone wants to be a doctor or lawyer. Save yourself some money and time.
If you want to make film, make film. Drop half your savings into a short. Sit down and write that short. Go beg semi-decent actors to be in the short. Go beg an DOP to help you shoot it for almost no money. Most film makers never make it past the desire because they dont sit down and write a short. They don't have the courage to tell a compelling story in 10-15 minutes. It's the ultimate test: can you telling compelling short story and do you have the savviness to make it happen on a small budget? Most get bogged down in the Hollywood game, spend years writing a feature. If you're a film maker, make film. Narrative film. Poor your soul into something for a change. Prove to yourself that you have what it takes.
I disagree. Folks should use their friends, spend next to nothing, and do it all themselves on their first films. That is how they will learn. No DP wants to work with someone who doesn't know the first thing about making a movie. No one should spend half of what they have, not knowing they have what it takes to even complete a film, let alone make a competent film.
@@timsmythfilmsandanimationsthis assumes you’re not a complete novice and have made stuff. Maybe not proper shorts, but enough to both write and produce a small thing . Have an eye for photography to pick a DP or can film yourself to save costs and complexity. So many stay in ‘TH-camr’ phase forever when the main reason they got into that is to make a feature film. The reason is that most haven’t delved deep enough into storytelling to tell profound stories. TH-cam’s schtick is a three act structure around a personal struggle. Whilst world class story telling encompasses so many more layers. You need to have a passion for the arts and philosophy, sociology. You need to be able to ground stories in deeper truths. Being a TH-camr doesn’t teach you any of that. Film making is a calling, if you don’t walk the profound path you might just as well give up all together
@@museful_ I assumed only a novice would have enjoyed this video. Sorry my mistake. I still think it is not good advice to spend half of your savings on a film, if you know enough to make a film, get somebody else to foot the bill, somebody who can afford to lose it all. Cause most likely they will. I never considered Youtubing film making.Thanks for clarifying.
Visit our sponsor betterhelp.com/vanneistat for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.
Better Help are Israeli. Boycott!
Please look into the history and controversies that better help has found themselves in before using them.
@@GruntBurgerI think he knows but is under contract unfortunately.
“Grumpy but happy deep within” I felt that.
Whatever word we want to put on it, you're an artist and a storyteller and I'm always craving more of whatever you're making brother!
BetterHelp considers themselves a tech company, not a mental health company - So they see no issue with selling your information, and they do so. Just an FYI for anyone out there that doesn't know.
Not to mention they haven't historically vetted their "therapists" and have hosted outright frauds.
Yeah i think it would be good if van dropped that sponsor
I thought by now we’d all be smart enough to just skip the beginning sponsorship part and get right to the actual content, no? Regardless of who the sponsorship is.
Mental health and tech companies are sometimes like fuel ignited inappropriately.
@@moistsoybeanshe wouldn’t
This was honestly up there as one of my favourite Van Neistat videos.
I think there's a lot of value in the meandering 'where is this video going' vibe, because that's the subconscious pulling together all these little gems. The 'guiding thread' or 'what the video is about' is deeper than a clear, conscious decision.
Robert Rodriguez’s 10 Minute Film School, Casey Neistat’s Guide to Filmmaking, and now this masterpiece. Are the 3 essential pieces of media for a filmmaker in my opinion. Excellent work.
Ty, I have not watched rr’s lecture
David Mamets true and false advice for young actors is a great book for young artists. Also the book the grammar of film is a beast.
Totally agree with you Van. I'm 59 and lucky enough to grow up in a time as a kid we helped our fathers or grand fathers doing repairs on things. Those older generations never threw things out and made due with what they had. Along with we we learned skills that today are rare and in high demand. We read books and used our imagination which is a great skill to develop in the creative process. I've been a a content creator since 2006 part of the TH-cam old school. I didn't know jack about film making but over the years I've had a lot of great friends that were honest and gave great feedback to help be better. Great talk. Love the show.
i just need more of these videos. No music, no clutter, just perfection.
My god I needed to see this today. Every-time I stumble across your videos, I'm reminded that first, I should watch more of your videos, and second, I need to keep going, and I also need to do more. I'm not a young filmmaker in age, but I'm a young filmmaker in experience. I sometimes tense up when I hear advice intended for "young" filmmakers, I initially think , "oh gosh, I'm too old to be doing this..." But then I shake those thoughts off, like really shake-hair swishing around shake, and I just listen and take in what you're saying. I'll be picking up those books. And thank you.
As someone pretty much the exact same age you are, I have to say that this video of yours resonated more than most, especially in the moments that you probably see as the ones you thought about leaving out: the struggling to connect ideas, the trying to figure out how to turn private chaos into something while not making that private chaos public in the process because the other people involved didn't sign up for it to be, etc.
I feel like I'm having these conversations with 45-60 yr old men in my life every few days in the last year or 2.
Big fan of you, Van. Keep creating what you love to make. We are fortunate to get to share your thoughts and creativity.
this video is posted at the RIGHT time. can't be thankful enough. Thankyou
I see you as a creative, from film making to repairs, you are so hard on yourself. You bring so much joy to this world my friend
thanks Van. I love you as a filmmaker, as an artist, as a pioneer, as an underdog, as a non conformist, and as a huge inspiration to my creative persona.
Speaking of persona, I hope your personal life is increasingly satisfying as your persona & shadow continue on the path of individuation.
Thank you. You’re advice and more “intimate” type videos (for lack of a better term) are a highlight of my month truly.
I love most of your videos, if not all of them. The style and mindset attracts me the most.
For whatever reason, this one spoke to me the most.
I think it’s a learning lesson for all of us, in that, you seemed to struggle with this one a lot, professionally and personally, behind the scenes, yet you finished it and left some of the scenes that you might have wanted to cut, but it gives us a deeper look into the artist’s mind and process.
And even if you hate it or wanted to scrap it or thought that it was good enough to ship and move on to the next, something more raw or not perfect or whatever, it still has the power to change random strangers in a way you couldn’t expect or believe.
I don’t even know what this comment is about or why I’m typing it, but I’ll hit publish anyway and it will help me but maybe it helps you or maybe it helps another stranger.
Regardless, keep doing what you’re doing, and we’ll keep doing what we do.
Maybe we all inspire each other in different ways at different periods of our lives. Sometimes we are the actor, sometimes the cameraman, sometimes a member of the audience. Thanks and you’re welcome. 🙏🏼
Van, I love your sincerity. I don’t have the guts to publish such videos myself, but I’m still filming them as a way to spit it out and relieve myself. So they wait unpublished and no one (except my wife maybe) will ever see them. But I’m really glad there are people like you who have the courage to make these videos and publish them for people like me. For that I am grateful. Thank you
One of your best yet. Thanks for sticking with it even when you don’t know where it’s going.
Creativity comes from an emotion and idea. Those who can formulate that into any creative project is talented. Like van. Casey. And many more. Bravo
Candid, raw, truth seeking, honest, humble, these are the words that come to mind when I watched you work your way through this video. Thanks for sharing.
As TH-cam turns into a hot mess which grinds the average content maker into the ground, there remain a few wonderful highlights like this that the algorithm somehow couldn’t destroy. My kids brought me to Casey, which led me to Van. As it should be when you follow along with someone, I may not always agree with all of your views but sometimes you reach me.
Love this less structured train-of-thought style. I'm reading Herzog's memoir and it's incredible and intimidating. Live a rich life of focus and leave no room for doubt
You are a huge inspiration to me. Truly. Watching your videos is my therapy.
The Peregrine is a matchless gem. The very definition of a masterclass.
Most of the time people don't realize that what they're doing could be novel and they should just keep going. Video essays have way more reach in this short attention span world we live in. Keep going. Keep writing. Keep as content as possible. Thank you.
Thank you Van! In this era where the audiovisual realm is hiper-created, knowing yourself is the best path to really make a difference.
The questions and doubts that arise for choosing a creative lifestyle and the struggle is powerful and something really brave.
How to make art that transcends and how to have a good life with the ones you love!?
I really relate with the part of "figuring out" as for me it is rare to understand people that already have it figured out. I'm still in that process and sometimes is overwhelming to know where my future is going... considering that I want to make it big. I relate with you so much! Thank you! You are Amazing, sharing this is what the world needs. We need reality. We need love.
FWIW, I started in 1999 with a Mac G4 450. I made loads of videos which got me corporate jobs. Fitness videos got me one friend away from you when I hooked up with Alley cat rider Lucas B from New York for videos I was making for a spin bike company. I’ve struggled with the term filmmaker over the years. I have written a screenplay and worked on movies. Maybe I am. I couldn’t agree more that filmmakers are problem solvers and that’s what’s kept me in the game for 25 years- finding creative solutions. Thanks for making this vid.🙌 Adam
I’m 19 and have already chosen to give my life to video making, I struggle to find the happiness in the pursuit. Maybe it’s more about the end result that matters most but your point of being a problem solver and not a film maker stuck with me. I’m always stressing about problems in life but taking them head on as a productive challenge has been my biggest demotivator. Thanks Van for sharing your perspective and book knowledge!
Thanks Van, in a year of great 2 hour style movies, your currently my favourite filmmaker.
Got goosebumps when you mentioned the Peregrine. I absolutely loved that book. So cool to hear your tie in.
I’m early enough on my YT journey, that when struggling that I still get benefit from your Artist resentment & gratitude diagram, which is on my workshop wall just beyond my eyeline from my laptop. It helps when focus drifts.
Incredible video. The vulnerability alone, makes it great. Brave!
this is one of your most important videos, especially the first half. thank you Van
“Own and control your work” its one of the 20 comics commandments and a great advice to double down on what Van mentions
Started making videos 20 years ago with the DV to iMac situation you mentioned. A hit of nostalgia I didn’t expect to get from this video.😅
I loved this. I am a moderately successful TH-camr and I think that moderate success is a killer of creativity. I wish I could be more of a filmmaker
Back in the day a Journalist asked Picasso if he was an artist. Picasso replied “no, I’m a worker… instead of working with metal in a factory or with wood or building with bricks, I use paint, and pencils and clay, if I create art, that’s for others to decide” (my favourite Picasso quote)
I loved this video. I feel a little bit like I'm in the same headspace these days. I'm not a filmmaker. I started a little theater so that I could choose plays and direct them. And in order to do that I do marketing and everything else - all of the millions of things - that have to be done so that the bliss of directing a play that I love can go on. It's very messy, and some days I'm amazing and some days I struggle to keep it all going. Your video helped me see where I am and what I'm doing, and helped me recognize that I think I am doing what I was born to do. I so appreciate your honesty and vulnerability. It makes me feel like I have a kindred out there fighting a good fight.
Something about the raw-ness of this video really spoke to me
When asked what I do, instead of saying I am a filmmaker, I say "I elevate others", and always hope I do.
I agree with very little that you say. But for some reason I watch every video and can't wait for the next. You are also one of the only channels I make my kid watch with me. I think it's the perspective and commentary and discussion and thoughtfulness and beauty. Even if I don't agree with it. I appreciate it.
The last 10 seconds have the spirit of the outro/credits of Michael Clayton. Good job.
I love this channel so much. I love your style and maker mentality. Coming from a world of business and high tech, white collar jerks like myself with soft hands-this is so refreshing. Perhaps a look at the life I wish I had.
Raw, honest and exactly what I needed today. Thank you.
never seen a man this honest with himself
I love this so much. One of my favorites of yours. Videos? Films? Essays? Who cares. I love your take on Hollywood and agree that the future is probably not movies as we think of them. Those will probably end up as something from the past. People still go to the opera and live plays, but it's more of a novelty thing.
why is this one of my favorite videos he's ever made?
These are all things going through my head as I make films. It's a journey, and it's FUN
I like how you said "diagnose yourself as a filmmaker". This is exactly how I feel. I feel sick, abnormal. Everyone else manages to put themselves in a suit and drive themselves to a desk where they sit all day, and then go home not minding it much. But I can't. I just can't do it. Filmmaking, I cannot do anything else. It calls to me like a siren. I can't have a boss. I can't have someone telling me when to do this or that. I have to be on my own. It's a sickness, but it's the only thing I can do without going crazy.
Thank you! You just put into words how I have been feeling about it myself. All the best to you on your journey.
Preach haha. I have been miserably working a grown up job I took just to make money for almost 3 years now, and every single minute of every day my mind is consumed with filmmaking, music making, story telling, content creation. It’s like a poison at times. I can’t switch it off. I will likely never be able to work a “normal job” again after I decide to leave this one and there’s definitely a level of disability in that. Some days I wish could shut my brain off and just be “ignorance is bliss” for a day 😅
@@BrendanMiranda Exactly !!!
This is weirdly my favorite Van vid
I read the The Peregrine on Werner Herzog and Paul Holdengräber's suggestion. I got through most of it in one sitting while waiting to have my tires rotated. I read it again bit by little bit over the course of a year. Really remarkable book.
I can *so* relate to the HST influence, not necessarily wanting to be like him, but having the freedom and drive it felt like he had, the freedom to produce and not care about the consequences.
In India, moving out of parent's house is disrespectful. Parents prefer joint family.
Bro, you're first and foremost, a great story teller. The medium happens to be film. It could be music or novels or poetry, you'd still be a great story teller.
Van, just wanted you to know that from the very start of your TH-cam channel I have watched I think almost every upload… It’s a genuine pleasure to absorb your creativity and appreciate the effort you go to making these videos… I remember watching a film when I was young in the 80’s called ‘The Wizard of Speed and Time… Wondered if you had seen it…👍🏻
Please never stop making videos.
It is sometimes so incredibly difficult to put into words something we feel such passion for when we don't think others will understand what we mean.
That’s why I love your channel. Because of videos like these. Thanks!
This is what a confused and anxious filmmaker needs - a confused and anxious (but excitingly motivating) review of becoming a filmmaker
a master at work! everything you do is brilliant Brother! I appreciate you and your channel so much!
There is some magic about Werner Herzog and his work, in general: Everything has a story worth telling.
He imho is one of the most impressive storyteller out there. Every shot, every frame in his movies has it's own story ... the reason why there are so many long camera shots. He tells stories as if one would read them in a book: The main story is there and the rest is up to the viewers mind and imagination. I think he would love chat with you. Cheers Ben
deng this guy was one the first video editors...crazy....learn something new everyday
Bravo. I am completely drawn in by your struggle to figure out your video... I often feel like this trying to articulate my thoughts and seeing it visually play out in your video is just such a sense of ...acceptance!😂
"I like essays for the extreme point of view" I love that
There are levels of artistic quality in so far as TH-cam content goes. There is a lot of subjective interpretation as to what art is, but no question to me at least that you approach video creation as an art form. You approach your craft with the mind of an artist. At least that's my subjective opinion of your channel and I watch lots of content ranging from the trivial to the serious. You are an Artist.
This is a must watch over and over again.
Thank you for sharing this for free! 🙌
You're only human and I still can see you don't fully believe in yourself. Van you are to be held up there with 'genius'. Your medium is a different kind of film making. You inspire me in my daily life. You've proved you have what it takes. Thank you for being a guide light through a tunnel of darkness.
I appreciate the Joe Walsh references!
I love you Van
I watched this whole thing.
You just do something to me.
I have maybe put out 1000 videos in my life.
90% of them are short form videos
I’m always looking for answers
Who am I as a filmmaker?
Am I the guy who buys all the new technology?
Am I the guy who makes funny videos?
Am I the guy that plays piano?
Am I the guy that plays guitar?
Am I the aspiring rapper?
Am I the party boy?
Do I go to music festivals?
Am I the guy that is now sober for almost 10 months, zero alcohol?
Am I an influenza?
I meant to say influencer but this trend of pretend fillmakers is a disease
Hot girls showing their body should not be considered art
I am going completely off the bandwagon
Point being, I love you van
I have just as much passion as you
Fun fact I was the second lead in the movie a regional movie in Gujarat, india
I am also the co producer of it
Been waiting for a longer form Van video for a long time… great video
Maybe this is not the end of this essay, but only the beginning. An epic tale. Thanks Van. I just read Herzog’s memoir too and it inspired my own writing over on Substack this week. ✏️📚
For anyone who is curious. He is wearing a watch brand Marathon. Either GSAR or TSAR
this guy is legit gonna be remembered one day, and will be studied
Van, I like to think that you tell stories. Poignant stories, funny stories, sad stories, helpful stories. All sorts of stories.
You are a gem. Thanks for your work. You give me so much to think about.
I am the same age as Van and when I discovered The Neistat Brothers all those years ago, they were to me what Cassavetes was to the previous generations. They used cheap cameras, they were clearly influenced by Gondry, Jonze, Anderson, the Eames and they didn’t care. They were as blatant as Tarantino was with his references and I found it refreshing. I loved the Nutsy’s videos and all of Casey’s early videos. I went to SXSW to the world premiere of A Space Program where I was one of the first people in line for the general crowd apart from the badge holders (and I saw a young Josh Safdie greet Tom Sachs).
I loved film but I thought I would maybe be an editor. There was an apartment building fire and 2 car accidents that knocked me to the ground right after college graduation and I was broke, desperate, disillusioned, and recently single after a long relationship that ran its course. And one day, while I’m waiting for the bus (thanks to my car being totaled a few months before), I pop into a bookstore to avoid the rain and I bought Robert Rodriguez’s “Rebel Without a Crew”. That book gave me the kind of inspiration to get through what I was going through at the moment. It gave the fire and the drive to follow my dreams and passions.
The two other books that fueled the fire to continue on the path as a creative was Positively 4th Street by David Hajdu (about Dylan and the Greenwich Village folk scene) and oddly enough, Angela Bowie’s scandalous book about David Bowie, “Backstage Passes”. I ended up pursuing a lot of different creative avenues because I had no idea what I wanted to be. But somehow, I ended up becoming a graphic designer, which I think was a good fit considering all the different interests I have.
For me the lesson in these books was about reinvention, determination, getting up after setbacks, and realizing that it takes an incredible amount of work and luck to have things work out. I’ve been a happy and creatively productive man for the past 24 years and I strongly recommend these books for any creative starting at the bottom because it might arm you with the kind of tenacity to not get discouraged.
You’re an artist and your canvas is what lays in front of you
More of these videos PLEASE Mr. Neistat
All endings inevitably become new beginnings. The frustration of not knowing the answer can’t exist without the answer waiting to be discovered. Embrace the process.
I look forward to seeing your videos, Van. Thank you! 16:45
Haha! I bought The Peregrine for the same reason.
Also, I wish I had the career of a "blacklisted" Mamet. He wrote and directed Redbelt, wrote, directed and executive produced four seasons of The Unit, wrote The Penitent, was in both a Simpsons episode and Beau is Afraid, and almost won a Primetime Emmy Award for Phil Spector.
That was one of your finest essays.
I'm 45 and still haven't found the thing that holds my interest. I've tried almost everything and nothing sticks. I've accepted that I am a collector of skills, so maybe that's my thing. If only I could monetize it. 🤣
I'm 47 and you just described me.
read ikigai by ken mogi
@@KwadLife thanks for the recommendation!
@@CheveeDodd 😊 enjoy
Maybe this part of your journey of creative expression and self-discovery is the beginning of a new phase, and that could be why you’re struggling with an ending! Just as your heroes showed you what is possible, you are doing the same thing for the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers.
People who share from the heart, write from intuition, encourage us to embrace our idiosyncrasies as things that make us special - these are the people that will stay afloat when this impending wave of regurgitated and generated garbage content hits us all. You sir, are a beacon of hope that artistry can survive and thrive in this digital age.
Van, take a ‘chill pill’. I need you to still make great content, you give me insights into life. It’s a war of attrition, and I want you in the war (TH-cam content)
Thanks Van. THis was good. Insanely so. Now I gotta go to the bookstore. Yep brick and mortar.
I am tempted to think the word we have been looking for is "poet". From the Greek: ποιητης (poietes) which derives from the verb "to make". But as this is a bit too precious, we might be better off reviving the Old English word "scop" which bears no direct linguistic link to the Greek, but was nearly identical in boths its usage and derivation. Culturally by turns an entertainer, historian, or a moral teacher. And to make things even more interesting it is from this word we get the modern English word "shop", which is a place to make or shape things.
Hope you’re doing ok Van, thanks for another killer video
Things have a name for a reason, a video is a video, a TH-camr is a TH-camr.
Van is my soul doppelganger
Go Van!🎉🎉🎉
I watch 2:51 sec/mins of this video and was already sure I would learn something. I also realized... I am the realization of failure. I should probably fix that. got it... going to absolutely fix that. Thanks for the restart. Also, I'm going to start at the point of inception. That feels natural and honest. The best I have to offer. Which is damn good.
This video sounds funny, and I wanna procrastinate so I'm going to watch and listen. But, I should be doing my homework.
Thank you for the end. Love it! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
1000% on the trade school route. I graduated college and went back to trade school to learn something I could get paid to do. Not everyone wants to be a doctor or lawyer. Save yourself some money and time.
If you want to make film, make film. Drop half your savings into a short. Sit down and write that short. Go beg semi-decent actors to be in the short. Go beg an DOP to help you shoot it for almost no money. Most film makers never make it past the desire because they dont sit down and write a short. They don't have the courage to tell a compelling story in 10-15 minutes. It's the ultimate test: can you telling compelling short story and do you have the savviness to make it happen on a small budget? Most get bogged down in the Hollywood game, spend years writing a feature. If you're a film maker, make film. Narrative film. Poor your soul into something for a change. Prove to yourself that you have what it takes.
I disagree. Folks should use their friends, spend next to nothing, and do it all themselves on their first films. That is how they will learn. No DP wants to work with someone who doesn't know the first thing about making a movie. No one should spend half of what they have, not knowing they have what it takes to even complete a film, let alone make a competent film.
@@timsmythfilmsandanimationsthis assumes you’re not a complete novice and have made stuff. Maybe not proper shorts, but enough to both write and produce a small thing . Have an eye for photography to pick a DP or can film yourself to save costs and complexity. So many stay in ‘TH-camr’ phase forever when the main reason they got into that is to make a feature film. The reason is that most haven’t delved deep enough into storytelling to tell profound stories. TH-cam’s schtick is a three act structure around a personal struggle. Whilst world class story telling encompasses so many more layers. You need to have a passion for the arts and philosophy, sociology. You need to be able to ground stories in deeper truths. Being a TH-camr doesn’t teach you any of that. Film making is a calling, if you don’t walk the profound path you might just as well give up all together
@@museful_ I assumed only a novice would have enjoyed this video. Sorry my mistake.
I still think it is not good advice to spend half of your savings on a film, if you know enough to make a film, get somebody else to foot the bill, somebody who can afford to lose it all. Cause most likely they will.
I never considered Youtubing film making.Thanks for clarifying.
Loved this one, top shelf!
always enjoy Vans words of wisdom!
I fucking love this channel. Never stop