Terminator: Salvation

[private witt]

Point.  But I don't have much respect for any director who does commercials.

[Gold Trumpet]

Point.  But I don't have much respect for any director who does commercials.

That list includes a lot of major filmmakers. Even David Lynch has done commercials.

[private witt]

And Fincher too.  Breaks my heart, but artists don't make commercials.

[polkablues]

Artists who have directed commercials:
David Lynch
David Fincher
Wes Anderson
Sophia Coppola
Michel Gondry
Ridley Scott
Terry Gilliam
Michael Mann
Spike Jonze
Baz Luhrmann

And that's just a combination of off-the-top-of-my-head and about 2 minutes of googling.  I'm sure there are even more examples.

[private witt]

Yep.  While I can appreciate many of the films these people have made, I can't hold them in the same regard as those who abstain from using their craft for advertising/marketing promotions.  And the next argument that comes up is, "But isn't marketing and advertising a film still marketing and advertising?"  I suppose there's some grey area, but to make a short film to air on TV purely to promote a commercial product just seems like such waste of creative energy to me.

[72teeth]

you suck.

[private witt]

you suck.

That's about the level of discourse I expected from you.  

[Gold Trumpet]

Yep.  While I can appreciate many of the films these people have made, I can't hold them in the same regard as those who abstain from using their craft for advertising/marketing promotions.  And the next argument that comes up is, "But isn't marketing and advertising a film still marketing and advertising?"  I suppose there's some grey area, but to make a short film to air on TV purely to promote a commercial product just seems like such waste of creative energy to me.

A waste of creative energy? They literally take a few days to shoot and not many more to edit. The director is almost in and out. Not every filmmaker has the Stanley Kubrick luxury where they can make films at their own accord. Some need to do smaller work in between their projects to keep an income coming in.

And if you want to ask about insulting, don't talk about the filmmakers who limit their commerce work to doing just commercials. That's small stuff. Focus on the filmmakers who spend years making Hollywood blockbusters and do their smaller films in between them. They have to spend years making those movies. And if you want to keep arguing that commercials are evil because they directly advertise a company, so do all major Hollywood movies with the product placements everywhere.

Disrespecting filmmakers who do commercials is a stilly platform to take a pride stand on. It's just a fact of reality.

[private witt]

Disrespecting filmmakers who do commercials is a stilly platform to take a pride stand on. It's just a fact of reality.

I don't recall disrespecting anyone.  Saying you don't hold somebody in high regard is not the same thing as being disrespectful of them. 

[picolas]

still, your reason for not holding them in high regard is petty at BEST.

[private witt]

still, your reason for not holding them in high regard is petty at BEST.

I think most advertising is petty at best.  There are still circles where art matters and doing commercials disqualifies you from contributing work of substance.  Not saying I'm that far on the issue, but when your films are already making you millions of dollars do you really need to whore out for American Express?

[picolas]

There are still circles where art matters and doing commercials disqualifies you from contributing work of substance.

okay now it's gone from petty to desperate.

[private witt]

I'm not sure how, but I certainly won't ever tell you that your reasons for liking or disliking something are disingenuous.  You certainly don't have to agree with me, but don't tell me I don't really believe what I'm saying.

[picolas]

i don't doubt you believe it. i just think you're grasping at vague straws to sustain your belief.

[pete]

ah man, private witt, you just butchered the bill hicks bit.