Movies About Making Movies

Moviemakers love to add in a touch of their love of film in their movies. Whether there’s a character that’s a writer, actor, or a movie buff, you’ll always tend to see personalities correlated with movies in general. It makes sense to add a bit of artistic perspective in the artistic expression itself. Anything is possible in the movies so why not add a reference to yourself to create a fairground?

Most of us have heard of the character Abed Nadir from NBC’s TV show Community. He’s the quirky, loveable character who is obsessed with all things movies. Abed is the most memorable character because of the many film references he brings to life during the entirety of the show. His life is movies, he’s passionate about it, and that’s why we love him. Most main characters have a passion for the arts because it’s easier to connect with them and it’s natural for them to express themselves explicitly. What would a love story be without a struggling writer? Or a drama without the dramatic actress? Or a depressing story without the protagonist drawing their deep and dark feelings? It feels like it’s almost a need to have these types of characters in a film because they balance out the story.

A film starts to get very meta when the protagonist is not only an artist but a filmmaker. So the creator of the film is essentially making a film about making a film. This starts to become confusing in the best way possible. Is the set in the film the actual set made to make the film or are there actually two active sets going on at once? Seeing the lights and cameras on the screen is like seeing something you’re not supposed to witness.

In the film with the lengthy name Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, it’s almost impossible to tell whether the film is a documentary or narrative. The director or protagonist, William Greaves, also the director of the film itself, is struggling to keep his crew in line while making an experimental film in Central Park. Some of the dialogue seems scripted but the film also has some instances where we see something too natural to be scripted, like a couple of kids running up to the camera asking questions about the movie being made, or the crew chatting about the meaning of the film while on break. Watching the film made me go back and forth between thinking what parts were real and what parts were scripted. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm is a one-of-a-kind film that shows the many flaws in leadership and spontaneity, while still keeping that calm yet chaotic feeling in a community.

Another film that conveys the great amount of confusion you get when watching a film about making films is Living in Oblivion directed by Tom Dicillo, where an independent film director, played by the one and only Steve Buscemi, is making his first feature film on a super low budget. The film undergoes a series of dreams that shows everything going wrong on set. We see the perspective of the many workers on set including the Director of Photography, Assistant Director, and of course the actors. This film made me cry even though it was a comedy. Seeing a filmmaker trying their best to keep their film from failing hits way too close to home. This film also raised my respect for Steve Buscemi.

8 ½, one of my favorites, also happens to be a film about making a film. Its protagonist, Guido Anselmi recalls his past and childhood while struggling to create his next feature. This film also consists of dream-like scenarios like Living In Oblivion. You build a deep connection with a character going through a journey of their passion, especially when it is directly correlated with the media you are perceiving.

Whether it’s the Disaster Artist or The Stunt Man, movies about making movies give the audience a larger-than-life meta experience. We see how the filmmaker interprets the actual film sets they’ve been on and how each crew member interacts with each other. If it weren't for these types of movies, we probably wouldn’t know much about the film set jobs because of how much we neglect the rolling credits. There is an insane amount of inspiration radiating from watching a team of workers make art; it helps the audience as a whole be more aware of their communication and teamwork skills. Almost as if it is a mirror of what’s going on behind the camera.