WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.940 Have you ever had like this massive creative 00:00:02.940 --> 00:00:05.240 ambition? Oh, absolutely. Right? Like maybe you 00:00:05.240 --> 00:00:07.759 wanted to make a movie or record an album or 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:10.119 write a book, but then you look at what it takes 00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:12.099 and you just immediately abandon it. Because 00:00:12.099 --> 00:00:15.300 the financial barrier to entry just feels, I 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:18.449 mean, it feels... impossibly high. Exactly. It's 00:00:18.449 --> 00:00:21.210 so discouraging. But for today's deep dive, we're 00:00:21.210 --> 00:00:23.789 looking at a really fascinating Wikipedia article 00:00:23.789 --> 00:00:26.469 that proves that barrier might just be a total 00:00:26.469 --> 00:00:28.530 myth. You really do. We're looking at a book 00:00:28.530 --> 00:00:31.190 called Thirty Dollar Film School by Michael W. 00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:34.770 Dean. And our mission today is to explore how 00:00:34.770 --> 00:00:38.149 this one super budget friendly manual basically 00:00:38.149 --> 00:00:40.969 attempted to bypass all those expensive traditional 00:00:40.969 --> 00:00:42.969 gatekeepers. Yeah, it's such a cool concept. 00:00:43.090 --> 00:00:45.149 It really is. It proves that this sort of start 00:00:45.149 --> 00:00:47.600 to finish DIY ethic can be just as effective 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:50.240 as a super formal, expensive education. So if 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:52.520 you're listening, get ready. Because we are diving 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:55.899 into how information and really art itself gets 00:00:55.899 --> 00:00:59.140 democratized. I love that framing. Because when 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:01.259 you look at the facts of this book, it's not 00:01:01.259 --> 00:01:04.840 just some isolated gimmick, right? $30 film school 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:07.620 is actually part of this entire $30 school series. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:09.680 Oh, right. There are others. Yeah. There's $30 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:14.140 music school and $30 writing school. Dean basically 00:01:14.140 --> 00:01:17.560 built this whole ecosystem for independent creation 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:19.879 across all these different art forms. Which is 00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:22.400 wild. And the crazy thing is what actually came 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:25.340 in the package. Because it wasn't just like a 00:01:25.340 --> 00:01:27.579 textbook with some theory in it. Right, no. It 00:01:27.579 --> 00:01:29.700 was very hands -on. Yeah, you got interviews 00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:32.760 with actual professionals in the field, plus 00:01:32.760 --> 00:01:37.890 a CD or DVD of extras. It's almost like... All 00:01:37.890 --> 00:01:39.209 the way I think about it is like one of those 00:01:39.209 --> 00:01:41.829 creative meal kit delivery services. Oh, that's 00:01:41.829 --> 00:01:44.310 a great analogy. Right. Like instead of just 00:01:44.310 --> 00:01:46.629 giving you a vague recipe for making art and 00:01:46.629 --> 00:01:48.469 telling you to go to the grocery store, it delivers 00:01:48.469 --> 00:01:50.569 the exact ingredients to your door. You get the 00:01:50.569 --> 00:01:53.290 interviews, the software, the extras. So you 00:01:53.290 --> 00:01:55.590 can cook up a project from start to finish without 00:01:55.590 --> 00:01:57.790 even leaving your house. You really can. And 00:01:57.790 --> 00:02:00.829 that start to finish DIY ethic is so incredibly 00:02:00.829 --> 00:02:04.239 significant. How so? Think about why people give 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:06.599 up on those big projects you mentioned earlier. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:09.240 It's usually a psychological gap, right? You 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:11.319 feel like an amateur, and the industry feels 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:13.620 so professional and walled off. Oh, totally. 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:16.759 You feel like you don't belong. Exactly. But 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:18.819 by including those professional interviews right 00:02:18.819 --> 00:02:21.419 alongside the physical media, like the actual 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:25.259 software on that CD Dean bridges that gap, he's 00:02:25.259 --> 00:02:28.599 basically saying, look, the pros use tools, and 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:30.240 here are the tools. Just handed right to you. 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:32.889 Right. It takes away the mystique. It tells the 00:02:32.889 --> 00:02:35.650 reader that you're only separated from the professionals 00:02:35.650 --> 00:02:39.169 by effort, not by access. That is such an empowering 00:02:39.169 --> 00:02:42.229 message. OK, so this philosophy sounds great 00:02:42.229 --> 00:02:44.650 in theory, but did it actually work? It did. 00:02:45.030 --> 00:02:46.750 And to see how well it worked, we really have 00:02:46.750 --> 00:02:48.590 to look at the second edition of the book, which 00:02:48.590 --> 00:02:51.889 came out in March 2006. OK, 2006. I remember 00:02:51.889 --> 00:02:54.250 that era. Yeah. So this second edition, the DVD 00:02:54.250 --> 00:02:56.870 it came with, didn't just have software and tutorials 00:02:56.870 --> 00:03:01.840 anymore. Crucially, it included 14 short films 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:04.620 that were actually created by quote -unquote 00:03:04.620 --> 00:03:07.020 graduates of the first edition. Wait, really? 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:09.180 So actual people who read the first book made 00:03:09.180 --> 00:03:11.620 these films? Exactly. Moved from just being this 00:03:11.620 --> 00:03:16.379 theoretical DIY ethos to having measurable real 00:03:16.379 --> 00:03:18.240 -world impact. The proof is right there on the 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:21.520 desk. Oh, wow. That is brilliant marketing, honestly. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:25.139 It is. But it gets even crazier. Because of that 00:03:25.210 --> 00:03:29.490 measurable success. This $30 DIY book started 00:03:29.490 --> 00:03:32.069 being utilized in formal college and university 00:03:32.069 --> 00:03:34.189 media courses on filmmaking. Wait, wait, wait. 00:03:34.229 --> 00:03:36.889 Hold on. Are you saying actual universities were 00:03:36.889 --> 00:03:40.849 using this? Yes. The source specifically cites 00:03:40.849 --> 00:03:43.870 the humanistina namadikorkikulu. Human what now? 00:03:44.069 --> 00:03:45.889 Yeah, I know. It's a mouthful. It's a university 00:03:45.889 --> 00:03:48.770 of applied sciences in Finland. They actually 00:03:48.770 --> 00:03:50.810 assign it as curriculum. OK, but isn't that, 00:03:50.870 --> 00:03:53.219 I mean, think about that for a second. The whole 00:03:53.219 --> 00:03:56.159 point of this book is to bypass the incredibly 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:58.520 expensive traditional university route, right? 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:02.039 Right. With a $30 DIY alternative. So isn't it 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:04.400 highly ironic that formal universities are now 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:06.400 assigning it as their official curriculum? Doesn't 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:09.259 that sort of defeat the anti -institutional purpose 00:04:09.259 --> 00:04:11.439 of the book? I mean, I could totally see why 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:13.960 you'd think that. It sounds like a paradox. But 00:04:13.960 --> 00:04:16.620 really, it's the ultimate validation of Dean's 00:04:16.620 --> 00:04:19.319 method. How do you figure? Well... Think about 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:24.139 those 14 graduate films on the 2006 DVD. That 00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:28.180 is verifiable proof of concept. When that Finnish 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:30.920 university adopted the book, they were basically 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:33.579 admitting that high level educational institutions 00:04:33.579 --> 00:04:36.680 recognize something very specific. Which is what? 00:04:37.100 --> 00:04:40.579 That practical applied instruction is just way 00:04:40.579 --> 00:04:43.740 more effective than purely theoretical academia 00:04:43.740 --> 00:04:45.319 when you're actually trying to make something. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.579 Oh, I see. Because so many film schools just 00:04:47.579 --> 00:04:50.420 teach you, like, Film theory. Exactly. You can 00:04:50.420 --> 00:04:52.500 write a great essay on Hitchcock, but you don't 00:04:52.500 --> 00:04:54.259 know how to turn on a camera. Right. You don't 00:04:54.259 --> 00:04:56.560 know how to actually export a video file. Exactly. 00:04:56.939 --> 00:04:59.240 So by using Dean's book, the university is saying, 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:01.740 look, this guy figured out how to get people 00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:03.500 to actually finish a project. Let's just use 00:05:03.500 --> 00:05:06.220 his method. Wow. OK, so it works for adults, 00:05:06.379 --> 00:05:08.459 and it clearly works for university students. 00:05:08.779 --> 00:05:11.100 But I want to talk about the part of the article 00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:13.699 that absolutely blew my mind. Oh, I know exactly 00:05:13.699 --> 00:05:15.500 what you're going to bring up. It's the ultimate 00:05:15.500 --> 00:05:18.279 proof of concept. The story of Emma Kenny. Yes. 00:05:18.779 --> 00:05:21.079 This is where it gets so good. So if you're listening 00:05:21.079 --> 00:05:23.079 and you still think you need to go to film school, 00:05:23.459 --> 00:05:27.480 Emma Kenny was nine years old. Nine. And she 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:29.560 strictly followed the instructions in thirty 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:32.199 dollar film school to create her own film. A 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:34.379 film called The New Girl in Town. Right. And 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:36.240 it wasn't just some cute home video that her 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:39.259 parents put on the fridge. This crowning achievement, 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:41.620 this nine -year -old's film, was actually shown 00:05:41.620 --> 00:05:44.079 at the New Jersey International Film Festival. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.779 Which is just incredible. It's insane. I mean, 00:05:46.860 --> 00:05:50.220 it's like handing a nine -year -old a Lego instruction 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:52.240 manual and then sitting back and watching them 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:56.180 build, like, an architecturally sound, city -approved 00:05:56.180 --> 00:05:58.740 suspension bridge. That is the perfect way to 00:05:58.740 --> 00:06:00.819 describe it. How is that even possible? Well, 00:06:00.819 --> 00:06:02.639 it's all about the age factor. It's actually 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:05.500 a massive advantage in some ways. Really? An 00:06:05.500 --> 00:06:08.519 advantage? Yeah. Think about it. If a nine -year 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:11.540 -old can synthesize this information and achieve 00:06:11.540 --> 00:06:13.939 a professional milestone like getting into an 00:06:13.939 --> 00:06:17.680 international film festival, it completely dismantles 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:20.839 the excuse that you need years of complex theory 00:06:20.839 --> 00:06:23.939 to create viable art. Oh, because she doesn't 00:06:23.939 --> 00:06:26.279 have any of that theory. She just has the instructions. 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:28.220 Exactly. She doesn't have the baggage. An adult 00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:30.540 overthinks it. An adult says, oh, I don't have 00:06:30.540 --> 00:06:32.339 the right lighting. I don't have a cinematic 00:06:32.339 --> 00:06:35.339 eye. Right. Adults get imposter syndrome. Yes. 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:37.920 But a nine -year -old just reads the book, sees 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:41.300 step one, and does it. It proves that clear instruction, 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:43.240 when you combine it with just pure execution, 00:06:43.779 --> 00:06:47.139 is the ultimate equalizer. Pure execution. I 00:06:47.139 --> 00:06:49.240 love that. Yeah. It shows that you don't need 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:51.540 prestige. You just need to follow the steps and 00:06:51.540 --> 00:06:54.360 do the work. Wow. You know, this whole deep dive 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:56.579 really makes you rethink everything. It really 00:06:56.579 --> 00:06:58.540 does. So if you're listening to this and you're 00:06:58.540 --> 00:07:01.100 looking to maybe pivot careers or learn a new 00:07:01.100 --> 00:07:03.879 skill, or you just want to understand how modern 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:07.439 media is actually made, remember this. The barrier 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:10.800 to entry is largely a myth. It really is. Yeah. 00:07:10.939 --> 00:07:13.500 The walls aren't as high as they look. Exactly. 00:07:13.699 --> 00:07:16.480 The tools are absolutely accessible. If you just 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:20.240 adopt that DIY mindset, you just have to start. 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:23.160 But, you know, it does leave us with a pretty 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:26.459 wild question to think about. What's that? Well, 00:07:26.620 --> 00:07:30.060 if a simple $30 book and a DVD of tutorials can 00:07:30.060 --> 00:07:32.680 successfully replicate the output of a traditional 00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:35.310 film school. To the point where actual universities 00:07:35.310 --> 00:07:37.990 are using it as curriculum. Right. And to the 00:07:37.990 --> 00:07:39.870 point where a nine -year -old can use it to get 00:07:39.870 --> 00:07:42.149 into an international film festival. Yeah. At 00:07:42.149 --> 00:07:44.350 what point does the traditional, quote unquote, 00:07:44.769 --> 00:07:47.009 school institution become entirely obsolete? 00:07:47.129 --> 00:07:49.490 Oh, wow. Like, are we heading toward a future 00:07:49.490 --> 00:07:52.649 where the DIY ethic is literally the only true 00:07:52.649 --> 00:07:55.569 prerequisite for creation? That is a fascinating 00:07:55.569 --> 00:07:57.610 thought to leave on. Definitely something to 00:07:57.610 --> 00:07:59.329 chew on the next time you think about going back 00:07:59.329 --> 00:07:59.689 to school.