We caught film producer, writer, and actor Mark Duplass' keynote at SXSW, and learned a lot. TheTogetherness creator, star of The League, and University of Texas at Austin alum told us why aspiring filmmakers need to listen to Tony Robbins, make films on the cheap, and be communists—and that's just for starters....
Mark Duplass at SXSW.
1. Tony Robbins is the man
On filmmaking Duplass said: "In the simple words of Tony Robbins, 'The cavalry isn't coming.'" He then proceeded to give step-by-step instructions on making movies, based on his own personal experiences.
2. You should be making $3 films every weekend
With technology being so cheap and the ability to shoot a movie on an iPhone, Duplass said, "There's no excuse not to make a movie on the weekend."
3. His first movie was a "steaming pile of dog diarrhea"
Duplass and his brother—and frequent collaborator—Jay spent $6,500 on their first movie, Vince Del Rio, about a runner from the South Texas border who was trying to get into the Olympic trials. After that completely flopped, him and Jay went back to drawing board and said, "We should make a movie like we did as kids." They grabbed their parents' camcorder and started making films, one of which made it into film festivals like Sundance and SXSW.
4. You shouldn't study film in school
"Study Mandarin or wait tables—it's flexible and you can get your shifts covered," Duplass wisely advised the audience.
See all nine of Mark Duplass' hilarious and life-changing tips on Austinway.com >>
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