Joel manages to give off the vibe of both a fun old man and a starry eyed child and I love him for it

5:47 Hearing Joel say "SOOODAAA" is truly a blessing in this dire times

I always presumed the audio issues in Pretend That You Love Me were completely intentional, I remember on first viewing saying to myself; "wow, I would never think to do that, I have to steal that technique".. and that's the history of art in a sentence haha

I had a conversation with a local filmmaker the other day who had recently gotten burnt out and hasn't made anything in over a year. During our conversation he told me that detail was everything and that he worked himself insanely hard so that his short films could look as close to the blockbuster look as possible. After our conversation I realized that that was probably the reason why he doesn't make films anymore, and it made me sad. So many people value perfection too highly and it can be at the expense of their love for the craft

I love when a practical effect doesn't look quite real. That little imperfection invites you to guess how the effect was done in the first place. That's probably the reason why I like old B movie monster films so much.

U.K. indie feature filmmaker here. The whole “imperfection being a strong point of some movies” point I agree with wholeheartedly. So much so that we wrote “imperfect” one of our main character’s motorcycle helmets - and it ended up being a plot point in our movie LOTTERY. (Not supposed to be a plug for the movie, just a nice coincidence) x

Hardest lesson to keep stamped at the front of my head, soda speak. T hanks for the video Joel

I couldn't agree more. You and Fairbarn Films are some of the only people I've seen who sometimes leave the actors' laughing in the takes, and I think it adds so much. It shows that you're making a movie with friends and having fun, and I love that aspect of playfulness. Your first Oscars film with the Zoom roles took that idea to the max, and I loved it. Continue making amazing, imperfect things! They're that much more real.

You couldn't have made this video at a better time. I recently finished college, and will finally have some time to record the album I've been writing for years. I just moved to the new house where I'll be living for a few months before I start my career, and failed to consider just how pervasive the road noise would be. It's annoying enough to live with, but it is devastating to my recordings. I would have to do some intense soundproofing to fix this, and it is just not feasible in this chapter of my life, especially because my situation is so temporary. I can't wait to get my songs out there, and this is the perfect reminder to do what I can with what I have. Instead of pushing the project off like I've done so often before (whether they be good reasons or lame excuses), I should embrace the challenges and allow myself to create organically. I think this is why I like your stuff so much... not everything you make resonates with me, but the core of your ideas and methods shine throughout. I really love your channel, and I really respect you. Thanks for being so open and helping small artists create unashamedly. You really are an inspiration for many!

One of the biggest hangups of me making my feature is perfectionism! I’ve been in development for six years now because I just can’t get it right… but maybe i just need to get it out there and try again on my second feature

I find the more that I work on my art, the more I become okay with allowing those imperfections. I’ve spent a silly amount of time trying really hard to pretend they aren’t there and I’ve found that along the way, I can sometimes iron out what made something special in the first place. Here’s to leaving in the wrinkles! Thanks Joel

i'm a visual effects student, last year we had a compositor / alumni come in and break down his work on spider-man no way home. He then gave a pipeline chroma-key demonstration, and finished so early that he had time to do some "final polish" on the footage. This was exclusively removing beauty marks from the woman in the footage, eliminating the most subjective imperfections without ever explaining why. it was kind of heartbreaking to see my corner of the craft be so unanimously misused like that

This is one of the best points no one talks about enough. Not only in movies but all art. I'm a musician but I find myself in a toxic loop of perfection with anything I do to the piont where I dont do it at all. I'm gonna get back on the horse and not give a fuck of what people think if feels right. Thank Joel, never change ❤

One of my favorite things about "smooth" dolly shots, especially from the 70s - 00s, is that there always some lil shake in there along with the smooth motions. I love the little imperfections in film so much, and noticing people's individual imperfections - ESPECIALLY from guys like Kubrick or Hanake because you know those guys do everything in their power to craft perfect films, but they are, in fact, humans.

Hey now mister, not all stop motion is lifeless and hollow! Guillermo Del Toro's Pistachio was practically a horror masterpiece!

Honestly needed to hear this. I really REALLY want to make a movie, even if its short, I've wanted to for years. I'm gonna drop any form of perfection and go with what feels the most real

you are such a king, this place does not deserve such purity, such kindness.

Just wanna stop by quickly to say you've been a great inspiration creatively, Joel. I've had this idea to write an indie film and shoot it myself for a while, with no budget, and your constant "just go make it" advice has really pushed me over the line to get back into it.

I unlisted my first 2 short films not long ago, I was so irritated by the imperfections, the audio, weird editing but this has changed my my mind. I might relist those videos, or even add a preface about what it is, what it means to me etc. I saw that stuff almost as something I want to forget; now the opposite.

The rawness is easier to accept if it feels like it's on purpose, even when it isn't, like if it's surrounded by other glimpses at the documentary-of-making-a-movie feel you get when things don't all line up. Some choices David Lynch went with were accidents but he preferred the result to his original intent (thinking of the high-pitched voice scene in Wild at Heart). Art often winds up giving gifts because of the imperfections inherent in filmmaking. But even when going for the perfect take (I guess with digital immediacy there's maybe more pressure to get it exact than back when you had to wait days to see how it came out), I think the emotion of a performance or a happy accident is almost sacred and should be preserved, yeah.

I find Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio a somewhat odd pick. I won't deny its technical technical perfection (and I am bothered by hearing autotune in the songs) but on the other hand I found it to take a brave direction by grounding its story in both a fairy tale and fascism without either taking away from each other. That really worked for me.

Thank you for posting this Joel, I'm not a filmmaker or a movie enthusiast but I am obssesed with perfection... if something isn't perfect I won't do it again, I needed to hear what you said.. Thank you.

Such a clever detail having the background of the thumbnail visible and the title misspelled. Imperfection is cool!!

There is a mistake in your title. It's imprfect.

I'm always interested in how often people come to Arts and Crafts movement conclusions about art outside of the traditional forms it is critiqued like ceramics. This is one of the core arguments John Ruskin makes in The Nature of The Gothic but about Architecture instead of Film.

I think there's a great point here. Especially thinking about such a big brand such as Lord of the Rings, where Aragorn kicked the helmet and broke his toe. Such a raw and visceral scene that didn't look all the best but felt so real.

I agree with these video 100% I felt that way watching “mystery team” has so many odd moments in the film that are put it based on imperfection .

Ironically leaving in continuity errors in the era of youtube movies might be kind of a good thing. Every comment you get where a person notices it is just going to count as engagement and get the youtube algorithm to show your video to more people.

imperfect perfection is perfect and imperfectly perfect imperfect. Okay I'm goofying around, but what I want to say is that this also applies to life in general and trying to present ourselves a certain way. There was this buddhist monk who said something a long the lines of "let people have the wrong idea about you". We don't have to craft this perfect persona, that's a lot of work and it's stressful. Life is imperfect, relationships are imperfect, it's just a wild smorgasbord of things. And perhaps, when we try to make "perfect" films, we're running away from a very beautiful and liberating truth.

Writing down this video title on a note to hang near my desk. Very important reminder.

love this channel feels like hangin out with you just chatting

Hoping I can catapult off this for my next film. Thank you for the words of wisdom.

You seem to be the long-lost third Duplass brother.

I love this perspective, and it's one of the things that made me a fan of your work. This point of view has freed me so much.

Beautifully put, Joel. A lot of this is applicable towards how society at large values music, and so I appreciated your perspective on something that crosses borders beyond film. Artificial/inhuman perfection in mainstream music is as big of a problem as it is in film, it seems.

thanks for including the part about "their first movie and their third movie and their tenth movie doesn't need to be perfect". I don't make films but I make comic books, and I've been making them for years, and all I ever hear is "your first ___ doesn't need to be perfect". It makes me feel like I'm failing because I've already made soooo many that I was unhappy with, and it felt like imperfection was only tolerated if you were a beginner. I have a feeling I'll be coming back to watch this one a lot, thank u joel

I remember trying to watch as many of the films submitted for your Oscars challenge as I was able (only got to around 50), but I got so much more out of some of those films than I have with a lot of the studio releases I've seen. The amount of times recently where I've watched a big movie and felt absolutely nothing after has made me wonder if it's me who has the problem.

the thumbnail is so fun

There are a lot of ways to look at this idea of “imperfection” in film (one of which involves Manny Farbers theory of “white elephant” and “termite” art), but I think what you brought up about no-budget filmmakers being obsessed with technical specs is another part. For what it’s worth, I’ve almost NEVER disliked a no-budget movie because of technical amateurism, but so often feel like the bigger problem is the director’s lack of opening to what “a movie” can be

It kinda amazes me how much of what you say is exactly how I feel about this. I think there’s a level of authenticity that comes from imperfections that makes art better. Even outside of filmmaking, I was reminded of this song, How Much Do You Love Me by Vulfmon. There’s a moment where the singer just starts to laugh as they continue to sing - it’s my favorite part of that song. One of the most beautiful things about entertainment to me is seeing how much fun the people making it had while bringing it to life. Leaving in those “messy” moments can serve as such a nice reminder that at the end of the day these are all just people having fun telling a story.

This is the first and last typo I will ever respect. I said good day.

I think the rambly, imperfect nature of your delivery here is a perfect metaphor for the message you were trying to convey. And a great example of when imperfection actually enhances the message, rather than take away from it.

Candid Joel is my favourite Joel ❤

Love this! My go to catchphrase for my own work is to “make bad art” and I think that stemmed from watching the movies from your Oscars challenge. For my birthday this year my friends got me a pencil case with a bunch of similar catchphrases lol! : )

This video was extremely important for me even outside of making stuff (music in my case), thank youuuuu omg. I feel on the verge of tears xD

Much love, Joel

i love all of these so much. Always deeply inspiring and thoughtful

Loved this vid Joel and all it's imprfections!

I hope it's not rude or annoying to suggest collabs but I'd really love to see you do something with Bridge Stuart one day. I think his channel is insanely underrated and I feel like your weird styles could mix very well together.

Love this. I really think Joel's filmmaking views are going to have a hand in revitalizing the indie and no-budget filmmaking world. We need more films like those. (Funny title as well.)

Everything in life is up to caprices and happenstance that you can't predict, avoid or control. Just do your thing and accept that whatever happens, happens.

Have you seen the "What's So Great About That?" video essay on Evil Dead? It's all about imperfections.

good points. reminds me of the film 3000 Years of Longing for Face Filters

As Bob Ross said, "happy little accidents" :)

As incredible as the Laika stop motion films are (Coraline, Kubo, etc), I actually kinda prefer the older stop motion films, perhaps just because they were less polished. For example, Jiri Trnka animation from the 1960s -- the movements were more jerky perhaps, but they are somehow more raw and expressive to me than Del Toro's Pinocchio. And I feel sorta bad about saying that because the technical artistry of Pinocchio is INCREDIBLE! Comes down to personal preference, maybe 🤷‍♀

Love you too, Joel

Joel, have you seen Sunset (1927)? It's my favorite silent movie. You reminded me of it here, because the sets look like literal cardboard (and probably were) but the acting is so earnest that it just doesn't matter. To me it has the charm of a really good stage play. Every time I rewatch it, I worry that it won't hold up, but it sweeps me up every time. You might like it too. Thank you for all the videos, I watch and enjoy every one.

Hi Joel!! I loved this video and i really liked the topic because i think about it all the time But when I think of this sort of metavision of the cinema and how the mistakes are part of the experience, I can't help to think about losing the standards and purpose of the work. Casavetes was part of a movement needed in his time and he used the tools to make something entirely new, if we as artist choose to keep the language of the past we can't innovate the vision of the present and per se we wont impact the idea of the future. And maybe this form of filming its also needed in this time but in the present, movies or shorts with this true rawness i dont think would succed.

Have you seen "A Brighter Summer Day" by Edward Yang? Just stumbled upon it last week and finally finished it this Friday (it's about four hours long). I really think it checks all the boxes you talked about in this video.

i like you, i like movies, bah-bye!

It's normal, good video and the you hit us with "we shouldn't fetishize work" 😍

Hey Joel, loved the video! I’m not totally sure you noticed this, but you spelled imperfect wro- ooohhhhhhh

good video! :D

Cool T shirt!

soda!!

Im not making a movie, but i am making a board game for the first time 😁 thanks joel for the advice

ei Jol yu had a taipo in yer taitel

Man, you mentioned a Starbucks cup as an offhand example and it just sent me off thinking back to 2019 when people were clowning on Game of Thrones for a Starbucks cup in the background. It usually came along with more legitimate criticism, but Jesus fucking Christ that was so irritating to see people harp on this ridiculous fucking detail. It was a terrible season, you don't need to point out this minor shit that appears in all sorts of media and definitely in something you like

I don't know if John Cassavetes' experience says as much about how powerful being imperfect is as it does about how little critics actually know. Also, this is not an attitude I want my brain surgeon to have.

second

first

frist

Continue on, slow down and rest as necessary, but never stop. You've got it.

Hoping I can catapult off this for my next film. Thank you for the words of wisdom.