Bio Thoughts
Friend and collaborator Ricky Grove has published an abridged biography of me over at Machinima Premiere, including an exegetical-type analysis of some of my work. One of the most fulfilling things about creative output is when people discover things in your work that, were they intentional, could only be explained by subconscious influence. Certainly some of what Ricky has found in my films was placed there by design, but there are some things which when I read them, I had a good natured chuckle and thought, “Wow, did I do that?” Ricky is an astute observer, and a very solid communicator (you really should read his blog; great stuff). I’m honored he chose to spend so much of his time putting this together, and hope you enjoy reading it too.
When I shared with Ricky that the key author and philosopher who basically helped me climb out of the depths after a personal crisis was Ayn Rand, he seemed genuinely surprised, and that has not been an uncommon reaction.
I wasn’t really familiar with Rand’s philosophy until I first read Atlas Shrugged a few years ago - my philosophy professor managed to sidestep her altogether during our coverage of twentieth century thought. Only upon having discovered her do I realize what a grave injustice it may have been to ignore her.
One common misconception about Rand, I believe, is that she advocated some kind of cold, heartless, isolated way of living - the very antithesis of compassion. In other words, she is cast in the same way it is popular nowadays to cast Republicans, i.e. conservative thought. And I suppose that under a mere cursory examination of her writings, it is easy to accept that assessment. But I believe it is sorely mistaken… as much as, if not moreso, than the distortion of Nietzsche by the Nazis, casting him as someone who advocated building a “master race.” Poppycock!
If you’ve been quick to dismiss Rand in this way, I’d invite you to examine her work again. The Fountainhead is a better place to experience her than even Atlas. Her perspective on “creatives” is amazing and inspirational. I’d caution any reader to beware of mistaking her description of how things are (The Fountainhead) and how things could become (Atlas Shrugged) for a description of how she wishes things to be. The artist does not make himself cold and isolated; immersed in a world of instant gratification and pop culture and warm fuzzies… the artist, by comparison, APPEARS cold and isolated, because he/she rejects this value system altogether.
Rand is radically pro-democracy; she rejects any system which elevates a cultural elite, or as she calls it, an “aristocracy of pull” (pull = influence, birthright, etc). My previous blog entry on “Deserve vs. Earn” is very much in this vein. Her protagonists are angered by a world which elevates mediocrity and, thus, devalues excellence. Remember the villain’s famous line from The Incredibles? “When everyone is super… then no one will be…” The spirit of this way of thinking is Ayn’s nemesis.
In a very real way, this elevation of the mediocre has been machinima’s enemy as well, one which bears examining as we move forward. It’s not an easy challenge to meet, because not everyone chooses excellence… and some just aren’t capable of reaching it. For some, that effectively makes the pursuit of excellence its own brand of elitism, an idea which has begun to permeate our public education system from kindergarten to college… that achievement of excellence is bad because it hurts the feelings of those who don’t reach it. Not the world’s best motivator, to say the least.
Finding a way to preserve an all-embracing community while keeping excellence from drowning in a sea of so-so… that is probably our biggest challenge. Can we take this thing where we need to minus either of those values? Can those two values co-exist? And if they can’t, which will we choose?
Not an enviable task, but it sits firmly atop our todo list.
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Thank you for the acknowledgement, Phil. I’m glad that you found some of my critical comments to be interesting and fun to read. I spent a lot of time watching your films and thinking about them. It’s really a testament to your excellence as a filmmaker that I could see patterns and begin to understand your developing style. It’s really quite an experience to spend so much time with a single filmmakers work. And then looking at all of your work in the context of your personal life really gave me a sense of what you were trying to communicate in your work, or at least I hope it did.
It’s also a testament to your character that you allowed so many personal details of your life to be revealed to the community and general public. I know this is not easy for you to do and I thank you for your willingness to let me share this info with everyone.
It’s my hope that others will find the profile interesting and get the idea to write their own on other filmmakers that they find are interesting. Honestly, the original impulse for this profile was selfish - I just wanted to know more about you. But I do encourage others to seek out filmmakers they admire and learn more about them; and then let the rest of us know what you have found out.
Your comments about Ayn Rand are interesting. It seems that more and more people are becoming interested in her writings again, at least in Los Angeles. At the bookstore where I work, we stock all of her books we can get, both used and new. They sell out all the time, mostly to younger people. Her reputation was stained a bit by her testimony as a friendly witness before the HUAC committee “investigating” anti-communism in 1947. I’ve always found this a barrier to reading her since I’ve worked with many actors who lost their jobs and reputations by testimony such as Ayn Rand’s. But perhaps it’s time to put that to the side for now and take a look at her work with fresh eyes. Certainly, if her thinking can help someone like you to learn how to rebuild their lives, something is is worth studying in her works. Thanks for giving me another angle to look at her with.
And you are so right about balancing our open machinima community with the importance of recognizing and emphasizing excellence. Coming in to the Machinima Festival in New York this weekend, the topic will be on my mind.
Thanks, Phil, for your supportive post. I do sincerely appreciate your help in putting the Profile together and for making yourself available any time I needed it. You are the best!
Comment by gToon — October 31, 2006 @ 1:57 pm
Well, to a person that is disgusted by the “elevation of mediocrity,” such as Rand, communism is a scary thought. Problem is that he probably didn’t realize the Red Scare didn’t have a damn thing to do with actual communism. And I’m certain he didn’t know it would help establish the wedge between the left and the right, as well as be a cornerstone in establishing fundamental Christianity’s stranglehold on politics (”under God” and “in God We Trust” were added to the pledge and to our money in response to fears of communism).
I’m not at all familiar with his history, but I’d bet that we can add his participation in the Red Scare, along with Einstein’s work on the A-Bomb, to activities that great minds would “take back” if they could.
- Mu
Comment by MuNansen — October 31, 2006 @ 2:55 pm
I agree, Mu. (He’s a she, btw)
And thanks, both of you, for the comments.
Ayn grew up under the early Soviet regime, and her embrace of “radical” democracy and gravitation to what some would consider the extreme (albeit nonreligious) end of the right, were very much a personal reaction to oppression she perceived in her early years there. (Some of the stories from that upbringing made their way into her first novel, “We The Living.”) She was quite the activist in the interest of keeping the U.S. from becoming like her old motherland, and I agree that it is likely she got caught up in something which on its surface appeared to be consistent with those ideals, but at its core was a good old fashioned alarmist witch hunt… a fact which only became apparent to the general public many years afterward.
Ricky, I think you’d REALLY enjoy her work. The characters are idea-rich, and the dialogue (especially in Atlas) is fantastic.
Comment by Overman — October 31, 2006 @ 4:16 pm
I THOUGHT Ayn was a she, but I saw somewhere her referred to as a “he.” I think it might’ve even been Wikipedia (which certainly has its share of errors). Funny I kept having to correct myself when I’d type “she,” and here my instincts were right the whole time.
Comment by MuNansen — October 31, 2006 @ 5:16 pm
Alright, you’ve sold me on the idea of reading her. I’ll pick up one of her books today.
Comment by gToon — October 31, 2006 @ 6:27 pm
You bring up some very interesting and true points. I believe that general equality should be the center pillar of any and all communities, but at the same time I believe that mediocrity should not be recognized on the same level of excellence as something truly excellent. I once received a certificate during a school ceremony awarding “academic excellence to students in extra-curricular activities.” I was in two “actives” that year, choir and a musical (Aida) and the former took place during school hours. The requirement to receive the certificate was that the student must have a GPA over 3.0. My GPA for the year was 3.14, and during one quarter I failed Physical Science. After the ceremony, I folded the certificate into a paper airplane and threw it at one of my friends. I didn’t do bad by any means, but I knew that there were kids that had a GPA over 4.0 due to AP courses that had an all expense paid ride through MIT that received the exact same certificate with the exact same wording on it.
And all of this talk about Ayn Rand has me interested. She sounds like a very interesting person. I vaguely remember seeing the cover of “Atlas Shrugged” on the bookshelf at our old house, although I’m probably mistaken. If I were to pick up and read one of her books, which one should I read first?
Evan-
Comment by Krad Productions — November 19, 2006 @ 11:38 pm