Quentin Tarantino's first filmmaking experience
Many cinema audiences recognize Quentin Tarantino as one of the most important and successful directors of contemporary cinema. Tarantino has made 9 films (as director) over the past 30 years, which have received almost universal acclaim from critics and audiences. After the screening of Pulp Fiction, Tarantino said: "If you truly love cinema from the bottom of your heart, you will definitely make a good film. There is no need to go to university and know the rules and lenses; you just have to love cinema." Since then, this advice from Tarantino has been the guiding principle for many young filmmakers, and many imagine that simply loving cinema is enough to become a filmmaker. But is this really enough? We must take a look at the path to becoming a filmmaker for Mr. Tarantino himself.
Tarantino was born in 1963. He loved watching films from childhood, but he had no patience for studying and mathematics. When he was in ninth grade, out of stubbornness with his mother, he dropped out of school and became a film projectionist at a cinema that showed adult films (+18). The atmosphere, which (according to him) bored him with the films, led him to quit after a while and he began working at a famous video club called Video Archives. There, he had access to many films and became acquainted with cinema professionals. At the same time, he enrolled in acting classes and his screenwriting talent was discovered there. Tarantino gradually began writing screenplays and saved the money he earned from selling his screenplays to make his first film. Finally, the conditions were set, and in 1987, Tarantino decided to make one of his screenplays called "My Best Friend's Birthday" with the help of his friends (who were amateurs like him). This feature film is about a man who intends to arrange a special party for his friend's birthday, but unexpected events occur. In addition to writing the screenplay and directing, Tarantino also acted in the film and edited it.
This film, for which Tarantino spent 3 years of his life making, was never finished! Not only did they run out of money, but Tarantino and his friends' acting was bad, the inexperience of the young crew caused technical problems, and finally, the suicide of one of the production staff led Tarantino to abandon the production. Tarantino later said in an interview about the film: "Instead of giving money and going to a film school, I spent my money on this film and learned a lot of experience. Of course, I made a film that failed, but I worked hard. Making this film was equivalent to the experience of attending a film school for me, and I learned how not to make a film!" Currently, only a 26-minute version of this film exists. Despite being upset by this failure, Tarantino continued writing screenplays and selling them to Hollywood studios. His persistence and insistence on making his next film led him to meet various people in Hollywood, the most important of whom was acquaintance with a prominent actor at the time, Harvey Keitel, who with his help and support, finally allowed him to make Reservoir Dogs in 1992. This film, despite claims that it was made independently and with a small budget, was screened in the non-competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival and drew attention to its young director. Two years later, by making Pulp Fiction, Tarantino brought about something like a revolution in the cinema and filmmaking industry. Now I ask you: Was it only loving cinema that led Tarantino to such success?
