Coppola on Everything Cinema

So Tuesday was probably the best day of the semester EVER. Francis Ford Coppola came to speak at our school, and guess who was second in line to get into the theater. MOI! Thanks to my good friend, Stacy, who was first, I actually cut in line. But I don't care. I usually am good about that stuff, being fair, but I'm letting this one time go.

We sat second row center. When he came out, he was greeted with much applause and a standing ovation. He wore a gray suit and light orange button down shirt, and when he sat, you could see his orange socks. Lovely. I was pretty much face to face with the man, and sometimes he'd make eye contact with me which was AMAZING, it was like he was giving advice only to me, haha.

Besides being one of the greatest directors of our time, he is funny, humble, and so amazingly down to earth. He was brutally honest about the state of cinema today: the crossing over from film to digital; independent film; the hardships of financing. He also gave some great advice on writing and directing. I think my favorite bits where the stories he told about his screentest with Marlon Brando, working in San Francisco, and his childhood. Hearing him speak was like listening to an older and much wiser person giving you advice on your future.

I sat there, letting it all in and furiously scribbling in notes and quotes into my notebook. I think he noticed. I think the quote I liked best that I scribbled down was the one he ended his talk with:

It’s not worth thinking if you have talent. You have passion; you do what you love. It will take care of itself. Do beautiful things. If you do beautiful things, money will come, it will follow.

Coppola coming in and speaking could not have come at a better time what with my graduation around the corner.