Mentored by acclaimed American director and film instructor Dov Simens, a workshop titled Dov Simens on Hollywood Secrets: Writing and Directing Independent Feature Films was held at the premises of US Embassy iHub in the Capital on Wednesday. Over the course of an hour-long event, Simens shared his experiences and tips on filmmaking among filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and journalists. 

Founder of Hollywood Film Institute in Hollywood, California and the pioneer of 2-Day Film Scool, Simens has been voted “America’s #1 Film Instructor” by the National Association of Film Schools and is the author of From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film. 

“Forget art, it’s business,” Simens started and then proceeded to assert how the art of filmmaking in Hollywood is “show business.” “We don’t call it show art,” he said; a carefully thought-out assertion, perhaps, on how the art of cinema is increasingly being taken over by the art of business. 

Addressing a host of aspiring filmmakers, Simens was more encouraging than he was didactic. “First of all, you need to learn how to tell a story. You need to figure out what the world wants to see. And here in Nepal, you have got the best location any filmmaker could hope for. I can’t make a location like this in Hollywood even if I spend thousands of dollars.” 

Although, he started out with a hint of how filmmaking is increasingly becoming more a show of business than of art, Simens elucidated how one can produce a good work of art with whatever resources one has. “Do not try to compete with what Hollywood is doing. Infuse into your story no amazing drama, but master the art of storytelling. First get your 90-minute long script on page and shoot it in one location,” Simens said.

Having mentored Hollywood heavyweights in the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Will Smith, Christopher Nolan, Simens, who is 74, shared insights on how the current strain of mainstream Hollywood and Bollywood films are faring. “Among several Bollywood films I have watched, there is a protagonist and there is an antagonist. While in reality, there is nothing like it. We’re human beings, we all have human flaws, and we’re all shades of grey.”

Simens, who is sometimes jocular, commanding at times, and mostly encouraging, shared his incisive piece of advice to aspiring filmmakers: “The hardest thing to do is shoot your first film. Once you get it done, and if for some reasons God likes you, you will have money for your next project. That’s how you’ll get started.” 

Throughout the event, Simens stressed on why a feature film, rather than a short, would be the best way to go for an aspiring filmmaker and summed up his advice, in the refrain: “Learn to tell a story, the art of storytelling, and know what the world wants to see.” 

Dov Simens 2-Day FIlm School in Nepal is slated to be held at Nepal Tourism Board on January 22-23.