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What do you think is the most important component of a movie, writing, editing, directing, acting,production or sound?

I think Directing is the strongest link of a film. A good director can make a talentless actor into having a strong screen presence. I also think that a good actor can carry a terrible movie. what does everyone think?

Writing. Given you have a cast of actors that know what they're doing, as well as their material, they can usually adapt and make the movie.

I don't think there is one thing that is the most important, because obviously, it takes more than one thing to make a great movie. The storyline and the characters I think are at the top of the list though, because no matter how many dazzling effects or great directors you have, they won't make up for crap story or characters nobody has any interest in.

I agree with Cinema the writing (especially the script) are vital for a movie. with a bad script you can have whatever actors you want it will still be a bad movie

I agree with Cal31. But i am leaning towards the stronger parts of filmmaking. Writing AND Directing. I have seen either or carry a movie well beyond what it was supposed to be, many times.

Well it appears that you guys are going with writing or directing.

Let me ask you this. An talented writer produces a decent script. an actor takes that script and transforms it into his own, well beyond anything the writer had anticipated. Is the greatness of this piece of work credited to the writer or actor? I believe good acting supersedes good writing. Good writing doesnt mean jack without acting to carry it or directing to inspire the actor to pull that talent out.

There have been plenty of movies where the movie itself was shit, but there was a stand out performance. Deep in POTC for example. I know the role was probably written for him, but..man. That said, the credit goes to the actor, especially given nobody else stood out in the film.

writing by far as long as they are using actual actors with talent

Pre-production with the 6 peas:

Proper
Preparation
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance

Originally posted by GCG
Pre-production with the 6 peas:

Proper
Preparation
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance

let me tell you a story:

They were recruting for extras and there were about a 1000 in line going in a room 10 by 10.

The extras had to fill in a form with all their details and measurements. but the idiots did not leave any wardrobe staff to take the measurements. So the extras were to do it themselves. there were some inch-tapes.

One of the fields required 'inside leg'.

Unless you are capable of keeping your leg straight, it impossible to get the correct measurement.

So what where they doing ? they were taking their measurements from the inside leg (from the bollocks) and bending down to the achilles.

Inside Leg = 12 inches !

lolol thats funny, after reading rages remorses info. i do agree with him, slightly, there are soo many aspects of film that there is possibly no TRUE imoportant piece. Everything works hand in hand. and with POTC yes Johnny Depp did stand out quite amazingly, but i also loved Geoff Rushs character. Barbosa. He was quite the good pirate. Every movie that is worth calling a "classic" like Forrest Fump 4 example, has its one aspect that stands out for every individual. Obviously Tom Hanks. so yeah, umm, i dont know where to go from there, ill get back with yall on that one.

I think writing, because the best characters have stories that seem to write themselves and make for interesting events.

Jackie Chan: writes, Directs, acts and does his own stunts. OK maybe not the best at some of the aforementioned, but he does try.

Jackie chan probably tries harder than anyone else that has come through the film industry. Except for some of the earlier film makers who would tap dance on the steeple of 100 story buildings.

Jackie chan fall 300 feet and busted his head on a sharp rock. He was back to filming about a month later. As devoted as that is, the impressive part is that he did the same stunt that resulted in his 300 foot free fall, and pulled it off. Jackie chan may not be able to act or write, but he tries harder than anyone else. lol

300 feet and his head landed on a sharp rock? that = death

I believe its acting. I mean with a good plot but bad dialogue a good actor can still pull it up some. Lets say you have a good plot bad dialogue and atrocious writing, that movies going no where.

Writing is definitely the next important aspect to me.

Jackie said "if the cameraman hadn't moved he could of pushed me, and helped break my fall, he never, he picked up the camera and ran. LOL.

No! No! No! i will tell you all right now the most important part of a movie is the script. Without a good script you can put Dinero, Pachino, Crowe... whoever you want in the movie and its still gonna be crap. Now you have a good script and get 3 unknowns and still have a decent movie. How many movies have we seen with a great cast that were not so great movies ( i.e Oceans 12), yes great actors make the movie what it is and make it that much more special, but the quality of a movie comes from the script.

Obviously it takes the percise care of everything involved in a movie for it to turn out properly. However, i have never seen a movie redeemed because the writing was good, or the directing was superb, or because the script was intriguing. A script requires good acting for it to work. A script cannot be astounding on it's own it requires acting to capture the effect the writer was aiming for. I think directing is the overall sum. Bad acting, bad lighting, bad editing and bad writing are usually the result of a bad director. Though, sometimes the director doesnt have much say in the matter, the director's word is second only to the producers. I have seen many movies saved merely by the acting. I think a good movie can be achieved with mediocre acting, but it will be nothing more than mediocre.

Dude! Stop following!

And the most important part for any movies is...

*drum roll*

The paying audience.

Originally posted by ZephroCarnelian
Dude! Stop following!

And the most important part for any movies is...

*drum roll*

The paying audience.

Dude, i was so totally here first. and are you trying to say that I am the most important factor of a film? I knew it, i knew i was the reason lord of the rings kicked ass. You think peter jackson will buy that argument for a peice of the royalties?

Plot.

To me it has to have good special efferts and music and good acting.If the firm has nether of this then the movie sucks for me.JM

For me I believe is the story, acting and music plays a big role.

Narrative, Narrative, Narrative...

Well, being a student at the Michael Bay school of film-making, the key ingredients are:

Cliche

Explosions

Titty

your a student there too awesome, but you forgot one. over the top.

I would have to say the writing as well.

-Much of Casablanca's script was written the night before shoots.
-Evil dead's script was only 40pgs long, and consisted mostly of grunts, screams, and shrieks.
-The lady killers has now been shot twice on the same script with vastly different results.

A good script is only abstract, and the original intent of writer is quickly lost as it changes hands.

Im out on a limb, but as a filmmaker id have to say lighting is the dividing factor that will either cause people to respect your work or disregard its as armature.

i dont think there is one individual part of the proces that is the most important. a brilliant script can still be wasted on a hack actor as can a brilliant actor be wasted on a hack script. the movie could have everything going for it but a crap director will still result in a lustless movie and a movie that has nothing going for it but a brilliant director will still turn out mediocre. there is no one area i would say is the most important aspect.

I don't think that there's one most important aspect of film as far as making the film goes. It's all about how everything comes together in the end.

If its title is The English Patient, Titanic, Chicago, or any other undeserving Best Picture winner, then I would have to say the credits are definately the best part.

Some win Oscars and they suck, some don't even get their name mentioned at any important events, some have such an explosive trailer making them such a great hit, but only until you get to see the movie. And there are the old movies that seem to never die. The remake's usualy suck and they just spoil the image of a really good movie.
Just think about it, it doesn't matter when the movie is made, or how big the bugget is, or if the trailer makes you think it's the movie of the century, ..........
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING A MOVIE HAS TO HAVE IS A GREAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE THAT AR MAKING IT
It doesn't matter if they are popular or not, but if they are all determine to do a great thing, than you'll have a movie you'll never forget. Just see what a great failure " Ocean's Twellve " was, great cast but such a poor performance, it's like they didn't even wanted to try, at least, to act.
Anyway that's what I think, what about you?