the steps from measles to maysles

I would like to orient you to what is about to take place. School has crept into my blog, I shall post writings for this little film class I take and maybe eventually you see some-uh-da films I shall make.

I would like to bring to your attention the Maysles Brothers, ladies and gentlemen. Pure documentary film landmarks. Categorize them under historical happenings, cinema verité, brothers, driving force, and find them at this website of theirs.
(You might have heard of their documentaries: Salesman, Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter)

I've perused and re-rused and pursued this website a bit. And I have mixed reactions.
Reaction one : awe. A bit of awe as I'm entranced by the magic of cinematographically masterful black and white films made by people with horn-rimmed glasses (Albert Maysles has horn-rimmed-ish glasses now) (i.e. Billy Wilder). I get a bit of inspiration from this website because Albert Maysles proclaims his why for documentary,
"As a documentarian I happily place my fate and faith in reality. It is my caretaker, the provider of subjects, themes, experiences—all endowed with the power of truth and the romance of discovery. And the closer I adhere to reality the more honest and authentic my tales. After all, knowledge of the real world is exactly what we need to better understand and therefore possibly to love one another. It’s my way of making the world a better place."
Oh, heart!, for documentary to make the world a place of hope because we can hope when we love one another better.

But I kept looking around the Maysles' pages and I found reaction two: the muddied muddied little doubts of mine.
Dear Maysles,
You see, I'm impressed by your films and what you've done. I'm excited you are in support of the digital revolution because you understand how many doors it opens up for documentary. I know I should be studying and learning and practicing as you have so that I might make such well-made films. I guess I just feel like I'm sitting on a tree stump wondering again what exactly it is that I intend on doing with my filmmaking skills and degrees. Where do I want to go with documentary? I don't need to know all the answers now, but I guess, dear readers, you know me. I love to know you and to know all about the world but I would really just like to stay in the bookshelves. There's little place for that, though. There's little time, there's too much to be done and there is no use for me to study without acting upon what I learn. It's not the question now as to whether I will make grand films that will stand out for generations to peer at and remember (quel horreur !). The question now I should be working on is to stop questioning for once. To stop shying away from camera cords and internships and editing jobs. These things are not enigmas.

(I'm getting long-winded and confusing again, I'm sure.)

So the perusing of this website makes me very aware that Albert Maysles has practiced, practiced, practiced and made himself comfortable in the filmmaker world. Not comfortable in the puffed up sense, but he's made himself at home. Marge Bjork, on the other hand, is still waking up every morning repeating affirmations of: "camera cords are not enigmas," "I WILL push every button on that camera," "I WILL try a new filter in final cut today," "I WILL check out a tripod."

I'm not sure whether or not this is the full and exacting response I should be giving about this website. But to end with something concise that might make sense: The Maysles are a million steps ahead of me, which is always intimidating. If their legacy is an ideal, it is important to understand and to know that there is such a standard in existence (a standard outlined on their website). And that standard is what we must reach towards. No matter how many little steps it takes to get there.

So I'm stepping.