Evanston filmmaker learns from the pros

Fred Weil, videographer, Steve Fischer, director, Brian Cox, actor and Chris Cassey, director of photography for "Old School New School." | Photo by Marlayna Demond/UMBC Magazine

Updated: January 3, 2012 6:02PM

Sometime around 2007, cartoonist-turned-Emmy-nominated filmmaker Steven Fischer (whose career began at age 17 after going pro with his human/canine comedy team Steve & Bluey) began tracking down artists he respected to ask them questions about the nature of creativity and the best way to approach and sustain an artistic career.

The subjects he interviewed for his self-financed documentary “Old School New School” ranged from personal mentors such as actor/playwright/Yeats scholar Sam McCready to Emmy-winning actor Brian Cox and veteran jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, but they all had similar opinions about the importance of being true to oneself, being willing to take risks and being content with yourself as the best judge of your best efforts.

Pioneer caught up with the Maryland-born Evanston resident before his Jan. 8 appearance at the Hip Circle Studio in Evanston (where he plans to address parents on the importance of fostering creativity in children) to ask what makes artists tick.

“Old School New School” can be seen free of charge at snagfilms.com.

Q: You financed “Old School New School” out of your own pocket. Why?

A: This film is an extension of a topic I’ve been exploring with friends for many years: How can we, as artistic people, attain the quality of work and the level of success of our heroes, whoever they might be. Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Pablo Picasso, Charlotte Bronte. What does it mean to have that level of talent? Is that something you’re either born with or you’re not? Is there a way to go out and get it if you weren’t born with it?

I guess I really wanted to make the movie because I wanted some answers myself.

Q: What did you learn about the nature of creativity?

A: What I came away with were insights expressed in more cohesive and clear ways than I had ever achieved when I was pondering these issues myself. When I asked (actor-turned-Congressman, ed.) Ben Jones about the best way to find your creative voice, for instance, he said, “Your voice is how you feel.” Or Sam McCready saying artists have to define success for themselves instead of applying society’s definitions. Those are ideas many of us may feel we understand instinctively ourselves, but I found that the artists I interviewed had a way of defining those ideas that was eye-opening.

It was also valuable for me to discover that even at the height of success these artists have achieved, they might still be pondering the same issues that preoccupy struggling artists at the beginning of their careers. Brian Cox, for example, is an extremely well-respected and successful actor, but he said he’s still searching for his place in the world.

Hearing something like that makes you realize that all of us, as working artists, are similar in the respect that we are constantly seeking answers to the same questions.

Q: Was there any central thought about creativity that was common to all of the artists you talked to?

A: I think there were several. Being yourself was a common denominator with everyone I talked to. Also tenacity. The idea that whatever you want to achieve in life is going to depend primarily on your willingness to keep on trying, no matter what — more than the amount of talent you start with. Another central thought was that careers take time. That success is not instantaneous and that a true career is achieved not only by being tenacious but by maintaining that tenaciousness over the long haul.

That underscores my own feeling that the best measure of success in an artistic career is the body of work. Real success, for me, comes from producing things throughout your career that honestly reflect who you are at the time. And hopefully getting better at what we do by taking what we’ve learned from one project and applying it to the next. Ultimately, that should lead to a very full life that represents an honest body of work.

Q: Why do you think so many of the people you spoke to emphasize the importance of being true to yourself?

A: That’s the hardest thing, in some cases, because so many people aren’t in tune with who they really are. So many people are plugged into what’s accepted by the outside world that they are disconnected from their own feelings and opinions. Which is, of course, the foundation of identity and individuality. We’re so busy being plugged into the outside world that there’s no time for introspection. We neglect what’s going on inside our own hearts and our own souls.

Q: It’s illuminating to hear how these artists talk about the workaday aspect of what they do — the craft and plain hard work that’s required.

A: We’re living in an unusual time. Because of technological advances, just about anyone can go to a computer and find software that will allow them to produce a painting or drawing or photograph that will look pretty good. Or to shoot some footage on a home-video camera and turn that into a movie.

As a result, we have the idea that anybody can be an artist — that it doesn’t require any special skill or talent or discipline. People don’t realize that, in fact, there’s an element of talent involved — not to mention skill that needs to be nurtured and developed through education and experience. That an artistic career requires serious study, whether formally, through school, or through trial and error as a result of practical experience.

One of the key things I heard about during these interviews was the importance of failure. The idea that a person who wants to become successful had better be prepared to experience a lot of failure during the process of learning. Most of the people I spoke to told me they had experienced many, many failures before they experienced success — especially commercial success. Q: It’s illuminating to hear how these artists talk about the workaday aspect of what they do — the craft and plain hard work that’s required.

A: We’re living in an unusual time. Because of technological advances, just about anyone can go to a computer and find software that will allow them to produce a painting or drawing or photograph that will look pretty good. Or to shoot some footage on a home-video camera and turn that into a movie.

As a result, we have the idea that anybody can be an artist — that it doesn’t require any special skill or talent or discipline. People don’t realize that, in fact, there’s an element of talent involved — not to mention skill that needs to be nurtured and developed through education and experience. That an artistic career requires serious study, whether formally, through school, or through trial and error as a result of practical experience.

One of the key things I heard about during these interviews was the importance of failure. The idea that a person who wants to become successful had better be prepared to experience a lot of failure during the process of learning. Most of the people I spoke to told me they had experienced many, many failures before they experienced success — especially commercial success.

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