How to get a masterclass

It’s a classic, but I’ve never watched the original West Side Story. It just never appealed to me. Now Steven Spielberg has made a remake, and I’m a fan of his work. Though I heard it got good reviews, I still had no plans for watching his version.

Until I saw several tweets by different filmmakers, who were all lyrical about it. Apparently the cinematography and choreography are phenomenal. Or as Freddie Wong says:

“no joke i think you can learn more about cinematic blocking in any single scene in West Side Story than four years at any film school”

In other words, Spielberg’s movie is not just a film to enjoy as a moviegoer, it’s also a masterclass for filmmakers, on filmmaking techniques.

I love this way of learning: to simply study a piece of work that is admired by peers for its quality. To analyze it, discover how it was made and figure out why it’s so good.

I once read that even during shooting of The Matrix, the Wachowskis would watch kung fu movies. Based on studying those fight scenes, they would then make decisions for their own shots and choreography. It paid off. The Matrix became a masterclass in filmmaking itself.

Movies, art, writing, music, design… any great work can be a masterclass if we are curious and give it our close attention. This week I found out Spielberg’s West Side Story is on Disney+. It’s on my watchlist now.