Richard Linklater Talks About Having Professional Patience in an Animated 1988 Commentary Track

Inspired by the interview style of the animated Blank on Blank series, filmmaker Andy M. Saladino of the Royal Ocean Film Society came across really inspiring words by filmmaker Richard Linklater. The talk comes from the commentary track from Linklater’s very first film It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books and is available on the Criterion Collector Slacker set.

I randomly stumbled upon this commentary track Richard Linklater recorded for his very first film, a Super 8 feature he made almost entirely by himself. I don’t know why but (as corny as it sounds) it had what I can only describe as a quietly profound effect on me – one of those “it was exactly the thing I needed to hear at that time in my life” sorts of things. The thoughts Linklater expressed about patience and pacing are so antithetical to what you usually hear about filmmaking and success and climbing up the ladder and all that. …Anyway, if you were wondering – yes, the style of the animation was partially inspired by PBS’s Blank on Blank series. I loved that channel and I don’t know why they’re not producing videos anymore.?