If only this video also had some drone shots too

I love how he is talking about the simplicity of writing what you know whilst you have a thousand different camera angles going on

You know what this video really needs? More slider shots...

So true. Unfortunately I'm a maverick detective that doesn't play by the rules, so that's all I know what to write about.

the message of this video vs the extraneous editing of it is almost too much irony to bear.

The camerawork happening here for this interview is insane. I'm surprised Gervais could keep a straight face with at least 3 cameras doing their thing at the same time.

Not enough panning IMO. Maybe throw in a few drone shots and some edgy time-lapses and I think you''ll have nailed it.

I'd like to think that the amount of camera angles etc are a joke..

That 13 year old Gervais essay sounded like an episode of afterlife.

That one good teacher is the reason we got both versions of the office. Thank you good teachers!

I'll be constructive. I've made this mistake before. The thought goes, "It's an interview, it's boring, so I need to make it interesting". So I would resort to wall to wall music, quick cuts and dynamic shots. I ignored the fact that the speaker WAS in fact interesting and I got in the way. Cut musically, with the beats of the dialog, at the pace of the speaker. Use the slide cam sparingly and move it with his thoughts. Not like a ping pong. You're a filmmaker, not a side show. Be invisible.

"Being honest is what counts. Trying to make the ordinary extraordinary is so much batter than starting with the extraordinary... it's your job to make an audience as excited and fascinated about a subject as you are." There's the gold, right there.

That slider shot was cool....the first time

Real Talk. Make the ordinary extraordinary. Words to live by.

stop over editing these videos. one camera is all you need! its not a Michael bay movie!!

The way he told the story about writing a story was illustration enough. Wow. Goosebumps. And to that English teacher, hats off 👏

Whoever shot and edited this had no idea what they were doing. Awesome story btw.

Can see the moment Ricky gets emotional by just being honest and writing about the here and now or real life. Great insight into a comic with pathos.

"Think an ordinary paper company like Dunder Mifflin was a great subject for a documentary. There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn't that kind of the point?" Ricky Gervais didn't write that final line of The Office US, but they sure did him justice with it.

“Make the ordinary extraordinary.” I came to that realization all on my own 25 years ago with my own writing. I have always had a nerdified mind about noticing small details, remembering them forever, and a decent facility for turning a phrase. My favorite authors (and songwriting lyricists, even) are the ones who do exactly that. “Make the ordinary extraordinary.” Now, if only I had gumption enough to try to get published.

This is such an incredible lesson in writing. "Make the ordinary extraordinary".

The subject is literally just sitting on a chair the whole time and yet there's a cut every 3 seconds, the angles are terrible, the camera settings are not synchronized, the slider dolly is not only positioned wrong but it's also bumpy and way too fast, honestly, I could go on all day. I don't mean to offend anyone, but shooting a documentary on Ricky sounds like a great opportunity but it seems that this crew just completely blew it.

Wow, Mr. Gervais... thank you. This, helped remind me what my writing was actually missing lately . My youth. Great work describing the process you had used, as a young immature adolescent, expecting to “stick it” to the “dumb” teacher, and in that process finding your writing passion. For me my teacher challenged me to write a short story, because I didn’t do much reading, so he said read a book and write a report about it or write a good short story so I tried and tried I felt defeated, because I wrote a 50 page story instead, and I couldn’t shorten it. I handed it in, told him I couldn’t shorten it any more than it was and he did the strangest thing, he just smiled and said oh well, maybe next time and gave me an A on my long short story and said it was excellent and that was it, I was hooked. ;)

I’m glad that teacher gave him that advice. His programmes are so different to anything else. With old peoples homes, dementia, death and such. But all with great humour. Ricky is a revelation. And he’s so human. Love the guy

How did ricky concentrate with that fake little desk level dolly cam shot going backwards & forwards the whole time? Jesus. Great chat from Gervais nonetheless.

Right well, Ricky, you hit the nail on the head and I actually ended up with a tear in my eye by the time you finished the story of how you learned to write about what you know. Good one. I do love watching you.

After watching this video, for the first time, in a very long time, I was able to put pen to paper and compose something authentic and hopefully going to be the start of something good. Thank you, Ricky! My writer's block has been opened.

High praise here... this one moved me. Thanks, Ricky.

I cannot get enough of Ricky. Can't wait for the 5th stand-up DVD.

Beautiful lesson from Gervais. Worth the dizziness.

Loved hearing Ricky tell that story 💕👍

I think this is the best video about writing anything. Especially if you're writing comedy or jokes. It works because he's not giving people a process to follow or a how things should be done, which is what you get a lot of the time. When it comes to comedy what you get is how that person does their thing. Their methods or process may not work for everyone. But writing what you know and being honest is easy. None of us will ever be able to write like those we admire, they have their way, their voice. You can only write like you in your way in your voice. For me you only find that out by writing what you know and being honest because that's your way, your voice.

Thanks for this. I appreciate Gervais's work so much and this little talk is sweet and interesting.

Great anecdote Ricky. Amazing revelation. ..and the rest is history!

What a great story. Truly inspirational.

Great story, and as always Ricky tells it really well.

What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻

Who knew so many people would fixate on the editing? Instead, pay attention to what he is saying lol especially his advice about trying to make the ordinary the extraordinary. Great perspective, thank you!

Lovely story ♥️ That guy was a great teacher

I've watched tv for close to 40 years now... I will never forget Derek or Afterlife. Finding what makes the mundane extraordinary is beautiful.

"...I think my single, biggest influence was Stephen Merchant, without whom we wouldn't have had The Office, or at least it wouldn't have been half as good as it was. But I try not to credit him too much coz I like it when people think of me as a brilliant genius."

Love Ricky, man is a genius!

Great explanation and I would agree the best stories in a book or movie are done this way.

His Mom sounds like a gem.

That's a great lesson, well told.

He really gave more insight than most people would

Great story, and insightful lesson about honesty in storytelling. My hairy asshole could've edited this video more competently though.

Wow just listened and it really inspired me, ty Ricky! Off to create! 🤗💜

I like this man so much.

This is what you do really well talking in a moving way about the every day people for what they are and what makes them so exceptionnel an funny

Wow. That was unexpected. The end actually brought me to tears.

I loved that story about his childhood.

Teachers should always know what an important influence they are...& be respected for their caring, effort, knowledge, & skills. (Sense of humor is the perfect bonus.)

woow... i actually learned something about writing !! for real. Thank you Mr. Gervais, and thank you to your english teacher!

What a great story -- thank you!

Good advice Ricky . When I was at school I used to write about TV pros I watched .

That is so true. Who would think audience would go bonkers about a story about an old man gone fishin'. And yet it's a wonderfull story of world's literature.

I relate to this. I had a good time in my writing classes in high school. (Not a writer.) Got good grades. Almost felt like I cheated though. I would write what was supposed to be fiction, but was what I did the day before. I cut the back of my leg stepping through a barb wire fence one day when hunting squirrels. Included that the details of my gumboot aggravating the wound as I walked. Mrs. Weller asked me how I could come up with such detail. I just kind of shrugged. I did have a college English professor tell me one day that interesting and imperfect writing is much more fun for him than precise and boring.

He is human after all then! Brilliantly told. Always love the fact that Ricky is normal; lots of other people have disappeared up their own arse long before this stage- but he is just.. well... Ricky. I find that inspiring.

Absolutely invaluable advice.

the editor sure had a ball fucking switchijng between the thousands of cameras they has set up

The edit is realllly distracting from the content...

Best honest advice about writing

this is so helpful and reassuring ❤

Afterlife is a great example of what he described in this video

A case in point, Haruki Murakami's novels wonderfully balance ordinary people and their lives with extraordinary situations. He goes into the detail of what the characters wear and eat and builds a close relationship with the reader who is then is taken on an incredible journey.

I learned to write in school. I´m happy for him that he does so well. Doesn´t matter when you learn something. Just try it.

He's one of the most talented dude! Seriously..

I really, really liked that!

beautiful advice

Brilliant. Thanks for the video.

Great short story ricky

Fuck yes! Honesty, vulnerability, awareness but with no filter.

That was surprisingly inspiring!

"My process?" (Busts out laughing). This is why ricky is a legend

Thanks Ricky.

Basically write about something that resonates, and write about something that is relatable to most people in a nut shell...

This man's brilliant.

I rememeber writing a story about how we used to walk to school by the river and feed the ducks and a dog used to sometimes walk past and the teacher said like your memories! I'll always remember that!

I like the editing!

Cameraman: "How will we make this visually interesting?" Director: "Just pan it from random angles like an anime."

he had me at "the smell of tea and lavender and mold", thats fine storytelling already

Great story. 🔥

Fantastic content, love his input, very valuable, and exactly my philosophy for my channel -- just be real and honest and its easy to be genuine and relatable to people! Excellent!

Excellent

I’m currently sat in a car park in Ricky’s home town watching this ! Well done mate you escaped!! 👏👏 effin genius.

This video is like watching something 5 film students have mashed together.

Spot on. I think the difficulty with fiction is it can easily sound contrived. Many writers have preconceived ideas of what is horror, sci-fi, romance etc. should be. But if you write from what you know and your experiences, you tell a story and adjust it to fit whatever period of time you want.

My father who left school illiterate decided in later life to turn his life around and enroll in night school to learn to read, write and improve his maths. He had a similar experience with his teacher. He would recount how the teacher would constantly encourage the class to not be ashamed of their backgrounds and to embrace their life experiences and capture that on paper. My father really looked up to this older man who he described as ‘the first educator who was genuinely interested in educating him’. He absorbed the advice fully and started to write about what he knew and what he’d done which was why he ended up in prison for the seven bank robberies he’d committed.

This is so true

"She just won't die, Ricky."

The appeal of the Office makes so much more sense now

That's an awesome story.

Good Stuff!!! I began writing in 1992. Robin Williams said it best in Dead Poet Society, “Write about what you want...just don’t let it be ordinary.” I always loved that.

being honest is what counts 💘

I'm from Reading and am an English teacher. Good info!

Incredible

Holyshit that is so true..

I’m a writer and didn’t notice the camera angles, the editing or the music until I started reading the comments. Is that weird?

Rule one when using a slider - foreground interest - hmm ok, How about this huge pile of paper? Perfect!