Randall Dottin on Film, Gaming, Teaching, and Mentoring

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/07/26

Randall Dottin, Chair of the Film Arts Department at NYFA, discusses the evolving landscape of storytelling in film and gaming. He emphasizes the impact of the gaming industry, the importance of sound design, and AI’s role in filmmaking. He highlights the need for aspiring creators to master storytelling, develop collaboration skills, and embrace new technologies. Dottin stresses the significance of mentorship, encouraging students to believe in themselves and build strong industry relationships. He reinforces that storytelling remains constant despite shifting audience expectations and industry trends. The conversation ends with an appreciation for his insights.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we are here with Randall Dottin. He is an award-winning filmmaker and educator, currently serving as the Chair of the Film Arts Department at NYFA in New York City. He holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MFA from Columbia University’s Graduate Film Division. His thesis film, A-Alike, won a gold medal at the 2004 Student Academy Awards. He has directed projects such as Fevah and the documentary series The House I Never Knew, which was supported by the Sundance Institute. He has also mentored aspiring filmmakers and his students have achieved success in film and television across the United States and internationally. 

Thank you for joining me today—I appreciate it. Now, my first question: How does the revenue disparity between the gaming industry and the box office reflect changing audience consumption habits? For context, the gaming industry generates approximately $400 to $500 billion annually, while the global box office brings in around $25 to $30 billion. How does the revenue disparity between the gaming industry and the box office reflect changing audience consumption habits?

Randall Dottin: Yes, first, people have always been—and always will be—wired for storytelling. The gaming industry has caught up by creating incredibly immersive experiences for those who choose to game. It offers an experience similar to being immersed in cinema. However, gaming provides even more interactivity because players make decisions in real-time. People want the experience of being inside a story while having control over it.

That’s why the gaming industry has become increasingly popular, attracting more participants. Additionally, we have to consider the impact of the pandemic. Many people were stuck inside, looking for ways to engage with stories and entertainment.

And, of course, the streaming boom has affected watching and seeing films in theatres. At the height of the pandemic, there were over 500 shows worldwide airing at any given time. Several factors have contributed to this disparity. However, people worldwide still love to sit back in a movie theatre and experience a story with great characters, a meaningful message, and surprises.

Even though storytelling is universal, it speaks to each person differently. Despite the disparity, the future may shift—one year, gaming might be more dominant, and another year, movies may regain their edge. Regardless, people love immersive story experiences. More choice is good because it inspires and motivates those who create, produce, and distribute movies to craft even better experiences for audiences.

So that’s what I would say. As a filmmaker, I’m not afraid of it—I welcome it because it’s all about storytelling.

Jacobsen: Different industries have different types and degrees of penetrance for newcomers and aspiring creators. What are your recommendations for breaking into each industry?

Dottin: The bottom line is that you have to understand storytelling. You should know how it works. I often tell my students that if they know how to write a story, how to determine whether a story works or doesn’t, and how to provide constructive feedback on a story that hasn’t yet reached its potential, then they will always be able to find work in the industry. That has been my experience, and I’ve also seen it hold true for others.

Know storytelling inside and out. Understand how audiences respond. Get a strong grasp on how you can affect viewers by using characters to create emotion. If you’re a gamer, immerse yourself in various games—study the great ones, analyze how they function, and understand how they were created. Learning how games are structured is important, whether video games or board games. Knowing the mechanics of gaming, in addition to the storytelling aspect, is crucial.

For filmmakers, just like gamers, it’s essential to understand the history of your medium. You need to watch a ton of movies and understand how they work, how they draw audiences in, how they convey their themes, and how to create compelling characters with contradictions that make them more dynamic. If you master these skills—whether you’re in gaming or filmmaking—you will be able to break into the industry.

Jacobsen: Everyone experiences imposter syndrome at some point. Newcomers, in particular, probably feel it more than most. What are some perceived barriers to entry that people in these industries tend to exaggerate in their minds?

Dottin: Yes, there’s always the barrier in the story we tell ourselves—the thoughts that say, “I’m not smart enough,” “I don’t have enough money,” or “I don’t have enough time.” One thing I always tell filmmakers, based on my own experience, is that there’s never enough money and never enough time. Whether you’re a filmmaker making a movie on your phone or Steven Spielberg, there’s never enough money or time.

Spielberg made Lincoln on a budget of $50 million. For Spielberg, that’s low. Meanwhile, Marvel movies today average around $200 million per film. When Spielberg was making Lincoln, he purposely set limitations for himself. He knew that, in terms of box office potential, there was a certain range the film could achieve. If it outperformed expectations and became a blockbuster, great—but he wanted to ensure that he was making a movie sizable enough to tell the story he wanted while remaining fiscally responsible. So, again, there’s never enough money, never enough time.

Another barrier we create is comparison. In this era of social media, people often compare themselves to others who are much further along in their journey. That’s not healthy. Everyone has their own experience as they make films and build their craft. You must focus on becoming a better version of yourself daily—that’s what truly matters. Some people convince themselves that they’re not ready and need a specific time or type of preparation before moving forward.

And look, preparation is important. The more you prepare and consistently put in the work, the more your competence will grow. That’s how you get ready to face the challenges ahead. In boxing, the hardest lesson is the punch you don’t see coming. You’ll take that punch—I’m saying you’ll fail at some point. But after that failure, after making a film or doing an exercise that doesn’t work, you have to get back up and keep going.

That’s the nature of filmmaking. One of my favourite professors in film school used to say that everyone has about 50 to 100 bad films in them. To become a good filmmaker, you must get those bad films out of your system. Suppose you commit to putting in the time and practicing with discipline. In that case, you will emerge on the other side with a mastery that allows you to express yourself fully. That’s how you make the movie of your dreams—because that great film is already inside you, along with those 50 to 100 bad ones. So, keep going. That great movie is coming. But you have to give yourself time, patience, and grace.

Jacobsen: I’m reminded of the unexpected hits—like that Richard Pryor joke about his time with Muhammad Ali, where all you see is the punch coming back. So that’s phenomenal. For those in film, watching a movie is different now than it was 30 years ago. Watching a film in a theatre today isn’t the same experience—it’s changed with IMAX, 3D, and other options. Similarly, video games have evolved into immersive environments with new technological advancements. What skills would you recommend people develop that were not necessary before but could now be valuable in adapting to current and future technologies in gaming and film?

Dottin: Yes, if you’re a storyteller or a gamer, you’re also a magician. Magicians, when they practice their craft, are always surprising their audience. They lead you toward an ending or punchline you don’t see coming. They make you look left when the trick that will blow your mind comes from the right.

For that reason, both filmmakers and video game designers should study magic. Magic is not traditionally taught in film schools, but every magic trick is a story. Every trick has a beginning, middle, and end. Every trick leads you in one direction before surprising you, leaving you wondering how it happened.

One of the things that made Orson Welles one of the greatest filmmakers of all time was that he was a magician. If you watch the first 10 minutes of F for Fake, you’ll see how magic and film combine to create an incredible experience. That kind of storytelling approach is invaluable for both filmmakers and game designers.

Understanding sound is also crucial. Sound design is one of the most underappreciated yet powerful tools in storytelling. Traditionally, film schools haven’t placed much emphasis on sound, but that’s starting to change. Schools like the New York Film Academy now offer more sound design courses. For a long time, film schools primarily focused on developing writers, directors, producers, and cinematographers, but sound is just as critical.

When Ben Burtt, who won Oscars for his sound design work on Star Wars, started, he essentially created the role of “sound designer” as we know it today. His work helped define Star Wars and shaped how audiences experienced the film. George Lucas has said that making a movie is 60 to 70 percent sound. More than ever, filmmakers must understand how sound enhances storytelling—it helps create the film’s reality and unique cinematic language.

The same applies to gaming, especially with the rise of virtual reality. In VR gaming, sound plays an enormous role in storytelling. Like in film, sound design helps create immersive experiences, adds emotional depth, and guides the player’s perception of the game world. It’s another way to introduce the unexpected—the magic.

So, I would tell both filmmakers and game designers to focus on studying magic and sound design. These two skills weren’t emphasized as much 20, 30, or 50 years ago. Still, they are becoming increasingly essential in today’s industry.

Jacobsen: What about the use of AI in virtual production? How do you see the development of those skills or the role of working with AI algorithms to enhance the talent and creativity already present?

Dottin: Yes, AI can be incredibly helpful, especially when shooting on a volume stage—the kind used for many scenes in The Mandalorian. If you’ve seen The Batman, the scenes set inside the building where the Bat-Signal is located—those with the sunset behind them or the Gotham skyline in the background—were all shot on a volume stage.

It’s an efficient tool for filmmakers because it removes many constraints of shooting on location. You don’t have to worry about daylight conditions or capturing scenes at specific times to get the right look. Volume stages are great, though they can be somewhat restrictive regarding the variety of shots you can achieve. Still, they help filmmakers work more efficiently.

I see AI as a tool. Many people view AI as something negative, even a threat, at least at this point. But AI is just another tool—Spellcheck is AI. Grammarly is AI. Some people use AI to brainstorm, generate different ways to explain ideas or assist with writing. I don’t use AI when writing fiction because I prefer to rely on my imagination. But if someone feels they need AI for that, I say go for it.

AI-generated images can also be useful, especially at the beginning of the previsualization (previs) process. However, as you go deeper into concept art and design, bringing in a human artist is important. An artist can provide nuance, depth, and complexity—things AI can’t quite deliver at this stage.

So, in my opinion, AI is a great tool. As long as it is used responsibly, it can be beneficial—whether in gaming, filmmaking, or other creative fields.

Jacobsen: As a mentor and educator, how have your mentorship and teaching styles evolved from the education you received back in the day?

Dottin: It hasn’t changed much. That’s a good question. The core of it remains the same. What I mean by that is that the principles of storytelling have been around for thousands of years. Those core principles are constant. How I teach directing or screenwriting—its foundation—has not changed. Every story is still about someone who desperately wants something but struggles to get it. The question remains: How do we create a story that evokes emotion?

How do we create characters that generate empathy and move an audience? How do we craft a story with a strong theme that resonates with viewers? These fundamental aspects of storytelling haven’t changed.

What has changed, however, is the audience. Today’s audiences are smarter and more media-savvy. They have less patience for stories that don’t work. They crave narratives that surprise them and evoke emotions they didn’t expect.

Teaching filmmaking is about creating experiences for audiences who already know the clichés, tropes, and the hero’s journey. Because audiences are familiar with these storytelling paradigms, students must also understand them. Whether we realize it or not, we are all wired for a story—we inherently recognize when something works and doesn’t.

Suppose we train ourselves in storytelling and its various paradigms and understand the processes and tools that help shape a compelling narrative. In that case, we can create stories that truly resonate with audiences. That’s what I emphasize in my teaching. I ensure that my students grasp these tropes, paradigms, and techniques to craft stories that engage rather than turn off a discerning audience.

Mentorship, for me, has also remained largely the same. Students don’t necessarily care about how much you know—they care about how much you care. That’s the bottom line. People want to feel you genuinely care about their progress, education, and growth. I believe that relationships come before tasks.

Building strong relationships allows you to collaborate effectively and produce great work—great films and stories. I always tell my students that 95% of my jobs in this industry, including my teaching position at the New York Film Academy, have come from my classmates. Almost every job I’ve had came through those connections.

So when I mentor students, I teach them about craft, but I also stress the human element. Being a great collaborator is just as important as mastering the technical side. That means giving insightful feedback on someone else’s script. That means showing up for a classmate’s shoot and working just as hard as a grip, a gaffer, or a camera assistant as you would if you were the director.

There’s an old saying that you get out of an education what you put into it. I believe that’s true, but I also believe that your peers—your cohort—will get what you put in from it. That sense of shared effort is just as important, if not more.

Mentorship is about instilling a strong belief in students—that they can do it. If they truly believe they can, then they can accomplish anything. At the same time, I stress the importance of collaboration because filmmaking is incredibly difficult to do alone.

Jacobsen: Randall, thank you for your time today. I appreciate it.

Dottin: No, thank you.

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