Amidst a sea of students packed into a cozy room on the second floor of Chi Theta Chi, director Oliver Stone and producer Edward Pressman gave an intimate talk this last Thursday in an event hosted by the Stanford Film Society.

Film experts and amateurs alike jumped at the opportunity to ask questions about the filmmaking process, learn about fame and its accoutrements or just to discover the little-known details about some of their favorite movies, from two of the industry’s leaders.

Stone is a three-time Academy Award winner: once for his screenplay work on “Midnight Express” (1978), and a two-time best director winner for “Platoon” (1986) and “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989).

Pressman, in addition, has produced dozens of films in his long career, including massive hits “American Psycho” (2000), “Thank You for Smoking” (2005) and “Wall Street” (1987), the last of which Stone directed.

Pressman spoke first while waiting for Stone to arrive on campus in a dialogue mediated by his son, Sam Pressman ’10, co-president of the Stanford Film Society.

So what exactly does a producer do?

“I try to set the context for the movie,” Pressman said. “I often work closely with the writer, help to string it all together and find a way to get it distributed.”

In an interesting aside, students, Pressman and fellow producer and director Dale Djerassi, another Stanford graduate, discussed the future of Internet distribution of film. Jaman, the company Djerassi represents, offers foreign films to be downloaded or streamed.

The conversation shifted as Stone arrived and was asked to list his biggest mistake as a director.

“Life is long; it’s a series of mistakes,” Stone responded. “I don’t know that you ever get out of college or that you ever get out of the learning experience. Mistakes are always going on. Cause and effect.”

Stone also made sure to address his role as a director, in which he has made several films about controversial political topics and figures.

“I’m a dramatist,” Stone said. “Every documentary in some way represents the subjectivity of the filmmaker. But I hope that people remember that I’m a dramatist as they watch the films.”