All language subtitles for Masterclass - Spike Lee Teaches Independent Filmmaking_Full

She's going to have it. I was a caterer,

the producer, the director, the

screenwriter acted in it, and I was the

first. We didn't have a first ad.

I don't care if you fire me in this

exact [ __ ] moment.

So, you ready? Oneon-one.

In my experiences, I found two types of

men. the decent ones and the dogs.

Our lips are thick,

our nose is broad, our hair is nappy, we

are black, and we are beautiful.

How come you college [ __ ] think

y'all run everybody? You come to our

town year after year and take over. We

was born here, going to be here, and

going to die here.

That's it.

That's it.

I got it. I'm gone.

There is no one way to be a filmmaker

and not all filmmakers are alike.

There's not one monolithic group. There

are filmmakers who make films purely for

entertainment purposes. There are

filmmakers who do the opposite and there

are filmmakers

that try to do both. One of the faults

of learning in any field is that

sometimes your teachers are teaching you

about theories. And I've always felt

that

I had an advantage

that my students recognized is that I

wasn't talking about theory.

Could have, would should you? And many

times I give examples of stuff I've

actually done. It's not theory. what I'm

saying

is the truth and can give some validity

you might say to what you're hearing.

You will learn various aspects of film

making. The tools a director has it's

called film grammar. Can't start without

a script. Got an ideal script

storytelling

visual direction. How are you going to

take words on a paper

and using your tools, film grammar, make

those words come to life?

Music, one of my favorite tools.

I want people to understand that

I'm still a student of cinema

and I've been doing this 30 years. When

you make that decision, whoever you are,

that you want to be an artist, whatever,

whatever field you're talking about,

that's not some [ __ ] to be played with.

I think that's sacred. But me, again,

this is me.

That is sacred where

through hard work, blood, sweat, and

tears, through timing and luck, you are

given the unique opportunity being an

artist. And if you choose to comment on

what has happened in the world after

you've gone through my master class,

hopefully

you'll be in a position where you could

apply what you've learned. I would

really hope that people were getting

ready to shoot a film and saw that they

said, "You know what? Maybe Spike will

tell me something to help me be prepared

or help me help my film be success.

I'm Spike Lee and this is my master

class.

How I choose a story is uh do I want to

tell that particular time?

Usually I have more than one story but I

found that over time the one I keep

thinking about is the one I eventually

doing.

And you got to pick the right story. the

one you're most passionate about because

for me cinema is about storytelling.

When I decided that this is story I want

to tell

then you got to write it.

And I don't start to write right away. I

just have usually have uh a notebook

and I put notes in the notebook. The

entries in the book could be uh

characters names, plot points,

a lot of dialogue

and then once

I've

feel I've got enough

and I go through

the numerous notebooks and put

everything on a 5x7 index card

and then once I've done that, then I

divide those cards into dialogue, plot

stuff. Everything has it own section.

And then I arrange those 5x7

index cards in groups

from the

first scene to the last scene.

A lot of this is research.

So

you got to do the work even before you

start to write the actual script.

I don't know how you can just show up,

no research, no nothing. Blank piece of

paper

start to write.

I maybe you can't do it, but I can't.

And this way has worked for me. A lot of

work goes into a lot of preparation

work. W E R K. It makes the actual

writing much easier for me because now

you has a res your reservoir of

material.

You've written dialogue already.

Not all of it, but you've written

dialogue. You written scenes. You just

got to put that stuff together.

This is bamboozled.

Bamboozled.

And these are

all the stuff I wrote down these in on

these 5x7 index cards

that make up

the basis for the script. So right here

I might have a a scene.

So this one

scene

dialogue

voice over ideal like little sayings.

Faith is a substance of things hoped for

evidence unseen. that didn't make the

movie,

but it's something that I put in here.

So, I write this stuff and then once

usually when I fill up a box, that means

it's time to write the script. So once I

feel that I've gotten all the

information I need to write, then I put

go through every single card and put it

in order as if this is the order of the

movie

scenes. This is a scene. It's going to

be the beginning, middle, end. I put it

in order. And another reason why I use

another reason why I use cars is because

you don't get it right all the time. So

you could you had a scene here. Well, it

doesn't go there. It goes here

and under the scene is like the heading,

but there's a a line of dialogue that

that works this scene. Then that that

goes right that line of dialogue goes

right behind that scene.

And I again I I don't know all the time

where exactly goes. So, a lot of times

there's a lot of moving

in this box.

And then once I feel I've gotten all the

scenes in order

with the beginning, middle, end, that is

when I start the actual writing of the

script.

Then you end it with this.

This is uh the original

bound

screenplay of Bamboozled.

Again, I don't type

all long hair.

Three- ring loose leaf binder.

Most screen featureless screenplays,

most screenplays 120 pages. And I found

that early on in my career that was

daunting.

uh on the first especially especially

the first day 120 pages

and

I found a trick.

I never thought about 120 page only

thought about I need to write four or

five pages a day

and those four or five pages a day add

up to 120 pages.

So you're not writing 120 pages every

time you sit down. Just write three or

four pages. It's like chopping a tree.

You're not going to knock down a

tree in one even if you're John Henry,

you're not going to knock down a tree

with one stroke, you know. So, you got

one chop,

you know, keep chopping then eventually

get to that to the end.

I think that for the writer directors

that you got to really put aside time

to write.

I mean this is going to be like the only

time it's going to be you by yourself.

Your own what you're doing after that

you don't get a whole lot of people

involved.

So, it's just you really you there and

your characters and your story

and that's a very special time

and you should you should treat it as

such.

I don't do anything else. I I I I block

out. I'm look everybody has different

creative

periods. Mine is I write best in the

morning. So I get up and write

and I never have to write consecutive

days. I can't skip. I have to write

every day till that first draft is done.

And I can only do

four or five hours at a time.

After that is no good. So I I don't I

don't I just can't I mean people will

sit down and write 10 hours straight

go ahead

for me four or five hours that's it then

come back the next day and I'm not

really this whole you know technology

explosion so I would suggest

for You younger people than me,

turn the [ __ ] phone off.

Turn the [ __ ] TV off. I I mean,

I have children and when they're doing

their homework, the TV's on. They're on

their computer. They have the headphones

on and the phone is on and they got to

do homework. Uh-uh.

Uh-uh.

You know, you should let a very select

few

read it. Not the whole world. Select few

people whose opinions you trust. People

who who will be honest with you.

Listen,

it's very hard to listen to criticism.

And

sometimes

the criticism might be valid. Other

times I might not. So you have to really

be able something you have to learn

though. It's not something you're going

to get right away.

You know some things you can say, you

know what, I don't think that works.

Other ones, you know, that does work. So

you're doing yourself a disservice if

you

make change for every single every

single note that you get and you do

every single note. I mean, what did you

write? There's got to be something that

if you've done the research and been

truthful of subject matters, I mean,

everything should not be changed. I

don't think

this whole thing happened. Jordan Peele

called me out of the blue and he pitched

this project to me to rewrite and

direct. And it was six words.

black man infiltrates Clue Klux Clan.

And I asked him, "Is it true?" He said,

"Yes."

Ron Store, who this is about, wrote a

book.

And in the 70s, he infiltrated the clan.

He was also the first black policeman in

the Colorado Springs Police Department.

And

sounds crazy, but he infiltrated the

clan. I read the the screenplay that

been written by two other authors, two

other screenwriters

and but I knew once I wanted to do it, I

would work again my co-screenwriter

Kevin Kevin Wilmont.

And our approach was to make a hip movie

that resonates with the the contemporary

world we live in and not would just be

viewed upon as something that happened

in the past. I do research Kevin and I

I don't know if any good screen prayer

doesn't any good screenwriter does the

research for

the project you're working on. That's

just part of the job.

that screenwriting 101. How can you

write about something you don't know

about it? We just immerse ourselves in

that in that uh that period time period.

Not just black clansmen, any film I do.

I'm doing research. I'm reading books.

I'm reading magazines. I'm listening to

the music of the time. I'm watching a

bunch of documentaries. Whatever the

subject matter is particular film that

you're doing. And and for Kevin and I,

it was all about the 70s, Vietnam War

movement, the black power movement, or

the civil rights movement, all this, the

Vietnam War. So, you just try

to have as much information at hand

to use

if it could work.

No one wants to be in a position where

you're like, "Oh man, if I just seen

that film, uh-uh." You gota film's done

already.

You got to know your material that

period, whatever it is. You have to know

it.

You got to know your stuff. You know,

you can't be shucking jing.

There's no half stepping,

no backsliding.

None of that. Commitment is like do or

die.

I'm going to do this.

Cuz you're not doing that then you're

not committed.

You're faking a funk.

You're faking a funk.

You can find a writing partner that has

great skills, but if you don't have the

same sensibilities,

it doesn't match up. I would also say

that

as my it's been my experience reading

stories about throughout the years of

people who write together. If one person

might be good, for example, might be

good on dialogue,

but the other person is stronger on

structure, it's good if you know if they

fortify each other's I wouldn't when you

I wouldn't use the word weaknesses, but

something not as strong as in other

areas. So,

it it just makes the two

people

the writing team is is is more whole.

Kevin and I did not write the first

script.

So once we decided we were doing it and

the deal was made,

we went through the script and chose,

you know, what's good

and what we could rewrite. So that was

the first thing. What stays in, what

goes out.

And

we would choose, we would divvy up who

would write what.

And then we would exchange

with each other. Kevin Wilma and Kevin

Wilma and I exchange what we wrote and

comment on each other's uh

scenes

and just keep working like that till we

felt we were ready. Kevin lives in

Lawrence, Kansas.

Kevin Wilmont is a tenure professor

at the University of Kansas Film School.

He's a Jay-Hawk.

And so we would do this through uh the

internet email

and it's a very smooth process. We've

done this before. The first time we

worked together on a script was uh we

co-wrote uh Shyrack. So we both know how

we flow

and there's no ego, nothing like that.

And both of us are committed to to

to getting the best screenplay the best

screenplay possible. Has nothing to do

about egos. We know we got to get the

job done. That's that's that's number

one priority. Get the job done. For my

students out there, deadlines are a good

thing.

I'm going to repeat that. Deadlines are

a blessing because

if you want to work in this industry,

if you miss a deadline,

you have a very serious

effect,

which is not good. And some people have

to be motivated

cuz you leave it up to them, they're

going to take forever.

Deadlines puts a fire under your butt.

Especially

when you're a newcomer in this industry,

your first assignment,

if you're blessed enough to work in the

industry, particularly as a writer or

writer director,

and you missed the deadline

the first time,

you're getting this paying job.

No, no, no, no. You can't do that.

can't do that.

Yo,

find a character is very hard. Young

writers tend to have a lot of characters

saying the same thing. So, it's very

important to have a distinction between

your characters because if everybody is

the same, there's going to be no

conflict and no conflict, you know, is

it's probably going to be flat.

What you have to understand, I feel, is

that people think differently.

People look different. They talk

different. They think different. I mean,

they're just different.

And there are horrible things

that you might that you're going to have

your character say. That is not you

saying that.

That is the character.

I mean, I learned it early on.

Meeting knowing Mars, one of my favorite

filmmakers.

That is not him saying this [ __ ]

Mulan over here, black bastard,

whatever. Jake, we didn't come to

[ __ ] Detroit to beat by his [ __ ]

Mulan over here. [ __ ] Mulan of the

year.

That's not him. But he knows those

people.

Little Italy grew up with those people.

And and that means that

you have to be honest

and you're going have to show you might

have to show some ugly stuff, but that

doesn't mean that's you.

And that might take courage because, oh,

they're going to think that's me.

They're going to think I'm a racist, I'm

a misogynist, and this and that, you

know, but

those are your characters,

hopefully.

And it goes the other way, you know,

like this is me. [ __ ] it. If you don't

like it,

two fingers.

Do the right thing takes place

on the hottest day of the summer.

Do the right thing was shot in one block

in bed sty do or die. And several years

ago, New York City renamed that block do

the right thing way. is the first time

in the history of New York City, a

street has been named after movie, play,

anything as far as art goes.

Not people, but a film, whatever it is.

First time ever. So, we're very proud of

that.

As

the film goes on, things start to

escalate. writing a script.

The first I came up right and do the

right thing was the title.

I know what the [ __ ] movie is

going to be about, but the title is Do

the Right Thing.

Then everything started to drip in. Hot

Day of Summer,

confrontations between African-Americans

and Italian Americans, which is

historical here in New York City.

And it comes to a climax.

bugging out played by the great great

Jean Kaspazito

as you might say is an activist some

people might say a agitator

he is not happy that S's famous pizzeria

does not have one person of color on the

wall of fame

hey S how come there no brothers on the

wall here

you want brothers on the wall get your

own place you can do what you want to do

but here's the thing why this works Jean

Carlo bugging out is saying look

we're in the No [ __ ] bedside do

or die. All your customers are

African-American, Puerto Rican.

Rarely do I see any American Italians

eating here. All I see is black folks.

So since we spend much money here, we do

have some sex.

And Danny,

I mean, his performance, I mean, Danny

killed it.

Danny's like his character S. All right.

If you black folks, use

You want black people on the wall, get

your own business.

You can put your brothers and uncles and

nieces and nephews, your stepfather,

stepmother, whoever you want. You see,

but this is my pizzeria.

American Italians on the wall only. So,

they both have, when you think about it,

they're both right.

And for me, that really that really

makes [ __ ] dramatic when both people

have beliefs and they're both right. And

then you have they come headto head.

Anything I've done,

it's because I was thinking about a

particular subject matter at that

particular time in my life. I mean I I

mean that's just the way it is. I mean,

you're alive, you walk around, you're

living, and something's happening in the

world, which might spark

you wanting to speak on that. School

days was my second film

was my four years at a historically

black college, Morris College, Atlanta,

Georgia, jam-packed into uh homecoming

weekend. do the right thing was made

in a period in New York City where

there's a lot of racial [ __ ] going on

specifically between African-Americans

and Italian-Americans.

A mo better blues was drawn upon my

life as growing up in the jazz

household.

Brooklyn

was

the life of the lease, my siblings and I

growing up in Fort Green, Brooklyn. So

I've for a lot of films just drawn upon

personal experiences.

Stories are very different. So the

different ways to tell stories.

I try not to be formalic

and I've just

always had an instinct how to tell that

story

like when students ask me

in my class do I think about acts

I and I know this might be blasphemous

but I've never thought about first

second third act when I write

I'm not again I'm not telling you don't

do that but for For me, I it it it adds

something

instinctual where I knew

how to tell a story. And maybe I uh

maybe blame it on my New York City

public school education, but I never

thought about I never thought of

storytelling in acts. I just

never did.

And one thing I found there there are so

many rules.

I've always said who who made up that

rule? Who said you can't do this? Who

said you always do it this way? Who said

you always do it that way? And and and

the Bible cinema. I mean, I've never

really

believed in that that there's only one

way

to do anything, especially tell a story.

This is why we need more people like you

and me in public office. Get this

country back on track.

Amen.

For America to achieve its

greatness again.

Absolutely.

Boy, I sure wish we had a chance to chat

face to face. In due time, my friend, in

due time, I will be in Colorado Springs

for your initiation.

You're coming to Colorado Springs, sir?

You bet your Mayflower Society ass I am.

You're darn tootin.

I believe in time and I believe in

things, you know, sometimes

happen because they should happen. And

uh the spirits of the world said

we need a movie. We need a piece of art.

this speak to directly

truth to power. Too many things had to

come together for this to happen. So

therefore, it's not a mistake.

The grand design, whatever

hocus pocus you want to call it, it it

happened because it had to happen. Now,

there's a urgency.

This film was made

with the urgency that the the world we

live in de demands. Kevin Wilmont and I

the co- coowriter we talked a lot before

we started to actually sit down and

write. We're doing this while we're

doing the the

research too. But we knew that in order

to connect with today's audience,

especially today's younger audience,

this cannot seem like only a history

lesson. We had to put this stuff in the

film

that would make people

make the connection between the 70s and

today. So, we knew we had to do this.

Kevin and I knew this.

A lot has been talked about the humor.

I'm gonna use the word humor and not

comedy

in this film, but I think that was

something that's an ingredient

of the premise.

This is a very this is this film is of

the of the highest

high concept you can have. Six words.

Black man infiltrates

Clue Klux Clan. You can't get more high

concept that. And just the concept is

funny. The whole idea is funny. It's

absurd. So that was inherent.

That's part of the DNA of the material.

A black man infiltrating.

That's impossible.

How can a black man infiltrate

the glue clan? So,

it wasn't hard

to mind humor for this at all.

or my favorite film of all time, On the

Waterfront,

directed by Ela Kazan.

Original screenplay by my dear friend of

mine, Bud Schilberg. I didn't see on the

waterfront until

film school

and

just the acting,

the script by Bud,

direction by Kazan, the score by Leonard

Bernstein, the black and white

photography. It just really, really,

really made a deep impact on me on what

film can do.

how film can attack the evils of the

world, the corruption,

the gangsters,

and how

over

the history of humankind, people have

stepped up

and said, "Nah, I'm not taking that. I'm

going to speak. I'm going to speak the

truth. And if you kill me, you kill me.

But [ __ ] that. I'm still going to tell

the truth.

This particular scene is a very moving

scene to me. Most of it

in the words

of the character

played by Carl Malden.

One of the doc workers

has

stepped out

and agreed to

speak up against the mob encouraged by

the father.

And because he did that,

a crate

of Irish whiskey

accidentally

falls upon him.

killing him.

And so the way this scene is shot is

almost like a resurrection,

the eulogy.

And even though it's not Marlon Brando's

scene, he's still in it. He's urging the

dock workers to speak up even knowing

they might be killed.

Truth to power.

Kazan, he wasn't going to do too much

stuff fancy with the camera. You know,

he's going to let the actors do the

work. But the stage and the placement of

the camera, I think, was superlative.

And it might seem on the surface a very

stagy scene, but it's it's it's is it's

not. is Carl Maldin's character is given

a eulogy for someone who's just murdered

on the spot. This is not the this is not

the cemetery. This is not the church.

This is right there.

I think was very key as I mentioned

before that there was no music at the

beginning. No music. Let's just listen

to the words spoken.

And then for me that final shot where

Corus and the crane as they lift his

dead body but just got murdered.

It's like is an ascension up to the sky.

No dialogue just went to shoot this. So,

you know, very very symbolic too.

And then when they used to the

close-ups, Marlon Brando must have his

character Terry Malloy might have two or

three words tells the guy don't do that.

But the close-ups they use on Brando

is saying a lot.

And you see he's conflicted. He knows

what's happening. His brother is second

command. And it's becoming, I think,

clear to him that, you know, he's had to

make a decision.

he might have to testify.

So you see this,

you know, this turmoil in his face. He's

not saying a word.

I've seen on the waterfront many, many,

many different times. At least 50 times

at least.

And this scene

means more now to me than I've seen it

the other 49 times.

There's a quarterback

who should be working in the NFL.

His name is

Colin Kaepernick.

He took a stand to show his displeasure,

his feelings about way the way black

people, people of color treated the

United States of America.

And to show his displeasure, he kneled

at the

the national anthem.

Controversy swirling around a big NFL

star who took a stand by refusing to

stand for the national anthem

by the 49ers. Kaepernick is no longer in

the spotlight on the field but is widely

considered better than many

quarterbacks.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is sticking

to his playbook standing. He said,

"Son day in a row we have been

confronted by the graphic images shared

across social

Ferguson, Missouri once again had to put

down and head off violence in the

streets following the shooting days ago

of a young unarmed black man who was

supposed to head off to college this

week."

Why I chose this scene?

Terry Mallaloy

is Kaepernick in this. The capital is

Terry Mallaloy. His brother in the film

Charlie the Jetent played by Rod Stiger

has been murdered.

Ter Mallaloy testifies against the mob

directly Johnny Friendly played by Lee

Jay Cobb and they're telling me you're

never gonna work again. It's very easy

to make to tie these two things two

things together. Kaepernick trying to

get a job NFL

and Terry Mallaloy trying to go down to

the docks to work. Play the scene.

Listen to dialogue.

They always said I was a bum.

Well, I ain't a bum. Edy,

don't worry. I'm not going to hurt

nobody.

I'm just going to go down there

and get my rights. That's key. Get my

rights.

That's what Colin wants to get his

rights.

So,

this is what you call shape up where the

dock workers come to the ship.

They meet the hiring boss. The hiring

boss gives these guys a tab. with the

tab. You could come and work.

Brand's right there in front. Terry

Malloy. This guy right here is a is a

hiring book.

Everybody works today.

Everybody works.

NFL owners, they take [ __ ] out

of retirement

and give them 10 million [ __ ]

dollar contracts.

Take these guys off the junk heap. Then

give Kaepernick a job.

that this guy right here is of the

owners,

the hiring boss.

Now he calls out all the names.

Terry Mallaloy is standing there right

in front of him.

That's the mob right there.

Who at one time control all the docks

broke Manhattan whole ban where this was

shot

and he's mine.

I want him. You hear that? He's mine.

Look, AR's getting hired.

Where them cops are yours, Julie? You're

going to need them.

There was 100 people there and he's

there alone. Now watch. This is a killer

right here.

You're still short in the hatch, Mac.

Hey, Spec, bring me the first man you

see.

First man you see. Hey,

you.

This guy's forget him. Hey, you. This

guy's a drunk.

There's your man, man.

They get a drunk the job

the same. Come back tomorrow.

That's Kaepernick right there.

All right, that's it.

Everybody's hired.

But look, these guys right here, they're

standing there. This is key.

That should be the [ __ ] NFL

players who's saying we're not [ __ ]

working until Kaepernick works.

Coming out of film school, my first

feature script was School Days. It was

called Homecoming, but was the same

script. I knew that was a three or4

million film.

At that point, as a filmmaker, I was not

going to get that money. So, I had to

put it on the shelf.

May she's going to have it $175,000.

Then I was able to make school days

which is I think four million.

This your first film you ever seen takes

place on the top of the Empire State

Building.

Maybe that's that's down the line. So it

takes common sense. Just just just have

you just have to know there's some

things that on your level you're not

going to get.

We all have ideals of what we're going

to do and this and that all type of

equipment but when you don't have the

money

you can't do that. So you have to

compromise.

And sometimes

with these compromises you presented you

come up more creative ideas what might

turn out to be better than what you've

done if you had the money.

Do

the film that you could raise the money

for.

Well, doing a budget can depend upon

what type of level of film making you

are. And when you're starting out,

you know, if you don't know anybody

else, you got to do the budget by

yourself, which I which I used to do

when I started.

And

as an independent filmmaker or you have

to make the decision, do you have enough

money to pay everybody?

Are people going to work on deferred

payments?

and just have an idea of

what a ballpark figure of what you have

and then go

line by line trying to figure out how

you're going to allocate

the money you have.

Young filmmakers really don't have the

money to have someone do a budget for

them or even do a schedule. A lot of

stuff you just got to learn on your own

and uh try to figure it out. Also get

copies of budgets,

budgets that other people have done.

Budgets have the same

ballpark figure of money that's being

spent. So,

it's not really rocket science.

You just try to do it as a

what could save the most money.

As a young filmmaker, the the biggest

way to cut costs is to

pay people on deferments.

It's not something that

I like to do when I started out, but if

you don't have the money, if you have

little money, you have to try to put the

money on the screen. So, it takes a a

great deal of trust between yourself and

the people who who you are asking to

defer a payment. You know, like look,

when I get the money,

make sure it's a signed agreement.

Though, when I get the money, you'll get

paid.

It's hard to do that with strangers

though. So, it has to really be done

with people that you know.

And it's been my experience that people

have faith in your ability. They like

the script. They like the project. They

will take a leap of faith and work for

the firmament.

Biggest thing though, you got to feed

people.

People work for free, but not work for

free and not be fed.

So try not to skimp on the

craft services.

It's uh can be a considerable

considerable cost, but it's uh it will

keep your crew happy.

Easiest way to have a vault on your set

is not feed your crew. Even more than

not getting paid, if you don't feed

them,

people walk.

Young filmmakers, please understand that

when you shoot locations, in particular

people's homes,

that you have to treat it like

it's your own home.

And that has to be told to your crew,

that this is somebody's home. Don't

leave [ __ ] all around. Clean up at the

end of the day

because if you don't do that,

you will not be allowed to shoot there

anymore. And again, you'll be jammed up.

If you have a three or four day

shoot at a particular location and they

kick you out or something happens

and and you can't finish at the

location, you're jammed up shooting

outside.

You call at 6:00 a.m. in the morning.

You have to be quiet. You just can't

come in there at 5:30 6:00 a.m. in the

morning, people still sleeping and

making all type of ruckus. You just

can't do that. you know, to call a cop

sign, shut you down. So, a lot of it has

to be just simple respect. Even, you

know, I I shoot I shoot big films. I

have to tell my my crew, you know, you

can be quiet,

taking lights and stuff off the truck

and making all types of noise,

talking loud.

You want to be able to come back the

next day.

I've lost many locations over the years.

Uh just because I want to shoot there

doesn't mean that

someone wants me to be there.

Uh you lose locations because they want

too much money.

You lose locations because the days that

available

to shoot there,

it doesn't fit into your schedule.

So again, I use this word a lot. You

have to be flexible.

You know, you got to have places to

shoot

in case it rains. You always keep some

locations in your back pocket

so if it rains, you can go there. Go

indoors because

you don't want to lose a day. It's

called a cover set.

And young filmmakers get in trouble

when they finish all their cover sets

before they finish shooting. So, you

either got to rewrite the script, it

takes place in the rain, or

write something else. But always try to

keep that uh at least until you finish

shooting to the very end of the shoot a

cover set.

We never had

the money to shoot the film in its

entirety.

Everybody knew it. I knew it. Warner

Brothers knew it. The Bond Company knew

it.

But

I said, "We got to go." Because they

waited 20 years already. And

Who knows might be another 20 years.

We always knew there would be that

fateful day

when we would run out of money.

We started September. We went to

Christmas and we had a break and after

the break we came back holidays. We had

to go overseas. We had to go to Egypt,

Cairo.

Yeah. And also one in the film in South

Africa

came back from overseas

and

soon after that

all the people

in

working on the film post-prouction got a

registered letter they were fired.

There were meetings before that

because Warner Brothers did not want the

film to be the length that it was

and

economically three-hour film means one

less showing in the movie theater.

But we knew that we needed that time to

show the full totality of this man's

life of Malcolm X's Detroit Red

Malcolm X Elash, you know. So, you

needed the time to show the evolution of

this great man. But Warner Brothers,

they weren't having it. So, we would

just shut down.

And I was like, damn, this shit's [ __ ]

up.

And when the Bond company takes over a

film, Warner Brothers out is out of it.

They said, "Look, Spike's not going to

cut the film.

All right,

we're done with it. Let the Bond company

take over."

studying Malcolm

for a year prior to shooting.

You know, I I tried to learn as much as

I could about him, the man.

And I suddenly I kept thinking about

self-determination, self-reliance,

self-determination, self-reliance.

Self-determination, self-reliance. He

said, "You know what?

There's something there."

I said, "I know some black folks. They

got some money."

But here's the trick, though.

If I was going to ask somebody for

money, they would have to know it's not

an investment,

and you can't write this off.

I said, "That's the only way I'm going

be able to get the money." I mean, we

got to forget about the bond comp. We

got to come with some money somehow so I

could at least hire my editor, Barry

Brown, so we could work on a film and

not just be, you know, pulling our

dicks. We got to we got to work on this

film. I made a list of prominent

African-Americans that they got money.

numerous people,

Tracy Chapman,

Jana Jackson,

Prince,

Sophie Winfrey, there's an

African-American woman entrepreneur

named Peggy Cooper Kafitz her. And every

time

I get a check, I'm, you know, now I got

some pep in my steps. So, I'm getting

bolder and asking

for more money.

But even after I made that list,

it took me another two weeks to get the

courage

to ask, you know, these people for the

help.

So the last two people on the list and I

knew what I needed

to continue

just I know this not to be to do

everything to completion but just to get

a cut where you have a locked picture.

So I called up Magic.

Magic's

very generous. I mean stuff he's done

over the years United College fund all I

mean just so this is spike how much you

need. Boom. So it was one last call to

make

my main man money MJ the goat the

greatest of all time.

And if you know anything about Michael

Jordan he's very competitive. He I mean

he doesn't want to lose titly winks

pingpong

nothing. So I just let it slip how much

I gave magic.

Magic gave what? Boom. All right, Spike,

I got you. Boom.

All this [ __ ] is true. My mother's

great.

So we continue to work.

no contact between myself, the Bond

company or or or Warner Brothers.

So on Malcolm's birthday, we held a

press conference where we announced that

these prominent African-Americans had

come forward.

And in order

to continue with the film, I made a

choice. That was a choice to go out

directly to prominent African-Americans.

This is probably the first time this has

happened where some black folks with

some money

came

to the rescue of the movie. And guess

what happened? The very next day,

Warner Brothers

started to finance the film again. The

day after, no coincidence at all, but

the very next day at the press

conference, we started getting money.

I mean, we we went to that. I mean, you

know, the saying from uh Godfather, we

went to the mat on that,

you know. Uh-uh.

We had to get this film. It could not

been two hours. Wasn't going to do it.

When you are cast in your film, very

critical, the wrong actors, the wrong

roles

could turn out to the wrong movie.

And those three wrongs will kill you

right there.

This is a very important part because if

you cast the wrong person, it's like

either you leave a bad performance in or

you got to cut around a performance

and and if one if one of the leads,

that's a hard thing to get over to

overcome.

So you have to be very I mean you got to

cast people especially the leads like

can't be flippant flippant about it. You

got to really take time

before

you trust them with this role.

You know actor comes in they like him.

They get the role right away. Like wait

a minute

bring them back three four times. You

know I mean they're not going nowhere.

They're out of work. Come on, man.

Jungle Fee was Halle Berry's first film

and she must have come back five, six

times

because the role was Divian the $3

cracko. And I just not believe Halib B

look like a $3 cracko.

Uhuh. And so finally, I think it was

Robbie Reed told her, "You could check

it."

But I think Rob, somebody said something

to her said, "Look, you can't the way

you look.

You ain't getting this robe." So she

came back looking like I I remember

this. I didn't I didn't recognize it.

Says to go in and ask your mother.

I just d I suck your dick good for $5,

baby.

You what?

$5, daddy. Come on. I suck your dick.

$5, daddy. Come on. Get off me. $5. Get

away from me. All right. $3.

I knew she was talented, but I just I

looked at her. I said,

"You too fine."

It's like

I mean, the way it was written and the

way I saw it, I mean, this be like

someone's really like lost their soul

and you see it on their face.

Well, one of the biggest mistakes made

by young filmmakers casting is that they

where you have example where you have a

couple married or or not and you cast

one person

and you cast the other person and do it

separately. And there's a thing called

chemistry. And this person might be

great alone and this person might be

great alone, but together they're no

good. Camera doesn't lie. people see

right away. All right, they just met

probably married 25 years or you're

saying I don't believe that.

Again, I know it might be a overused

word, but you know, you feel in your

gut, you know, whether somebody has it

or doesn't. And I know it might sound

very simplistic, but that's something I

guess you get it over time. The more

experience you can do, the more

experience you have,

but it's an instinct. It's something you

really acquire. You don't have it

overnight, but you could tell. Do they

get along?

Do they interact?

It's believable that these people are

together.

Very simple. I mean, you can see it

right away. Do you believe them? Yes or

no?

And so, you look at Jungle Fever, they

decouple.

Sam, this something I never knew was

coming out of rehab. And everybody knew

but me. And so during rehearsal, Sam was

taking Harley to all his spots.

I didn't even know he was doing that.

Gayen Vivian at the $3 cracko. Great

performances.

Any cast director say, "Well, let's get

Denzel." I mean, come on.

And that's all you contribute. I don't

need you. I can cast a [ __ ]

myself.

I really have utilized my cast and

directors

to let me know about people I don't know

about. That's where the big help is.

These aren't one man or one woman plays.

We have a cast. We have to fill out the

cast. Everybody's not going to be a

star. bring in some people I've never

seen before, never heard before.

I always knew and I still believe that

there are many, many, many talented

people

and they need a shot,

need a platform

to show what they can do.

So, you know, we're very proud. You

know, Rosie Perez do the right thing

with her first film. I said before

Martin Lawrence's first film, Robin

Harris's first film, Jungle Fever with

Halle Berry's first film, Queen

Latifah's first film,

Clockas Mai Piper's first film. In fact,

he never acted before and he just his

cousin asked him to where he said come

where you going? He said we're going to

audition. So his cousin is auditioning

and then we saw Mai Bley. He has a very

unique look. He said, "Uh, who are you?"

He said, "I'm just here." My cousin

said, "Why don't you come and read? We

here anyway. Just come on in." And he

and he got the part. It's great for the

audience because it's like they're in on

a secret. They're seeing someone new

for the first time. Never heard of them,

never seen them. Well, they saw Rosie on

Soul Train, but let's leave her out.

It was 1988,

March 20th. Around then, I was in Los

Angeles.

School Days just come out.

A hit.

The song The Butt is a hit. So, there's

a club in LA used to be called Funky

Reggae. So, we had my birthday party at

Funky Ree. or he flew eu eu out to

perform the butt and other songs.

So the butt the song the butt is playing

and and I'm standing next to the speaker

and this woman is dancing on top of the

speaker and she can really dance

but if she falls off the speaker and

breaks her neck I'm going to be going to

jail or sued. So I get security. I say

look get her down.

So she doesn't want to come down

and finally she comes down then she

starts to curse me out.

Now I never heard somebody talk the way

I mean the way she talks. I mean I just

never heard somebody speak like that

before.

No. Come on. That's Ow. Hold up. Wait a

minute. First of all, it is too hot. All

right. And if you think I'm going to let

you get some, put your clothes on and

leave here. And I see you black ass for

another week. You must be vugging.

I said, "Where are you from?" And he

said, "New York." I said, "Where in New

York?" He said, "Brooklyn." I said,

"Where in Brooklyn?" He said, "Fort

Green." Said, "You're from Fort Green."

And at that time I was writing

no I had finished writing

do the right thing but I was you know

think about casting it and that's when I

got that deal that very night to make

Muki's girl from Puerto Rican.

Where you going

get my money from South

A no you must think I'm stupid or

something Muki. All right. We knew Muki

had the girl would have to have a

girlfriend because he had a, you know,

has a child. And I thought it'd be

interesting, you know, to have Muki with

the Puerto Rican girlfriend.

Don't give a [ __ ] about

It's one of the things we wanted to show

in this film, how blacks and Puerto

Ricans have always been close in New

York.

Look, why you being [ __ ] mother? Stop

yelling. You woke you woke Hector up and

with Tina, she's a young unwitted

mother, uneducated

stuck with a no good boyfriend.

If you were in her position,

you know, you would do a lot of yelling

and screaming too.

Okay? Don't tell me what I need because

what you need is a life. Okay?

If you're an independent filmmaker and

the budget is significant and you

weren't born into wealthy family, you're

going to have to get a name to uh get

the finance. Many times people might

like a script, but they're going to in

it. And if it's nobody know, you're not

going to get the money.

So the hardest thing is how are you

going to get your script into the hands

of that actor

who can get it financed

and is is is almost impossible to do

because

no one is

taking unsolicited scripts. So you have

to know somebody who knows somebody who

knows somebody who might know somebody

else

to get the script in the right hands

and it is hard to do. Unsolicited script

means it's coming from

out of space.

How I got Lawrence Fishburn

to play the lead in the film I never got

made. I saw him in Wash Square Park.

So I knew him from Pocops now and he

lived in Brooklyn. So I just walked up

to him. We started talking. I told him I

was in film school. That's how I met

Fish. I met John Carlos Bazito. He's in

this play called Off Broadway Play Zoom

in the Sign. So I saw the play waited

for him at the the stage door.

You really can't be shy. That's Let's be

honest. If if it's is so much you're

making it so much hard for yourself if

your personality is is being shy

cuz uh you got to step up and present

your case, plead your case to total

strangers and you might have 30 seconds

to do it.

You're around the corner, light turns

red, you turn around,

so and so stand next to you.

I tell acts all the time,

you should not leave the house while

having your head shot with you.

So many times people come to me, I'm act

I I didn't bring it to me. I said, well,

light's green.

I'll see you later. So, you have to be

really prepared

cuz you never know when this opportunity

is going to happen again.

And I know sometimes

I might

get mad when I'm eating a meal when my

family people try to audition, you know.

I mean, but I understand why they're

doing it. They know they're never going

to see me again. And they're taking

their shot. So, I'm not mad at them for

that. Not mad.

My brother Toea Grace and I share the

same agent ICM

wonderful woman her name is Tony and

most agents

if they have a client if you're a

director

they have a client every single time you

do a film they're going to want you to

asked their client,

but an entire time

that Tony Howard has been my agent. Not

once has she ever

ever ever said, "Spike,

I want you to audition. I want you to

meet. I want you to read this

actor that I represent."

Had never done it before. Black

Clansmen.

And so she said, "I want you to meet

and and meet him, but if you want

audition, I want you to have to I want

you to audition to grace,

the guy from the 70s show

as David Duke."

But here's the thing though,

and I trust Tony's talent.

I mean, her eye and talent.

My brother came in.

He rocked that [ __ ]

Just look around.

That's right, everyone. Just look

around.

Today, we are privileged

to be among white men

and white women

such as yourselves. real warriors for

the real America. The America that our

ancestors fought and died for,

the true white American race, the

backbone

from whence came our great southern

heritage.

Well, David Duke is a public figure.

He's been on TV, he's been on radio,

right now even has his own podcast.

There's a ton of documentary film on

him.

And there was certain things

that we used that that uh certain things

we used that Toeer found. He said,

"Spike, I was doing research and can we

can I say this?" I said, "Great."

It's always been my

practice

that every word I write is not golden. A

lot of times actors can come up with

something that's better than what you

wrote, can make it more concise. Also,

they come with stuff that sounds better

them saying it.

Like it's too many words. They can cut

it down. Make what you write sound

better.

And so you have to take your ego out of

that.

But even if

you don't want to change it,

give the act at least one take. do it

the way they want to do it. Casting is

key.

I'm not gonna say 90% 95% not I mean

forget that

if you don't got the right person

for the role you're making it harder

which is already hard to do.

And another thing I've learned,

I'm not going to mention any names, but

many times,

I've had a certain person, a star

in my mind for this particular role, and

for whatever reasons, you know, they

couldn't do it, they didn't like the

script, they didn't want to work with

me, or

for the most part, probably, you know,

they couldn't fit it in their schedule.

No, I can afford them. That's number

one.

But

I would say this almost every single

time that happened,

it turned out for the better.

It turned out for the better because you

may be a big giant star, but sometimes

you might not be the right person for

that role.

Like Daniel Ella is not my first choice

for s do the right thing. Uh Bill Nun

was not my first choice for Ray Raheem

and do the right thing. And then more

examples. So I view myself

where I'm cast as like the general

manager of a team. You want to try to

get

pieces of fit

and everybody comes together united in

concert and sympatico for

making the best film we can make. Not

worried about anything but that. Not

worrying about how many lines I got, how

many close-ups his trailer or her

trailer.

None of that really has to do with

making the film. That's some other

[ __ ] And that's the stuff it's hard

to keep

from

bleeding into oncreen.

John Dave was six years old, I think,

when he

performed his

first time in front of the camera. He

was at the end of Malcolm X.

I am Malcolm X

did his Spartus thing. Kirk Douglas,

which was homage to uh Stanley Kubric,

one of my favorite filmmakers,

and

I've seen him grow up before my eyes.

I've done four films with Denzel,

Mo Better Blues,

uh Malcolm X,

He Got Game, Inside Man. John David took

uh the circle route to uh

film making

was a star athlete,

high school athlete, played football at

Morehouse.

the house where I went

and uh try to make an NFL. But we all

know

that was just

a way to distance himself from his

father. But in his heart, he's an actor.

And I knew that John De Wash could do

this role. Not only do it, but I mean

like do it. I offered him the part. He

didn't have to read for it, not have to

put himself on tape. There no meeting. I

sent him Ron Star's book. I said, "Let's

go." And it's funny about cliches.

Clichess become cliches because this

some truth in it.

Example, the proof is in the pudding

and the fruit does not fall far from the

tree.

Those two cliches are the truth Ruth

from John David Washington.

Why weren't you drafted into the Vietnam

War?

I went to college, sir.

How do you feel about Vietnam?

I have mixed feelings, sir.

Would you call yourself a womanizer?

No, I would not, sir.

You frequent nightclubs?

No, sir.

Do you drink?

Only on special occasions, sir.

Have you ever done any drugs?

Only those prescribed by my doctor, sir.

Well, that's kind of rare for a young

hip soul brother like you.

Uh, yes, sir. But my father was in the

military and my parents, they raised me

the right way.

How do you get along with people

generally,

sir? They treat me right. I treat them

right. Like I said before, I was raised

up the right way. So,

I mean, have you ever had any negative

What would you do if another cop called

you a [ __ ] or worse?

Would

that happen sir? [ __ ]

Big mistake when you choose your DP

based on a real.

Anybody

could put together a one minute sizzle

reel.

look at something they shot that has

length to it.

Directors, you audition everybody. Just

the way you same way you audition

actors, you audition your DP, you

audition your editors.

Look at their work. What have they done?

What have they done in the past? Is it

similar to what you're about to do?

doesn't have to be.

Have have people read the script and

tell you

how they see the film. How

do they think they will film it?

It's an audition. You know, they're

applying for a job

and you're the boss

and

these hirings you're going to make are

very crucial to the film.

Hire DPS who have more experience than

you and rely on their experience to help

you

with just how to shoot a film, how to

tell a story with the camera, and that

includes colors, lighting,

camera movement,

what particular lens use, all that

stuff. You make a mistake and get the

wrong DP, the wrong production designer,

the wrong costume designer, then you

know your ass out. You have to really be

rigorous

and vigilant,

you know, in in hiring the people who

you are trusting the look of the film.

What I've looked through over the years

as a cinematographer is someone who

could elevate

my visual sense and and and and show me

stuff that I not thought about. I mean,

I don't I don't need someone who can do

anything I say or not have anything

beyond what I might I mean, I need

somebody I mean, you want that from all

your crew heads.

It's not a mistake that many directors

only work with have long long

relationships with

DPS Spielberg, Janice Kaminsky, how many

films they've done together.

Well, I was very fortunate. And I've

been blessed to work with great

cinematographers

and first and foremost is Ernest

Dickerson

who was shooting my filming my film

shooting my films in NYU.

Then the features she's going to have it

school days do the right thing better

jungle fever

Malcolm X. Once you find somebody who

understands what you want,

you don't have to have any bickering or

major disagreements.

That's someone that you want to keep

working with for a long, long

time.

What we're trying to do is uh make eight

weeks look like one day.

We've broken down the script into scenes

that are going to be taking place at

certain times of the day. We're trying

to shoot at those times of the day. I've

always been an advocate of available

light as much as possible and using

natural light. Uh I think this is I

guess this is taking it to ridiculous

extreme, you know, cuz it's really

making life a little bit hard for us.

But um I think we'll just come out with

more truth on the film that way. You

should really try to find a DP number

one that knows where to do them, but

also that is fast. You have limited

resources,

a limited budget. You have li budget

determines how many days you shoot.

The more money you have, the more days

you can shoot. The less money you have,

the less money you can shoot. You have

to get your day. And if you don't pick

your DP very carefully,

he she could jam your ass up.

You don't want someone that's just

rush rush rush and get the shot, but

still someone who could still work at a

nice pace and get what you want.

Otherwise,

it's hard enough to make a film without

all this other stuff happening. Even

with the great DP, it's hard to make a

film. And another thing which is people

don't think about

actors come to the set ready to work.

They that they get the hour, hair,

makeup, wardrobe, they ready to work.

They don't want to spend the rest of the

day in their camper waiting to be called

to set.

a young director. You cannot have

somebody who thinks he's Thearo

and waiting all day for a [ __ ]

shot.

That you hired the wrong person.

You got to go. Hit it and quit it. You

got to shoot. Wait a minute. Wait a

minute.

The light is not light.

She

nah mm- can't do it.

Go over the scenes.

How are we going to do this? Now, you

don't have to have the answers the first

time, but the second and third go

through, you got to you should really

know and not think, well, we'll get it

on the day. We'll come to the set that

morning. We'll figure it out.

No, no, no, no, no. That I mean, look.

You're not ready yet to do that.

It takes many years doing many different

films

to get to that point where, you know,

we'll we'll we'll feel it when we get

there. Okay,

we're not at that point yet.

Now there are some times where you get

some inspiration like we need this. That

happens a lot.

That's going to happen. But that's not

really don't depend on that.

You know, preparation, preparation,

preparation.

Many directors and camera people also

have what you call as a lookbook. and

they just stick pictures in there of of

of various whatever it is they like,

colors, composition, whatever it is that

you could show as a visual reference of

this is what I want.

So,

it's a very good tool for young

filmmakers.

Sometimes it's hard to explain what you

want, but if you can find a picture,

a lot of times people just go through

magazines, photography books, and just

this what I want. This I want. Boom,

boom, boom, boom.

I think sometimes you might be too hard

to be innovative.

I mean, let's let's start with the

basics. Let's just just tell the story

first and then all that [ __ ] you know?

You'll you'll get to it down the line,

but let's let's do the basics first.

Tell the story.

Yeah. I want to have Okay. Okay. I want

to have this shot where we come out of

the sky and a 360. No, no, no, no. I

don't want to do that. I want to do that

shot from Good Fellows where they drive

up and the steady cam shot and it's

really

and and they're going down through the

the Cocaana and they go to down the

steps through the kitchen and then

people coming back and forth and they

come out to the stage and they sit down

and do the 360. That's what I want to

do.

Can we get a a simple

over the shoulder shot first?

And and again, I was like that too,

overzealous

filmmaker who wants to duplicate all

these great shots that you seen but

don't know how to do it yet. As my grand

would say, how about crawling before you

can walk? You're going to get to that

stuff, but let's learn the basics first.

The simplest way I know of to show a

contrast between characters

with cinematography is just placement of

the camera. If you want to show someone

might not be strong and a little weak,

you shoot them from above.

want to show someone that's powerful in

control, you shoot them from below. So

the contrast goes, especially when you

have two people in the scene, one that

exerting power the other. The person

who's like getting beat up on

look down upon them. The person who's in

control,

look up. I mean, that's that's basic.

Do the right thing. bugging out Ray

Raheem and smiling have come into

Salman's pizzeria when Sal's was about

to close up and all hell breaks loose.

So, as you can see,

not a Dutch angle, not a Chinese angle,

a tilted angle.

And any when you see this, you know.

Uh-oh.

Let's play it.

What' I tell you about that?

So now S's talking into the camera.

So are bugging out and Ray Ron. My man,

we miss Bill Nun so much.

We're shooting up on several characters.

shooting down on S. We're above ey line

for S.

Danny snatches

[ __ ]

baseball bat. Oh, we're [ __ ] now.

Low angles on

John Duro, you know. Now here comes the

bat.

Boom. Boom.

Now there's a low right here. We want

the low before the storm.

A low. Everybody's looking around. There

goes Martin Lawrence. This is his first

film.

Rain Raheem. People looked to do the

right thing and were surprised when they

met Bill Nun in person.

It's like, damn, [ __ ]

I thought he was 610.

I mean, that's the physicality

Bill Nun had. But it helped by shooting

him

from below.

Well, there's a dynamic that you get

with the movement of camera. I mean,

Ernest and I, we like movement. We tried

not to be static. Tried to have

movement. This film is about movement.

Want people moving in to the frame, away

from frame, side to side. And Ernest and

I said that decided this is the way we

should shoot it. There's a scene to do

the right thing. We call the racial

epitap scene. So, uh, if you look at it,

the only static shot is the one with

Muki. Everything else, the cameras go in

sometimes on a dolly, sometimes

handheld. And the last person,

Samuel Jackson, he's in his chair, and

the chair comes towards the camera. And

what we did was we tied a piece of rope

around the chair and had the grips pull

the rope. And Sam came right to the

camera.

I remember one time he pulling too fast.

He almost crashed against the the the

the camera. So this is not the I

remember this even though we shot in

1988.

This is not the first take of this. So

we just felt it was appropriate. His

characters putting a like let's cut this

[ __ ] out. Let's stop it. Boom. Great

impact. Have him come towards camera

again. He's come towards camera but the

camera is the audience. All the this

scene everybody's addressing the

audience.

Ernest and I liked to do scenes that we

did in one take

where it's just not here, here, cut,

cut, cut, cut, cut. A lot of stuff is

really more indicative of television

where he just sees like a pingpong.

Close up, close up, close up, close up,

close up. You know, we never wanted to

do that. We were looking at a scene from

Oetta where we have uh

Denzel's band.

We told everybody what we wanted to do.

We want to do it in one take and then we

let the actors block it. I gave him a

little direction. So then Erns would put

we put uh his current assistant would

put piece of tape down on the floor so

Ernest will know where he had to move

to. also uh give the uh the focus puller

mark so they keep it in focus.

Again, more better blues is before I

started shooting two cameras. Now we had

two cameras but still have done it in

one take cameras like a crisscross.

So you have to do so much of this and

this and that which is what we're going

to see in this scene from Mo Better

Blues.

So now we're on Wesley.

Let's talk about the money

switch pan. All right. We know Denzel

and me. We're against everybody else. I

play as manager.

You just spoke first

back and forth.

Yeah.

Wesley's the leader. The other they you

know they want to know.

Look.

There you go. there again.

Right.

That's one group led by Shadow

Henderson.

Oh, so you went through a three shot to

me and Denzel, then do a closeup of

Wesley. Then Bill Nun came there right

over his shoulder.

Maybe we need new management, somebody

who can get the terms we want.

Now closeup to Denzel. I move back. So

now these these are two guys at odds.

Blake Gillian and Shadow Henderson.

It won't be long from now.

Yeah, it won't be long from now.

Mystical, majestical day happen. You do

what the hell I say.

The [ __ ] should go.

Dark Gable.

Fine. And then I come. I came out of

nowhere. Now it's a two shot with

you supposed to be taking.

I'm the artist [ __ ] rat bastard. I

played a manager of this band and and

doing a very terrible job.

Where size have to do with you?

Now we pull back.

Pull back for the full shot.

Stuff like that is choreography between

the actors and the camera. And you just

got to keep working at it till uh you

get it right. But when you get it right,

it's still it's it's still quicker to do

that than do it individually.

break this down to separate shots on the

actors. I mean, and and and it's more

fun. It's more organic. And Ernest and I

did that a lot.

I like having scenes where the

characters

address the camp. I just like it.

I love it.

Now you can't do that the whole film. So

you have to be very

judicious

or where you do that. You can't I mean I

want you it'll be boring to do that the

whole film. But there are we don't do it

every film though. But when I read the

script say you know we can have somebody

face the camera right there. It jumps

out to me you know where where we can do

that.

The next scene comes from

my joint 25th hour. this scene

where one of the most famous scenes I've

done, not just in this film, but in

general,

where Edward Norton is looking into

a bathroom mirror and talks to himself,

but he's also talking to the audience.

So, he's talking to himself,

everyone in it.

We shot this stuff ectochrome too.

[ __ ] this whole city and everyone in it

from the row houses of

now all the different neighborhoods.

This is all New York City right here.

Many different burrows.

This is what we love about New York, the

diversity.

He's naming all the neighborhoods.

Another thing that's very key to this

scene is the score.

This

scene

great

Terrence Blanchard

now. Anyone speeding up the shot at 42nd

Street?

Boom.

No.

No. [ __ ] you. Montgomery Broen.

You had it all and you threw it away.

You dumb [ __ ]

All right. He's come to realization. It

wasn't all those people. It wasn't the

Jews. It wasn't the Koreans. It wasn't

the whoever. He's saying it was me.

Well, the reason why we shot over the

shoulder is that we have this. How else

are you going to shoot him talking to

himself in a mirror? The camera had to

be behind him. So that's an effect shot.

Ronnie Ballsmeire did that effect. He's

done all my effect shots for a long,

long time. So that's definitely a effect

shot. It's not a double was shooting

over

his head. That is Edward Norton.

And the effect shot

was placing

Edward in the mirror. But then we switch

up and have put the camera where the

mirror is. So Edward, his character

Monty is facing the camera, facing the

audience, and letting them hear this

confession directly.

Storyboard scenes are scenes where those

are big production days. Those are days

where you spend a lot of money. Those

are days where you have extras, you have

effects. The first time we did that was

the riot sequence at the end of Do the

Right Thing. And we did the

assassination scene for Malcolm X. And

we always talk about what is the shot

that's going to help us tell the story.

What coverage do we need to help tell

the story? And then was really just like

a road map. We know we have to do. We

know what order we're going to shoot.

And every time we got a shot off, we

would just put a X over that board. You

have storyboards. People don't you have

to talk just look at this. Okay, we're

doing this, this, this, this, this. And

it just makes something very complicated

simpler.

These are the story boards for

assassination scene in Malcolm X. Final

War assassination

scene 199 page 177A to 179

October 15th, 1991.

Get your hand out of my pocket in my

pocket, [ __ ] Get your hands out,

brother. Get your hand out,

brother. Please hold.

This is what a story looks like. And you

see the X's, that means that we shot

that scene. So shoot a bore, you cross

it out. Now, the ones that aren't

crossed out, those are ones that we

decided we do not need. Right here on

page five, this is where it starts. Get

your hand out of my pocket. That was the

cue. Sass would stand up, pull out a

smoke bomb. A diversionary tactic.

Everybody focus on him. Malcolm's guards

lead the front of the stage. Go to the

back. See what's happening with him. The

assassins have free

access to Malcolm.

Famous words, get your hands out of my

pocket. That's what he said. Now this

chaos

the shotgun. Malcolm glances at camera.

Cut back the shotgun blast. And then you

see plexiglass. So to protect the

camera, plexiglass is shooting right

into the camera. This is the the

sequences where

people being trampled crawling on the

floor.

Whoa,

look at this.

This is the original plan

for the Auburn Ballroom when Thomas got

this production designer. this original

plant

and right here

pick up autobomb. That means that from

here on it's exterior shots at the real

autobond. In fact, we have a shot a

double cut where they're coming through

the doors. So all this stuff at the

Autobon Ballroom, I I didn't need a

story board because it was just come

through the doors. We put Malcolm Denzel

on a stretch and just run

across the street.

So again, this is the

the storyboards for the assassination.

You have to put the work in. Especially

young directors.

The crew you have, they're watching you.

And the if your crew sees that you're

not dedicated,

they just [ __ ] around.

The crew says, "Fuck it. We're not going

to work. We're not We're not working

hard either.

You show up late,

that's the green light.

That's the green light. You show up late

to your own

set,

it's hard to win the respect of the crew

after that.

Then it becomes for them. It's just a

check.

They gonna do their job, but

putting an extra extra effort.

Nah, son.

I've seen it again and again and again.

Because you need your crew. You can't do

it by yourself.

You need your crew

and you need them

to put in extra effort and they see that

you're dedicated, you're about to work,

you hire the right people, you know,

they will go above and beyond

their job to to get you that shot that

you need.

What I've done when everybody gets to

the set, you know, gets something to

eat, then we're going to talk about what

we're going to do the whole day. It's

myself, my camera person, the first ad,

the key grip in the gap, and the

scripts.

So, I don't want anybody telling me what

are we shooting.

Every day we come to the set and we know

what we're doing. We know which

direction we're going to shoot. If we

have a crane or steady cam, we know

where that works.

How many times have crews had to stop

shooting? Because

the trucks

at the beginning of the day were parked

in the shot.

If I'm shooting here, why is the

[ __ ] grip truck right in the

shot?

We're shooting this way. You were told,

we told AD, we told Parkin,

why is the truck, why is the truck in a

shot?

It happened a lot on on He got game.

We're shooting Coney Island. Every every

time we're shooting, the [ __ ] trucks

are in the shot.

Now,

in defense of the trucks,

they're told by the Grips Electrics,

they want to have their equipment as

close to as possible.

So when to pull stuff off, it's not five

miles away.

So when there's a breakdown of

communication, you know, it it really

really jam you up.

That's why

pre-pro is so crucial. That's why we

have tech scouts.

On tech scouts, we talk about one of the

main questions on the tech scout is

where can we park the trucks?

the teams to captain.

Where can we park the trucks?

But if you if you if you haven't been to

that location beforehand and you say, "I

don't know.

Haven't decided yet." So when that day

comes to shoot,

the the trucks are in the shop because

no one you you you directed and tell

them where they could park.

and just having trucks park. When they

park, they're taking equipment off. So,

just the fact that you got to move the

trucks again, that could be another

hour.

That stuff adds up and that's an hour

out of your day.

And it's been my experience that it

makes today run a lot smoother if people

know what the [ __ ] is going on.

Here we go. Pictures up.

He's going to triple roll sound on

camera.

Take one.

One of my pet peeves are phones. Shows

utmost disrespect for the actors

when phones ring or buzz. When the

camera's rolling, that's really to me a

sacred moment when you hear nothing but

the actors.

Nothing falling, no [ __ ] being kicked

around, no people talking.

If you're talking,

then then you need to go somewhere else.

The actors there to work. They work hard

and people

crew members need to respect their

craft.

So when I started doing films,

the unions

had been historically against people of

color and women. So I had to do battles

with the unions

to have diverse crews. I mean I I it

would have been

it would not have been a good look

to me have all white crews. I mean how

was I helping move everything forward?

You know we and we had to fight. for

example,

Malcolm X.

I'm not going to mention his name,

but you know, it was time to hire the

teamsters. And I said, "You have any

black teamsters?" You know, they said,

"No."

So, all right. Then, the Fruit of Islam

is driving the trucks. If you want to

come down to the set and talk to the

fruit, you're welcome to. Next day, they

found four

black teamesters.

I don't know where they came from,

abadabra, but I was told we they I was

told they didn't have any black

teamsters.

But I said, come, you know, talk to the

fruit. They don't want to do that.

But I had to have the mindset that I

don't care what you guys do to unions,

you know, we got to I know what you guys

been doing for years and years and

years.

I mean, you look at these unions, they

got three generations

of people working on the film industry

and we couldn't get in.

So, we had to fight those battles a lot.

All the unions,

you know, and they come all type of

shenanigans and all this other stuff why

they can't, you know, we can't find

anybody. All right.

Boom. Here they are. They want to get in

the union.

So that was that was a big battle. So

that that battle, you know, it still

continues.

But it takes somebody to stand up, you

know, because you got to ask for that.

You got to demand it cuz you don't

demand it, they they're going to do what

they want to do and keep things status

quo. You know, we weren't going for

that.

Not at all. Nah, son.

not having it.

Not having it. You know, this this thing

has got to change. And if you're a

position in power where you could

dictate who you're hiring and who you're

not hiring, and you don't use that

power, then then then what's it for?

Muki is not to be trusted. I trust Muki.

You know, no m can be trusted. The first

time you turn your back, boom. A spear

right here, man. In the back.

Yeah. How do you know this?

I know. How do you know, man?

I know. I read. Give me a break, P. I

never seen you in nothing in your

[ __ ] life. Read your history. It's

historical. Work

for actors can be intimidating. It was

for me. I didn't really know how to talk

to actors till

do the right thing. And in fact, during

school days, me and Fishburn, Lawrence

Fishburn used to get out get into it all

the time. And and he was right because

come on, he worked how many years we in

the jungle friends for a couple now. So,

I didn't see it at first, but he was

just trying to tell me that, you know,

you got to know how to speak to actors.

I just thought he was being, you know,

an [ __ ] but he wasn't. He was trying

to teach me.

He was trying to pull my, you know, you

know, yo, yo, yo, let me tell you this.

A lot of times I don't want to hear it,

but he was right.

So, you and and you have to really,

really

able to to talk to your actors.

And this has to happen early. That thing

has to happen

during

pre-production, during rehearsal. You

have to listen to actors have to listen

to what they're saying. They're the ones

in front of the camera. They're the ones

doing the work.

And you have to respect the art form. I

mean, you have to have respect for

actors. So, they're doing great work.

You know, they want to hear it. You got

to tell me, great job. Great job. Not

not say it like some [ __ ] way, but

like really say it with meaning. And

that could go a long way.

It doesn't have to be right behind the

set at that moment, but at the end of

the day, you know, you go like, "Yo, yo,

come here. Come here a second. Yo, you

just you did work today. You did work."

You know, that goes a long way to know

that they're appreciated. That

especially might be critical. I'm not

going to just yell that out to

everybody. So, you know, you go to them,

call cut, and pull them aside, and you

have a one-on-one conversation.

You know, he'll be like, "That's cut.

That's terrible. Oh my god. No, you're

not going to do that. You do that, you

lost the actor.

They're I mean, they're gone. They're

going to mail in after that. No one

likes to be embarrassed. No one likes to

be embarrassed in front of

a full crew. You just don't do that.

In many ways there are a lot of

similarities between

a film director,

a football coach, basketball coach or

manager in baseball.

The same way not all players the same.

The same way not all actors the same.

And so it is your job to see

what can you do to get the best

performance out of your player or your

actor. Not everybody responds to the

same stuff.

Some people you got to get in their ass.

Other people, you know, they can't take

that type of stuff. So you have to be

you got to you but you have to find out

quickly because a lot of times this is

the first time you're working with these

people

what do they do best

and many case that means go watch their

past works look at their films they've

done in the past it's very important

that

if there's something in the script where

there might be some

difference

between the director and actor that that

difference be worked out in rehearsal.

If you don't work out in rehearsal,

you can bet the house that [ __ ] is going

to come up

on the set

in front of a whole crew

and the the ads have everybody clear the

set.

So

even though it might be painful,

even though you might be hesitant to

address it,

talk about any issues

that might come up because

lo and behold, when you least expect it,

it's going to reveal itself

while you're shooting. And you want to

get that stuff done before the cameras

roll.

Well, the easiest thing a director to do

to get a better performance is do more

takes.

Do more takes.

And you have the greatest actors ever.

And there might be a scene where

it's not what you want. Actors aren't

robots.

They're not going to hit out of the park

every every single single scene. So, you

just have to have patience. Some might

be great in the first take. Others might

be you got to go takes eight, nine, 10.

So, pretty soon you understand

who's going to hit it early and who's

going to get it later. So, you have to

just keep that in mind. I mean, I I

mean, no disrespect to other directors,

but I'm not going to do 80 takes.

Can't do it. Don't really have the

budget to do that. There have been many

instances where I know we got it and act

as one more. I give it to him.

They won

one or two. After that, we got to go.

Look, we got it. We got we got to move

on next shot. And but but by we got it,

we got it. We got it. But I wanted All

right, one more

and that's it. We got to go.

And if you and if you do that,

actors love that.

But you know, they they could do it.

They came doing every single take. I

mean, every single scene. So you you got

to you know let them know

there's some type of phenomena I can't

describe it where reading your script

that you wrote and then hearing actors

say the lines it is totally different.

I would suggest you have readings of

your screenplay before you shoot.

For me, the first time I ever hear the

words is during auditions when actors

are

I hear the words of the scenes that I

wrote.

But the first big rewriting event for me

is after the read through

because this is where the read through

your cast

and the people you cast were reading the

lines. Now I ask the actors don't act

just say the say the words because this

first time hear them. I don't want to

hear acting. I just want to hear the

words as written. How does it sound when

I'm when I'm listening to the words the

first time in the cast read through? I'm

listening how the words sound. Does it

make sense where written?

Is there a line I thought was funny?

Does no one's laughing?

Conversely, there's people laughing at a

line I think was funny. So, you find all

that stuff out and do break into groups.

You know, you really don't want or one

actor

alone

the whole time, maybe the first couple

days, but you want actors who are in the

the specific scenes to be in the groups.

We just break down into groups and uh go

through the

material.

You're looking out your window and the

man is OD.

What did I tell you about drinking in

front of my stoop?

Move on now. You're blocking my view.

You're ugly enough. Don't stare at me.

You should really be like harder on it.

Right away from the beginning and then

as the film goes on, we see you warming

up

where at the end of the film where the

end of the film you're together right

here. This is the first time you both

you're like

you're really giving it to him.

Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I can tell. Yo, drunk.

What did I tell you about drinking in

front of my stoop? Move on. You're

blocking my view.

You ugly enough. Don't stare at me. A

lot of times we don't get to to the text

till later. We're just talking

by anything, you know, just to get

people be familiar with with each other.

Then we had like two week rehearsals.

The last week is when we really get down

to uh try to be committed to what's on

the page and that type of stuff.

Sometimes we're lucky we get to rehearse

on on the set. They're about to shoot.

That's that's that's really good. Actors

love that.

What I try to do is get a feeling of

family. So, you know, we might be going

out to dinners to death to have dinners

together for inside manner. We watched a

whole lot of films. We must have watched

Dog the Afternoon. The great the

greatest heist. I mean the great I mean

that film

directed by the late great Sen Lament

Pacino. We watched that three or four

times. I mean that

just doing those little things can can

go a long long way. And that that will

doing stuff like that will have actors

not complain when you when you're going

over for the long night

because you you laid the groundwork

already.

And so you just want to get a sense

where people feel connected, the family,

and like we're all in this together. So

let's let's let's make the most of it.

He got game the original handwritten

leather bound

first

draft screenplay.

I wrote this one quick. You got game

Original

screenplay by Spike Lee.

48 Acres of Mule Filmworks Inc. First

draft

started March 1st,

1997.

Completed March 2nd,

1997. So it was a quick one.

I saw he game is a film about a unique

father son relationship

and I wrote it for Denzel

and I tell him I was writing it

and the original screenplay there was

every every almost every character's

name came from the Bible.

In fact, they sent Denzel out here for a

while. I said, "Did you read it or

what?" Because I didn't even tell him I

was sending it. And then he called me

and said, "Spike."

He again, "That's you." Said, "Yeah." He

said, "You wrote that?" "Yeah, it says

he got a game screen me." Said, "He

wrote that, Dan? I wrote it. I wrote it.

I wrote it." So he said, "I like it. I

like it." But you got too many biblical

names. You got a priest. I mean,

everybody was from the Bible. And uh

but I said, "Yo, we got to keep the

father and the son. The son, his name

got to be Jesus." All right.

So people don't know this. Denzel

Washington played junior varsity at Form

University. So Denzel's always thought

he could ball.

Even today, he still thinks he could

ball.

But Ray Allen didn't notice.

So, one of the most talked about

scenes in he game

is the one-on-one game between father

and son Jake

Shellsworth versus his phenom son Jesus.

Let me find this. Let me just find

something. Give me one sec. I got to

find something.

All right, here it is.

In this first draft,

Denzel's character was not called

Jake. His name was Priest. The first

draft, this character's name Priest.

Said, "No, Spike, I'm not I'm going to

change that." So, I changed it to Jake.

So, this the final confrontational

scene.

ankle court.

This is Jake speaking. So, here we are

adjustment day. You and me, priest and

Jesus, father and son.

Jesus doesn't say a word. Keeps

shooting.

Talk to me, son. Jesus keeps shooting.

Priest pulls out letter and 10. I can't

ask you to get me anymore. I'll play a

game of 101. First man who scores 11

basket wins. I win, you sign, you win. I

tear it up. You never hear from me

again. I go back to Attica.

Is that what you want anyway?

Well,

in the script,

Jesus is supposed to beat his father 11

zip.

Denzel never told me, but Denzel like,

"Hell the [ __ ] no. I'm scoring at least

one basket on this [ __ ]

So this is Ray's first film. He's like,

"Look, the script says I got to win 11

nothing. So I gotta win."

So Ray Allen, Jesus, gave the ball

to his father. You had the ball first.

So Denzel threw some lucky [ __ ] and went

in.

And then he's throwing a [ __ ] and

it's going in.

And and then

uh Ray's coach is screaming, "Ray, Ray,

what are you doing?" And finally,

Rail says, "Hold up, time out." He Ray

doesn't even say cut. He says, "Time

out."

He says, "Spike, what's happening? I'm

supposed to win. My car is supposed to

win 11 zip." I'm like, "Yo, what what

can I tell you?"

Danzo's laughing.

and Ray was like, "All right, [ __ ] that.

You're not scoring another basket." And

that's what you saw,

but for Denzel,

it was a victory. And

dramatically, it was better, too. It was

better his character to score four,

four, five baskets to get crushed by his

son. But that's when those accidents it

wasn't accident planned that but he did

not tell me

or Ray [ __ ] with Spike wrote I'm not

losing 11 zip I'm scoring at least one

basket

and the fact that the first shot went in

we were all like oh [ __ ]

I'm not a writer director that every

single word that I write has to be said.

A lot of times uh I've had instances

where people have uh

take my written

and made it put the words in way that

came better out their mouth and and and

I was fine as long as you know we get

what we want. Doesn't have to be like I

had to write that. And as far as improv

goes,

one thing I have to learn early on is

that not every actor can possesses the

the improv skill.

So I think that

as a director, you should find out in

the rehearsal process

who can improv. Improv should be

involved in rehearsal

process anyway. And then there you go

find out who could do what. Some people

just like on the basketball team, the

coach is going to give the some players

a green light. Some players got a pass

because they don't they don't have it.

It's the same thing. And

and actors know what they cannot do.

Well,

School Days was my second film

and it was a location film,

meaning it was not shot in New York, LA,

where most actors live.

There are many people in the film

that school days be their first location

film.

And on location,

actors can become very

chummy, very friendly. And for this

film, I needed a vision.

The vision was divided into two groups,

the wannabes and the Jigaboos.

So,

I had a hunch that

that when we got there, everybody wanted

to be friends and and the the first film

away, everybody in the same hotel,

shenanigans, all that stuff. And we're

not having that.

So, I found a very good hotel for the

wannabes

and a subgrade hotel for the Jigaboos.

So, right then and there

there was the vision

which

I will say that would not have happened

if everybody been living in the same

hotel.

In fact, there's a step show in the film

where a

a Donny Brook breaks out.

A bruhaha.

So, the fellas are doing their step and

they're coming off stage and all the

time they're doing it, they're being

taunted by the gamma rays and G5G.

So they're going off the stage and

Brandon Marcelus, my man, grabs Tisha

Campbell's head about like that. And

that's when

[ __ ] went bananas. So they were earners.

I said, "Don't cut the camera. Keep

rolling." I said, "Keep rolling. Keep

rolling. Keep rolling."

And so

after I had to call cut cuz I want him

to get hurt, but it was for real. And

that was a division that that I put in

place by having a two separate hotel

rooms. But you need it for the film. If

if if everybody is in the same hotel

also, these were young actors. So they

had the they would have the experience

to make to make the difference between

what we do

after we rap and when the cameras

rolling,

you know, hop knob, all that stuff after

we rap, hanging out, partying. And then

when the cameras going, that's going to

they're young actors. They had a lot of

them this their first film. So

that could not happen. And it didn't

happen.

One of my favorite parts

of doing my joints is the opening credit

sequence.

I think long and hard

what is going to be.

I think it's a very important part of

the film because there's time for the

audience to get their mind right into

what they're about to see. to get them

in the mood

to let them get in tune what what you're

about to see sitting in the dark the

next two hours.

So somehow

through the use of color,

music, definitely music, graphics,

the audience is getting settled and

hopefully get themselves up to witness

what you're doing.

And so for more better blues, I decided

that

we should look at

Blue Note album covers and the jazz

photographs of uh the great William

Claxton. In fact, I have a print of this

photograph of Chad Baker.

Those are inspirations for this and I

told that uh Randy Bossmire and we did

it. Let's roll the piece. Opening

credits of Moetta.

We shot the opening credit sequence with

the actors. We filmed Denzel Washington

Malle Gilliam

with his two loves,

the different lights, the yellow, the

pinkish,

the blue.

So, you know, this going to be some

sexy, stylish

[ __ ]

Beautiful photography.

Look at that silhouette. You don't even

see Denzel's face, just the hat.

It's just dope.

Now, the full orchestra comes in here.

The music is a composition composed by

my father, Bill Lee.

That's my father's score.

That's the score they're playing right

there.

Central musical. So, we've set that up

already. It's not just putting up who's

in the [ __ ] movie,

you know? It has to be more than that

for me.

The opening credit sequence of 25th

hour.

The idea for this opening credit

sequence came very late.

I read a newspaper

that a company had stalled massive

lights to go on at night to show where

the two World Trade Center towers were.

And there was a this is right before we

began to shoot the film and it's like a

couple days we just caught it. So we got

their permission, start a shoot before

it got dark and then we found position

in Brooklyn that can see Manhattan, the

lower Manhattan skyline going up.

Music composed by Terrence Blanchard.

We did the score for this film with Air

Studios in London. Talking to Terrence,

I said that

we wanted a big sound.

We want to have elements of Irish music

because Monty Broen character played by

Edwin Norton. They're Irish, Irish

American, fathers of firemen. But also I

said Terren, you know, we have to have

the feeling of loss, too. So, and again,

this film, 25th hour, takes place in a

post 911 New York City, a city of 8

million people, 8 and a half million

people. We're all at the

depths of the lowest you can be. Now, we

quiet down

because we're going to see the light

being turned off,

fade out.

So,

this is not going to be a happy film.

We clue the audience in.

You know, we're going to deal with some

deep [ __ ] here. Some deep, deep [ __ ]

It's not a happy film.

Hello, my fellow Americans.

They say we may have lost the battle,

but we didn't lose the war.

Yes, my friends, we are under attack.

You may have read about this in your

local newspapers or seen it on the

evening news. That's right. We are

living in an era marked by the spread of

integration and misogynation.

The Brown decision.

The Brown decision

forced upon us by the Jewish controlled

puppets on the US Supreme Court

compelling white children to go to

school with an inferior race.

Kevin Wilmont and I wanted to come up

with like a PSA that might been done by

a a racist, bigoted so-called professor,

a doctor in black and white. And we

thought about

looking at

documentary footage,

George Wallace

when they when they're making speeches.

Bull Connor,

that crazy governor of Minnesota, that

crazy governor of Mississippi, that

governor of Arkansas when with the and

little the time the Little Rock thing

was happening and you know

that would work.

Now the Wind was re-released when I was

third or fourth grade

and that was a class trip.

We went to see G with the Wind

and uh my our art teacher

did not set it up for the class, put it

put in context.

Now I remember first of all I'm not

going to lie. I was happy to go anytime

class trips.

That's not even like going to school

where we go to the Bronx Zoo museums. I

always love class trips, but in

hindsight, I wish my professor, not

professor, this is elementary school,

but I wish my teacher

had set has set up somewhat. I mean,

look, look, we're in third, fourth

grade. We don't know anything. I wish

the teacher would have taken the time

because I wasn't the only black kid in

the class to just like give us some

context what we were seeing

cuz I remember like was yesterday

how I felt

watching imagery in that film

particularly

of butterfly McQueen.

I don't know about nothing but burn no

babies

and had McDaniel.

I did not feel good and my black

classmates we weren't feeling good at

all. There's a famous quote by Had

McDaniel which she had McDaniel which

she later said is better playing maid

than being made.

But we're third or fourth grade. All we

see are these black people acting like

fools.

Even after the next day,

there was discussion about it. But but

the black students, we were just too

embarrassed to even

talk about how we felt and to teach and

not talk about imagery in that because

we knew that

we wanted to begin this with

considered one of the greatest cinematic

shots in the history of cinema.

that scene

that we open the film with from Gone

with the Wind with Scarlet Har

walking away through

I think it was Atlanta train station

where we see thousands of uh wounded and

dead Confederate soldiers. So it begins

like a a tight shot in Scarlet and it

just keeps going and the crane's on

tracks and it keeps going and then as

the crane

begins to land on the as they say in

industry on on two one is where it

starts, two is where it ends. a tattered

flag, the stars and bars into a frame.

The opening credit sequence is where you

have to grab your audience's attention

from the get that whatever you show the

imagery, the music, the tempo.

It gets them into what I would say get

their mind right.

I saw that early on from the open

courtesy of James Bond

which I was a kid.

Dr. No,

Thunderbird from Wal Love.

Man, that [ __ ] was dope. So all this

thing, please don't think that this

stuff is haphazard.

All this stuff is thought out. It's

planned.

And not just me, the great editor Barry

Alexander Brown who cut for me school

days do the right thing. Malcolm X in

this film. Chase Irwin young powerful

cinematographer.

Terrence Blanchard. The score. It may

look easy,

but this [ __ ] is hard as a [ __ ]

Don't let anybody

to make a bad film is hard, not alone a

great film.

Just because the mystique of cinema,

people just think that people just show

up and do what they do. It doesn't

happen like that.

Once a score particular great score is

added what you have it just elevates

everything everything if you work with

that that type of composer could do

that. I understood very early on how

music could be just as important help

tell a story as any other categories. I

pay a lot of attention to music and how

it could be used. I mean, it's not just

going to Billboard and taking a top 10

songs and slap them in there. I mean,

that's

that's not what we do.

I've always always always always

worked closely with my composers

and uh I just never can understand why a

director could shoot a film everything's

done the last minute like oh let's get a

composer now I I don't know how that

works people got their own way to work I

understand that but to bring a composer

the last in it. To me, that shows a

disrespect to the music. Not necessarily

that composer, but the importance. If

you bring in a composer at the last

minute after everything else done, the

pictures cut all the other stuff, then

that says a sign to me like you don't

really think music can do anything. I

like the bring of my composers

early on

with Terrence Blanchard.

He's getting cut scenes. As soon as we

have scenes cut,

he's getting I'm sending him scene. So,

let me let me let me demonstrate for you

how we do it.

How I' I've done it with Bruce Hornsby

and Terrence. Not necessarily my not

necessarily my father. I I'm sending

Bruce

and Terren Blanchard

cut scenes.

So they got first of all they get the

script right away

and early on we talk about

what are the colors going to be. When

composers say colors they're talking

about what instruments

different instruments give you different

colors.

So

then

I invite the composers to New York,

Terrence, New Orleans, Bruce's Virginia,

come up and watch the first cut.

Then after they see the first cut, then

we go back to edit room. And now this is

very crucial part of the process. It's

called spotting.

This is where the director sits down

with the composer. Back in the day was

on Avid. No, no, excuse me. Back in the

day was on a steam bag, now in Avid.

I sit down with my composer and I tell

him where I want the music. It's called

spotting. We look at through the whole

film. I say, I want music

to start here in the scene and here.

Composer has to know

where the music goes. Composer has to

know where the director wants music.

Then we talk about what type of music.

Then the composer go away

and they send me back in the day was on

CDs

themes. I like to have I like to give

character themes.

So

I get themes

not necessarily with characters attached

to them but just themes and then I tell

them you know what I like what I don't

like and so they now those themes

they're really called sketches

you know it's not like any full-blown

orchestral thing this is at the you know

beginning stages

and then once the pictures locked

I tell my composers this is we he comes

back to see the the lock cut in the

screen room and I say I pair all right

this theme want to go this this

pair the cues the themes with the scenes

then they go away

write out the music

and then come back and record the score

for me a movie is not a movie till we

get the score

music could be score

that's where

it's just there or it could be source

where

it's coming from a radio

it's coming from a television or people

playing it. So this is the example where

it switched

sweeping crane shot here,

but he's trying to keep it together.

Uh-oh.

Look. See? Look at Wesley. Look at Look

at Shadow's getting ready.

He's looking at

it's very uncomfortable. Everybody, the

audience.

Woo.

That's what you call a clam.

See,

that's a loving act

for Shadow to come to his rescue.

Clark's heartbroken.

And Ble just walks off the stage into

the rain.

Come on. When the scene began, it was

sourced because we were hearing

what the band was playing.

But once they left the club,

it turned into score because in reality,

you wouldn't be able to hear Shadow

Henson and the rest of the bands they

continue to play after we left. So went

from source to score. When Desai came

outside in the rain,

forget about it.

That's score. You're going to be all

right.

Thought the rain would make it much more

dramatic. Oh, this is a crane show. I'm

sorry. It's a crane and a dolly cuz we

go up and I said I can't sell. I won't

sell it. I won't sell it. Here we go.

Oh,

he'll play again.

He'll play again.

I won't sell it.

I won't sell it. Blink.

I won't sell it.

Yeah, that's a good scene.

Sad scene.

Again, I want to I want to really stress

this

because it's very important.

Denzel's character,

Blake Gilliam,

and Wesley Snipes character, Shelon

Henderson had been had been at odds

the whole

movie.

at each other's throat. Jealousy, all

types of stuff.

Clark, both of them, you know, that type

of stuff. But I feel it's very important

that at the end we had to we had to show

that they loved each other despite all

that stuff that might happen in the

past. It's like, yo, I got you. I got

you. And that's what that scene's about.

One thing I think that uh people might

not understand is

what you call

juxosition

where the music doesn't have to

necessarily be the same feeling what

you're seeing

on screen. There might be a contrast.

example you're gonna see right now is uh

All Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra.

The song is called Hello Young Lovers.

This scene comes from Jungle Fever.

And

John Duro's character

has been a has been ostracized because

he has he's interested in a black woman.

So his friends let him know

like that ain't cool.

You know, you could [ __ ] a Mulan, but

you know, you want his girlfriend. That

type of thing.

So, uh,

let's watch it.

Crane down.

Where you going, Pauly? Huh?

They're taunting him.

Who's the lucky girl?

Hey, you look pretty.

Nick Duro, Michael Baluto, [ __ ]

You think you're better than me,

Paulyley? Huh? [ __ ] disgrace.

He's a disgrace neighborhood.

[ __ ] disgrace.

Disgrace.

You know better than me. Where's your

[ __ ] bully?

John Floyd brother kick Nick kicking his

ass. Boom.

Broke his nose in the movie. Not for

real.

And he's getting a beating. As they say,

you give him a [ __ ] beating.

The term is called counterpoint where

the music gives you is opposite of what

you're feeling. This is a a very a

perfect example

a very good example of counterpoint

the music for he got games basketball

is an American sport

and

I thought about the music.

I said to myself

let's let me I'm going to do which I'm

going to do. I want to go through all

the recorded music ever recorded by the

great American composer Aaron Copelan

and pick out

stuff I think I could use.

Then I went back to my man Chuck D

flavor flavor terminics and say look I

want you to do the songs for the film.

You only did one song for for do the

right thing. Now all the songs, all the

music, the rap stuff is going to be

public enemy. I said, "Let me try this

experiment. A rap music

cut together with

American classical music, not jazz,

orchestral music.

Always loved Aaron Copelan's

work." So

we have the jud j just j just j just j

just j just j just j just j just j just
j just j position of the two and it

works.

It's a oneonone you might say do or die

game of basketball between father and

son.

They make a bet

if Jake Shellsworth the father wins

his son Jesus will go to big state

again. Jesus is the number one high

school player in the nation and his

senior about to go to college.

If Jesus shows, if Jesus wins, his

father says, "Look, I'm going back to

prison. I'm going back to Attica." Very

dramatic.

I did not want to use public enemy right

here. I think that would been too

cliche.

Said, "Let me find something Aaron Copan

did

and it's called

a Lincoln portrait."

So this is it. Yo, judgment day.

Father and son, Jake and Jesus.

So you going to say nothing to me. Okay.

I wanted to use something different.

I beg your forgiveness and nothing like

Now we had to make some music edits

because the original the original

Lincoln

a portrait for Lincoln is like 11

minutes long. So we had to make music

edits.

Check.

Now we just let them play.

We just let them play. We had coverage

with the cameras. Just let them play.

Underhead scoop. Oh,

that's the only best you getting all

game.

Now, now D is like, "All right, I'm

getting you."

Misses that. Ray comes in. Boom.

One.

Now they're talking all the time. This

was not rehearsed.

Now the music starting to come up, too.

Two two one.

That's something you taught me.

Father and son.

I taught you well.

There always comes this moment where the

son beats his father.

Your boy.

What you stoing for?

You got you got

I knew that that as if I went through

the masterworks Aaron Copelan that would

fit. He got game

as a score.

But as a songs, I knew that

Public Enemy would work.

And you might think Aaron Copelan,

orchestral music,

Public Enemy, rap, but it works

together. I just knew that would work. I

think it's a very good example of of

score, how during watching the clip, it

looked like Aaron Copeland, you know,

I hired him. Who's alive to score this

film?

The balance of a film really comes

together for me in the editing room.

That's where you weigh

the different parts you're trying to do.

My films historically not about one

thing. You might say a mixtape of of to

be current a mixtape of many different

things. For example, do the right thing

is a very very serious

film with very serious submatic not

comedy. A lot of humor and do the right

thing. And so with the my longtime great

editor Barry Brown,

Barry Alexander Brown, we call him the

cut creator, we were able to find that

balance because uh you don't want to be

lopsided

one way or the other. And it's not

something that you're going to find.

That first cut is not going to be the

the balance cut you need. You just got

to keep working and working and working

and working and working.

ain't no psychiatrist, but I believe one

of the reasons Nola Darling was doing

all that boning. What? Having sex? Bon.

Anyway, like I was saying, I think she

was doing this because she probably had

a bad relationship with her father. He

wasn't around. She was looking for him.

Serious. Anyway, I told her I wasn't her

pops. my career, a lot of the funny

stuff, a lot of human stuff is become

is from ad libs and that's not written.

So, it's in the editing room is where we

found where we where we had to find a

balance

in in the final cuts of the film.

my relationship with uh my editors is

just as close is with the the DP

and

I look at the footage that's called

dailies what you shot the previous day I

go over that with the my editor editor

editors sometimes we have two

and we look at the footage together and

I and they're taking notes I tell them

what I like or what I don't like. And

using those notes, the editors start to

cut. So, I do not wait until I finish

shooting. The editors are editing.

They're cutting the film together while

we're where we're going. And then

they're also showing me completed scenes

that they've also edited. So, the

editing is going along at the same time

that we are filming.

It's uh it could be daunting because a

lot of times you're tired from shooting

and then you're shooting 12 hours then

you come in and watch the dailies. So we

get a I get a lot of a lot of times I I

can't do it or too tired. So I look at

the footage they make a DVD for me or

link and I look at it over the weekend

and I just give the editors the notes.

You know, we have uh we screenings for

friends and family, people on a in a

circle. It's always good though to see

that when you have those have the film

projected because it's not just the same

seeing it on a on an Avid, a little

television screen, even if a big monitor

is not the same as seeing it screen in

the theater makes all the difference in

the world. And that's always a very

exciting time to see on a big screen for

the first time. And for my editor and I

that's when the film really reveals

itself. So you know what you have to do

and once you've done it a while you know

right away

my editor and I we're sitting next to

each other so we're talking we're taking

notes and you know right away what needs

to go cuz sometimes you just can't see

it right away. It's really a phenomenon

where you could have a very long post-p

production period and go through many

cuts and then there comes a time where

it finally dawns on you, you know, we

don't need that scene and it's been

there all along but something happens

and you know, let's take it out. So that

that's happened to me a lot. Usually the

first thing to go is stuff that is

repetitive that it might not have seemed

repetitive in the script. It might not

seem repetitive when

you wrote it, but in once you cut the

film,

you know, you say, you know, we notice

already. We don't need anymore.

where I was, the shoe parallel had a

window up in the attic and I could see

the crowd. They marched as he through

the streets.

They stabbed him and beat him

and finally in a bloody heap

they held him down in the street

and cut off his testicles.

God,

give us true

white men.

The Invisible Empire demands,

strong minds,

gray hearts, true faith, clean and ready

hands.

Men who have honor,

men who will not lie, men who can stand

before a demagogue

and damn his treacherous flatteries

without blinking. The story that he

recounts actually happened.

The lynching of Jesse Washington

took place in Waco, Texas.

And

the words saying are his friend who saw

this firsthand. He's brought back by Pat

Brice Jumas played by Laura Harris who's

the president of the Black Student Union

to recount this story to the black

students of this lynch took place the

lynching of Jesse Washington.

And we intercut that with a clan the

clan initiation of

the white Ron Star

Flip Zimmerman played by Adam Driver

and intercut the two. And once

initiation goes through, then we have

the clan in celebration

watching

DW Griffin's birthday nation like it's a

[ __ ] Saturday matinea,

eating popcorn, yelling, cheering,

throwing stuff at the screen.

Do you do it all?

No.

No.

The ingenuity of white women.

Today they would call that kind of movie

a blockbuster.

The first time I saw Birth of a Nation

in its entirety was my first semester at

New York University Grad School and my

professor Ellie Hamro, she showed screen

and film for us.

And before after the screening,

the only

thing we heard was that

how DW Griffith

is considered the father of cinema.

She went down a list of of innovative

film things which he had done.

What she left out

was the socio political impact of the

film

that never came up

in discussion of the film.

It was not discussed that at the time

this film was released,

the Clueless clan was dormant, was dead.

And this film directly led to the

rebirth,

the rejuvenation of the clan, which led

directly to black folks male lynch

castrated, whipped

and hung.

That was completely left out. Now

that is I've never been one of these

people individuals who says birth for

nation should not be screened but

I do think that that there should be

discussions especially if one is

teaching this to students to not leave

stuff out

to give the whole

picture the whole story

and if you're not able to do that then

maybe you shouldn't be showing that film

as a discussion.

So with this film, Black Clansman, I was

able to go back

and deal with these films

which were had an impact on my my film

making and

the interplay,

the interaction between

both these

worlds.

love

with the scene with uh Mr. Be and the

other one just plain undiluted hate

and the contrast between that two. Then

on top of that,

John David Washington

has snuck up at the window the same way

how Bella the same way Harry Bellfonte's

character did to witness the lynching

and the castration and the mutilation of

Jesse Washington's body.

So all that to come together,

we shot it. But

you got to put that stuff together

and he cut the [ __ ] out of that. And

then then you bring in the

cinematography of Chase Urban and then

you add

the piece

Terren Blanch's score. It's over. It's

over.

And then

you have

at the end of the the clan part they

start singing or not singing but

chanting white power with the

[ __ ] Nazi Zigow salute. It

resemble what was written, but there's

things that we found

where we could use sound over another

scene.

Like it wasn't written in the script

that

those clans would start breaking and

chanting white power and giving the the

uh the Nazi sig sigh salute. You know

that's that wasn't written

was written that that I did not tell

Miss Bellfonte to start ch you know put

up his fist and saying black power black

power he did that on his own that scene

just evolved. I mean you try one thing

it works try another thing doesn't work

and keep working on it till the whole

scene works. But we had the material.

That's another thing,

ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.

You have to have the material.

Is the director's job to provide the

editor with material.

Editor can't go out and re-shoot stuff.

Don't have your editor in the edit room

like, "Mother [ __ ] I got nothing to

work with." You know, you you can't do

that to your editor. What's ironic

in this particular scene, the inner

cutting

is that

it came from the father cinema

DW Griffin. And I forgot till I read the

AO Scott review that he's a [ __ ]

that invented that.

I knew about that. in they they teach us

that in film school but I finished

1982 so I forgot I mean he's the

[ __ ] that came with that.

It is time for you to understand that

you as the growing intellectuals of this

country that you must define beauty for

black people.

Now that's black power.

Let me ask you something. Is beauty

defined as someone with a narrow nose?

Thin lips?

Hell no.

White skin?

Hell no.

Hell no.

Hell no.

Hell no.

Cuz you ain't got none of that.

For the most part, Ter has been

forgotten. And uh we hope that this film

makes people want to pick up a book at

the most Google and find out who this

powerful brother was, how important he

was to the movement, how he's the one

that came with the phrase black powerwam

to did speak

to the black students at Colorado State.

So that that really happened and what he

says in the in the film in black those

are his words,

you know, we put together various parts

of various speeches and I knew he was

talking about

that we black people have to love

ourselves no matter what we've been told

to humanize what we want to call it.

pick your choice of words.

That he

wanted black people understand that we

are beautiful. We are strong. We're

smart.

We're as good or better as anybody else.

And we have to have black love.

So that's what his speech about. Black

love.

He's talking about not just love we have

for love for our innocent but love for

our features,

our wide nose, our thick lips. It wasn't

very hard. I said, "Let's just show

all these different black people in

their beauty."

So, we had we were shooting, we were

filming the scene.

We had like 400 500 extras

and a lot of those most of those shows

were like

real people's hair. Now we had a we had

a a a casting for people afro.

I mean those that was those people's

hair for the most part. And so we were

filming that scene and we also had a

dressing room. We set up another camera

because I want to have these

portraitures of these beautiful black

people that we're hearing in this speech

given by uhwami ter performed by Cory

Hawkins. And then we shot it was up to

Barry Brown and I we knew we had this

stuff. was it was a matter of we had to

think long and hard where we going to

fit this

and then we came with the idea of

uh multiple images

giving movement to the faces to the

heads. We are not one monolithic group.

We are all beautiful in our own specific

way.

Different noses, different lips,

complexion.

I just want to make that a scene to

emphasize to cosign what brotherwami is

telling us. Give it give a visual

sense of purpose of what he's saying and

show

Films are a very powerful media.

Films can help people.

Films can hurt people.

And this is something I learned very

early on that as a filmmaker, you know,

it's not something to play with

that, you know, these images are very

powerful.

Way back in the day, President Woodrow

Wilson upon seeing Birth of Nation said

watching that film was like riding with

lightning. So, I've always been aware of

the power of film for good and bad.

The problem is that there's been a

history of American cinema

and American television which has

denigrated you know uh the fame

belittle the humanized

people for decades. Black people were

ashamed of Africa because the portrayal

of so-called Africans in Tarzan films

and

they can make people hate themselves. It

made African-Americans hate themselves.

And it's not just African-Americans. You

look at the portrayal of of women in

film.

These myths

have been

driven into so-called truth through

movies, through TV shows.

And so it's going to take many decades

to retell these stories.

Hollywood westerns

demonize Native Americans. in particular

the films of John Ford

and John Wayne

where the Native Americans are savages

and that's not the way it was

and

this is something I mean I'm I'm I'm

different generation but you know cowboy

you playing back in the day you playing

cowboys Indians no one would want no one

to play Indians

they were evil They're animals. They

scalp white settlers.

I mean, this whole narrative of America

is a false narrative.

And this narrative has been drumed into

Americans heads through

the cinema of Hollywood

and the television.

The greatest false narrative is about

the founding of this country.

It's it's very disturbing to me when

people use that term founding fathers

and leave out the rest which should be

the founding fathers own slaves.

George Washington owned slaves.

Thomas Jefferson owns slaves.

The foundation of the United States of

America

is

the genocide

of the native people and slavery. That

is the foundation.

That's all this [ __ ] is built upon.

the boulevard garden of the land,

the genocide of the people

and bringing our ancestors

stolen from mother Africa to work for

free

from Canc

United States of America.

the first film, She's Going to Have It

was a very sensuous film and many people

have told me over the years that they

never seen black people

with the intimacy, you know, sexual

intimacy that seeing that film.

I knew that that would be a

a selling point for the film, but that

that wasn't the

the only reason

there. I mean, you had such

actors like Sydney Porty and Harry

Bellfonte, you know, great these

handsome men who ooze sexuality. And it

was like the that that was not really

reflected

on the screen. Not their fault. They

weren't writing the scripts where the

powers of be were not very comfortable

with the sexuality of uh of black folks.

You know, these films, these Hollywood

films are shown across the nation. They

knew that they would not be they

theaters in there were theaters in the

south, movie theaters in the south that

weren't going to play them. We live in a

society where black folks and others

have not been put in the best possible

light.

And

I knew

that one way

that I could do something about this in

my

however small way it may be was to make

films

that somehow

were made for a diverse audience. some

films specifically a black audience but

show black people

in all our glory

faults

warts and whatnot.

I mean it's still a battle

to get stuff made.

It's still a battle to get into the

those conference rooms where those

decisions are made by the gatekeepers.

We I think have to be more strategic

as if people understand how this game

works.

You could be involved in this industry

and not be in front of the camera, not

behind the camera. There many more

opportunities where you're going to have

a longer

career.

Start grooming

executives,

people who give the notes, people make

the selections, people who hire

the writers, the directors. Everybody

can't be in front of the camera.

Everybody can't be famous, but you can

still have positions that very powerful.

And and I think that's where we're

lacking right now.

A big big

interest of mine is is the whole thing

called gatekeepers,

execs

and and movie studios,

TV networks, network, cable, whatnot.

Even in media, you go to newspapers,

magazines. These are the people

predominately white males who sit around

a table, a conference table, and decide

what we're making

and what we're not making. This is where

the battleground is now. when we we can

win Academy Awards and Emmys and

whatnot, but I think that pales in

comparison to

the gatekeeping

positions because this is where we have

a voice

and when some [ __ ] up [ __ ] is about to

be made, we say

hold the [ __ ] up.

In my opinion, what makes a great

documentary is what makes a great

feature film,

the story. I mean, I I don't really make

that I don't make that big distinction

between the two. That's why I do both. I

go back and forth between feature films

and documentaries

and the common thing, the big common

thing is a story. So you could tell a

story

as as a narrative, you tell a story as a

documentary. So you just have to make

the choice which we want to do. my first

documentary, Four Little Girls. I I just

felt that I did not want to recreate the

bombing of the 16th Street Baptist

Church.

I not want to cast actors to talk about

the loss of their daughter. I not want

to cast

uh George Wallace. I did not want to

cast uh Bull Connor.

I not want to cast

those devils

from the clan who planted dynamite in

that church and blew those beautiful

young black girls apart.

That was a decision I I that was a path

I wasn't doing.

I wanted to recreate [ __ ] I wanted to

speak to the people who lived it.

They're not actors. These are people who

particularly I'm talking about the

parents,

the ones who are alive are still

grieving with the the loss of their

loved ones and the ones that were no

longer here

went to their grave grieving

with that that that loss of life. So I

you can't for me

that was something that that couldn't be

faked and you needed to uh I needed to

to speak to the the to the people the as

as I call them the witnesses the

witnesses.

There was New York Times Sunday magazine

piece about the that bombing and I

remember my parents telling me about I

was born in 57 so I always thought about

that my father's from Alabama.

I mean, I knew about this even I mean,

this when I was very young, even before

I knew I want to be a filmmaker, but I

think it probably stuck in my head and

so uh

that's just something I eventually uh

decide to do. I've never had a narrator

in my documentaries ever. The films are

edited in a way that the people been

interviewed tell us a story. But you

don't you're not gonna hear you don't

hear we don't use narrators. Now

some people might do but for me it

doesn't work.

It was not a different mindset for me to

do this to do my first documentary. I

knew the story I wanted to get. I knew

that people had the interview

and

just went and did it. Well, doing my

documentary is very rarely that when

someone gets in front of the camera,

that's the first time I met them or

haven't spoken to them before. So, I

definitely try to meet them before we go

in front of the camera in person or

phone. And I'm the one for the most part

that asked people to be in it. You know,

I have researched and tracked people

down. But I'm the one to say, do you

want to be in the documentary? And you

know, we want you to talk about this. So

I had the advantage of people knowing me

because of my feature films. They knew

who I was. They seen me with Michael

Jordan. I keep bringing this up, but

that was a big thing. The more people

knew me from Mars Black and the Michael

Jordan commercial knew me for for the

films. So, it was very easy to me

to get people to be in my films. Come

on, we got George Wallace to speak to

me. So, I mean, I never thought he

agreed to do it.

When Celebrities Broke,

A Reququum in Four Acts was my first of

two

documentaries

about what happened in

the Gulf region, specifically New

Orleans with Hurricane Katrina.

And I was in uh Venice for the Venice

Film Festival

when uh this happened. I just kept

watching CNN International and just

seeing these American citizens

on top of buildings and whatnot drowning

in boats and I kept wondering where is

the United States of America? Where is

the help? Day one, where where is

everybody? Day two, day three, day four.

It wasn't until day five that the

government came to rescue for it

citizens.

came back from the Venice Film Festival.

I said, "I want to do something." Called

up Sheila Neans

at HBO and I I said, "I want to do

this." And he said, "Okay."

Now, at first it was supposed to be a

two a 90minute 2hour documentary, but uh

it kept getting bigger and bigger and

bigger. And thank you Sheila. Thank HBO

who let it end up being a 4 hours

uh very very very very painful

documentary to do but

that was the subject matter.

That's a great loss of life and that's

not a

a cheery story.

Very happy the way it turned out. the

great editor Sam Pard.

We worked closely together and uh

it was like crusade for everyone that

worked on that. You know, we we knew

that we were dealing with something

historic

and uh we had to do the the best job we

can do and let the people who going

through it, let them tell their story.

We must unite and we must organize to

form a base to fight racism.

Yes.

Yes.

To fight our oppressors.

The reason I wanted to teach this master

class is because people can learn from

my experience. People can learn from me

because uh I know what I'm talking

about. I wanted to uh to spread what

I've learned with as many people as

possible and uh

this master class is providing an

opportunity. The important lessons I

learned

in my film making career began when

I decided I want to be filmmaker

and that's a lesson of work ethic which

I saw from my parents my mother who

taught my father's jazz music position

my grandparents

so I grew up the people worked

and people who love their work

and people who worked hard, just worked

hard, were never trying to cut any

corners. I was born the right time.

Whatever it is, I was going to be a

filmmaker by hook or crook. I just I

just knew that.

But I also understood that

I was going to have to make it happen. I

could not just sit around and this is

key.

I never bought into this

false narrative of overnight success.

Never ever ever thought that I could

just show up

and God, almighty God, would anoint me

the next one.

I knew that if this is going to happen,

I have to get out there and bust my ass.

That's just it's not bragging.

It's not boasting, but

I knew that I had the talent,

but that wasn't going to be enough. Had

to get out there,

a hook, a crook,

make it happen.

I hope that you understand that

there's some hard [ __ ] to do.

Hope that you understand that it takes

dedication.

That it takes love, it takes compassion

is being truthful to to get in a

position like me. Other directors,

people who are working directors always

had the mindset

that you're a student

and it's a continuous

process of educating yourself, getting

experience, and being the best you can

be. I'm Spike Lee, and this is my master

class.