1
00:00:00,110 --> 00:00:10,670
[Music]

2
00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:14,879
the first approach that I took was uh

3
00:00:14,879 --> 00:00:17,600
you know similar to what I'd done with

4
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,359
the movie I mean I I I thought about it

5
00:00:20,359 --> 00:00:22,199
I didn't go back and look at my notes or

6
00:00:22,199 --> 00:00:24,840
or review that scene but I remember how

7
00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,160
we staged it more or less and what the

8
00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,439
energy was and the and the sort of the

9
00:00:29,439 --> 00:00:33,399
stylistic contention of that scene um

10
00:00:33,399 --> 00:00:36,040
and um so I thought we'd just approach

11
00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:41,440
it that way um and and uh and I'd take a

12
00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:45,879
moment here or there to explain sort of

13
00:00:45,879 --> 00:00:48,399
what the coverage might be the way in

14
00:00:48,399 --> 00:00:51,079
which a handheld scene can come together

15
00:00:51,079 --> 00:00:52,760
what can be sort of discovered by the

16
00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,920
camera operators versus what needs to be

17
00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:01,079
staged for and more um um designed by

18
00:01:01,079 --> 00:01:03,960
the by the director um but you know

19
00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,840
that's meant to have a kind of a a

20
00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,320
fluidity uh as much movement as possible

21
00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:13,040
um you know the the during the whatever

22
00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:14,920
it is two and a half page scene or so

23
00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:16,720
you know the actors are in three or four

24
00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,280
different places um and uh and so you

25
00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,680
know I wanted to to to show that kind of

26
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,479
staging um fall into place utilizing the

27
00:01:27,479 --> 00:01:30,079
instincts of the actors the preparation

28
00:01:30,079 --> 00:01:32,759
of the director the point of view of the

29
00:01:32,759 --> 00:01:36,159
director um and then uh um you know and

30
00:01:36,159 --> 00:01:38,759
then what could be done with the camera

31
00:01:38,759 --> 00:01:41,479
as I was going through all of that I was

32
00:01:41,479 --> 00:01:42,360
just

33
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:46,640
reminded that in each and every scene

34
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,719
there are so many

35
00:01:49,719 --> 00:01:54,000
undeniably valid ways to approach it um

36
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,399
in photographically and in terms of the

37
00:01:56,399 --> 00:02:00,119
staging I mean the today I I thought of

38
00:02:00,119 --> 00:02:03,119
four or five other approaches that you

39
00:02:03,119 --> 00:02:06,159
know might well have worked um and again

40
00:02:06,159 --> 00:02:08,640
this is the challenge for a director is

41
00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:11,920
to make some sort of uh overarching

42
00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:16,160
holistic decisions about um the story

43
00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,080
and the way they'd like it to unfold so

44
00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,040
that it begins to narrow some of those

45
00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,640
some of those options but when you see

46
00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:26,400
movies you that you love television

47
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,239
shows that that you you know you connect

48
00:02:29,239 --> 00:02:30,480
with

49
00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,040
it's it's it's good to understand not

50
00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,280
only the writing not only the characters

51
00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,120
not only the themes but also what is

52
00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,159
there about the presentation that is

53
00:02:41,159 --> 00:02:43,560
working for you and the more you

54
00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,159
understand it just on that basic level

55
00:02:45,159 --> 00:02:47,519
of a relationship again the director is

56
00:02:47,519 --> 00:02:50,800
is the first audience member so um if

57
00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,319
you make yourself um an audience member

58
00:02:54,319 --> 00:02:56,159
and start to understand what it is that

59
00:02:56,159 --> 00:02:59,239
you like about it you can carry that

60
00:02:59,239 --> 00:03:01,720
sort of focus focus into your work when

61
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:03,760
you begin to make a film you begin to

62
00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:08,920
see frames and falling into place acting

63
00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:11,080
moments you're you're watching the

64
00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,200
monitor or looking through the camera or

65
00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,159
however you're shooting it and you can

66
00:03:15,159 --> 00:03:18,120
begin to relate it to your experience as

67
00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,560
a viewer and keeps it immediate and also

68
00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,040
keeps it very exciting Salvador Totino

69
00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:26,640
who's the cinematographer I've worked

70
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:29,239
with a half a dozen times um also

71
00:03:29,239 --> 00:03:31,560
operates he was one of the key he was

72
00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:33,760
one of the operators on uh on Frost

73
00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:38,560
Nixon and there are times when we'll

74
00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,959
finish a take and he'll lower the camera

75
00:03:41,959 --> 00:03:44,439
and he's got tears in his eyes because

76
00:03:44,439 --> 00:03:45,640
he's not just worried about the

77
00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,400
framelines he's an artist he cares about

78
00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,319
the story and the actor has um you know

79
00:03:52,319 --> 00:03:55,480
has has created something in that moment

80
00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,280
and s's been able to capture it with the

81
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,879
light with the lind's choice that we've

82
00:04:01,879 --> 00:04:04,360
discussed in a way that um you know that

83
00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,840
reaches him uh in a very spontaneous

84
00:04:08,910 --> 00:04:12,060
[Music]

85
00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:14,239
way

86
00:04:14,239 --> 00:04:17,639
business is often an actor's best friend

87
00:04:17,639 --> 00:04:19,560
it's uh you know it's what we naturally

88
00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,199
do in life is we we touch things we hold

89
00:04:22,199 --> 00:04:24,120
them we we you know we have a sip of

90
00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,400
coffee

91
00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,759
we interrupt a sentence with that we

92
00:04:28,759 --> 00:04:30,320
don't necessarily put the coffee down

93
00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,000
right away because we might want another

94
00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,120
setp at some point or or we might

95
00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:35,639
suddenly be surprised by what somebody

96
00:04:35,639 --> 00:04:38,320
says and we're starting to drink and it

97
00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:39,560
and now you're not interested in

98
00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:41,720
drinking anymore now you put that down

99
00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,520
it's it's a it's a um something to do

100
00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,639
with your hands other than wave them

101
00:04:46,639 --> 00:04:49,600
around like I do a lot uh it's uh and

102
00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,880
it's life it's lifelike and um so Props

103
00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,680
are incredibly value valuable and so is

104
00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,160
business so that um as a scene

105
00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,800
unfolds if there's something else for

106
00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,759
the character the actor as that

107
00:05:04,759 --> 00:05:07,840
character has to think about in addition

108
00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:10,840
to um you know the the conflict that's

109
00:05:10,840 --> 00:05:14,360
rising or the secret that's being held

110
00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,560
or the the idea that um that uh you know

111
00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,280
that character is trying to frame so

112
00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:23,680
that he or her can uh you know can can

113
00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,840
try to try to achieve something in the

114
00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:28,560
scene if while that's happening there's

115
00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,000
there's life going on there's something

116
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,319
that they have to do there's something

117
00:05:31,319 --> 00:05:33,639
they have to to be responsible for put

118
00:05:33,639 --> 00:05:36,360
something away pick something up fold it

119
00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,600
it it just helps bring a kind of a um

120
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,919
you know an informality to it and a

121
00:05:41,919 --> 00:05:44,199
spontaneity to it and it's also very

122
00:05:44,199 --> 00:05:47,080
valuable at times when a characters is

123
00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,000
supposed to sit there and listen longer

124
00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,720
than they normally would necessarily to

125
00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,600
somebody talking um you

126
00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,400
know screenwriting is a remarkable art

127
00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,400
form form it never really unfolds like

128
00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,680
life you know we always use a lot more

129
00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:07,199
words than you would ever want to put

130
00:06:07,199 --> 00:06:09,880
into a scene we take longer to get to

131
00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,840
the point or we're unwilling to

132
00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:15,759
articulate um the way the character must

133
00:06:15,759 --> 00:06:20,120
very often I think that

134
00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:23,120
scenes probably embody what what would

135
00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,520
in real life take three or four

136
00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,800
encounters to to get around to you know

137
00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:30,160
unless it's a

138
00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,280
you know a a courtroom or you know a

139
00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:37,039
boardroom or situation or something you

140
00:06:37,039 --> 00:06:38,680
know that's really presentational like

141
00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,680
that but the the screenwriter has to

142
00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,599
find a way to to cover a lot of ground

143
00:06:44,599 --> 00:06:48,080
emotionally in ways that feel natural

144
00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,960
that feel um realistic and the actor too

145
00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,280
has to make a lot of adjustments and and

146
00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:58,080
yet if they constantly stay focused on

147
00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,479
the other actors it you know it loses

148
00:07:00,479 --> 00:07:03,520
its sense of um of of honesty it's just

149
00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,680
not it's not the way human beings behave

150
00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,840
so sometimes it can be very helpful for

151
00:07:07,840 --> 00:07:09,800
directors when you're watching an actor

152
00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,800
kind of struggle with a moment um maybe

153
00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:14,599
they're too focused on the dialogue too

154
00:07:14,599 --> 00:07:16,360
focused on the other actor there's

155
00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,319
something about it that feels false a

156
00:07:18,319 --> 00:07:21,599
simple thing to try is business business

157
00:07:21,599 --> 00:07:23,599
to distract them from that moment to

158
00:07:23,599 --> 00:07:26,080
fill in a gap so that they're not

159
00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:27,680
necessarily looking at the other actor

160
00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:29,319
for every moment that the other actor

161
00:07:29,319 --> 00:07:30,840
talking talking they're they're involved

162
00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,639
with something else so as a as an ex

163
00:07:33,639 --> 00:07:37,400
actor um um a reformed

164
00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:43,080
actor uh the uh um you know I'm I'm I'm

165
00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:44,840
very tuned into to the value of those

166
00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:47,360
kinds of things and to win movement can

167
00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,680
help you know make something feel a

168
00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,070
little more fluid and a little more

169
00:07:52,070 --> 00:07:56,589
[Music]

170
00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,840
honest when I say that I stage SC and

171
00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,400
shoot them with the editing room in

172
00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,000
mind I don't just mean the mechanics of

173
00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,039
the editing I don't just mean the visual

174
00:08:08,039 --> 00:08:11,000
uh exchange of shots and sequencing of

175
00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,919
shots um I actually uh um am very

176
00:08:15,919 --> 00:08:19,840
interested in finding ways to capture

177
00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,960
the the the the the best performance

178
00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,840
moments and so one of the challenges of

179
00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,840
creating a scene in just uh in limitting

180
00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,880
coverage or you know one two or three

181
00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,640
shots where you you don't really leave

182
00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,399
yourself editorial options you don't

183
00:08:38,399 --> 00:08:40,680
have those cutaways you don't have the

184
00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:43,919
matching coverage that allows you to to

185
00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:46,680
sort of control the Rhythm later on is

186
00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:51,320
that you sometimes get boxed into um um

187
00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:55,040
using um u a line reading or a moment in

188
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,839
the performance that's not as strong as

189
00:08:57,839 --> 00:09:00,079
it might be in other takes

190
00:09:00,079 --> 00:09:02,760
so that's a very important decision and

191
00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,440
if you do decide that you're you're

192
00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,040
you're going to play this as a Warner

193
00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,440
well then you have to be far more

194
00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,240
rigorous about

195
00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:17,600
protecting the in uh uh and attending to

196
00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:18,519
the

197
00:09:18,519 --> 00:09:20,800
performances um because you're going to

198
00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,440
take that idea to the editing room and

199
00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,279
you know it really has to work so

200
00:09:25,279 --> 00:09:27,360
generally when you choose a Warner like

201
00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,720
that takes many many more takes for you

202
00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,040
to feel like you know it's it's it's

203
00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:33,839
really working and and that you feel you

204
00:09:33,839 --> 00:09:36,800
can feel safe moving on and that's a

205
00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,640
tremendous challenge for actors because

206
00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,600
when they feel that the stakes are high

207
00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:45,040
this is the

208
00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:48,760
take um you know they're they're they're

209
00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:50,640
um you know it's going to it's it

210
00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:54,560
creates a level of tension um and if you

211
00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:58,800
have to do a lot of takes to make it all

212
00:09:58,800 --> 00:09:59,880
come together

213
00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,240
that also creates an added pressure that

214
00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,360
has nothing to do with the reality that

215
00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:06,360
you're trying to create around the scene

216
00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,079
so it takes very experienced actors to

217
00:10:09,079 --> 00:10:12,560
make those kinds of um choices from the

218
00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:14,920
director really really work uh and I

219
00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:16,560
think it's one of the reasons why

220
00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:18,680
audiences sometimes really connect with

221
00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:21,040
those kinds of choices those long takes

222
00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,800
that hold and build because you sort of

223
00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:28,320
in a way understand that um this is

224
00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,360
unfolding this is not being manipulated

225
00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,160
by a director in in the editing room

226
00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,680
it's you know it's really happening um

227
00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:39,000
and so that's that's one of the major

228
00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:40,760
choices that a director has to make but

229
00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,040
it's a very dangerous one because if you

230
00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:43,920
guess

231
00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,279
wrong um and the performance does

232
00:10:46,279 --> 00:10:49,200
disappoint you or you guess wrong and

233
00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,200
you need to shorten that scene or you

234
00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:55,519
you you you guess wrong and you find out

235
00:10:55,519 --> 00:10:58,800
that um you know that there's a a story

236
00:10:58,800 --> 00:10:59,959
point

237
00:10:59,959 --> 00:11:02,720
that um that you know should be added

238
00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,040
into that scene that you know you have

239
00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,800
that you have no way of of gaining any

240
00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:10,760
flexibility so it's definitely a a

241
00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,639
Highwire Act and the directors who can

242
00:11:13,639 --> 00:11:16,079
execute that have to have a tremendous

243
00:11:16,079 --> 00:11:20,120
amount of patience I love to stage with

244
00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,399
a point of view have a cinematic set of

245
00:11:23,399 --> 00:11:28,160
ideas so it's not just shooting to

246
00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,959
capture lines dialogue you know there is

247
00:11:30,959 --> 00:11:33,680
a sort of an idea as to why the camera

248
00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:35,399
is where it is and what it might mean to

249
00:11:35,399 --> 00:11:39,000
the audience but I also like to leave

250
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,360
myself um exit points and ways to

251
00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,560
tighten the scene up or to be able to

252
00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:49,040
engineer around a moment because I've

253
00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,320
discovered in the editing room that

254
00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:52,600
there's something else that I never

255
00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,519
really planned for that is so strong an

256
00:11:55,519 --> 00:11:58,200
actor's reaction um you know something

257
00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,320
that was either an accidental ad lib or

258
00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,639
or uh or or something like that that I

259
00:12:03,639 --> 00:12:05,519
really want to be able to benefit from

260
00:12:05,519 --> 00:12:09,560
Robert Alman was famous for shooting

261
00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:13,440
with three cameras a lot and um you know

262
00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,320
creating the opportunity to exploit

263
00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:20,000
happy accidents and uh to build scenes

264
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,440
around um sometimes things that were you

265
00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,959
know mistakes and if it had been a

266
00:12:25,959 --> 00:12:27,920
Warner you wouldn't have been able to

267
00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,600
utilize that that little mistake uh and

268
00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,279
uh so those are the kinds of choices

269
00:12:34,279 --> 00:12:36,160
again it was so interesting today for me

270
00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,199
to do this exercise because you know

271
00:12:39,199 --> 00:12:42,079
there's a version of that scene that we

272
00:12:42,079 --> 00:12:44,680
staged in the garage that would be just

273
00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:47,800
a series of slow

274
00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:53,839
push-ins pressure on to frost reactions

275
00:12:53,839 --> 00:12:55,639
and you could have I mean it would have

276
00:12:55,639 --> 00:12:57,199
taken a long time to shoot it that way

277
00:12:57,199 --> 00:12:58,560
but it would have been very interesting

278
00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:01,440
to have uh not steady cam not movement

279
00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,519
but just a kind of locked off camera and

280
00:13:04,519 --> 00:13:06,360
suddenly it just starts moving in and

281
00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:07,880
then you cut to the other side and it's

282
00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,440
a strong composition you know and it

283
00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:12,519
starts pressing in on the actors another

284
00:13:12,519 --> 00:13:14,360
way and then you know you'd find a place

285
00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:16,040
to break and you'd go wide again and

286
00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,399
then you'd press in again and you know

287
00:13:18,399 --> 00:13:20,720
that was something that came to mind

288
00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,959
that you know might have been might have

289
00:13:22,959 --> 00:13:24,800
been very interesting there are so many

290
00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,600
ways and that's a director's job is to

291
00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,399
try to anticipate that as much as as

292
00:13:29,399 --> 00:13:32,880
possible and then I think still stay

293
00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,959
flexible enough so that when you walk on

294
00:13:35,959 --> 00:13:38,360
the set you see what it really looks

295
00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:40,920
like you see the actors on that set you

296
00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,040
get ideas from your cinematographer or

297
00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,160
your production designer or the actors

298
00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,600
or wherever those ideas may come that

299
00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:51,959
you can have the flexibility to to um

300
00:13:51,959 --> 00:13:54,680
modify your plan and and not be rigid

301
00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:58,120
and dug in

302
00:13:58,690 --> 00:14:02,880
[Music]

303
00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:04,199
another approach that I wanted to

304
00:14:04,199 --> 00:14:07,120
experiment with was uh a a sort of a

305
00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,360
Warner approach I turned out not to be

306
00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,160
able to Stage IT successfully as a

307
00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,600
Warner but I I wound up with two shots

308
00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:17,120
um and uh and it was something that I'd

309
00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:18,839
actually thought about when I was when I

310
00:14:18,839 --> 00:14:21,759
was uh staging it as a movie and it was

311
00:14:21,759 --> 00:14:24,160
fun to experiment with that today but

312
00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,639
that demanded a different kind of

313
00:14:26,639 --> 00:14:29,240
staging um simply couldn't make the

314
00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:33,440
camera fit well uh into the the spaces

315
00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:35,720
that I was taking the actors you know in

316
00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,320
the original staging so they had to

317
00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:40,120
shift they also had to be more aware of

318
00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,079
the camera they had to find the lens

319
00:14:43,079 --> 00:14:45,279
they had to find natural ways to shift

320
00:14:45,279 --> 00:14:47,399
their Mark and be more aware of it they

321
00:14:47,399 --> 00:14:49,120
had to change the way in which they

322
00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,279
moved so that we could get you know a

323
00:14:51,279 --> 00:14:54,040
side of their face or some eye contact

324
00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:55,959
on a on a line of dialogue there are a

325
00:14:55,959 --> 00:14:59,079
lot of adjustments that kind of staging

326
00:14:59,079 --> 00:15:00,800
requires a much more

327
00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,320
technical approach to the acting uh and

328
00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:05,560
uh and yet there's something very

329
00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,800
Dynamic about it then and interesting

330
00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,279
and I was I I enjoyed it I combined with

331
00:15:10,279 --> 00:15:13,759
that um uh a point of view approach

332
00:15:13,759 --> 00:15:16,519
which I I really like to use in films uh

333
00:15:16,519 --> 00:15:20,199
a lot and rarely does it carry a whole

334
00:15:20,199 --> 00:15:23,079
scene but it's great when sections of it

335
00:15:23,079 --> 00:15:25,600
can work in a character's point of view

336
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:28,079
because suddenly that puts the audience

337
00:15:28,079 --> 00:15:31,000
in you The Mind's Eye of that particular

338
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,000
character it makes it you know all all

339
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:34,880
the more relatable so that was a scene

340
00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,120
about David Frost being you know under

341
00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,000
um you know an intense degree of

342
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,680
pressure from his his team his peers and

343
00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:46,560
uh so uh you know I thought that was an

344
00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:48,199
interesting thing to experiment with

345
00:15:48,199 --> 00:15:51,199
that I I did not use U the first time

346
00:15:51,199 --> 00:15:54,519
around uh on on the movie but I enjoyed

347
00:15:54,519 --> 00:15:57,399
that today that's another thing that is

348
00:15:57,399 --> 00:15:59,519
a challenge for the actors because when

349
00:15:59,519 --> 00:16:01,560
you go into that point of view approach

350
00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:03,600
suddenly they're not really looking at

351
00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,360
the other actor they're looking into the

352
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,480
lens if you know they're looking right

353
00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,519
at the camera lens because that's that's

354
00:16:11,519 --> 00:16:15,199
the actor and um it's a pretty

355
00:16:15,199 --> 00:16:17,040
interesting for the audience because it

356
00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,800
really engages them suddenly it's like

357
00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:21,680
you know the those characters are

358
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:24,639
staring at you the audience and uh you

359
00:16:24,639 --> 00:16:26,639
know I think that has uh an interesting

360
00:16:26,639 --> 00:16:29,759
uh impact on on on scenes But It's

361
00:16:29,759 --> 00:16:31,440
Tricky for the actor because they're no

362
00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,720
longer talking to a person they're

363
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:35,360
they're talking to a camera and it's you

364
00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:37,480
know it's it's and very often they can

365
00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:41,600
even see themselves reflected in the mbx

366
00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,440
uh and the in the glass so you know that

367
00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:45,519
that

368
00:16:45,519 --> 00:16:48,920
requires experience that requires um

369
00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,079
confidence to be able to do that and not

370
00:16:51,079 --> 00:16:54,600
freeze up um and so that was something

371
00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:56,399
that was it was fun to experiment with

372
00:16:56,399 --> 00:16:58,880
today

373
00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:04,480
[Music]

374
00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,559
I wanted to to show

375
00:17:07,559 --> 00:17:11,880
people a little bit of of what a

376
00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,919
compromise looks like and so some you

377
00:17:15,919 --> 00:17:17,880
know when you're doing liveaction movie

378
00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,079
making uh you know unless you just have

379
00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:23,160
a cart blanch on your on your on your

380
00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:26,959
budget uh which is very very rare uh

381
00:17:26,959 --> 00:17:28,319
you're there are times when you have to

382
00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:31,000
throw out your plan and go to something

383
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,440
you know extremely efficient and that's

384
00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,559
a tough decision if you're really making

385
00:17:36,559 --> 00:17:38,080
the movie that way that's a moment where

386
00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:40,200
you want to turn to your your producing

387
00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,240
partners and and say look I can get this

388
00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,760
scene done this way um you know I I

389
00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,480
let's try it but if it if it if it

390
00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,400
really doesn't work I hope we can find a

391
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,559
way to come back and shoot it properly

392
00:17:53,559 --> 00:17:55,000
um and you know hopefully you have at

393
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:59,000
least that much uh comfort zone but

394
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,679
it I wanted to uh a you know after

395
00:18:01,679 --> 00:18:04,200
staging it more ambitiously I wanted to

396
00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:06,880
just show that show that um you know a

397
00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,120
scene can really work in a very simple

398
00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:12,880
way um and might not be quite everything

399
00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,799
you dreamed it would be but it can be

400
00:18:15,799 --> 00:18:19,080
effective and keep in mind always that

401
00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,919
you know the audience doesn't know what

402
00:18:21,919 --> 00:18:23,720
you were dreaming of when you were

403
00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,520
making your shot list they only know

404
00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,200
what you cut together and if that's

405
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,799
effective scene will be effective it it

406
00:18:30,799 --> 00:18:33,480
may not may not live up to your your

407
00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:35,080
your you know your wildest hopes and

408
00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,720
dreams but um you know it can be very

409
00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:39,280
effective and there are some simple

410
00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:43,400
tricks to moving very very quickly stage

411
00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,159
the actors in a place that's uh easy to

412
00:18:46,159 --> 00:18:50,039
light and um in a place that that uh

413
00:18:50,039 --> 00:18:53,200
naturally has some depth and so visually

414
00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:56,520
it will hold

415
00:18:57,500 --> 00:19:00,320
[Music]

416
00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,039
I really feel that that staging the

417
00:19:04,039 --> 00:19:06,960
actors um is is really one of the most

418
00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,159
important aspects of of uh of of the job

419
00:19:10,159 --> 00:19:13,400
of directing um it doesn't have to

420
00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:16,960
always be very complicated but if it

421
00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,880
works in ways that help strengthen the

422
00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:25,640
story um for example you know putting

423
00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,720
characters you know far apart from one

424
00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:29,240
another suggests

425
00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:34,720
one thing space distance um yearning um

426
00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:36,400
putting them together letting them move

427
00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,600
closer together well that can be

428
00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,880
something that's terrifying or it can be

429
00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:45,039
something that's that's sensual um and

430
00:19:45,039 --> 00:19:49,520
or emotional healing and so

431
00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:51,960
understanding the way characters relate

432
00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,640
to one another and the various ways in

433
00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:58,480
which you can then photograph them um is

434
00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,840
uh is so Elemental it's important to to

435
00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:04,039
to work on it however the staging

436
00:20:04,039 --> 00:20:05,600
doesn't have to always be

437
00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,120
complicated uh and and there have been

438
00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:10,159
projects that I've worked on where I

439
00:20:10,159 --> 00:20:13,840
rehearsed for two weeks and only staged

440
00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:16,360
two or three scenes because those are

441
00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:18,880
the only ones that were complicated and

442
00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:20,960
threatened to take an inordinate amount

443
00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:23,080
of time on the set with the crew

444
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:25,120
standing around the everything else was

445
00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:26,840
so simple I actually didn't want the

446
00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,280
actors to go so far as to knowing

447
00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:30,919
exactly what the staging was going to be

448
00:20:30,919 --> 00:20:32,280
I wanted to kind of find it in the

449
00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,440
moment and then shoot it you um as a

450
00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,760
director begin to come to terms with

451
00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:41,840
your your own preferences in terms of

452
00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:45,240
the way you discover what the staging uh

453
00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,520
will be uh but uh you know I think that

454
00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,559
between looking at images doing some

455
00:20:52,559 --> 00:20:55,200
storyboarding doing some shot listing

456
00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,360
going through your rehearsal process

457
00:20:57,360 --> 00:20:59,840
it's really important to not just take

458
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:01,440
it for granted and assume it's going to

459
00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:06,520
fall um into place by the same

460
00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,400
token uh George Lucas who's always a

461
00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:11,679
mentor to me I acted for him in American

462
00:21:11,679 --> 00:21:13,960
Graffiti and then um and then he

463
00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,919
produced uh Willow uh which I directed

464
00:21:17,919 --> 00:21:19,880
and we've remained friends uh over the

465
00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:23,120
years and he loves movies loves Cinema

466
00:21:23,120 --> 00:21:27,400
but he said something once to me that um

467
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,600
you know that I've always St with and I

468
00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,279
always tell my actor friends whenever

469
00:21:32,279 --> 00:21:34,000
they're getting ready to direct and if

470
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,440
they're anxious about U camera work and

471
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,320
and those kinds of things I I I quote

472
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:45,320
George Lucas he said no no well-written

473
00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,880
scene has ever gone bad because the

474
00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,039
director staged it and shot it with a

475
00:21:51,039 --> 00:21:55,000
wide shot a medium and two close-ups if

476
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,240
the scene's well written you can just

477
00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,120
always fall back on that form

478
00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:00,679
and you'll have the material you'll need

479
00:22:00,679 --> 00:22:02,960
to go to the editing room now if you

480
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,400
have an idea a visual notion um you know

481
00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,240
that that is more sophisticated than

482
00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,240
that that involves camera moves so be it

483
00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,919
but you're not going to ruin the scene

484
00:22:13,919 --> 00:22:16,360
because you shot it in a very simple way

485
00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:18,440
if the scene is good and the actors are

486
00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:20,600
well cast so I think that's I think

487
00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,880
that's great advice