1. Take time to get good lighting, but psuh the crew to stay on schedule.
2. Trust my instincts. Spielberg has taught me well.
3. If people flake out everytime I try to use them in a movie, it's probably time to give up on them.
4. Listen to ideas from the crew. Most of them are good and worth using.
5. Watching Johnny run at top speed until he slams into the back of a truck is damn funny.
6. A little courtesy and diplomacy goes a long way.
7. Take time to make sure everyone is clear on simple procedures.
8. Costco Pizza is better than you would think.
9. Sometimes "line reading" is a good technique for child actors.
10. When Rosalie Bertand is being obnoxious and saying 'that doesn't make sense", it usually pushes me to come up with something much better.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Meaning
About a week ago i suddenly realized that the story of "Dreamworld" is actually more personal than I realized. Arthur is me, at a time in my life when I was depressed, scared, unhappy, and thought little of myself. Like Arthur, I lacked the confidence and initiative to make myself happy.
Then I came across a group of people who believed in me. Their belief that I was worth something made me believe I was. But, also like Arthur, eventually I realized I couldn't make it just on that. I couldn't live in that moment forever. I had to take the lessons from that experience and apply them to moving and be being a happier, better me. I did, and, if i hadn't there would be no "Dreamworld."
Then I came across a group of people who believed in me. Their belief that I was worth something made me believe I was. But, also like Arthur, eventually I realized I couldn't make it just on that. I couldn't live in that moment forever. I had to take the lessons from that experience and apply them to moving and be being a happier, better me. I did, and, if i hadn't there would be no "Dreamworld."
Friday, July 4, 2008
Day 2
Yestreday marked another very sucessful shooting day. About 20 shots this time instead of 30, and the quality of shots and acting is high. There is a particular shot I'm crazy about. It's very Spielbergian. It's a segment that my instincts told me I shoot all in one long take, but I was sure I was going to get pressure to shoot more coverage. We got halfway through shooting the second set-up and my trusted cinematographer, Tauna Price, said "We should go back and do this all in one shot." Sometimes I should just trust my instincts.
Members of the crew have started doing an impersonation of me, which basically consists of constantly checking their wristwatches. I'm very concerned about staying on schedule. Channing Lowe, instructor and Executive Producer, really impressed the importance of this one me, and he was right. When I last directed a group project, "Sure Thing", the scheduling got away from me a bit, partly because I was afraid to tell the lighting crew to hurry up, and partyl because Justin Bruse and Chelsey Richardson (excellent as they were ), didn't really know their lines. Also, Jim "Smooth" Stephen was there, which makes everything harder. This time, I'm boung and determined to never lose control. Again, I'm using Spielberg as my model here. I wonder if I may be a bit overbearing with the crew, but I think the results are baring me out.
Porter Bagley is quite a gifted young actor. He had some difficulty getting the right emotion out what I call the "Braveheart" speech, where he rallies the Knights to action. Brandie tried some improv with him. Brandie is terrific with directing kids, but it wasn't working this time. So Patrick jumped in with another Spielberg technique, one the master used with Christian Bale on "Empire of the Sun": Patrick simply acted the scene and had Porter imitate it. We'd never try to do this with an experienced, adult actor, but with a kid, it can work wonders. Patrick is THE "Gladiator", "Braveheart", "300", guy. He has an incredible affinity and feel for that type of movie, and his stage performances as Edgar in "King Lear" and MacDuff in "Macbeth" have had that sort of oratory one of his strengths as an actor. He was actually a bit concerned about his ability to drop it for Gawain (which has not been a problem), but it was great to see it put to good use here.
One extreme challenge in directing is keeping focused when you have on the set a member of the opposite sex with who you are in any way infatuted. Yesterday, Brittany Dean, a gorgeous and talented actress I worked with in the play, "Lend Me a Tenor", was in the scene. i haven't got a chance in hell with Brittany, but the fact is my heart beats a little faster whenever she's in the room. I was glad to use her in the production, and she seemed to have a great time.
One sad not yesterday was that my television colleague Ruth Bryce, a terrific girl who has been very magnanimous in cooperating with us in the use of a studio to which she has more claim than I, was dealing with the death of a family member. It cast shadow on the whole day, and I will be thinking a lot about Ruth. She's a terrific person.
Perhaps the most memorbale line from yesterday's shoot was not in the film. When it was suggested that the virginal Galahad (played by Robbie Bagley in what I see as star making performance) not wear his glasses in a scene that takes place after his first experience with a girl, on the assumption that"he's a man now", co-D.P. Jonnhy O stated "Yeah, sex cures all vision problems." Personally, I don't think Galahad had sex, just made out a little. But it was quite funny.
So, the film remains on schedule, with high qulaity work done so far. We have left the big comic book store set, with the comforts and controlled environment of a studio, and now embark on the challenge of location shooting. Hold me.
Members of the crew have started doing an impersonation of me, which basically consists of constantly checking their wristwatches. I'm very concerned about staying on schedule. Channing Lowe, instructor and Executive Producer, really impressed the importance of this one me, and he was right. When I last directed a group project, "Sure Thing", the scheduling got away from me a bit, partly because I was afraid to tell the lighting crew to hurry up, and partyl because Justin Bruse and Chelsey Richardson (excellent as they were ), didn't really know their lines. Also, Jim "Smooth" Stephen was there, which makes everything harder. This time, I'm boung and determined to never lose control. Again, I'm using Spielberg as my model here. I wonder if I may be a bit overbearing with the crew, but I think the results are baring me out.
Porter Bagley is quite a gifted young actor. He had some difficulty getting the right emotion out what I call the "Braveheart" speech, where he rallies the Knights to action. Brandie tried some improv with him. Brandie is terrific with directing kids, but it wasn't working this time. So Patrick jumped in with another Spielberg technique, one the master used with Christian Bale on "Empire of the Sun": Patrick simply acted the scene and had Porter imitate it. We'd never try to do this with an experienced, adult actor, but with a kid, it can work wonders. Patrick is THE "Gladiator", "Braveheart", "300", guy. He has an incredible affinity and feel for that type of movie, and his stage performances as Edgar in "King Lear" and MacDuff in "Macbeth" have had that sort of oratory one of his strengths as an actor. He was actually a bit concerned about his ability to drop it for Gawain (which has not been a problem), but it was great to see it put to good use here.
One extreme challenge in directing is keeping focused when you have on the set a member of the opposite sex with who you are in any way infatuted. Yesterday, Brittany Dean, a gorgeous and talented actress I worked with in the play, "Lend Me a Tenor", was in the scene. i haven't got a chance in hell with Brittany, but the fact is my heart beats a little faster whenever she's in the room. I was glad to use her in the production, and she seemed to have a great time.
One sad not yesterday was that my television colleague Ruth Bryce, a terrific girl who has been very magnanimous in cooperating with us in the use of a studio to which she has more claim than I, was dealing with the death of a family member. It cast shadow on the whole day, and I will be thinking a lot about Ruth. She's a terrific person.
Perhaps the most memorbale line from yesterday's shoot was not in the film. When it was suggested that the virginal Galahad (played by Robbie Bagley in what I see as star making performance) not wear his glasses in a scene that takes place after his first experience with a girl, on the assumption that"he's a man now", co-D.P. Jonnhy O stated "Yeah, sex cures all vision problems." Personally, I don't think Galahad had sex, just made out a little. But it was quite funny.
So, the film remains on schedule, with high qulaity work done so far. We have left the big comic book store set, with the comforts and controlled environment of a studio, and now embark on the challenge of location shooting. Hold me.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Shooting Begins
Day one of principal photography of "Dreamworld" was one of my most exciting days. It's a very different process directing a film with a full crew (okay, a small crew, but big enough and talented enough to make all the difference) and top quality equipment.
I'm nuts about the anamorphic HD camera, and I can't express how much I love the small, handheld monitor we're using. It allows camera operator Andy Baker to move around as much as he needs to, but allows me, as director, to keep full visual control. The storyboards Patrick and I drew were also incredibly useful. Mounting them on a wall in the studio, I was able to view them every so often when I needed to clear my head and keep the flow of the scene in my head.
The scene we chose to begin shooting the film was the scene where we first meet Merlin and the Knights in the Comic Book store. It's a dialogue heavy, character-driven scene, and that's where I like to start: a place that give the actors a solid base to jump off og in developing the characters. Shooting out of sequence in a film can cost you the continuity of performance you get in play. I try to minimize that.
There was no doubt after the first day that the actors had been cast correctly. Patrick did some of the best work I've ever seen him do. The pressure of producing and acting at the same time has, at times, made it difficult for him to be as prepared and memorized as wants to be. This time, he was pitch-perfect, trusting his instincts and acting very natural. It was easy to see where his film trating with Frank Gerrish and Reb Fleming has paid off. I'm almost tempted to do it myself.
Brandyn Cross is nailing the role of Merlin. The role was orignally envisioned as being played by Jack Black, but, well, that's beyond our budget. Brandie, who has been instrumental in developing the script, gives exactly what the character needs.
The kids are amazingly bright and talented. Chase McKnight, as Lance, throws himself into the role of the cocky jackass with such ease you'd never suspect what a nice kid he is. Porter Bagley, as Arthur, has a natural, innocent charm which gives the film it's heart. He's also very bright and inquisitive. He and fellow child actor Coby Rose kept offering suggestions, which I admit sometimes got on my nerves, but showed remarkable understanding of film. Porter's observation's about lighting leave me suspecting he may very well end up as a fillmmaker.
One of the few moments where the acting wasn't working lead to a memory that will likely make me smile for years to come: Brandie and I had been experimenting with Merlin doing a John huston type, booming voice when telling the story of Arthur. It wasn't working, and I think it was just a faulty idea, not any fauly of Brandie's. But during one shot, 2nd A.D. Fernanda alves (who I'm starting to think of us as Pink Wombat's Kathleen Kennedy: everyone on the Pink Wombat team is compared to someone on Spielberg's team) quietly typed the words "Brandie is not eblievable" on her Blackberry and discreetly showed them to me. She was right, and it was easily corrected.
Three of the biggest influences on the I direct are Spielberg (of course), John Ford, and Ron Howard. Ford had a tendency to shoot his films in a style that left little option to studios to re-edit them. Spielberg and Howard have both expressed a preference for "money shots over MTV coverage." I have to know in my head how it's going to cut together. I will not rely on coverage to save my bacon in post -production. I don't trust it. This sometimes leads people to think I'm not shooting enough coverage, which I admit is occasionally true. I shot some extra close-ups at the urging of Brandie and Line Producer Brandon Arnold, and I'm sure I'll use some of them.
But, a point was reached where we were falling behind schedule, and I had to move us forward. We had 30 shots to accomplish in one day, and got off to a late start. There were times when I chose to keep moving after one sucessfull take. This is usually frowned on, but it saved us this day. We got 30 GOOD shots in one day, and I've never felt more like a real film director than I did on that day. I hope the rest goes as smoothly.
I'm nuts about the anamorphic HD camera, and I can't express how much I love the small, handheld monitor we're using. It allows camera operator Andy Baker to move around as much as he needs to, but allows me, as director, to keep full visual control. The storyboards Patrick and I drew were also incredibly useful. Mounting them on a wall in the studio, I was able to view them every so often when I needed to clear my head and keep the flow of the scene in my head.
The scene we chose to begin shooting the film was the scene where we first meet Merlin and the Knights in the Comic Book store. It's a dialogue heavy, character-driven scene, and that's where I like to start: a place that give the actors a solid base to jump off og in developing the characters. Shooting out of sequence in a film can cost you the continuity of performance you get in play. I try to minimize that.
There was no doubt after the first day that the actors had been cast correctly. Patrick did some of the best work I've ever seen him do. The pressure of producing and acting at the same time has, at times, made it difficult for him to be as prepared and memorized as wants to be. This time, he was pitch-perfect, trusting his instincts and acting very natural. It was easy to see where his film trating with Frank Gerrish and Reb Fleming has paid off. I'm almost tempted to do it myself.
Brandyn Cross is nailing the role of Merlin. The role was orignally envisioned as being played by Jack Black, but, well, that's beyond our budget. Brandie, who has been instrumental in developing the script, gives exactly what the character needs.
The kids are amazingly bright and talented. Chase McKnight, as Lance, throws himself into the role of the cocky jackass with such ease you'd never suspect what a nice kid he is. Porter Bagley, as Arthur, has a natural, innocent charm which gives the film it's heart. He's also very bright and inquisitive. He and fellow child actor Coby Rose kept offering suggestions, which I admit sometimes got on my nerves, but showed remarkable understanding of film. Porter's observation's about lighting leave me suspecting he may very well end up as a fillmmaker.
One of the few moments where the acting wasn't working lead to a memory that will likely make me smile for years to come: Brandie and I had been experimenting with Merlin doing a John huston type, booming voice when telling the story of Arthur. It wasn't working, and I think it was just a faulty idea, not any fauly of Brandie's. But during one shot, 2nd A.D. Fernanda alves (who I'm starting to think of us as Pink Wombat's Kathleen Kennedy: everyone on the Pink Wombat team is compared to someone on Spielberg's team) quietly typed the words "Brandie is not eblievable" on her Blackberry and discreetly showed them to me. She was right, and it was easily corrected.
Three of the biggest influences on the I direct are Spielberg (of course), John Ford, and Ron Howard. Ford had a tendency to shoot his films in a style that left little option to studios to re-edit them. Spielberg and Howard have both expressed a preference for "money shots over MTV coverage." I have to know in my head how it's going to cut together. I will not rely on coverage to save my bacon in post -production. I don't trust it. This sometimes leads people to think I'm not shooting enough coverage, which I admit is occasionally true. I shot some extra close-ups at the urging of Brandie and Line Producer Brandon Arnold, and I'm sure I'll use some of them.
But, a point was reached where we were falling behind schedule, and I had to move us forward. We had 30 shots to accomplish in one day, and got off to a late start. There were times when I chose to keep moving after one sucessfull take. This is usually frowned on, but it saved us this day. We got 30 GOOD shots in one day, and I've never felt more like a real film director than I did on that day. I hope the rest goes as smoothly.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Table Read
I sincerely hope the sprained ankle I sustained yesterday is not a severe problem in the making of this film. It sertainly hurts like hell and makes it difficult to walk. This happened under extremely strenous circumstances: I stepped off the front porch on my way to the mailbox.
Laste night we had the first table read with the actors. A few important cast members, like Brandyn "Merlin" Cross and Kayla "Jenny" Dudley, were absent, but overall I was quite happy with the result. In particular, I was thrilled with the performance of Chase McKnight, who will be playing Lance. Lance is not an easy character to pull off, and Chase hit it out of the park, giving what may be the best performance I've ever seen at a first read-through. And remember, this kid is, like, 13.
All in all, a great begining for the rehearsal process.
Laste night we had the first table read with the actors. A few important cast members, like Brandyn "Merlin" Cross and Kayla "Jenny" Dudley, were absent, but overall I was quite happy with the result. In particular, I was thrilled with the performance of Chase McKnight, who will be playing Lance. Lance is not an easy character to pull off, and Chase hit it out of the park, giving what may be the best performance I've ever seen at a first read-through. And remember, this kid is, like, 13.
All in all, a great begining for the rehearsal process.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Casting Change
It's not abnormal to have to make a change in casting early in a production. Liz Ashby, the talented girl we cast as Jenny, was forced to bow out for personal reasons, namely, her parents were uncomfortable with Liz playing a pseudo-romantic role at such a youg age.
The love story between Arthur and Jenny is, in my view, a completely inoccuous puppy-love romace. it's not like we have these kids going at it in the back seat of a car. I'm actually very sensitive to the problem of Hollywood sexualizing young people at an early age, but . . . what we're doing here is cute and harmless. And the story would lack the necessary dramatic heft without it.
So, the role of Jenny now goes to Kayla Dudley, who I think will do a marvelous job. This may, in fact, be serendiptious. Kayla has a lovable glow, charisma and humor about her that I think will give Jenny and added spark.
Life finds a way.
The love story between Arthur and Jenny is, in my view, a completely inoccuous puppy-love romace. it's not like we have these kids going at it in the back seat of a car. I'm actually very sensitive to the problem of Hollywood sexualizing young people at an early age, but . . . what we're doing here is cute and harmless. And the story would lack the necessary dramatic heft without it.
So, the role of Jenny now goes to Kayla Dudley, who I think will do a marvelous job. This may, in fact, be serendiptious. Kayla has a lovable glow, charisma and humor about her that I think will give Jenny and added spark.
Life finds a way.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Casting
The audition process is long, grueling, and stressful. And that's from the director's perspective. There are those who will tell you it's harder to be the one making the decisions than it is to be an actor auditioning. Those are the same people who tell you it's hrader to dump someone than to dumped. There is little more terrifying than having your destiny completely in someones else's hands, so I have to say, my experience directing auditions is better than acting in them. At the end of the day, as the director, it doesn't matter if I'm short.
But there is a great deal of pressure to casting. You're trying to remember a vast array of people who only have a short time to make an impression. If you're not a shallow jerk, you try not make decisions based solely on looks. Divorcing personal feelings auditioners from your professional assesment can be nearly impossible. And there's always at least one Sanjaya in there who comes close to bringing out your inner Simon Cowell.
The auditions for "Dreamworld" were the largest over which I have ever presided, surpassing the previous high I experienced for the 2002 stage production "MorMan." We must have had something like 70 people read. I lost count rather early on. The most difficult task proved to be in finding kids who equaled each other's talent level AND fit together in age range. Our "kids" ranged from looking like infants to looking 18-year old models who belonged on the covers of fashion magazines.
About halfway through the day, we discovered a young boy, Porter Bagley, who nailed the lead role of Arthur. He had the olvable innocence and pluck of a Spielberg kid. He also happened to be a few years younger and inches smaller than what we had in mind. But there was no question, he was out Arthur. Much of the rest of the day was devoted to casting the other child roles around him. I'm excited to direct this kid. His potential is exhilirating.
Many of the other roles went Pink Wombat veterans. Give me a choice between Rosalie Bertrand and and top Hollywood talent, and I'm going to pick Rosie. She is an amazing actress who can take the most impossible direction from me and instantly convert it to genius. While others read well, no one else could truly compete with her for the role of Tristan. And Patrick, my twin brother, my proiducer and partner, the Ethan Coen to my Joel, was not necessarily supposed to end up on camera this time, but, as the reader every auditioner played off of, all day he gave the best performances. It made no sense not cast the best actor we saw yesterday.
Brandyn Cross, also a member of the production team, embodied the role of Merlin in a way no other auditioner could match. Thsi role was, in essence, written for Jack Black, and Brandie has the right mix of goofy charm and quirky depth to pull off the "crazy" wizard.
So, after a long, grueling day (highlighter perhaps, by the terrific cheeseburger I had for lunch at a small Blakan restaraunt. How terribly "ugly American of me" to always order the cheeseburge at ethinc restaraunts), the casting process is nearly complete, and we prepare to plunge into our short rehearsal period.
But there is a great deal of pressure to casting. You're trying to remember a vast array of people who only have a short time to make an impression. If you're not a shallow jerk, you try not make decisions based solely on looks. Divorcing personal feelings auditioners from your professional assesment can be nearly impossible. And there's always at least one Sanjaya in there who comes close to bringing out your inner Simon Cowell.
The auditions for "Dreamworld" were the largest over which I have ever presided, surpassing the previous high I experienced for the 2002 stage production "MorMan." We must have had something like 70 people read. I lost count rather early on. The most difficult task proved to be in finding kids who equaled each other's talent level AND fit together in age range. Our "kids" ranged from looking like infants to looking 18-year old models who belonged on the covers of fashion magazines.
About halfway through the day, we discovered a young boy, Porter Bagley, who nailed the lead role of Arthur. He had the olvable innocence and pluck of a Spielberg kid. He also happened to be a few years younger and inches smaller than what we had in mind. But there was no question, he was out Arthur. Much of the rest of the day was devoted to casting the other child roles around him. I'm excited to direct this kid. His potential is exhilirating.
Many of the other roles went Pink Wombat veterans. Give me a choice between Rosalie Bertrand and and top Hollywood talent, and I'm going to pick Rosie. She is an amazing actress who can take the most impossible direction from me and instantly convert it to genius. While others read well, no one else could truly compete with her for the role of Tristan. And Patrick, my twin brother, my proiducer and partner, the Ethan Coen to my Joel, was not necessarily supposed to end up on camera this time, but, as the reader every auditioner played off of, all day he gave the best performances. It made no sense not cast the best actor we saw yesterday.
Brandyn Cross, also a member of the production team, embodied the role of Merlin in a way no other auditioner could match. Thsi role was, in essence, written for Jack Black, and Brandie has the right mix of goofy charm and quirky depth to pull off the "crazy" wizard.
So, after a long, grueling day (highlighter perhaps, by the terrific cheeseburger I had for lunch at a small Blakan restaraunt. How terribly "ugly American of me" to always order the cheeseburge at ethinc restaraunts), the casting process is nearly complete, and we prepare to plunge into our short rehearsal period.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
