when people talk about "hollywood" - this is what it actually means. world class craftspeople who bring decades worth of experience and talent to a singular set of images, sets, performances, and stories. most people never get to work with people at this caliber.
a legendary gaffer carried a clothespin in his pocket and when he got stupid lighting notes, would "put up another light", then sit at the monitor w/ the note giver and snap the pin at his side saying "on, off. on, off. which one?" they'd answer, he'd smile and say "good choice"
Watching THE BRUTALIST feels like unearthing something we all believed was lost forever, and when it’s finally in front of you, it’s almost impossible to believe it exists.
Throughout the entire film, I kept thinking, ‘I thought we forgot how to do this…’
man, when did we get so fucking mean?
we've been dumb for more than a minute, but this absolute scorched earth meanness feels like it'll be impossible to come back from without some catastrophic life education.
i'm really sad for our country.
went to a Dune 2 screening today, and the moderator asked Denis what he's most proud of about the film. Denis demured and said, "The hard thing about directing anything is that you (mostly) see the flaws. I say the same thing after each one - 'Next time, I'll do better...'"
had a huge director tell me "be careful about your first feature, it'll hang around your neck like a scarlet letter" and that single conversation kept me out of the arena for 7 years. don't be like me. just make the thing.
Directed a commercial with Noah Lyles back in the lead up to Tokyo. We got 30 minutes total time. Since he was in active training, he could only come out of the blocks 3 times because the explosiveness of the exit carried a very real potential of injury.
Ok great, how to cover…
i kept a copy of Anne Bogart's "A Director Prepares" on me for every day of prep and production. It was such a source of comfort, instruction, affirmation.... (con't)
The thing that changed for me this year after having actually made a movie........I will never shit on a movie in public again. It's a damn miracle if it even remotely comes together - if it's even a fraction of what the filmmaker imagined/intended. A damn miracle.
nice work.
Filmmakers: what’s a film that changed your perspective on what a film could be?
(broke a rule, opened your eyes, expanded your imagination - answer how you want)
Not an accident. I've seen the decks. Just directed a campaign in which the "BTS" was main unit work set up to look like we were just "capturing" a moment. This is as structured, planned, and AD'd as the shoot itself. Tom/Matt/Ben aren't on set a second longer than needed.
Okay, this might be the smartest behind-the-scenes content I’ve ever seen.
Dunkin set up a tire target for Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady to throw at during the commercial shoot, all while they’re wearing Dunkin jumpsuits.
Easy, smart, fun for the actors, viral.
Honestly, I teared up. He was much more eloquent than the characters will allow, but that feeling that you'll see good/bad/ugly that, in accumulation, will culminate in "I know what I'll do better next time" is such a comfort. That's exactly how I feel at this moment re: STAGES.
He came back and said that he would only do one more. I made the call - have a handheld op up top, sprinting alongside so that we could cut between.
Wild.
Anyways, the spot. Natalie Kingston, my DP, and Andrew Brinkhaus, the e-cart op absolutely nailed it.
