Well, it finally happened. I directed a movie. I am a director. Me!
It was everything and nothing that I expected. I can’t even put into words the experience and the profound effect it had on me as a filmmaker and as a person. I learned so much:
Memorize everybody’s names on-set and spend time with your crew.
If you take the time to establish relationships with the crew, the tone of the set will brighten! These guys work constantly and most of the time they aren’t seen as more than their respective roles. Sit down, have a beer, ask where s/he is from. They’ll respect you for the effort and are more willing to go the extra mile for you. I cannot stress enough how your film is literally nothing without these folks so make sure they know how appreciative you are!
Always say please and thank you.
This should be a no-brainer!
Fight for what you want, but be willing to compromise and hear other ideas.
As a director, it’s your job to translate the script. But you must remember that filmmaking is a collaboration. Nobody is going to have the same exact perspective as you and that’s a great thing! Sometimes my DP came up with phenomenal ideas that added to the film and sometimes he didn’t. The point is, we both had the best intentions and because we listened to each other our movie came out stronger.
Food is the most important thing ever.
The cast and crew will work harder knowing they have a delicious meal to look forward to. Make sure you always provide coffee, jerky, fruit, and other high energy snacks to keep them going in-between meals! And always have more food than you think you’ll need! The crew eats like locusts! Also BEER (for off-hours!)
You will be very, very, very, emotionally and mentally tired.
By the final day, I was so exhausted that I was unable to sit still or make a coherent sentence off-set. I also nearly lost my mind when the people I was sharing a room with were too scared to sleep and kept me up until dawn. Which brings me to…
It’s your movie so you should make the sacrifices.
I did not have a bite to eat until my cast and crew were fed. I paid everyone else first. I stayed up all-night keeping my actresses company when they were frightened. This is your film, your passion, and your reputation on the line. You can’t ask someone else to make those sacrifices when you have the most invested in it.
Keep your cast and crew motivated
There was never a take where I didn’t have a note for an actor. If I noticed their energy waning, I would tell them to take their performance in the complete opposite direction, catching them off-guard and regaining their attention. If I loved something they did, I sang it to them! If I disliked something, rather than critiquing that specific choice, I would discuss their motivation and we would come up with alternative tactics. My crew got many high-fives and I practically shouted my awe of their talents.
To be continued…