WHAT’S THE FIRST SHOT?
February 24, 2009
EXT - DAY - NYC STREET
One of my first great jobs in NY was as an apprentice
editor. I was hired to “schlep” dailies from the lab to
the office, then off for coding, then back for syncing,
then out for telecine and off to sixth avenue and 2 drops
for the network pouches (ABC and CBS) to the west coast.
In the morning I’d pick up the transferred mag stripe from
the transfer house for syncing, but I digress.
I was fortunate to overhear a fascinating conversation one
day between the assistant editor I worked for and her
mentor, the picture editor on the film.
GUARDIAN ANGEL?
He had edited this incredibly complex sequence. It was a
wonderfully choreographed confrontation between a gang of
subway thugs and a fictional version of the Guardian
Angels, a group of kids from the Bronx led by Curtis Sliwa
, who put on red berets and did their best to combat crime
in their neighborhood. (Mostly the Bronx, but I saw them
in Manhattan occasionally.)
Anyhow. The editor had created this incredible sequence. A
gang of do-gooders meets a gang of bad guys in the
labyrinth of tunnels known as the New York City subway
system.
(This scene was later recreated in Michael Jackson’s “Beat
it” video. Minus the choreographed dancing.)
WHAT’S THE SECRET?
So. The assistant said to the editor. “This scene is so
amazing. It’s got shape, and drama and it builds
incredibly and keeps the suspense up and the ends
incredibly.” She obviously noticed something spectacular
working in how the scene achieved it’s magic, from an
editorial point of view.
Finally she asked him, “How did you plan that sequence so
that it would build so well and have so much structure and
flow?”
He was silent for a minute taking it all in, thinking
about how to answer her question. He was appreciative of
her feedback and compliment, and truly wanting to answer
her question in meaningful way.
WELL, UMM . . .
Finally, as if exasperated with himself for not having
anything more profound to say, he said “Well, I don’t know
that I planned any of that stuff you’re seeing.
I just looked at all the footage and asked myself ‘What’s
the first shot? What’s my entrance into the scene from all
the footage I have?’ And once I have that one shot placed
in the sequence, I ask myself ‘What’s the next shot’ and
so on from there.”
Even I, just back from my third trip to the lab for the
day, knew there WAS something profound about this
exchange.
GOT STRUCTURE?
He did have a wonderful innate sense of structure and
pacing and storytelling, but it wasn’t where he started.
He started with the first shot and built from there. Saw
what was being created and responded to the needs of the
scene one shot at a time. After stringing together a few
shots a rhythm was created. A vibe was felt. Forward
motion was created.
LISTEN TO THE FOOTAGE
Another editor I worked for said as we sat down before
huge mess of dailies. “The footage tells us how to tell
the story. Once shooting is over we have to tell the story
the footage wants us to tell, not necessarily the one the
director thinks he shot, or the writer might have
visualized would create the final scene.”
It was a creation in progress, being laid out one shot at
a time, its’ total gestalt being drawn in front of his
eyes.
One tiny decision at a time. One shot at a time.
Structure and pacing yes. But decisions made one shot at a
time.
ACTION
And so it is with our careers which are visioned and
dreamed and planned all our lives but implemented one step
at a time.
One shot. One phone call. One meeting. One sentence at a
time.
I CHALLENGE YOU, HOLLYWOOD FILM-MAKERS!
February 16, 2009
To motivate and get you thinking and shifting your paradigms I have two challenges for you.
1) What creative project will you complete this year (as in, before Dec 31st, 2009) whether you get paid or not?
It might be shooting a short, finishing a script, editing something in progress. it’s got to be something fairly big and pretty important. ideally it will show you at your best and most creative and bring forth more of what your unique gift is to the world (you know you have one)
2) What shift in attitude will you take towards paid work this year, that you probably wouldn’t have considered last year at this time, but that might be essential right now?
Maybe it’s time to get a day job, maybe it’s shooting when you’d rather be directing. maybe it’s teaching when you’d rather be shooting. Maybe it’s working at Whole Foods when you’re rather be writing. (Or maybe working at Whole Foods will help you to write.)
If you’re willing, post your projects, ideas or inspirations in the comments section below. And if you need help or collaborators why not post it there too?
Stimulate yourself and our industry by doing some creative thinking, some networking, some collaborating and the sacred art of making a living by any means necessary.
But don’t let the fear win.
See you next week.
-db
HOLLYWOOD CAREER SELF-STIMULUS PACKAGE
February 10, 2009
Hi there and welcome to my new blog.
I’m David Brownstein (not the literary agent) and I’m a career coach for Hollywood professionals and companies. I help writers, producers, actors, editors and everyone else enjoy incredible, creative careers in the entertainment business. Yes, I like my job.
I’ve been blogging for a few years in relative obscurity and now am thrilled to be part of a thriving, growing community of peers, colleagues and Hollywood professionals. It’s great to be here!
You can see my past years of postings and writing at:
http://hollywoodcoaching.typepad.com/
. . . but I’ll be posting here at FIB exclusively now. So thanks for reading me and I look forward to interacting with you all here.
In the coming weeks I’ll gradually cover some of the basics and essentials of my practice as a Hollywood career coach but for now check my website for my basic info and a video clip or two.
The Best of Times and The Worst of Times
It’s obviously quite a strange time for all working people around the globe, including Hollywood and we can all benefit from an interesting blend of keeping focused, listening to our intuitions and both watching and ignoring the ups and downs of the markets, mergers, acquisitions and rumors.
But, as our President reminds us, these are unique times and we’re all asking ourselves different questions today than we were a few months ago, or a year ago.
So, here’s my famous fear equation:
Fear = Excitement Minus Action.
This applies on a macro level and micro level: to the industry in general as SAG struggles with itself and the AMPTP, and as we struggle with ourselves: how will I get my next entertainment industry job or pay my bills until I get my next gig?
With all the talk about FDR I’ve only recently learned that he made his famous declaration about fear around the time of the great depression.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
How does this apply to modern day Hollywood as we find who’s been laid off next and wonder when things will move forward?
In a week where economists on TV are saying that in a bad economy we should practically pay people to dig holes and fill them up again, maybe it’s not a bad idea for SAG to make a deal and get back to work.
Here are some general principle to apply to your life and career right now.
1) Stop worrying. Start working.
Start making something. Go play in traffic. Put a camera on your credit card and empower yourself and learn to cut on your computer. Did you get into the business to tell stories or to sit around complaining about how tough it is?
Get some friends together, or find some on craigslist or mandy.com and starting making something. Don’t know anybody? Go find some friends.
Just shoot it. Cut it or ask a friend to cut it. And if it’s any good, post it somewhere. Every freebie I’ve ever done has paid off in some great way eventually.
2) Get a job. Make some money. Be willing to work for less than before.
We’re all going to be working for less than we were asking before.
Hollywood has always been an industry of charging whatever the market will allow. The high-end rates have always been absurd, but hey, it’s nice work if you can get it. If someone’s willing to pay you millions of dollars for several months work you have my blessing. It’s just that now may not be the time to hold out for your last quote.
Some people will get out of the business forever. Some will stick around and reinvent themselves while Hollywood reinvents itself.
Which one will be you?
I look forward to interacting with you here via the comments below.
And if you’re inspired, or want to be, go to my website and download a complimentary copy of my book “The Cosmic Mission of Hollywood” at:
http://www.hollywoodcoaching.com
Talk to you soon.
-db
THE HOLLYWOOD CAREER COACH
February 9, 2009
DAVID BROWNSTEIN provides career coaching and leadership development for professionals in the entertainment industry, production companies and Hollywood Studios.
Named one of the “Top 100 Thought Leaders” by Leadership Excellence magazine, David is also an author, certified life coach, workshop leader and business consultant.
He has coached executives, producers, directors, writers, actors, editors. DP’s and AD’s at ABC, NBC, CBS, Sony, Fox, Touchstone TV, Warner Brothers TV, Walt Disney, HBO, E!, Bravo, MTV, ICM, William Morris and BBC-TV.
