Movie making: One Decision at a Time

Directing is basically about making decisions.  My big decision this week is hiring a casting director.  And I’m in the very fortunate position of having four really great options.  But I still need to decide and it got me thinking about the importance of each and every decision in the filmmaking process.

In this case, I’m making another short.  It’s a very simple film, one day shoot and all about the performance.  When I’m talking to the various people I’ve been considering, there are many questions I try to find the answers to.

Does this person have the right experience?  The contacts?  The taste?  Do they understand my project and do they have a personal connection to it?  Do they get the characters?  Will we get along?  This is a no budget passion project - will they be able to go the distance?  Or do I get a sense they will lose patience and give up?  Will they be able to contribute creatively and help strengthen my project, rather than just do exactly what I say?  Also, I see this as a long term relationship for future projects, do I feel like this is someone I could work with for a long time to come?

No one person is going to score ten out of ten, but each combination offers a different working relationship and, ultimately, a different effect on the finished film so it’s very important to me to discover as much as I can before making this decision.

Since this film is so entirely about the performances this particular hire, aside from the actual actors themselves, is going to be the most important one of the production.  As I make this decision, my goal is the same as in every decision - to keep the picture of my movie clearly in mind and chose based on what is most likely going to get me closest to that image.  After that I’ll commit fully to that person and work hard with them to make it happen.

I think this is why when sculptors talk about their work they speak of revealing the sculpture inside rather than creating it.  They have a clear vision and each stroke is a decision, an opportunity for how best to coax the imagine that’s waiting patiently in their mind from within the block of clay in front of them.  The same is true of directing.  The finished film already exists.  My job is to make sure every small decision I make contributes to exposing it.