Recently I watched Aguirre: Wrath of God and I was intrigued by the man who made it. I decided to look into him to see if he had anything interesting to say. Here is some of the stuff I found:
Watch Films
-You should watch at least three films a day. You can't expect to be a filmmaker unless you've truly immersed yourself in film.
- Rewatch films time and time again in order to work out their flow.
- Recommends watching foreign films without subtitles. Will give you a fundamental understanding of the film, without distracting you with things like plot.
- Also, read as much as you can to develop a sense of storytelling
Writing a Script
- Three act structures and the hero's journey lead to unoriginal scripts. It's brainless to follow formulaes.
- Write fast and urgently. Everything unnecessary will be left out and only that which is key will remain
- Don't be afraid to rewrite on set. Dialogue might sound good on paper, but falls flat out loud.
- It doesn't matter if it ends up in the final film, don't correct a word in the first draft.
Financing
- You will probably never become a filmmaker unless you are a producer as well.
- Pick a subject you can realistically make on a budget.
- As a director, be wary of how much you spend.
- Reduce your shoot time as much as possible.
- Keep your crew to a minimum. Know everyone by name.
- Don't worry about making stupid mistakes, but make sure you learn your painful lessons.
- Don't complain about people not doing their job; you have to learn to be self reliant.
- You are likely to have to ask people to do things they won't want to do. If you are vague with them, they won't do it. If you approach it having thought it through and with obvious conviction, then they might just want to work with you.
- Make your actors feel like they are perfect for their roles and that they are irreplaceable.
Locations
- Don't be afraid to spend the time you need to find the right locations; it might take weeks.
- You have to consider logistics, however, if it is necessary, do not be afraid to enter difficult locations.
- If you can, do it for real. The audience will know. Let the audience feel that they can trust their eyes.
Leading the Platoon
- Doubts and fears always come during a shoot. You will be afraid, asking whether you are the right person. Just get stuck in and these fears will disappear.
- Your project needs to have a clear vision or people won't get involved.
- Give people space to do their jobs and be creative. Give them a short instruction and trust them to get it done. Don't over-direct.
- Always push and grind to get the job done. People will respect the job
- It can be very helpful to keep your distance and keep things formal. Most cinematographers seem to think they would make a better director than you. Keep it professional.
- Don't spend all of your time with who you work with. It is healthier to meet specifically for work.
- Don't ask anyone to do something you wouldn't be prepared to do yourself
- As a director, you must lead. Always enter the minefield first
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