The biggest change in our industry has been the choice of material that studios and most independent financing companies green light, as what films are made. It used to be that a film like ORDINARY PEOPLE would have no problem going forward, especially with a good director attached. Now, great films like that rarely get made anymore. I miss that.
Category: film notes
Interview with 1st AD John McKeown (50/50, Albert Nobbs)
I can tell you that the qualities I look for in a 2nd AD apply to the 1st AD as well.
– A calm unflappable personality under extreme pressure
– Real attention to detail
– The ability to plan ahead and think on your feet if the plan falls apart
– The grit to do a great job when they are sick / exhausted / just had their car stolen / got yelled at by someone above the line or any number of other things that would put a regular person off their game
– Sense of humor – essential!
Interview with Cinematographer Checco Varese (The 33, Miracles From Heaven)
People have a tendancy to talk about technology too much. They try to overwhelm you with tech-gargle. You can’t get caught up in this. It’s all about the result.
It’s easier to worry about the tools. It’s hard to really talk about your skills and talent. What you are capable of. The tools will only take you so far. Technology will always have its limits.
Interview with Composer David Buckley (The Good Wife, The Town)
What a joy it was to chat with the extremely talented composer David Buckley. You can hear his music every Sunday on the hit TV series “The Good Wife”. He was also the composer on the upcoming film “The Nice Guys”, directed by Shane Black.
To learn more about David, you can go to his website: http://davidbuckleymusic.net/
Interview with Stunt Performer Adam Kirley (Batman Begins, Casino Royale, Grimsby)
Adam Kirley is one of the best stunt performers in the world today. He has performed in over 60 films in the last 16 years, including: Iron Man 3, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, X-Men: First Class, Terminator Salvation, and Munich. He was Daniel Craig’s stunt double in the landmark James Bond movie “Casino Royale”, plus a Screen Actors Guild and World Stunt Award winner.
Interview with Set Decorator Ute Bergk (The Dark Knight, Enemy at the Gates)
Ute Bergk answered the set of questions I emailed her on the airplane on her way to Budapest, Hungary to complete the television mini-series “Emerald City”. Based on the “Wizard of Oz” universe, Ute promises that the series is “going to be something else” and that director Tarsem Singh is a delight. Two months in… Continue reading Interview with Set Decorator Ute Bergk (The Dark Knight, Enemy at the Gates)
Interview with Emmy Winning Editor Geoffrey Rowland (Path to 911, The Young Messiah)
There was a “Cagney & Lacey” episode in 1984 called “Heat”. It was about a hostage situation. The producer of the show called it a movie that was also a TV episode. I’m very proud of that episode because the director Karen Arthur won an Emmy for it. The first time a female won a Best Directing Emmy.
There was a scene where someone gets shot in the episode and instead of showing them get shot down, I focused on the reaction of the husband and let the sound of the gun and his face tell us what happened. That’s editing!
Interview with Costume Designer Janelle Nicole Carothers (The Perfect Match)
No matter the medium it’s all a delicate balance between style and craft. I put 100% into every project so they all require the same amount of blood, sweat and tears.
Interview with Stunt Double Olga Wilhelmine (10 Cloverfield Lane)
I’d say jumping out of planes is my biggest high risk and I do that for fun! There are different kinds of stunts at different risk levels. Certain people are better at certain things than others and I very much respect people who do the things I cannot. For example, I know nothing about car crashes and car stunts. There are experts in that area and I would defer to them as it is a special skill.
Interview with Storyboard Artist Cristiano Donzelli (Ben-Hur, The Young Messiah)
A storyboard artist, or story artist, creates storyboards for film productions.
Storyboard Artist Cristiano Donzelli is a wealth of knowledge. You can feel his passion for what he does. No wonder all of the top filmmakers in the world who venture to Italy want to work with him. He simply makes all the films he storyboards better.
Cristiano’s credits include Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Rome (2005). Zoolander 2 (2016), The American (2010). Ben-Hur (2016), The Young Messiah (2016), and Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Matthew Toffolo's Summary 