Harlan Ellison on Saving Mr. Banks

He says he is not given to beating around the bush but it is four and a half minutes into the 10 minute post before he makes a critical point. Or starts to. Sure it is propping up Uncle Walt. And another minute later before he says "Bullshit!" I don't really have a problem with a happy polish putting closure on the movie.

random stuff

Clearing out some old documents from my computer, I'm finding a few files that are just random embedded codes from youtube, maybe from discussions I have had, maybe with the intention of posting them here. No comment for now. We'll see if any of it makes any sense. Hoth corridor – Han and Leia Luke’s lightsaber in Jedi Star Wars bloopers sequence from a DVD doc There is more to the infamous Greedo scene, which Lucas tried to kiddie-proof in 1997. It’s not necessarily safer by having Greedo get off a shot first. Look closely at it and with the shots under the table we are invited to anticipate Han’s pre-emptive move and we do so gleefully and we see Greedo’s death as inevitable. He is asking for it. The scene caps off with Han’s glib, “Sorry for the mess.” So as upsetting as Lucas’ revision was, much of the dark elements of the scene remain and it is still about disposal of a dangerous character and eliminating a headache. Ultimately I would say to any child that yes, I condone this death of Greedo. Don’t wait for someone who has a gun on you to actually fire if you can get off a good shot under the table. That’s the moral – if a bounty hunter threatens you, kill him. What’s especially amusing looking at this clip is that Greedo is killed under the table, and instantly, so his species Rodians, must have their hearts or brains in their crotch. Romancing the Stone by Eddy Grant I still don’t know why the song was replaced with something generic for the end credits of the VHS and the DVD release of the film, even after going to the trouble of integrating Grant into the much-played music video. Nothing wrong with the song. Oddly this great video isn’t on the Jewel of the Nile DVD. Should have been. What a corrupt, miserable business.

Spielberg's Curriculum

SPIELBERG’S CURRICULUM: Movies apparently recommended by Spielberg. I don't know if the idea is that if you have seen all of them you will be endowed with his gift for directing or whether it is for film studies types who will put finder to cheek and nod about this or that. I have certainly seen most of them. I do not know for sure whether this list was compiled by Spielberg himself. It is odd that his own Close Encounters is on there, for example, even though it is a great movie. Also odd that Godfather III is on there, which is not quite great despite being better than its reputation. My apologies if the formatting of the list doesn't survive the blog. 1. 12 Angry Men Sidney Lumet Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda 2. 2001 Stanley Kubrick Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood 3. 400 Blows Francios Truffaut Jean-Pierre Leaud 4. 8 1/2 Federico Fellini Marcello Mastroianni 5. Adam's Rib George Cukor Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy 6. Alfie Lewis Gilbert Michael Caine, Shelley Winters 7. Al Capone Richard Wilson Rod Steiger 8. All About Eve Joseph Mankiewicz Anne Baxter, Bette Davis 9. All That Jazz Bob Fosse Jessica Lange, Roy Scheider 10. American In Paris Vincent Minnelli Gene Kelly 11. And Justice For All Norman Jewison Al Pacino, Lee Strasberg 12. Annie Hall Woody Allen Woody Allen, Diane Keaton 13. Apartment, The Billy Wilder Jack Lemmon, Shirley McLaine 14. Apocalypse Now Francis Coppola Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen 15. All/Presidents Men Alan Pakula Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford 16. Baby Doll Elia Kazan Carroll Baker, Karl Malden 17. Bang/Drum Slowly John Hancock Robert DeNiro, Michael Moriarty 18. Barefoot In/Park Gene Saks Jane Fonda, Robert Redford 19. Battleship Potemkin Sergei Eisenstein Vladimir Barsky 20. Belle De Jour Luis Bunuel Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel 21. Best Years/Lives William Wyler Fredric March, Harold Russell 22. Big Sleep, The Howard Hawks Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall 23. Bicycle Thief Vittorio de Sica Lamberto Maggiorani 24. Big Chill, The Lawrence Kasdan Goldblum, Hurt, Kline, Close 25. Birds, The Alfred Hitchcock Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor 26. Body Heat Lawrence Kasdan William Hurt, Kathleen Turner 27. Bonnie & Clyde Arthur Penn Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway 28. Breakfast/Tiffany's Blake Edwards Audrey Hepburn, Mickey Rooney 29. Breathless Jean Luc Goddard Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Segal 30. Bridge/River Kwai David Lean Alec Guiness, William Holden 31. Brief Encounter David Lean Trevor Howard, Celia Johnson 32. Bringing Up Baby Howard Hawks Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn 33. Bullitt Peter Yates Steve McQueen 34. Butch/Sundance George Roy Hill Paul Newman, Robert Redford 35. Cape Fear J. Lee Thompson Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck 36. Casablanca Michael Curtiz Bergman, Bogart 37. Celebration, The Thomas Vinterberg 38. Champ, The Franco Zeffirelli Jon Voight 39. Charade Stanley Donen Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn 40. Chase, The Arthur Penn Brando, Duvall, Redford 41. Children/Paradise Marcel Came Etienne Decroux, Arletty 42. Chinatown Roman Polanski Faye Dunaway, Jack Nicholson 43. Citizen Kane Orson Welles Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles 44. Clockwork Orange Stanley Kubrick Malcolm McDowell 45. Close Encounters Steven Spielberg Richard Dreyfuss, Ted Garr 46. Come Back/Sheba Daniel Mann Shirley Booth, Burt Lancaster 47. Cool Hand Luke Stuart Rosenberg Paul Newman 48. Conversation, The Francis Coppola Gene Hackman 49. Day/Earth/Still Robert Wise Billy Gray, Hugh Marlowe 50. Days/Wine & Roses Blake Edwards Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick 51. Deer Hunter, The Michael Cimino DeNiro, Walken, Streep 52. Dog Day Afternoon Sidney Lumet John Cazale, Al Pacino 53. Double Indemnity Billy Wilder Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck 54. Doctor Zhivago David Lean Julie Christie, Omar Sharif 55. East of Eden Elia Kazan James Dean, Jo Harris 56. Exorcist,The William Friedkin Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller 57. Face In The Crowd Elia Kazan Andy Griffith, Walter Matthau 58. Five Easy Pieces Bob Rafelson Karen Black, Jack Nicholson 59. Fly, The David Cronenberg Jeff Goldblum 60. French Connection William Friedkin Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider 61. French Conn. 2 John Frankenheimer Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey 62. From Here/Eternity Fred Zinneman Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster 63. Fugitive Kind, The Sidney Lumet Marlon Brando 64. Gaslight George Cukor Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten 65. General, The Buster Keaton Buster Keaton 66. Gntlmn’s Agrmnt Elia Kazan John Garfield, Gregory Peck 67. Giant George Stevens Dean, Hudson, Taylor 68. Gone With/Wind Victor Fleming Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh 69. Grand Illusion Jean Renoir Erich Von Stroheim 70. Great Escape, The John Sturges Steve McQueen 71. Godfather, The Francis Coppola Marlon Brando, Al Pacino 72. Godfatherr II, The Francis Coppola Al Pacino, Robert De Niro 73. Godfather III, The Francis Coppola Al Pacino, Andy Garcia 74. Graduate, The Mike Nichols Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman 75. Grapes Of Wrath John Ford Jane Darwell, Henry Fonda 76. Great Santini, The Lewis John Carlino Robert Duvall 77. Guess Who's… Stanley Kramer Sidney Poitier 78. Guns Of Navaronne J. Lee Thompson Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn 79. Heiress, The William Wyler Montgomery Clift, Olivia/Havilland 80. High Noon Fred Zinneman Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly 81. Hud Martin Ritt Patricia Neal, Paul Newman 82. Hunter, The Buzz Kulik Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach 83. Hustler, The Robert Rossen Jackie Gleason, Paul Newman 84. His Girl Friday Howard Hawks Cary Grant 85. Holiday George Cukor Cary Grant Katherine Hepburn 86. I Confess Alfred Hitchcock Montgomery Clift, Karl Malden 87. Immigrant, The Charlie Chaplin Charlie Chaplin 88. In A Lonely Place Nicolas Ray Humphrey Bogart 89. In/Heat Of/Night Norman Jewison Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger 90. Indiscretion/Wife Vittorio de Sica Montgomery Clift Jennifer Jones 91. It Happened/Night Frank Capra Claudette Colbert Clark Gable 92. It's A Wonderful Life Frank Capra Jimmy Stewart 93. Jdgmnt/Nuremberg Stanley Kramer Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster 94. Julius Caesar Joseph Mankiewicz Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston 95. Kramer Vs. Kramer Robert Benton Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep 96. Last Detail, The Hal Ashby Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid 97. Last Picture Show Peter Bogdanovich Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shephard 98. Last Tango In Paris Bernardo Bertolucci Marlon Brando 99. Lawrence Of Arabia David Lean Peter O'Toole 100. Little Foxes, The William Wyler Bette Davis, Teresa Wright 101. Lolita Stanley Kubrick James Mason, Peter Sellers 102. Lonelyhearts Vincent J. Donahue Montgomery Clift 103. Long Day's Journey Sidney Lumet Katherine Hepburn, Jason Robards 104. Long Hot Summer Martin Ritt Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward 105. Lost In America Albert Brooks Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty 106. Lost Weekend Billy Wilder Ray Milland 107. Love Story Arthur Hiller Ali McGraw, Ryan O'Neal 108. M Fritz Lang Peter Lorre 109. Magnif. Ambersons Orson Welles Tim Holt, Orson Welles 110. Magnificent Seven John Sturges Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen 111. Man/Shot Liberty… John Ford Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne 112. Manchurian Cand. John Frankenheimer Angela Lansbury, Frank Sinatra 113. Marathon Man John Schlesinger Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier 114. Marty Delbert Mann Ernest Borgnine 115. Mean Streets Martin Scorsese Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel 116. Men, The Fred Zinneman Marlon Brando 117. Metropolis Fritz Lang Brigitte Heim, Theodore Loos 118. Midnight Cowboy John Schlesinger Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voiqht 119. Miracle/Morgan's… Preston Sturges Bobby Watson 120. Misfits, The John Huston Clift, Gable, Monroe 121. Mississippi Burning Alan Parker Willem Defoe, Gene Hackman 122. Missouri Breaks Arthur Penn Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson 123. Modern Romance Albert Brooks Albert Brooks, Bruno Kirby 124. Modern Times Charlie Chaplin Charlie Chaplin 125. Mr. Smith Goes To… Frank Capra Jimmy Stewart, Claude Rains 126. Mutiny/Bounty Frank Lloyd Marlon Brando 127. My Fair Lady George Cukor Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn 128. Nashville Robert Altman Ned Beatty, Jeff Goldblum 129. National Velvet Clarence Brown Angela Lansbury, Elizabeth Taylor 130. Network Sidney Lumet Faye Dunaway, William Holden 131. North By Northwest Alfred Hitchcock Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint 132. Notorious Alfred Hitchcock Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant 133. No Way To Treat… Jack Smight Rod Steiger 134. Odd Couple, The Gene Saks Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau 135. On the Waterfront Elia Kazan Brando, Malden, Steiger 136. One/Cuckoo's Nest Milos Foreman Jack Nicholson, Danny Divito 137. One-Eyed Jacks Marlon Brando Marlon Brando, Karl Malden 138. Ordinary People Robert Redford Mary Moore, Donald Sutherland 139. Panic/Needle Park Jerry Schatzberg Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino 140. Papillion Franklin Schaffner Dustin Hoffman, Steve McQueen 141. Party, The Blake Edwards Peter Sellers 142. Parallax View Alan Pakula Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn 143. Patton Franklin Schaffner Karl Malden, George C. Scott 144. Pawnbroker, The Sidney Lumet Rod Steiger 145. Philadelphia Story Georqe Cukor Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn 146. Public Enemy, The William Wellman James Cagney 147. Psycho Alfred Hitchcock Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins 148. Quiet Man, The John Ford John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara 149. Raging Bull Martin Scorsese Robert DeNiro 150. Rain People, The Francis Coppola James Caan, Robert Duvall 151. Raintree County Edward Dmytryk Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor 152. Ramblin' Rose Martha Coolidge Laura Dern, Robert Duvall 153. Real Life Albert Brooks Albert Brooks, Charles Grodin 154. Rear Window Alfred Hitchcock Gace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart 155. Rebel W/out Cause Nicholas Ray James Dean, Natalie Wood 156. Red River Howard Hawks Montgomery Clift, John Wayne 157. Reflections in a… John Huston Marlon Brando, Julie Harris 158. Requiem for a… Ralph Nelson Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason 159. Rosemary's Baby Roman Polanski Mia Farrow, Ruth Gordon 160. Runaway Train Andrei Konchalovsky Eric Roberts, Jon Voight 161. Safety Last Harold Lloyd Harold Lloyd 162. Sand Pebbles Robert Wise Steve McQueen 163. Saturday Night Fever John Badham John Travolta 164. Sayonara Joshua Logan Marlon Brando 165. Scarecrow Jerry Schatzberg Gene Hackman, Al Pacino 166. Scarface Brian De Palma Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer 167. Scent Of A Woman Martin Brest Al Pacino 168. Searchers, The John Ford John Wayne, Natalie Wood 169. Serpico Sidney Lumet Al Pacino 170. Seven Samurai Akira Kurosawa Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune 171. Seventh Seal Ingmar Bergman Max Von Sydow 172. Signal 7 173. Singin' In the Rain Stanley Donen Gene Kelly, Rita Moreno 174. Smiles of a… Ingmar Bergman Jarl Kulle 175. Soldier In The Rain Ralph Nelson Jackie Gleason, Steve McQueen 176. Some Like It Hot Billy Wilder Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe 177. Sound Of Music Robert Wise Julie Andrews 178. Splendor/Grass Elia Kazan Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood 179. Stagecoach John Ford James Mason, John Wayne 180. Star Is Born William Wellman Janet Gaynor, Fredric March 181. Star Wars George Lucas Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford 182. Streetcar/Desire Elia Kazan Marlon Brando, Vivian Leigh 183. Suddenly Last… Joseph Mankiewicz Clift, Hepburn, Taylor 184. Sullivan's Travels Preston Sturges Veronica Lake, Joel McCrea 185. Sunset Boulevard Billy Wilder William Holden, Gloria Swanson 186. Sweet Bird of Youth Richard Brooks Paul Newman, Geraldine Page 187. Taxi Driver Martin Scorsese Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel 188. Teahouse of the… Daniel Mann Marlon Brando 189. Tender Mercies Bruce Beresford Robert Duvall 190. Third Man, The Carol Reed Orson Welles 191. Three Days/Condor Sidney Pollack Faye Dunaway, Robert Redford 192. To Kill/Mockingbird Robert Mulligan Gregory Peck 193. Tootsie Sidney Pollack Dustin Hoffman 194. Tree Grows in… Elia Kazan James Dunn, Peg 195. Trip To Bountiful, A Peter Masterson Geraldine Page 196. Two Rode Together John Ford Jimmy Stewart 197. Verdict, The Sidney Lumet Paul Newman, George Mason 198. Vertigo Alfred Hitchcock Kim Novak, Jimmy Stewart 199. Viva Zapata Elia Kazan Marlon Brando, Karl Malden 200. Wait Until Dark Terence Young Alan Arkin, Audrey Hepburn 201. West Side Story Jerome Robbins Rita Moreno, Natalie Wood 202. White Christmas Michael Curtiz Bing Crosby 203. Who's Afraid… Mike Nichols Richard Burton 204. Wild One, The Laszlo Benedek Marlon Brando, Lee Marvin 205. Wild River Elia Kazan Montgomery Clift 206. Young Lions, The Edward Dmytryk Brando, Clift

Spin City and movie making

I found these notes in my files and I don't recall posting them in a blog so here goes. There is one surviving link to a segment from the Spin City episode where Christopher Lloyd guest starred. The rest of the links are an interesting look behind the scenes of the Glenn Close/Mel Gibson Hamlet. Not much of a connection, but there it is. Spin City: Back to the Future IV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWzlHmJQUXQ&feature=related Mel Gibson’s Video Diary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFWlwCrl5aw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQplwVJW6qQ&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGVAuy-fVHU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT52mmn1rIY

11/22/63 and 9/11/2001 and conspiracies

Today I had more trouble than usual finding the Blogger access on my Google account. It's just a fact that things have changed in the last 48 hours or so since I last posted anything or checked into it. Maybe there is something behind it. Maybe Google doesn't want it to be so easy for people to use the blogging service. It had been click the arrow in the upper right, then in the drop-down choose account and then in the top middle will be another arrow to click and in that drop down you look for Blogger. Today there is the extra hurdle of signing in yet again to something called Dashboard then manage accounts and then find Blogger again. The thing about being conspiracy-minded is that it is merely making connections. They say intelligence is understanding the relationship between things. We may or may not understand but will be compelled to see relationships and connect the dots. This brings us closer to the truth than the naive idea that there are no connections. But in the case of the JFK assassination (which I should have posted on a couple of days earlier, but was thwarted by dark forces) all you really need is for more than one person to get the same idea to shoot at the President in Dealey Plaza as the motorcade route passes. Oswald doesn't have to know about anyone who might be lurking in the grassy knoll. The shooters do not have to conspire. Only three participants are required for the word conspiracy to be applied legally. Yet as soon as the dismissive term "conspiracy theory" is thrown around, it is a straw man easily dashed because of the false premise that hundreds of people must have known about it. If you think of the movie Cube where the characters speculate about how an evil device can be made it is mentioned that many systems are compartmentalized and individual parts might be worked on without each worker understanding the function of the whole. Oswald was interested in Russia and communism and the issue of Cuba, and that may have been motivation enough. He may have found out when everyone else did about the visit to Dallas, as may have the person behind the grassy knoll. But chances are that someone was aware of Oswald and did not act to stop him, and that person having little faith in him and his aim just might have arranged for the grassy knoll shooter and helped facilitate that person's escape. That does NOT have to involve a lot of people in the know. It is actually a quite manageable system. Witnesses were present who heard shoots from the knoll and who looked in that direction. Then Oswald's location above in the book depository might have drawn attention. I don't know. But though the book by Stephen King 11/22/63 does not firmly commit to whether any other shooters might have been ready, King says in his afterward that his research convinces him that there was no conspiracy and the book refers to Oliver Stone dismissively and conspiracy theorists are often described as the "tin foil hat" crowd. I guess I should make myself a tin foil hat. I've been meaning to. I simply do not agree with the idea that we must err on the side of closing down a supposed conspiracy - or what I prefer to call a mystery - when there are unanswered questions and allegations that have not been answered to my satisfaction. Best to admit something is unresolved. Penn and Teller had an episode of "Bullshit" that attempted to debunk the JFK assassination theory by addressing the direction his head goes - back and to the left - by shooting a watermelon to show that an object shot from behind may also fall backward. But it is worth watching the documentary that comes with Oliver Stone's movie and listening to his commentary track to address issues in depth. Stephen King's own wife Tabath believes the "conspiracy" about JFK and rejects the flawed Warren Commission report. There are people I respect who do not accept the conspiracies or questions about the events of 9/11/2001 - Bill Maher and Bill Clinton have demonstrated anger towards "truthers." Rachael Maddow has talked about the novel-style publication of the 9/11 commission report, and the comic book adaptation and has addressed some of the wilder perceived connections. There are also some people who scare me and whom I do not warm to, like the pro-gun Infowars guy, who embrace the idea that 9/11 was an inside job - and yet that uncomfortable spin is the one I lean toward. Again, it would not take massive co-operation and awareness of any big picture for all participants. I am sick of the joke that because George W. Bush appeared to be a bumpkin that the government could not orchestrate their presumed part in 9/11 any more competently than they managed other things. They knew it could happen. What action did they take? Staff at the World Trade Center were removed from their floors in the weeks before 9/11 ostensibly for fire drills, and supposedly incendiary devices were installed at this time. Osama bin Lauden and others involved in the construction industry did not expect that a plane hitting the upper third of a huge building would cause it to pancake. Building 7 was raised hours after the two towers fell, and it had not been hit at all by any plane. The harmless thing to admit is that a team could have set incendiaries in the hours since the collapse of World Trade 1 and 2, perhaps in case there had been vibrations that weakened the other structure and they would not want to be responsible for people going in there. That could have been admitted easily, and the pancaking of that building definitely does indicate a controlled explosion. So maybe they did not want to say that they sent a team into that building to plant explosions in the hours following the tragedy - maybe they thought it would seem strange. But no stranger than if those devices were implanted in the days leading up to 9/11. This does not mean that FBI explosive teams implanting incendiaries all knew this was to make sure the buildings went down and were not just standing damaged when the expected fire or plane crashes happened. They don't all have to conspire. They just all have to want to cover their butts.

Pitch: The Curse of Cursing

A movie star participating in home building with Habitat for Humanity is videotaped by a budding paparazzi who catches the moment where the star accidentally hammers his thumb and mutters, "Goddamn it!" The clip is posted on-line and causes religious groups to boycott the star for exposing his true beliefs against God and various faiths weigh in to denounce him and make sure his new films and TV shows are boycotted. He gives an apology and cops to the fact that yes under stress his true feelings are revealed and submits to an interview with Jerry Springer who is the only arbiter of truth and agrees to let someone hammer his hand for extreme pain before each answer. But the process fails and with a crushed hand and spirit he is visited by Jesus who offers to smite them all. He has mercy on his tormenters and decides only to let Jesus kill the paparazzi - not just the one who posted the video but every site and gossip rag. It is a bloodbath. Cameras explode, just enough to envelope their operators. Red carpets become even redder, purely with paparazzi blood, with the celebrities all spared the carnage. I don't guarantee there would be an audience for this, but I have a feeling there might be some support.

The Direct Approach

Insist on reading an outline before looking at a complete draft of a script. Whether it is my own or someone else’s, the most vital screenwriting problems can be found at the plot and outline stage. But even then, there isn’t any trace of the “werewolf” story in this partially shot music video I did (now taken from a VHS but originally shot on ¾ inch) just before heading off to college. The singer felt he had grown from the song he had composed and recorded, and the werewolf shots were never done even though the relationship stuff looks pretty good. Keeping the end in mind, ask yourself what would make the finished product less than the sum of its parts and the experience of directing a disappointment, if not a colossal waste. Make sure that Murphy’s Law and Step #2 are discussed thoroughly with each prospective team member so that your hands are not tied by politics or process. Ensure that there is a protocol in place where a sign-off by the director is required. Obviously my own illustrations are nothing amazing, but storyboarding helps me think. And I think they can become a common frame of reference – you need THIS shot in order for THAT shot to answer it. If storyboarding is part of your process, do it and have it as a reference point. A commentary by Mike Nichols referred to “that terrible thing of making the cinematographer watch a list of movies” so showing frame grabs to save time if there is a specific look might be preferred; as long as you know there is a common frame of reference; you may cite a movie or piece of artwork and not remember it the same. Altman and Mel Brooks had a copy of the Last Supper on hand to restage it; Van Sant had frames from Psycho for his shot for shot remake. Storyboards may not be in fashion, but showing up cold expecting to be “inspired by the set” is an abdication of authority and may likely result in the most standard default coverage positions. Some directors feel there are two kinds of shots – basic or fancy, the latter being automatic wankery that distracts instead of adds to audience involvement. But used correctly, there may be ONE best shot position for each beat or moment or line in a scene, so the fact that an eighth of a page of script is “covered” by another camera does not mean that the filmmaking communication is complete. The frame and relationships between set, background, and actors all combine for the message and the tone or counterpoint you intend. If someone feels that close-ups of faces are the end-all be-all of shooting a scene, it may not require a director. It is pictures of people talking and may not be worth fighting for. Yet – some shows with simple script formats like Castle get by on close-up coverage and still manage to do it with style on occasion. Your eyes just have to be open as to whether you have an up-hill battle. Better to really test a director by removing dialogue and having to tell the story with the frame. Use them to anticipate shots on a scout as a way to choose or eliminate locations and/or refine boards The often quoted Art of War says that a battle is won or lost before it has begun. But even if it is a simple 30 second short like this one, you can talk through the basic shot sequence and beats of it. I have been starting to make some shorts for the hell of it while planning other things partly to get others engaged in making something. In 2005 I generated a lot of footage intended for a feature and then had to cancel it. I used some of it in this video, which seems artsy and meaningful even though it is the equivalent of home movies now. Here is a video short I made in 1992 during a couple of days of summer vacation. Day one was an early morning for the main shoot and then day two was just an hour with the hitchhiker getting a few shots. Those were the good old days where you just need a few people who are game enough to wake up early and make something up. I had to borrow the camera and equipment from the community channel, and a skeleton from the biology department of my highschool, and the car from one of my sisters. The ending is less funny once I tried to get a copy of the movie to the hitchhiker when visiting town between semesters. I had called his dad asking for him a couple of times before someone at the TV station told me the young man had a run-in with mobsters and ended up at the bottom of Lake Nippissing. I was deeply saddened by that, since I thought I should somehow know and I usually made movies with friends for recreation and hoped to have everyone be able to enjoy them, done as a lark. This is a short 16mm doc I co-directed in third semester of Humber College in the early 90’s. There was some controversy mainly about a swish-pan transition that occurs at the 1:20 mark. The camera guy and the editor both said they knew what I meant (and had storyboarded and typed up verbally) in terms of how it works, then they omitted it. So I asked our crew producer if I could recut what had been left out to redeem myself. I fixed it, got major flack for that, but I DON’T REGRET IT. Unless you defend a direction, you will end up looking crazy. You have to vindicate yourself, and if someone has LIED that they KNEW what you meant, and then they left you hanging out to dry then I say fight that battle. In the aftermath, I was asked by the same crew to direct their drama project that year, below. Board Beyond Belief I know that when Dumb and Dumber began shooting, the directors told the crew “Look, we don’t know what the hell we’re doing when it comes to filming so we are counting on you to cover our asses.” I would love to be able to start things off on the right foot with key crew and disarm them and motivate them with such a charming disclosure. They say that if a director comes off like a know-it-all auteur he/she will be crucified by the crew. All the more reason to kick things off in a modest way. But even though I am a savant who is lucky to have graduated high school, and even though I want everyone to know I am approachable and that they can play devil’s advocate and point out things I may have overlooked, I personally must be fussy about the frame and the cut. I want that challenge. The blocking of actors and the placement of the frame are not arbitrary and I feel that I have a lifetime absorbing what I consider film grammar and the meaning that can be taken (whether or not it is intended) by what is shown and how it is introduced and whether something is withheld. As I present people with a script, it is not because I think the actors can’t think of different or better dialogue but because I wish to hear this dialogue have life breathed into it and because I consider the subtle influence of an actors habits of being and body language and inflection that they bring as just as important as generating new dialogue and that I do not want a performer to have the breaks on and be in writing mode by the time of shooting but to have surrendered to the text and committed to it and be free to focus naturally on the other elements of performance. By the same token, if the cinematographer and production designer and set decorator and costume department can see my storyboards early on then the way in which elements will blend or clash or give contrast will be known and choices can be informed; If a camera move – a pan or a tilt – requires vertical information or horizontal information to make a blur of action this can be planned in advance rather than discovered in a panic on set and having choices replaced by compromise. It is said that the more the director can be open about a “vision” the better chance of getting it across and the crew feeling that the project is controlled in a responsible way that respects everyone’s time and input. I reject passionately the idea that a director must withhold storyboards because they will offend the DP or because they imply a cut which will offend the editor. My priority is as described here. I want people on the team who are great at their job and don’t have to concentrate on second-guessing my job. If you like a shot choice or a strange editing gimmick in something where my only credit is directing, I’d like to know that it is there by design as directed by me. If I am very concerned about politics with an editor, then I can hire only an assistant editor and explain that I am the defector editor so that I avoid frustrating that person or myself – and then reward the person with the sole editing credit. The same cannot be done with a D.P.. The personality just has to be the right fit. Although even if you have worked with someone before, it is wise to consider giving every prospective crew member a copy of this. If you are very organized, you can make sure they read and sign it when you are getting each person to sign a crew or volunteer contract or a talent release. It can be surprising the basic and seemingly obvious aspects of filmmaking that don’t get nailed down or that cause confusion because people do not want to seem self-serving, arrogant, condescending, or in any way insulting to the intelligence of the other person. But it is worth that risk to be clear, and when the movie is done on budget and on time and people are amused and proud of the way it all fits together it won’t matter if you are called a power freak. It is also worth noting that even if people say “yes, I understand this – OF COURSE!” and look at you with indignity, they may not understand and/or may have undisclosed intentions or motives. There is little to be done about that. The gold that backs up the currency of my determination to follow a vision is the memory of past projects where I didn’t and the sure knowledge that the end product I live for is what must be protected and what my FRIENDS and my TRUE ALLIES will also wish to defend. Anything else is a mind-f**k from people with their own agendas and people who can not conceive of someone actually being the author of an entire movie. But you also in turn have to be vigilant. If you want to use a device from the editing toolbox, be sure that people know what you need. The driver of a car that has to drive through frame TWICE must be told before he rides away from the location. The blind spot will be delegation, trust, politeness – anything that causes you to stifle a direction. Maybe a short-hand will be developed with certain crew. And so will misunderstandings. Here's part of Bit Babies, a musical satire I did with an Ontario Arts Council Emerging Artists grant (as part of the budget) back in 2003/4, partly during the August 2003 blackout: There are good reasons and false reasons to be involved in the support crew of a movie. Money and/or credit and/or experience I consider valid. Same goes for producing. A false reason might be personal self expression. The writer, the director or a performer can count expression as a true reason, and they should not have to announce their need for it; it can be taken for granted. Other contributors to a movie are involved in practical or logistical and objective work that keeps the project at a professional quality. Undisclosed expectations are usually at the root of dissatisfaction, so it is recommended that this be ironed out in advance of a project. A Cinematographer may demand autonomy and refuse to look at storyboards. No matter how gifted he/she is at shooting and lighting, this would negate working with me. A cinematographer might even help fight for a shot the director has pre-designed when there is a time crunch and pressure to drop it. The above point might be considered weak because there is a perception that the personality of a director is one who dives in and gets his/her way in the moment and on the day by constant negotiation and finesse and not because of a pre-arranged rule or principle. That is of little concern to me, since reduction of conflict on set is of central concern and the audience will not care who did what or how a production came together. But this below example is me throwing out many of my rules because I had a small window to do a stunt/short when I had access to the old Maple Leaf Gardens before the old pad was cored and demolished. I had cast an actor for a Jesus short and before we got around to that I thought I would ask him to pop in during lunch for 10 minutes to be the LAST PERSON to skate on the MLG pad. (Even if it is roller blades, because the ice from Battle of the Blades was goneis gone.) Officially this didn't happen. I had to run around hand-held and just get whatever shots I could of this unofficial visit. I as a director I usually need to be convinced that even my own plan is worth doing and has a cinematic quality and conveys usually a whimsical tone that is implied by the content. In the marrow of my bones, I feel how easy it is for something to feel bland. The content will be the way it is anticipating the way it will be shot. The cut and the frame and the camera move or stillness are all part of the communication, from shot to shot.