Production tips from Greg Takoudes, Mark Sarisky, Peter Markham, and Mick Hurbis-Cherrier…
Photo by Chris Murray, Filmmaker and Photographer; Los Angeles, CA.
@SeeMurray | chrismurrayfilm.com
4 Awesome Film Production Tips for New Directors
Tip #1
“Find collaborators and conspirators. Find creatives – actors, DPs, anyone – who compliment you, who bring out the best in you, who push you forward artistically. Help them on their films and projects in order to learn from them, and then ask them to help you on yours. Movies are made by groups of collaborators who trust and know each other well. Find those artistic soulmates, develop your inner circle of collaborators, and make lots of work together. You’ll all grow and get much better by doing it this way.”
~Greg Takoudes
Read more in our exclusive interview, “Film Directing Insights from Greg Takoudes.” ‘But I remember once when I was working on the set of Titanic. I was a Production Assistant, and I had the less-than-glamorous job of driving electrical cables many hours through the desert, in the middle of the night, to one of the sets.’…
Tip #2
“COMMUNICATION. Keep the composer and other sound creation people in the loop as to changes in what you are doing in the production. Communication is collaboration!”
~Mark Sarisky
Read more in our exclusive interview, “Mark Sarisky Shares Audio Tips for Student Film Directors.” ‘ Do not fix everything – some ‘mistakes’ are just cool, even better than what was expected. Human artistry comes from the fact that we are not perfect.’…
Tip #3
“When I make a movie, I’m the audience. Martin Scorsese.”
~Peter Markham
Read more in our exclusive interview, “Peter Markham’s Tips for Aspiring Directors.” ‘…Stay focused on what is happening in front of the lens, whether there’s an actor in the frame or there isn’t.’…
Tip #4
“Every well written script has a core idea that gives the story its ultimate meaning. It could be a theme (like, respect isn’t given, it must be earned) but it can also be just an energetic sliver of a human dynamic (like, one never knows who will bravely confront injustice and who will cower). Whatever it is, this core idea gives your work its underlying identity and becomes your guiding beacon. Use the central idea to test every decision you make; from visual choices, to performance choices, to editing choices. Everything you do should work for and within the central idea or your film can become diffuse. So, take a moment to clearly define the central idea of your film, hold on to it, and bring it with you every day.”
~Mick Hurbis-Cherrier
Read more in our exclusive interview, “Mick Hurbis-Cherrier: A Film Director’s Bird’s Eye View.” ‘Change, evolution, and transformation are the norm with filmmaking – it’s an art form that is sensitive to the moment; technologically, conceptually, aesthetically, and ideologically.’…
