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Remember: Film Is A Collaborative Endeavor

12/14/2015

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by Nicolas Pinzon

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A film is conceived three times: Once in the writing, once in production, and once in the editing room. It’s a shared craft and no one individual has complete creative control over it, not even the director. Perhaps it’s an obvious thing to say but keeping this reality in mind will make your projects better and will make your experiences more enjoyable. 
While in the process of making a film, we usually develop huge expectations about the finished product and it’s easy to become overly fixated in our vision of the look, the character, or the overall project. But this mentality can hinder the collaborative nature of filmmaking. The writer owns the story; but only until the director takes it, or even earlier, when a second writer is hired to re-write.  This dynamic can be very painful for many writers. But even if you are a writer-producer and have more creative control over the story, you should always approach a new director with openness towards what he or she might suggest. It’s not about saying yes to everything; it’s about having a willingness to truly and objectively consider new ideas that might take the film somewhere different.   
Similarly, actors can feel very strongly about their character, but a good actor is one that is prepared to reconsider their original conception of the character in order to serve the story and the other characters in it. Having said that, a good actor also understands that his or her outlook is pivotal in the collaborative process of filmmaking and does not simply wait for the director to speak. It’s all about finding a balance, but that can be really hard to do, especially for some directors. 
Many of us who direct have a tendency to micromanage the actors, the director of photography, the editor, the entire film. But in my humble opinion, this can be a mistake. The people we work with have chosen to do what they do because they are also creative, and they also have something to say. And with that in mind, they also probably have more experience with their specific skill than we do. How about letting the actors experiment? How about allowing the editor to have first cut? It sounds very simple, but many times we forget to do that. All I’m saying here is that your film is your film, but it’s also the film of everyone else working on it. Nobody wants the film they work on to end up being bad. And so it can be assumed that all of the creative people on set have the film’s best interest at heart. I believe films work best when we remember to allow our sets to be what they are: places full of artists and creators who want to work together to tell the best story possible. 


What do you think? ​

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The Documentary You Need to Watch: Listen To Me Marlon

12/2/2015

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by Nicolas Pinzon

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The art of movie acting can be divided in two eras: before Marlon Brando and after him. Brando brought a sense of realism to acting that had never been seen on film or stage before. He stood against the predictability and rigidity of previous styles and advocated for Stella Adler’s version of “The Method,” in which actors attempt to feel the emotions of their characters instead of superficially reproducing them. His performances in classics such as “On The Water Front,” “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “The Godfather” are now legendary, and huge movie stars like Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman have labeled him as their most influential acting role model. Without a doubt, Marlon Brando is an icon. And yet, what makes Steven Riley’s new documentary about the actor interesting is not its study of the icon, but its exploration of the man: his successes, his tragedies, his most inner thoughts. 


“Listen to Me Marlon” is heavy on narration. But the neat thing is that the narration comes directly from Brando’s lips and mind. Unbeknownst to most of us, the actor recorded several audiotapes for himself throughout his life, and in this new documentary, we get to listen to a selection of those tapes as we are presented with personal images and videos of both his public and private life. Through an almost meditative pace, Riley’s documentary opens a window into Marlon Brando’s sensitivity, curiosity, and vulnerability in a way that is profoundly inspiring and yet somewhat saddening. In the 95 minutes of the film, Brando, talks about his craft; about the pain and joy in acting, about the need to know your subject, your character, yourself. Brando dares us to feel, to really feel and live, and it’s beautiful, but he also reminds us that no one can escape the harsh realities of life, not even Marlon Brando. So, “Listen to Me Marlon” will probably make you smile, but it will also sadden you; and that is okay, because that is how real life is. And for a man who wanted to bring realism to movies, I think it is extremely fitting. 


I could tell you every detail about this documentary and I could fill this entire blog with Brando quotes, but I believe it’s much better if you experience this one yourself before I give you too much of a preconceived notion. Ultimately, “Listen to Me Marlon” is a truly interesting documentary for the average person, and an essential watch for actors.  You can find it streaming or playing on Showtime. 


Did you watch it? What are your thoughts? 
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    Authors

    Anastasia Roussel is the head of Development at Award Winning Reels and White Swan Films. 

    Nicolas Pinzon is a filmmaker and storyteller currently enrolled in UCLA’s Professional Screenwriting Program. He has a B.A in Arts and Humanities with a concentration in both Music, and Gender and Sexuality.  

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