It's pre-award season in the motion picture industry and there are lots of screenings happening in major cities for guild members, critics, and other industry folk. Most screenings have Q&A sessions afterwards with actors and filmmakers. We were in attendance this year at Deadline’s 4th annual “Contenders Event” held at the Directors Guild of America, (contenders.deadline.com), and it’s like no other event during the season. This is a unique opportunity for twelve studios to showcase over 35 films directly to AMPAS and voting guild members.
It's always an inspiring time of year to get a real sense of how films are made; to listen to people in the industry talk about their journey and how they navigate the business side of filmmaking. One highlight we'd like to share was from the Q&A after the film SNOWPIERCER (snowpiercer-film.com) with Tilda Swinton (facebook.com/tildaswintonnet).
It's always an inspiring time of year to get a real sense of how films are made; to listen to people in the industry talk about their journey and how they navigate the business side of filmmaking. One highlight we'd like to share was from the Q&A after the film SNOWPIERCER (snowpiercer-film.com) with Tilda Swinton (facebook.com/tildaswintonnet).
Swinton had some wise words that all actors should heed. She said she never actively pitches herself or fights for a particular role. She prefers meeting directors she admires personally and asking them if there is anything for her in their current project, or to keep her in mind for future projects.
She looks for interesting collaborations and doesn't get caught up in fitting into moulds. In fact her role in this film was originally meant for a male actor. But after speaking with the director, Bong Joon-ho, he decided to try something different. She explains that this is the most satisfying and interesting way of getting a role. And undoubtedly this approach allows her to “create” every character she plays because she is not having to fit into any preconceived ideas about the part. Each and every character she plays is uniquely hers, an indelible creation.
When getting work or wanting work as an actor it is hard to not let desperation get the better of you. This way of getting roles takes you out of a place of desperation and into a project where you respect and connect with the vision of the filmmakers.
She looks for interesting collaborations and doesn't get caught up in fitting into moulds. In fact her role in this film was originally meant for a male actor. But after speaking with the director, Bong Joon-ho, he decided to try something different. She explains that this is the most satisfying and interesting way of getting a role. And undoubtedly this approach allows her to “create” every character she plays because she is not having to fit into any preconceived ideas about the part. Each and every character she plays is uniquely hers, an indelible creation.
When getting work or wanting work as an actor it is hard to not let desperation get the better of you. This way of getting roles takes you out of a place of desperation and into a project where you respect and connect with the vision of the filmmakers.
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