At the end of my daughter’s school quarter, just before the summer holidays, the teacher asked him and his class to write a letter to themselves as if they were writing at their least day on this last school year. The idea was to be able to give themselves advice according to what they had learned that year. I love this idea, and I thought that, because my first feature takes place in a kind of near future, I would do the same for myself, only I will send my letter to the bridges of will on the verge of starting the production of its first feature, All of you – Two years ago.
Hey will, it’s me here, you, of the future, I wanted to send you advice because I have just followed what you are about to live, and I learned a few things that, I think, can help you.
First of all, I know you panic and believe me, I know how anxious you are, but I want you to know that you did it! Or you will do it. But also, I don’t want to lie to you, it will be difficult. Preparing a strike by actors, moving production dates back to Hods, yes, everything will happen, and there will be times when it seems that it will not happen. Like, at all.
But the good news is that you have an excellent team with you, you and Brett you have chosen well. Your producers are intelligent, boots on the ground, and they have done it a million times, you will know because they will continue to tell you whenever you panic in front of them, shouting that it is condemned, you are condemned, your career of realization is over before it even started.
But here are some good writing tips for you, maybe next time, do not write a script that contains 25 locations, especially when you only have 23 days to shoot it. It’s a bad ball, and I’m sure I’m talking about the whole crew when I say that. Rear window,, 12 angry men,, ClerkThey were all placed in one place. Just say. Bedroom was located in a room. I’m going to stop now.
The good news, once again, is that you pass through, and the film is actually better for that, you find superb places, and the whole crew is linked to this feeling that we are all part of a strange itinerant circus, by pulling us in small mass cities in mass and by attaching to the locals with ease (some of them are not true).
But the great thing I wanted to let you know, and I know that it worried you when you discovered that you get the money to do this is that you absolutely crush it with the casting. Yes, yes, yes, Brett obviously focuses on the thing, and you know how great it is, and yes, you know how large the pots are because you have seen a ton of its films, but what you do not know – and it will be one of the strengths of your career to date – is to see how good they are.
But, good advice here, don’t tell anyone, they will think that it is partly your realization, and it is a good thing. Now that does not mean that this “director of actors” stuff is not without its bumps. First, it is a delicate transition ranging from co-writing partners to the director and actor with Brett. It is a different beast that the shortcut that you have spent years developing is not the same stenography when you talk about performance. Listen to Pots, she worked with a ton of actors and directors, and she knows what she is talking about. She will call you. Take the call. It’s a good one.
And listen to your producers when they tell you that most actors do not like you to be told that you like their other to take better than the one they have just done. And also, it’s a big one, if you want an actor to relax in a scene, never tell them to “relax” just before leaving for a catch, he completely has the opposite effect. It seems obvious now, of course, but when you have turned all night and your third or fourth night, common sense does not always want to be your friend. You pass through, and as I said, they are so good that a potato could probably have directed them and it would still have been magical, so take advantage of looking at them playing in the moment, it’s special.
One last thing on production. Sex scenes. I know that the idea of directing them makes you very uncomfortable. And you are right to think that. It is. Very. You have now seen Brett naked. A lot. You told her to his face that you think he should grow stronger. Sorry. There is no way to get around this. This is your fault to write so many sex scenes in your script. You thought it was so grown up, and yes, these are important scenes, so you can’t go back now. You are silly. But thank you for the coordinators of intimacy, the best thing that happens to a film production for lunch breaks. It is always embarrassing to talk about the quantity of buttocks you think you should see, but at least you say it to someone other than the owner of Said Bum, and they are investigating for you. Very useful. Use them. You will feel very adult after.
And guess what, despite the days you go home thinking that you have spoiled everything and that everything collapses around you, and it is your fault, you do, you do a film, and the things you felt in the moment with the actors are up there on the screen. You find the film, the real film, in the editing with your – I will only work with it on everything I do – editor, vic. And you get this film in Tiff and LFF and Apple wants to buy it and put it in movie theaters everywhere everywhere. It is in your hometown where you grew up, and it is in your hometown where you live now, and there are posters having it announced in the real streets.
So stay loud, this promise you made when you were a teenager to follow your dream and to stick to anything, you do. Now put yourself at work. You have a fucking movie to make.
Will Bridges is a writer and director who won an Emmy for co-writing the beloved Black mirror Episode “USS Callister”.
