Empire UK

about the football in my earshot please.
Joe Wright: Silence during rehearsals no shouting and
respect for everyone.
Greengrass: Speak your mind.
Cuarón: Any good crew follows the unwritten rules of
fi lmmaking (not talking while the camera is
out of the actors’ eye-line etc.) but every dir
procedures. I like to stage the scene in an em
only Chivo (DP Emmanuel Lubezki) and my
and only bring in the heads of departments
happy with the staging.
Payne: No “rules.” What are you British or s
I guess I’m too nice... No wonder people take
of me.
Soderbergh: No open-toed shoes.

WHICH DO YOU LIKE SAYIN
MORE — “ACTION” OR “CU
Payne: I like saying both but one ofthe bes
feelings on set is when you say “Cut” when
you know you really have it.
Coppola: “Cut.”
Bier: “Cut.”
Greengrass: “Cut.” I never say “Action”; it
me out of the scene.
Spielberg: I like saying “Print! Let’s move o
Michell: Still excited to say either.
Fincher: Neither: “One more.”
Cuarón: The AD does. I forget to all the tim
Clooney: “Action.”
Edgar Wright: I like saying “Go.” When I m
amateur fi lms I used to say “Go” instead of
“Action” as it had only one syllable and was
to say. I brought back “Go” for Scott Pilgrim
Whedon: “Cut.” Because sometimes it mea
my god I can’t believe we got that on film I’
like a (manly) schoolgirl.”
Joe Wright: I often forget to say “Action”
that to my fi rst AD. I love calling “Cut.”
Marshall: “Action” of course. Although
I remember very clearly not being able to sa
the word on the fi rst shot of my fi rst film. It
so cliché! I think I just said “Okay go...”
Nolan: “Cut.” Very embarrassing when you
Lee: “Action.” But when shooting 3D video
is so far away that I don’t even get to call tha
I just say “Cut.”
Soderbergh: I fi nd them both as embarrass
they are necessary.

FILM OR DIGITAL?
Greengrass: Film.
Spielberg: I’m a fi lm man myself.
Nolan: Butter or margarine? It’s called film
after all.
Edgar Wright: Film. I haven’t yet shot a di
feature. I think fi lm is more transporting by
degree. And I think it’s a good discipline to w
about running out of stock. When you can ju
and shoot on digital I don’t think it inspires
control over the medium.
Clooney: Film.
Payne: Of course I prefer to shoot film but
truly matters is projection — fi lm projection
that battle is already lost.

Marshall: I wish it could always be fi lm. But unfortunately

time and budget restraints don’t always allow for that now.

Lee: I like them both. They’re like bananas and oranges —

I don’t know why some people try to imitate fi lm with digital.

Joe Wright: Depends on the material.

oth are tools each one with fl aws and virtues. If

ce fi lmmakers should have the option of using both.

love fi lm but have given in to digital.

igital. I’M SORRY ART WORLD!!! I like to keep

 fi gure out some blocking and concepts on the day.

hing I’ve ever made has been under-rehearsed and

un. Digital’s more forgiving and I don’t worry about

m. “It’s only ones and zeroes” is something else

n set.

al. I love fi lm but digital opens infi nitely more doors

es.

work with — digital. To watch — honestly can’t tell

ce anymore.

h: Have we met? Digital.

igital — what is this fi lm?

THE CHIPS ARE DOWN HAVE

VER THOUGHT “HOW WOULD

CK HAVE DONE IT?”

“... or Cukor or Donen or Mendes...” One of my

uotes about fi lmmaking is “In the morning you

aking Citizen Kane and then after lunch Porky’s 3.”

s: Occasionally — but more often Lean. Sometimes

. Sometimes Costa- Gavras. Always the old masters
hey’re the old masters!
ays for openings. Not usually for action sequences.
ight: Not quite. I adore Kubrick and love
al compositions but I would equate his fi lmmaking
hundreds of takes. I never have that time and so
ikely to think “What would Spielberg do?” as
lberg is the king of the clever single shot which
or three pages in one take. Spielberg came from
ound and so was always looking for the smartest
ylish way of shooting a scene economically.
nct never left him.
g: On A. I. I guess I got to say “I wonder how
would have done it?” about 20 times a day for
onths and then another six in post.
oe Wright: No because making a fi lm is all about
w you see the world not how anyone else even
ck sees it.
More like “What am I doing here?” When the
own” I try to focus on the seed the spark the
piration for the moment in question. Of course
are great as a frame of reference.
o I never thought of that I just think “What can
ry to fi gure something out. I think of the late great
apher Harris Savides’ motto: “Keep it simple.”
t I’m a great admirer of his.
ost days.
ever.
ohn Cassavetes maybe.
y to think “How should Payne do it?”
ope but I have asked “Now how would Soderbergh
be done before lunch?”
h: My chips are never down sir because I ask myself
on before such a thing occurs.
think about Kubrick when I’m conceiving and
ut when the chips are down he’d just take his
m not that guy. I fear the chips. H