attack-inducing eight double espres
I think my assistant secretly swaps
as she doesnât want me to die of caff
WHATâS YOUR BEST-E
ON SET?
Clooney: Watching David Strathair
monologue in one take on Good Nig
Spielberg: My best day on set is just
Edgar Wright: Any time I think ou
believe this is my jobâ and rememb
duck. Whether marshalling hundre
crazy stunts or shooting big music n
fortunate to have made my passion
Whedon: Couldnât choose. Any day
and sent the crew home on time is p
If that day involved people dancing
make the short list.
Cuarón: When you allow the unexp
and you fl ow with it.
Marshall: The fi rst day working wit
Especially one Iâve always admired.
lucky to work with so many...
Michell: Last day of shoot.
Soderbergh: When a diffi cult scene
dreading turns out to be easy quick
Bier: When a scene youâve worried
out amazingly.
Joe Wright: Probably the day we s
Steadicam shot on the beach for Ato
the whole day preparing under heav
just as we were ready to shoot the s
the cloud and everything just came t
eff ort. We all including the 1000 ex
community of Redcar who had brou
felt a sincere sense of ownership. I
I called âCutâ that day.
Fincher: When the plan goes totall
amazing happens...
Payne: Sorry to sound corny but ev
set is the best day on set and heads-
not shooting.
Lee: There were many days but off t
one day on Brokeback Mountain sh
where Ennis visits Jackâs parents.
Coppola: When Bill Murray is there
Greengrass: Probably Bloody Sund
extras and gambled on months of ou
people of Derry to turn out and mar
afternoon. And they did. In their te
them march their patience and thei
commitment I knew the movie wou
Nolan: The last.
WHATâS YOUR WORST-EVER DAY
ON SET?
Spielberg: My worst day onsetiswhenIhavetowrapandgo
back to the hotel.
Marshall: When Iâm behind and the clock is ticking. Itâs hard
to think. Itâs hard to feel free. I do my best to hide all that from
the cast and crew.
Fincher: When things go exactly as planned and itâs dull.
Joe Wright: The day an actor tried to punch me. Iâll say no more.
Soderbergh: When an easy simple scene unravels into
something unshootable.
n: Buff y presentation. My fi rst gig. Whole thing was
are. At one point there was pure chaos and a total
onfi dence from all involved. I stood outside the set
to slink off home and realising that if I did if I didnât
there and somehow take control I was going to be an
ingly miserable script doctor forever. So I walked in.
ay ended up not so bad.
hen it turns out you were right to be worried.
There were about 30 worst days on Crouching Tiger
tâs hard to decide which one. I would say the third
aybe.
n: When things go âjust as plannedâ.
rass: The fi rst day of a small movie I once made
knew with the fi rst shot that I had no point of view
ight for the fi lm. Nor it for me. And that I should
ave made it.
right: Too many. I can remember a low point on
hoot. Shaun it was in the pub fi nale; we were up against
ad to cut action. Hot Fuzz we were rained off lost the
r night shoots went abysmally slow. Scott Pilgrim
k there was a complicated disastrous day of eff ect
hat sent me into a deep funk and then on Worldâs End
mber a day where nothing went right where we ditched
e sequence. Cue my transformation into The Sulk.
a: I canât remember I think you block it out like
th so youâll do it again. But of course I remember
s that werenât working and once having to give up
d come back to it another day.
ne: Having said the above I abhor when the actors
know their dialogue cold. When I have to spoon-feed
e to a lazy actor I think of all the great Russian novels
be reading instead of wasting my time. It makes
t to turn exclusively to documentaries â no hair
ke-up no second takes and everyone knows his
ialogue.
y: A night shoot â in February in Montreal â in
ees-below-zero weather.
The last.YOU THE FIRST ON SET OR
LAST?
ight: The fi rst. I love the stillness of a set before the
arrive and it gives me time to walk through the day.
irst. Thereâs a golden window every day before
e else and their walkie-talkies march in where you
e set to yourself; where you can walk around it freely
yours entirely.
: First to arrive last to leave (ish).
ergh: First.
: Always the fi rst.
n: First. I like to get there early to see what Iâve got and
d adapt. But thereâs always some crew in before and out
maybe âNeither.â
reengrass: Somewhere in the middle.
Cuarón: This is a case-by-case scenario. Iâm fi rst if I can help to
move things forward. Iâm not fi rst if thereâs a lot of preparation
and Iâm not needed. I can use that time for more productive
things: planning cutting rewriting sleeping...
Michell: First. I sneak on when nobodyâs looking and fi gure
out what to do.
Marshall: In-between â but closer to the fi rst. Itâs vital that
everyone knows what the plan is for the day.
Nolan: Iâm there from call to wrap â but thereâs an army
of unsung PAs and location assistants whose hours put
directors to shame. H