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Category: What I Learned From…

Oct212012

3 More Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… the Opera

1. We Love To See The Same Story Again and Again
We get excited that the opera we saw a couple of years ago comes back to town and off we go to see it again – even though we know the story from previous viewings, and re-read the story before the curtain rises. Operas, fairy tales, myths… we love to see these stories play out over and over again. It is the journey of the familiar tale, the anticipation of the magical moments seen or heard before, and the exciting possibility of new magical moments and insights that bring us back. As filmmakers, what are the magical moments that will give our films a lasting re-viewable quality?

2. It May Take A While To Find the Audience
La Bohème had a weak reception to its first audience… yet it went on to become one of the greatest and most popular operas of all time. Even then, there was great pressure on opening night for a sign of the future (financial and critical) success of an artistic work. Yet a poor reception doesn’t necessarily mean give up on it – opera or film. Just keep trying to find the right audience to make the connection.

3. Education Can Take You Only So Far
In vocal music class, the only acceptable stances for singing were sitting (with your back straight) on the front of your chair, or standing… yet at the opera, characters die in bed for extended periods of time singing arias at full volume from a distinctly – although modified – prone position! There were no beds and couches in vocal music class to lie down on in order to practice this obviously required position for singing in the “real” operatic world. You just have to adapt what you learned to make it work.

Cheers & an operatic shoot to you,
Deb

Mar182011

The Serendipitous Cuppa Tea

My (very British) grandmother was born on a Wednesday… and Wednesday’s child is full of woe. So when she lost her budgie, it was just another standard crisis. What was unusual about this event, though, is that the event revealed a great truth.

She looked everywhere for the budgie: up and down around the house, in the back garden. She enlisted a neighbour to help. She asked the nearby chip shop to post a notice in the window. All to no avail. Panic was rising.

Then the neighbour suggested the natural next step: “Now dear, let’s sit down and have a nice cuppa tea.”

Reluctantly my grandmother agreed and so they went back to to my grandmother’s house. They set to making that cuppa tea: boiling the water, warming the teapot, placing the sugar bowl on the table, sharing friendly chatter amid worry. Next my Grandmother opened the fridge to collect the milk. There he was – the budgie – shivering slightly on the jam jar. A moment passed as they regarded each other.

The budgie realized he was rescued, stretched his wings and flew out of the fridge to safety.

My Grandmother realized a truth: stopping for a cup of tea can solve anything.

And she’s right! Take a break for “a cuppa” no matter what your rising panic is: the stress of the production or of looking for freelance work. At the very least you’ll take a few minutes to clear your head. At best… something about that break could solve everything you’re worried about.

Have you ever had a serendipitous cuppa?

Cheers & have a great cuppa tea,
Deb

Jul32010

3 Things Filmmaking I Learned About Filmmaking from… The World Cup

 1. Not Everything is Black & White

Sure the ball is black & white, but the perspectives of people watching the game differ dramatically. We can share the same moment, same images and still come out with different opinions about what happened on the field. As filmmakers, we can craft a movie experience, and might be able to influence (but cannot control) how the message will be received and interpreted.

2. It’s a Worldwide Experience

Street parties erupt around the world! They are amazing! So many cities around the globe as good as close down during the final few games so the citizens can stop to follow every minute. As soon as the game is over, hoards of fans of all ages descend on the formerly empty streets to share in the exhilaration of a game won. I’m not just talking the host city, either. It’s quite a phenomenon, and I’ve been fortunate to experience it in person a number in a couple of countries now – seeing ghost like streets turn into a network of celebrations – the grandest of all street parties. What an amazing gift that the World Cup can affect with us the world over. Filmmakers have this unique opportunity too to become a worldwide experience, to affect people we don’t even know. The audience may not have street parties for a film, but they certainly line up to see some of them. Wouldn’t you like to affect people on this scale?

3. It Matters

The World Cup isn’t health care, education, food or shelter. No, it’s not what we’d typically consider the essentials of life, and yet is it? When you see the emotional reaction of the fans around the globe you have to recognize how much it really matters. Pride of country. Pride of heritage. Celebration of sporting excellence. It’s great for morale, and with great morale do you think there is anything we can’t do? In this way, the World Cup is also like filmmaking – another forum where people connect to the “product” on an emotional level. We need these emotional connections in life. And so the work we do is therefore essential. It really matters.

Cheers & a happy World Cup to you!
Deb

Jun112010

3 Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… Breakfast

1. Breaking Your Fast is Re-energizing

After a long night of not eating, breakfast is when you literally “break your fast”. It tastes great; it takes care of that morning stomach growl; it re-energizes you. How – after a long time between projects – working on a new production feels like the same thing. It’s the same re-energizing feeling. Enjoy it. The day has begun again.

2. Who Needs Variety at Breakfast?

We can have the same coffee, same toast or same cereal every morning – our fixed morning routine, yet for lunch or dinner we crave variety. Lots of variety. Some film shoots hire 2 catering companies to alternate weeks just to keep up the variety… not for breakfast but for lunch! It’s got to be because we’re sleepy in the morning. So, we really need that breakfast to help us wake up and get the brain functioning (on set) for the rest of the day! Set time is so valuable, you don’t want to waste it being sleepy.

3. For Some People, Coffee Is Breakfast

Some folk can eat a full bacon-n-egg breakfast every day, while others will find that a cup of coffee is quite sufficient to get the day started. Whatta range! Taking that to a film set, it takes a range of people and skills to put a production together. Assembling the right mix of people in the right roles can be quite a challenge, but how satisfying it is to do so… as satisfying as the first, fragrant cuppa joe on set on a cold morning? Hmmm…

Cheers & a good breakfast to you on the next shoot!
Deb

Apr22010

3 Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… the Opera

1. You Can Do Almost Anything, So Long As You Sing It
How you tell a story is what’s important. Sure there are underlying messages beneath the overall framework of the story, but how you communicate the story will determine how how entertaining it will be. You’ve heard “write what you know” and when you think about what you know it may seem a little boring… OK, take the “boring” (which you know so well) and make it interesting by how you express it.

2. The Star System Makes It Happen
Even years ago when operas were first written, Stars helped to shape the final product. Take the Romeo & Juliet opera (by Charles Gounod). As I’ve heard the tale, Gounod was commissioned to write the opera for the opera house owner (who’s wife was going to be the Star). The Star didn’t like one of her solo arias and asked for it to be rewritten. Gounod was unhappy (to say the least) about having to rewrite it, so wrote a solo aria for her that was totally different in tone from the rest of the opera – a waltz. Perhaps he hoped to embarrass her with the “unfitting” aria… but what happened instead was that that waltz aria became his most famous song. How the star system helped push him to create some of his best work!

3. A Story Is Filled Arias & Recitatives
An aria is basically a melodic song, whereas a recitative is basically sung prose. You can’t string aria after aria for an entire opera – it would be too much. You can’t have only recitatives for the entire duration either – it would be too dull. You need pacing between songs and prose. That’s the journey. When it comes to movies, I see the arias as action sequnces, or comedic moments, and recitatives as deeper moments, linking moments. And yes, the right pacing makes it work.

All the best & an operatic shoot to you!

Cheers,
Deb

Feb192010

3 Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… the Winter Olympics

Winter Olympic fever abounds in Vancouver right now. I’m back from a trip and dealing with the daily to/from work challenge of navigating streets of an Olympic host city. Posters of support decorate high rises, line ups are outside pavilions, souvenir stores and the zip wire attraction at Robson Square. The festive atmosphere has permeated the city block after block.

Here are three things I’ve learned about filmmaking from the Winter Olympics:

 1. Well, you can plan for snow…

Even though you can choose a country known for its snow, a country that had incredible snow falls last year with great ski conditions… but it doesn’t mean you’ll have the snow you want when you want: during the Winter Olympics. I’ve filmed a recreation of the summer Olympics once where we had crew out on the field shovelling the snow away. I’ve filmed a Christmas special with no real snow and leaves still on the trees. Sure, you can minimize the risk by choosing your shooting location and time as best you can, but it’s not such a bad idea to budget for the ability to augment snow on a film set… you may to create screen snow from scratch.

2. The importance of being Internet

Can you imagine Olympic coverage in newspapers and on TV without coverage on Internet? Can you imagine a film without a presence on the Internet? When was the last time you watched a movie and didn’t surf at least IMDB at the same time to find out what else that Performer was in? Sure, we interact with the film itself in a different way from its Internet presence, but we need both, and the Internet provides potential to add a new dimension to the movie experience. Yes, Internet presence is essential, and during the shoot is the time to collect unique and timely information. We need to collect that information as an integral part of making the film.

3. We Line Up for Souvenirs

Line ups are everywhere! Line ups to see the delights of the free pavilions; line ups to experience the zip line across Robson Street (over 5 hours long!); line ups to get into the Bay to buy souvenir merchandise! The Olympics affect so many people across society and cultures and they want to be here, be a part of it in many ways. They want souvenir moments, souvenir items. We also need souvenir moments in films… and that’s where you need to not scrimp on spending the budget’s money.

So back to the busy streets of Vancouver for me. Go world go!

All the best &  a good shoot to you,
Deb