DIRECTING ACTORS

Directing actors may be considered as an art in its own right. Actors after all need not be concerned with the medium in which they work. In the movie MOON OVER PARADOR, Richard Dreyfus plays an actor who gets a job in some fictitious Caribbean republic, playing the assassinated dictator of that country (to cover-up the assassination!) Despite the danger that "playing" dictator of a banana republic entails -- he's an actor, right? -- he takes the job!

Some real estate brokers in Beverly Hills utilize out-of-work actors in selling real estate. Actors have special skills of communication. They can sell anything, but someone has to "direct them" to the right "market!" The job of directing actors doesn't become easier, however, just because actors love to act. Some actors will do anything just to get a part in a movie -- even become directors!

Look how many actors are directing movies now. Not just any movies, studio movies with ridiculous budgets! This morning (10/31/1995) on "Good Morning America," Robert Downey, Jr. was talking about a movie just completed HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Jody Foster, the Oscar-winning actress, directed the movie. Commenting on the clip, which depicted Downey attacking the car of his visiting in-laws -- he was climbing all over it, sticking his tongue out and generally acting like a monster -- and their younger kids were videotaping him from the back seat of the locked car with their home video cameras, as the parents were playing shocked and cowering in the front seat.

The interviewer asked Downey if his acting was scripted and he said, no, that Jodie just told him to terrorize the in-laws. And he praised her for her smooth transition from acting to directing. Then he added that he too was going to direct a movie (also a major studio one,) now that Jodie had encouraged him! "And what's the movie about -- are you starring?" the interviewer asked. "Yes, it's about a narcoleptic dog-walker"! Downey said. The TV crew guffawed off camera, Downey smiled and turned to them as they cut to a commercial.

When Billie Crystal said something to the effect that some grandmother was asked about what she wanted to do and she said, "Direct!" -- he wasn't joking. Everybody and his uncle wants to direct. At its worst, actors directing actors is like the blind leading the blind; at its best, it's like the patient psychoanalyzing the doctor. Of course there are some benefits the studio draws from such opportunities extended to stars. They are less likely to demand high salaries in the future, after they're humiliated with some brain-dead movie project (that is often designed just to do that.)

But without beating these actors on the head too severely, (because somebody's going to say that it's just a case of "sour grapes" with independents like me who never seem to get studio financing,) let me add that there are exceptions to the rule. Some actors after years of experience do graduate to directing. I say that because it's more than just changing careers for them. Acting is related to directing. In fact, I'll go as far to say that every director can benefit from doing some acting or taking some acting courses.

So what am I driving at? Well, it's the same way I feel about editors, writers or producers directing. Sure, anybody can direct, but directing is a special and unique skill and it has to be learned. If you're a director, you're a director. Sure you may come from other areas of film making, you may come from any other profession for that matter, but you have to know how to direct! Just because you're a movie star doesn't mean you can direct. What I hate is when somebody gets studio funding just because they're a "star." 

And I don't know what kind of director Jodie Foster is (I haven't seen the movies she's directed so far) and how well Downey will do, (they may be both exceptions;) however, it's generally a bad idea to let actors direct before they're past their prime as actors (and I'm not talking about age here! I mean, when they've exhausted their own desire to perform -- in those cases where that is possible!)

I must inject here about a second interview about the Jodie Foster movie! This morning (11/1/1995) I watched her on "Good Morning America" as she talked excitedly about her new movie with Robert Downey, Jr. The interviewer asked her about directing and acting. She said that while the movies she directed had something to do with her own life and experiences (there's a little bit of her in every character, she said;) but the roles she takes are people "that I'm not." And then the interviewer asked her, "Why do you like directing? Does it have something to do with control?" "No, well yeah, if you mean that it gives me a chance to inspire actors to fly! Something that I don't get to do when I act and direct." Oops! So you can't act and direct at the same time, because the acting suffers! What about the directing, who suffers then? The audience does, that's who -- that's you and me, friend!

Take Clint Eastwood, Rob Reiner and Robert Redford, as examples: as successful as their movies have been, the films they directed would've been a lot better directed by someone else! Even Woody Allen and Jerry Lewis would be better off. I don't give a damn what French critics say or who gets the Oscar. How in the hell can an actor direct himself or herself as they stand before the camera? They have to do it on paper, before the slate is taken for sure; unless they're "functioning" schizophrenics -- if there is such a thing, because you can only be one or the other of your personalities at any one time! Haven't you noticed, all Woody Allen characters end up talking like Woody Allen children who "hate" their mothers, women who are neurotic about their "phalluses", Shakespearean actors who sound like they grew up in the Bronx -- it's ridiculous. And Jerry Lewis isn't funny anymore, ever since he started directing. What a waste of comedic genius!

Directing actors is a special skill. With all the "wrong" people directing and the proliferation of "home video" directors, there's a chasm opening up, and a "giant suction sound" that leaves a void, and an opportunity, for qualified, dedicated and disciplined directors to step in and take a hold of a floundering industry.
You must believe in yourself, pursue your goals relentlessly and never lose confidence in your knowledge. Study all the books on acting methods, take acting and directing courses all you want; but when you begin directing your movies, remember to work diligently with actors.

First, as the opening chapters of this book recommended, choose your actors well, whatever your budget. Second, begin by working with them on rehearsing their scenes by watching and listening to what they bring to those scenes. Then proceed to modify or change their "reading" (performance of action and dialogue) of the part. Most important, respect them. If you can, love them, and this will speed your process of learning what it takes to become a good director. And when I say, "Love them," I don't mean propose marriage!

Actors are wonderful because of what they do as actors. If you don't think so, you're in the wrong profession. Their skill is a noble skill, their sensibilities are the stuff that makes the world intrinsically a better and more peaceful place to live! Because hatred is a fantasy to be explored and destroyed, (as the talented actor Harvey Keitel so elegantly revealed it, in terms of classical Greek theater, as "Goat singing",) and love is the premise and springboard for all their efforts.
So why aren't more of them into religion? Some are, but most prefer falling in love a lot. One of the hazards, or fringe benefits, of the profession -- depends how you look at it!

Directing actors involves helping them understand your interpretation of the script. You have to learn to be patient, diplomatic, respectful, sensitive and inspiring.
There are some subconscious reasons why you picked these actors, so use their talent in arriving at that interpretation that you've envisioned. This means, as we've discussed in listening to them first; but then you must decide on how to proceed.

With comedy, you must be especially aware of the fact that the success of your movie depends mostly on how funny your actors are and how funnily they interpret the story. Good comedians will bring with them a sense of timing, a lot of intuition and ability of revealing their own best individual talents. You must remember to maintain their timing in the editing (snappy cutting.) Also you must be sure to shoot a lot of medium two-shots, because the reactions are an integral part of what makes a line or bit of business funny!

In dramas, when directing emotional scenes, with actresses especially, remember not to let your actors cry too much. In fact, the most emotionally poignant scenes are the ones when an actress is emotional, slightly tearful, but with no audible crying accompanying her performance. Let the audience cry instead, you'll sell more popcorn! Watch Meryl Streep in KRAMER VS. KRAMER, you'll notice how effective she is in the last parting scene, where she leaves her son with the father, played by Dustin Hoffman. Then be sure to study Hoffman's co-mingling of emotions: the reaction of compassion for her decision and the pain of losing her. While in real life, crying out loud is often more effective; in movies, dry tears work better.

While directing children or actors with little training requires that you explain a lot of things, as you play psychologist, putting them at ease by telling self-deprecating and humorous stories about yourself; directing professional actors should be handled with respect for their skills. They'll know their lines, usually hit their marks and generally are aware of what physical actions they must limit themselves to in order to stay in frame and sometimes, as I've mentioned, they even know where their own light is!

Directing an action movie, you must be vigilant in your efforts to make sure that safety on the set is of prime concern. Of course, if anything serious happens on an independent or low budget movie, you'll lose the film and maybe some more. Guns which fire "blanks" can be deadly. The blank is a real bullet. It has an explosive charge just like a real bullet, but instead of the lead tip that is fired out of the gun's barrel and which is the deadly piece that kills, the "blank" bullet fires a piece of cardboard. This cardboard while not deadly if fired at someone's body, does sometimes sting, especially if the actors are only wearing something thin or their skin is exposed. But, if you fire at (heaven forbid) someone's face or close to their face, you might blind them or injure their face. You may have read about the young actor who held the blank-firing gun to his head and fired, as a sort of joke, and died of a brain concussion.

Make sure that actors (especially method actors -- I'm not joking,) don't have a blank-loaded gun during the rehearsals. Put the blank bullets only during the takes and be sure to tell them to point it away from the face of the actor they're shooting, even if the scene requires that the shot be fired at someone's face. You get the same result of showing somebody shot in the face, by having the actor hold the gun parallel but at least one foot to one side of the other actor's face and then shooting the scene with a telephoto lens! The camera is like a one-eyed creature, it doesn't "see" depth. Put your hand on one eye and try to tell the distance of two items five feet in front of you, with each item one foot apart from the other (don't look for familiar reference points.) You see, you can't tell if someone is not firing directly at somebody else's face!

Slaps and punches have to be practiced and learned properly by everyone concerned so that they are done well, photographed realistically and most important of all without landing on anyone for real! Slaps and punches work according to the same principle as I've described for guns. You throw a punch across someone's face passing at least one foot away from the face, but from camera angle, across the face! This looks like it connected. If you don't believe it look through the lens, preferably a telephoto (75mm and up will do,) or close one eye, and have one person demonstrate this. You can shoot this kind of angle from both sides, but you can pull it off easier from the blind side of the camera angle. The secret is in the reaction! The actor taking the punch reacts to the coming punch immediately as the fist comes into his peripheral vision.

The same technique works for slaps. With the hand flat, extend your arm quickly past the actors face and pull your hand right back to yourself while keeping one foot distance from the face. It looks like a slap on camera if the hand crosses in front of the face. Leave that to the camera operator to decide when you're directing or acting. Camera operators know how to cheat punches and slaps. Remember the reactions are what sell the slaps and punches. So have the actors practice and make them good. Since there's no danger of getting hit by using this technique, practice makes perfect.

What you don't want to see (through the lens) is a hand or fist going around in front of the other actor who's supposed to take the hit. This looks like a miss. There will be a gap between the hand and the face. The hand or fist have to cross the field of vision from camera angle. Punches to the body, blows with various instruments and weapons all use the same principal. The reaction sells the hit, while the viewing angle "cheats" the perception, as all hits are faked!

Don't let anyone talk you into staging "realistic" slaps or especially punches. "I used to box, I can stop my hand one inch from her face!" Oh, yeah? Try it on your mother first! I've seen real fist fights break out between beginning stuntmen who said, "Don't worry, we're pros," or "We know how to take a punch!" Then one punch slips through and the camera operator is smiling and saying, "This is great, fellas, keep it up!" Only you've got to fix their teeth and maybe end up with a lawsuit on your hands. And as the fight goes on, someone says, "Oh, let them finish, they started that fight on the last show we worked; they gotta work it out, Jimmy got carried away last time and Johnny's just getting even." Great, what do you do now, just keep rolling?

I'll be honest with you, I don't know what to tell you. If you yell, "Cut!" and step in to separate them, you should at least be dressed for the part, because they might just punch your lights out, and so later you can still use the shot! If you don't yell "Cut!" Somebody's going to accuse you of taking advantage of the situation, "He planned the whole thing!" You should yell, "Cut!" and play it by ear from that point on. It all depends on where the chips fall after the fight's over.

There's one consolation I can offer you. If the fight breaks out between members of a stunt organization, then they'll arbitrate the dispute between themselves. Don't get yourself involved in the dispute. Most likely your stuntmen will be back at work within half an hour. If not, take a break and replace them with the help of the production manager, who probably hired them in the first place.

Part V.
Distribution. 
Finding a Distributor. 
Majors' Distribution. 
Mini-Majors. 
Independent Distributors. 
Distributing Your Own Film. 
The Foreign Market. 
Domestic Distribution. 
Festivals. 
Four-Walling. 
Video, TV & Ancillary Markets. 
Building Your Library of Films. 
Business Options. 
Corporations. 
Limited Partnerships. 
Public Offerings. 
Conclusions.