I believe directing a film is the greatest job in the world. I know that when I direct, I'm home. It sounds strange or maybe even corny, but it's true. It all feels right, and I believe it's the best job in the world. It's all about telling stories through a vision, one that is the director's but also shaped by so many other people you collaborate with on the way. It's quite the experience, and I'm so excited to make Trust Us!
Okay, enthusiasm is great, but being the go-to guy about everything creative is just a surreal task. I'm pretty decisive in general, especially with stuff I write and direct. But there are some surprises that come with directing and I'm only scratching the surface. People don't want to only always know what you think about everything, but they expect you to defend it too, until your tongue bleeds! Why? Because everyone involved wants to know why. And you better be ready to tell them. Everyone will agree with you only if you can defend your major (and sometimes minor) choices. What I'm saying is honest. I had no idea during the development of my first feature that I'd not just be asked to be the director, but I'd also be asked to be a lawyer and defend the crap out of it too!
Now that makes me laugh because my parents always thought I'd be a lawyer when I was growing up. They thought I could argue my way through anything. I've changed a bit since then, but this skill proves to be more important now than ever. To be a director, don't call your lawyer, be a lawyer. Well actually, you know, with anything other than the actual law of course.
Was so-and-so an only child? Where does your time traveler keep his stuff in the time machine? What color do you think your main character's shirt is for his first day of class? What's his class schedule besides the one we're following? What kind of posters would his roommate have up? What kind of music does he like? The questions just get more and more detailed, and even though I can answer all of these questions right now, there are just as many I haven't thought about yet. And they'll come up. The key to finding the answer? Know your material! If you wrote it, it's seriously not enough. You have to think about everything. If you didn't write it, you still have to come up with answers to all of these questions. What's funny about it all is that no one should know the script better than the director, or writer/director especially. I wrote my script, and you'd be surprised of the things I get asked that I don't have an answer for. And I really thought I had an answer for everything. I do my research too... I come up with backstories for characters, I can picture production design in my head... but believe it or not, I can't think of everything beforehand. I don't know about others, but you just can't cover everything when writing. You know what's fun, though? Coming up with stuff on the fly. It's like improv for writers. If you don't have the answer, make it up, and make sure it makes sense within the context. Then defend the sh*t out of it! Fight, fight, fight for the mohawk that just belongs on your character! Hey, maybe his father hates mohawks and it's his way to get under his skin. Think of something good, then defend it. The better you do that, the less people will question your vision, and for good reason.
And that's the key to it all: know your material well enough to give these questions proper answers, and more importantly, a good reason of why it's the case. I was recently asked if my time machine needs wheels. I quickly answered yes, because in the world of my script, it's made clear that no one wants to time travel into themselves. It has to move at least a few feet first. Good question, good answer, moving on. Casting questions are the craziest because everyone has an opinion. Some people don't like certain actors because they rub them the wrong way. Don't say that as a director unless you know why it's wrong for your character. Why does any actor work or not work for this character? You'll find yourself revealing everything there is to this role, and connecting it with the actor's looks, personality, and past work. Sometimes it may be opposite of what they usually do, but that's exactly why you want them! In Trust Us, Dr. Hughes is the professor everyone wants. The kids love him: he's charming, fun, and intelligent. But, you learn very early on that he steals Guy's invention. That's why a cool choice could be to find someone the audience has trouble hating. We all know likable actors... why not confuse the audience and make it hard for them to do so based on that actor's persona and past performances? That's something you need to explain to others, and you'll find you'll be challenged constantly by those who matter and often. It's exhausting! These debates can span for hours! Why won't they just take my word for it?! They won't, so defend your client. But don't take it personally, this is how you learn more about your own work, while convincing producers, actors, financiers, and crew that you know what the heck you're doing. The better you explain, the more they'll like it if they know the material. Then the best part happens... they build on your answer and come up with something even better. That's a how a good movie becomes great anyway.
So, put together your opening statement, drill the prosecutor's witnesses, bring some of your own, and defend your choices with logic, reason, and passion. That's how you'll get your point across. Fight for your choices. Stand by them. Don't get tired. Don't get frustrated. State your case and the jury will listen. Don't just be a director, be a lawyer too. Court adjourned.
One last thing: Nicky Arezu Akmal and I were interviewed by "Royal Pulp Reviews " about Trust Us recently. Follow the link and you can see it under "recent posts" on the right or just scroll down to Feb. 27th on the homepage. It's right here at: royalpulpreviews.com.
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