Filmmaking / Directing

Who's your favorite superhero, Geoff?

Niki Hayes

She sat at a table with the studio managers and began to write and left the pen and went out so that everyone could read what she had written to see that she had written the dramatic line. This is my girl. This is what one of the studio managers says.

Leonardo Ramirez

You are a talented maker. You define the elements of the main characters with their traits, desires, and events that have always been the opposite. This is how you defuse mines.

David Abrookin.

It's your choice . It is you or your friend, you are our hero. Studio managers draw their plans on your opinions. Well let us obliterate Superman as you see it

Geoff Hall You reply to Maurice Vaughan

Everything Will Vinton

Star Wars by George Lucas. My parents got tired of me using "the force" to crush their heads. Yeah, good times.

Tootsie, Broadcast News, Cookie's Fortune

Wasn't allowed to see Carpenter's The Thing when it came out cause my parents erroneously claimed I was too young and couldn't handle it, but I was able to get into bookstores and read about it in Fangoria magazine, which only made me want to see it more. This built up the suspense until I finally got to watch it and it didn't disappoint. I still watch it once a year at least. Carpenter's best movie by far IMHO.

One of my dreams as a kid was to have my name in Fangoria, as that was how I got most of my sci-fi/horror news, and I eventually managed to get mentioned for one of my horror films which was pretty cool (issue 279!) For some reason my wife and kinds aren't as impressed as they should be... ;)

The "Harriet the Spy" movie made me want to write stories as a kid, Ashley Renee Smith. The "Office Space" script made me want to write scripts in 12th grade.

1) Ability to balance respecting and trusting talent - and the skill of bringing out the best in talent. 2) Ability to see multiple ways to tell a story, frame a shot for maximum storytelling. 3) Open to varying opinions with enough confidence to know which direction is best for the film.

Clear vision, communication, and calm - it's such an interesting form of leadership, because you're 'in charge' but it's not the same as running a business and every knows the goal is to achieve your vision/story, which isn't necessarily as tangible as other business goals, you know? Definitely a big challenge finding that balance

Dont you live close to Los Angeles? Go join Union Writers picketing outside movie studios and talk to them.

Hello Amanda, nice to meet you!

Of course we could talk a lot about the two jobs, but in general terms here are the main differences:

1) AD in TV: there are usually more than one AD on set (1st, 2nd, 3rd and, at times, even more), and they all have a lot to do (from making sure every department works efficiently to referring to the director if something's wrong, from being a "messenger" between departments to keeping track of timing, and more).

2) Showrunner: they're among the most powerful people in the tv series world, because they're both creatives and businessmen. They have a total control over the whole making of the product. It means that they oversee the writing room, approve (or not) everything concerning the story world, characters' arcs, plots and more. They can also be part of the writing team, if they want. Also, showrunners deal with the economic part of the product: they discuss widely with producers about budget, casting choices, marketing, and much more.

@Luca Mannea, thanks for your response! I know all the basics. I’m more so interested in the day-to-day, some of the responsibilities that might not be as known about, how they got to where they are, etc.

@Dan Max, thanks for your response. I’ve been meaning to walk in solidarity, but it’s been difficult for me. 1. I’m disabled, 2. Scheduling with school. Plus, people aren’t necessarily openly displaying what they do in the industry, so I can’t be sure who the right person to approach may be.

Great observation, Gina Roland!

You're right, Gina Roland. Members have put together projects and table reads with actors and crews on here.

It really is a collaborative community, Gina Roland! Love hearing that from community members

Thanks @Gina! I couldn't agree more, love the community here!

Truly an incredible and diverse community here!

@Geoff Thanks for the share, interesting. You already gave answer I feel correct in that audiences care more about the art of story telling than ROL and until now didn't even know Citizen Kane was a financial flop. It did win best screen play though written by Welles and Herman Mankiewicz and still hot on film audience's lips, I even studied the invisible cut in one film school. Back in 1942 I'm wondering how much a million pounds or dollars would be worth today? The Green Mile reaped funds whereas Shawshank Redemption lost yet I remember both with equal passion. The dream scene in The Green Mile, Wow, I'd love a DOP to nail a similar smash, jump, cut sequence in a short of mine. In Shawshank the dialogue "Get busy living or get busy dying," is a daily ethos for me. My favorite cult classics of same era as Citizen Kane considered as modest profits are Double Indemnity & Gaslight. Films are soul food even ones meant to scare us and gain or loss in execs/producers banks, number crunching popularity polls or opinions of critics don't enter equation for me. @All I'm looking into some films mentioned above that I've not seen yet. Also in the 1940's to 90's cult era they mainly had bumbs in cinema seats to count whereas now audiences would watch at home on TV, laptop or mobile.

Debbie Croysdale me too, Debbie. I always thought that Citizen Kane was a box office hit! It’s strange how an audience develops over time and remembers these films with great fondness and for a love of the artistry involved.

Box office receipts are short term results, studios/corporations play the long game and there was once a market for dvd, television broadcast, airplane screenings. One movie flops is just that- one of many other "products" a corporation makes. For example, Warner Bros shelved a Bat girl movie which completed production. Nobody will ever see the movie.

I dont know how indie productions make money. I follow some indie producers and they are barely surviving today, with fewer theater releases and people still staying home because of the pandemic.

I guess whatever "flop" you make will hopefully leverage your talent potential for your next movie idea.

Some of my favs are Heathers, The Big Lebowski, Hocus Pocus, and Empire Records. Those are movies that I LOVE and watch at least once a year, but they were considered huge flops.

Dan MaxXx the exception to that thought would be Richard Kelly, who seemed to go from low budget to lower budget.

"The Hollywood guilds and unions stand united." Great words to hear, Geoff Hall! I hope the AMPTP reaches a fair deal with the WGA, DGA, and SAG-AFTRA, but if not, all three will be on strike, and that's gonna be something to see because how can you make anything with no writers, directors, and actors?

I think it really is up in the air! This one is hard to judge especially based on history. They obviously usually stay out of strikes and other unions business, but this is a pretty unprecedented time with circumstances coming together for many unions like it hasn't before. My wish is that they strike to lean their weight instead of just "favored nations".

Amanda, thanks so much for that. Had no idea Christopher Nolan launched with a short! I really enjoy how a compelling short film can tell a story and pack an emotional punch without the big investment of time we sometimes just don't have. Surprising to me it's not a more profitable art form.

Last Fall, I produced/directed a 22-min doc about my Dad, showed it to a PBS exec -- and now we're now developing a docu-style show together. So, yeah, I'd say it can be effective if the strategy is right.

Awesome and inspiring thread, everyone! Looking forward to getting behind the camera and shooting a couple shorts later this summer.

Fran, that's awesome! Is your 22-minute documentary online?

Keep us posted, Ty! I'm, big gulp, looking at doing the same in September... well, I certainly won't be behind the camera, but I may serving up some street tacos or something essential like that, lol.