What I learned Directing my first narrative with professional talent Part 3: Shooting

Alright it’s shoot day.  The biggest issue you’re facing as a director working with actors is time.  Your day is pressurized.  You need to do so many things very quickly, or at least your crew does.  You’re responsible for making every decision that wasn’t made before today, solving confusion while maintaining the integrity of the impact of the movie your making.  That’s why before you get on set, the best thing you can do to help your actors is to prepare every other department before the first day on set.

Photo on the set of Prologue (2020)

Get to a place before shoot day where your department heads are comfortable.  Shoot days are insanely expensive, you or the production is paying everyone to be there, feed them, maybe even house them.  On top of that you or the production is renting equipment.  Delegate what you can.  Trust your team you helped hire so you can concentrate on working with the actors' get everything out of their performance.  Honestly this is what I felt I was naturally best at, I’m very prepared and I know what decisions I want to make versus what I leave to department heads.  But you must communicate what you’re keeping and what department heads are responsible for, or there can be confusion.  There’s always something I feel like I thought I communicated but hadn’t on shoot day.  It’s very hard to over communicate as a director.

If you’ve rehearsed, then you should also know where the variability can be for the actors.  You’re now familiar with how they interpret the text, how close they can get to an ideal.  Set up the mood for the actors from the beginning of the day.  Set the tone for the actors by how you conduct your set.  Also, use your Assistant Director.  They’re often the next most adept at dealing with actors.  Communicate the mood and your concerns.

Then when you’re ready to shoot, know what is the most important shot of the day.  Make sure you save time for those performances because it’s easy to get caught up on small things like a single line delivery or the way someone walks.  Learn to adapt to what you’ve captured so you can focus on key moments for the film.  Your scheduling will determine where those moments come during the day.  You may want to think while scheduling, is there a scene you want earlier in the day so you have ample time to shoot it?  Is there a moment you want to build up to and shoot on the last day?  All of these things you can mention while figuring out the schedule, but it very likely won’t be the only factor in figuring out the schedule, so you’ll have to be flexible.  Know your schedule and how much time you can go over on something (Good AD's help with this a ton as well).

Adam Wade & Shonali Bhowmik on the set of Sardines out of a Can (2013)

Another way to buy time is to combine shots with camera movement.  If you do this you must be much more precise with your pacing of the scene.  It also may cost more to move the camera effectively to combine shots for the scene.  But in the end it could end up saving you money if you can save time shooting or it may allow you to have more time to capture the big moment scenes.

Finally, give all speaking actors the attention on the day they're doing scenes. You likely will have to focus a bit more on main characters, but all characters are important and you want all actors to appreciate their time on set.  I do not always do this well.  It’s important to remember the actors are all different and they’re not their characters.  Pay attention to what they need to become their characters.  All acting is on the actors and the director to emote for the characters.

It’s a lot to pay attention to, but in general, what I learned from my first short film is to be extremely prepared, trust your instincts (cliché, I know), and pay attention to all of your actors preparing and on shoot day and you’ll capture unforgettable moments for your movie.

What I learned Directing My First Narrative with Professional Talent Part 2: Rehearsal

So, now you’re cast and you need to decide whether you rehearse.  Most people do rehearse.  Just think of plays, you couldn’t do a play without rehearsing.  Preparing in film is just about the best thing you can do.  However, in movies you have an option, as people can rehearse on their own.

Award-winning movie Directed by Justin Joseph Hall

Since video is captured so briefly and you can’t refine performances further as you perform each and the audience is very critical in film, sometimes honest reactions can be found by not rehearsing and letting people react honestly on set.  So the choice is up to the directors and actors.  It’s good to discuss this.  I find most of the time people fall on rehearsal to refine and make sure everyone’s on the same page, but if it’s more of a free flowing set that gives actors freedom and you really trust and believe in your actors you could skip rehearsal.  I personally like to rehearse to work out pacing and to understand the tone of the actors working together like an orchestra.

So what is rehearsal good for?  Why wouldn’t we just bring the crew and shoot it?  What makes a good rehearsal?  All great questions.

First off, what makes a good rehearsal is one that improves the final product with less cost.  That is the reason we don’t bring in the crew.  It’s a minimal crew, time to practice with the actors for them to hone in their characters while the director hones in the story.  Just as in a play.  Sometimes the key players are brought in for rehearsal.  The cinematographer at times helps to understand emotions, framing and distances between characters.  Maybe an intimacy coordinator if there’s going to be sex scenes.  Really whoever you want to help along.  A writer may be brought in order to modify the script or work in good improvisations for the shoot day script.  However, the more people you bring, likely the more it will cost.  Also, the main concentration is on the actors, so you don’t want them to be distracted.

What makes a good rehearsal?  A positive environment for the actors in which they end up more ready for the day.  The director as well.  The more comfortable the team feels and the less they have to figure out emotional beats and timing issues on shoot day results in savings from when you’re paying for rental equipment, gaffers, grips, assistant camera people who aren’t paid at rehearsal.  So, rehearsal is a great way to stretch your budget a bit further and improve the quality of your film’s acting, pacing, and even improve the story.

For a few tips when trying scenes that I’ve loved during rehearsal is #1, let the actors present what they’ve prepared.  Learn from their style, adapt to the actors.  I rarely give any direction ahead of a scene, even if it’s something technical.  I like to see what they do.

Sardines out of a Can, John Early & Shonali Bhomik

Second, trust your instincts, but know that no one is going to match exactly what’s in your head.  Make sure you’re getting what can add to the story, whether or not it’s what you had in your mind in the first place.  Don’t forget the tone you want your film to set, but real characters and great actors live in that world and can vary from moment to moment.  That’s sometimes what makes something work or even ‘feel real.”

If you are stuck or don’t like what you see I suggest first directly telling actors the emotions the characters are feeling in the parts that aren’t working.  Get them to the place by telling them what you want from them kindly, yet directly.  For instance, I may have said to one actor that your character wants to cry but can’t be heard by her husband.  That’s very specific.  I may tell the counter character that he’s distraught about the marriage relationship and a bit depressed but is focusing all his energy on his job’s success and making a kid.  In a way, it’s telling the story of emotions that brings details on a script page to life.

If it seems nothing is quite right at all and the actor is stiff.  Maybe give them odd directions, just to get comfortable and to have them concentrate on something other than their lines.  Tell them they have a nicotine crave and can’t find a cigarette.  Maybe they’re waiting for a phone call from a first date and are trying to occupy their mind with what’s going on in the scene.  This can spark creativity and you can always take anything you give them away.  It’s just to give challenges and get actors out of their own heads.

Take the time during rehearsal (it always seems too short), to learn how an actor gets in character.  You should already be talking to them and getting to know them on a personal level, always exploring the work.  Know what gets them to tick and how they like to get to their spot on set so you’re prepared with how to deal with them for important scenes.

Shawn Thomas & Claudia de Candia in the opening scene of Prologue

Finally, think about blocking, but not too much.  I like to keep those thoughts in my head to speak with the Cinematographer afterward on how to capture what we want.  Are there adjustments that need to be made?  Will those adjustments change the tone of the framing of shots?  Would it affect lighting plans?  Just some things to always ponder in between rehearsal and shoot day.  Same with the writing.  If you see something needs to be changed, speak with whoever’s in charge of the script.

That brings me again to improvisation.  Some actors like it, some don’t.  I, often for an improvement, really like to tell actors to start a few lines before what’s in the script.  Write a few lines before what’s on page so we can think about what the characters just finished doing before what’s needed for the stories.  It’s a way to get inside the actor’s minds and also to make sure everyone’s further on the same page.  You may get great ideas from them.  Push actors in rehearsal so you know what’s comfortable for them on shoot day when it’s chaotic.

Of course, have fun.  What a pleasure and joy to play and create with professionals.  Working with actors is so much fun.  Vulnerable artists who are willing to work with you on your idea you care about.  It’s really an amazing feeling.

What I learned Directing My First Narrative with Professional Talent - Part 1: Casting

For many years, I directed short films with my brothers, schoolmates, then I switched to working with other filmmakers.  We would make movies, being silly and doing the best we could in a role, but in a way, we never took it seriously and dedicated our life to it.  

That’s what actors do.  They dedicate their life to being able to reach emotions and express themselves as a living canvas.  They are the art that we watch in plays and movies.

People love stories, and we have an innate drive to learn as human beings with the brain wiring that we have.  One of the fastest ways we can learn is through stories.  Stories give us not only information, if provided, but we can hear about feelings and with actors, we can see what someone is feeling and in turn internalize that with our own empathy.  In this way we’re not only learning through words & thoughts, but also with emotions.  It’s the reason I love movies.  It’s why I crave to watch more.  It’s to learn more about humanity’s experience.  It’s why I love documentaries, but also narrative movies.

Narrative, or fiction movies, allow us to explore ideas with emotions, or recreate past truths with emotion.  We ask actors to embody certain ideas or certain people in sometimes unthinkable situations that none of us would choose to experience otherwise.  It’s a safe way to learn empathy, and connect our consciousness through others.

Katina Corrao, Joe Perrino, & Claudia de Candia at Prologue read through

I know actors spend years putting themselves and practicing different emotions and learning to embody someone else.  I know a lot about technical aspects in film and I wouldn’t ask someone I don’t know who knows how to operate a camera, or animate, or other special skills to just work for free.  So I wanted to make sure I had money to at least compensate the actors for their expertise, in order to make my film better.  As the people who can earn money to act, likely are much better and have honed their craft for much longer.

But then, as a director, our job is to shape so many of these technical skilled collaborators into a story or idea we have in our head.  To translate and organize, to gather the team to rally around an idea.

I’ve listened to actors talk all the time.  They’re fun to listen to.  The best are famous, adored, talked about by friends who don’t even work in the field.  There are shows, like Inside the Actor’s Studio, dedicated to learning from the best.  I’ve tried acting here and there under other directors to understand the craft a bit more.

However, I knew directing, my least amount of experience was directing actors who were professionals.  I’ve been around other people doing it.  I studied, read books, but as we all know we at least feel like we learn most from doing as your weaknesses confront you in real time.  So what did I learn from directing my first short with professional actors?

Yara Escobar - Colombian talent

The first thing is, despite famous acting techniques, like method acting, or improvisational comedy being famous.  In all genres, every actor has their own way of preparing for a role.  This may seem obvious, but you have to discover the actor’s method that they use and work with them.  You're molding them into something you and the actor want in the role.  Something you as the director feel comfortable with but also something the actor is comfortable with and will feel proud of when their performance is immortalized on screen.

This discovery begins in the casting process.  As many do, I had tapes sent in, and I filtered out people from their audition and choice on the part I was casting.  But from there I had so many amazing applicants left.  So I started to talk to them.  Interviewed them all over coffee or a call for an hour then had them perform again.  I had my writer and collaborator help me decide who was right for the lead.

From there we asked the lead actress to help us in some of the casting decisions as well, because the lead actress would be working the most with the other actors.  We wanted the people we chose to be compatible with her as well.

From there, we had our cast, a small five person cast for a short movie.  Next read Part 2 regarding rehearsal.

Writer’s biography

As a Director, Justin Joseph Hall evokes emotions and spurs new thoughts through fiction and non-fiction works.  Artist & the City (2021), his docu-series on creative careers, won 6 awards including the Audience Award for Best Series at YoFiFest.  Prologue (2020) is a surreal exploration of relationships and miscommunication winning Best of Awards at Manhattan Film Festival and Worldfest Houston International Film Festival.  He’s currently editing his first feature Frames of Reference, an education adventure encountering an addict teacher, a cowgirl, outlaws, transgender studies, & kids with guns.