Masterclass: Directors talking about acting and blocking (Twitter Transcript)
Miles_Per_Life (I can't find much more information about him, click on the link for his twitter) sometimes posts film questions on twitter, tagging directors like James Mangold and Christopher McQuarrie. These directors regularly have long discussions about filmmaking on twitter and Miles' questions have been the beginning of some very interesting conversations.
Late last night Miles posted another question, about directing actors. This question led to a very interesting thread, featuring Christopher McQuarrie, James Mangold, Ben Stiller and Brad Bird.
I love these twitter threads but, because people are commenting on each other's comments as well as on the main thread, the whole thing can quickly become a bit messy and hard to follow. I did my best to find all the relevant tweets and brought them together in the transcript below.
Some of Ben Stiller's tweets in the transcript were slightly edited.
It all started with this tweet:
Chirstopher McQuarrie: I aim for one word direction (warmer, colder, faster, slower). Certain moments require more detail, but I’m not trying to control the actors, merely shape what’s already there. The more I work with the actors, the more I can tailor the writing to best serve their strengths.
M_P_L: When you block a scene How do you approach making sure it’s propelling the film forward? Like if you choose to move a character left, instead of right... Intention? Character driven? Story driven?
James Mangold: What is the most important moment in the scene? What is the scene’s turning point? Where does the dynamics or power change? Block to making that moment non verbally apparent. Also initially allow people to move naturally. People move a lot. Then simplify.
CMQ: Agreed. With an exception: Check out the underground bunker scenes in Edge of Tomorrow. 5 scenes, 12 pages, all shot in one day. Camera angles were used to determine blocking, categorized by a frame’s inherent emotional value: pressure, power, information.
Ben Stiller: For what it’s worth, organic blocking to me is the key to any scene working.
JM: Very true. But sometimes blocking can feel unnatural in the room and play naturally in the rectangle. Or naturally in the room and feel too twitchy and and sloppy for the moment. Another important aspect of blocking actors, for me, is where the camera lives for each moment.
Sometimes I let a scene play "naturally" & then try to puzzle where camera goes w/o disturbing the "organic-ness" of movement. But usually 4 me, it's better when all elements including the camera r finding their place at the same time. Neither reactive to the other. Harmonious
CMQ: I can think of an instance where the actor's every natural instinct worked to undermine the character's power. The less the actor moved, smiled, took action, the more powerful the actor became.
One actor could not stop putting their hands in their pockets. The intention may have been cool, but the camera saw casual, un-threatening, resigned. I took to having costumes sew the actor's pockets shut.
BS: Pockets are huge option for many actors. What to do with one's hands. Props, pockets, that’s it. Sewing them shut seems cruel, yet probably the smartest option. Sometimes telling an actor not to do something can make them self aware in a way that backfires.
CMQ: Oh, I told them. Many, many times. Calmly. Then I just... helped.
JM: One of the greatest lessons in art making is doing less. Having faith in the power of what you bring as opposed to what you think you should do. It doesn't only apply to actors, it applies to all of us. Directors play with their pockets a lot too.
JM: This is where the rectangle comes to play importantly. Because something as slight as an actor lifting their eyes, in a close shot can seem more powerful than a lunge at the lens in a wide. All movement is relative to the frame. A head turn can be as dynamic as a swooping shot.
BS: Yes. And agree sometimes motivating or flipping a move to work for camera is necessary.
Brad Bird: Also, I think it helps to think of the camera as another actor, responding to what’s happening in the scene. When to introduce movement, how fast/slow to move, when to be still... so that the camera itself is another living thing, sharing with actors the emotion of the moment.
CMQ: I couldn’t agree more, especially in terms of shooting action.
JM: Thus, a "static" or more intimate scene can still have huge blocking. Every turn, flick of the eyes, touch or gesture, no matter how subtle, can become large if the camera is intimate.
