Dealing with critics. Part II

Thomas Jefferson once stated that “Talent is never using two words when one will do”. Actors, as a rule are great talkers; they spend time and energy talking about what they are going to do, giving away all their secrets. It is important to focus your conversations on what you are actually doing, not on what you are going to do.

When you are acting, a million things may be running through your head when in all actuality you only speak a sentence or two. It is important to use this concept in real-life as well. By controlling what you are saying or going to say, people will be more apt to want to hear more. Remain positive throughout conversations. No one wants to hear about an illness or death. Negativity only brings people down and turns them away.

So what exactly makes an actor a star? “When you see a star, you don't see an actor, you see that person, always the same in anything you put him in”, director Alan Dwan has stated, “costumes or out of costumes-he’s the same. You like him for some reason, and you yourself must analyze the reason…A fellow like John Wayne is the same in every picture… And Jimmy Stewart is always Jimmy Stewart, no matter what he’s playing. And you like it. You like him. And personalities are very important.” Director Paul Morrissey has similar thoughts on the matter, “The public likes the security of knowing the actor before he goes in. They like when Clint Eastwood is Clint Eastwood. If he tries to be someone other than Clint Eastwood, they resent it. In effect, Clint Eastwood has created that artist man, Clint Eastwood, on screen. As an artist, he has to be Clint Eastwood.”

Being typecast is a problem that plagues actors today. Typecast means that a particular actor is known for and typically only considered for a particular type of role. Arnold Schwarzenegger for example, is known for his muscle man, robotic-type characters and is cast for many roles of that type. Examples of these films have been those action flicks such as Terminator, Predator and End of Days. Although he has been cast in family comedies such as Kindergarten Cop and Twins, these roles are rare and generally not as popular for audiences.

 

ACTORS ON ACTING

Timothy Hutton once said that the most important lesson he learned about acting was from his father, actor Jim Hutton. When Jim was working and things were going well, he was happy; when things weren't going well, he was still happy because he had such a great appreciation for just being in the business. Actors in general don’t get into the business to get rich, and most, do not stay in the business purely because of the money they make.

Towards the end of his interview on Inside the Actors Studio, Kevin Spacey was asked by a student of the New School for Social Research to help them appreciate the early process, the lean, very difficult years leading up to the ultimate prize. Spacey responded, “There is no ultimate prize…out there. The only prize is this one (pointing to his heart), and what you feel and what you want to accomplish. And if you can, as you start out, these, what could be lean years, could be fat years, I feel that very often I watch a lot of you people sort of meander around without any idea about why they’re doing what they’re doing. I mean to want and to be ambitious and to want to be successful is not enough. That’s just desire.

To know what you want, to understand why you’re doing it. To dedicate every breath in your body to achieve, if you feel that your particular talent is worth developing, is worth caring for, then there’s nothing you can’t achieve. You’re going to grow up with your colleagues. You’re going to watch them have success and have failure and you're going to watch how they deal with it and they can be as much a teacher for you as anybody here, or anyone who’s privileged enough to come here and speak to you.”

 

Хрестоматия для самостоятельного чтения по специальностям “Живопись”, “Графика”

ART DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

Films can be located anywhere; creating the visual world or setting for a film is the role of the Art Department. The look of sets or locations transports audiences into the world of the story, and is an essential element in making films convincing and evocative. These settings are rarely left to chance by film makers; a great deal of work and imagination goes into constructing appropriate backdrops to any story.

The Art Department usually employs the largest number of people on any film crew. On big budget fantasy, period drama or sci-fi films, the Art Department Offices, and Drawing and Construction Studios can occupy a vast area and employ hundreds of talented people. The Production Designer is the head of the Art Department, and works closely with the Director to create the overall look of the film.

Months before the beginning of each film shoot, the Production Designer works with the Director to decide upon the visual identity of the film, and draws up sketches which provide the inspiration for the subsequent work of the entire department. Since the work of the Art Department usually accounts for the biggest spend on films, the Production Designer also works closely with the Producer to ensure that all the sets can be delivered on time and within budget.

Transforming the initial drawings to 3-dimensional sets takes an enormous amount of talent and commitment from everyone in the Art Department - from the Production Designer to the Art Department Runner. Months are spent researching, story boarding, drafting, model making, visiting locations, building sets, ordering props and dressing sets before filming begins.

Throughout the shoot, new sets must be built and dismantled in short periods of time, and the Art Department must be on constant standby in case sets need to be changed or rebuilt. Most practitioners in the Art Department are Art School graduates, and for those who aspire to become Art Directors and/or Production Designers experience is as valuable as talent.

The creative jobs in this department require an eye for decoration and detail, the ability to conceptualise ideas and think visually, a methodical approach to work, and excellent communication skills. Art Directors and Production Designers usually enter the Art Department as Runners, progressing to become Trainees, Assistants, and Junior Draughtsmen* before earning the opportunity to take more senior positions as Assistant Art Directors or Draughtsmen*. Set Decorators usually start as Assistant Set Decorators. There are also a number of support roles, including Production Buyers and Art Department Co-ordinators, which are less creative but which require excellent organisational skills.

* The terms Draughtsman or Draughtsmen are used generically and refer to both men and women practitioners.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Production Designers are major heads of department on film crews, and are responsible for the entire Art Department. They play a crucial role in helping Directors to achieve the film's visual requirements, and in providing Producers with carefully calculated schedules which offer viable ways of making films within agreed budgets and specified periods of time. Filming locations may range from an orderly Victorian parlour, to a late-night café, to the interior of an alien space ship. The look of a set or location is vital in drawing the audience into the story, and is an essential element in making a film convincing and evocative. A great deal of work and imagination goes into constructing an appropriate backdrop to any story, and into selecting or constructing appropriate locations and/or sets.

Directors of Photography and Production Designers are largely responsible for informing and realising the Director's vision. Production Designers begin work at the very early stages of pre-production and are requested by the Director and/or Producer. They work on a freelance basis, and may have to prepare detailed drawings and specifications in order to pitch for work on a number of productions before they are offered work on one of them. Although the work can be very demanding and the hours long, this is one of the most highly skilled, creatively fulfilling roles within the film industry.

What is the job?
Production Designers may be asked to look at scripts before a Director is approached, to provide estimates of the projected Art Department spend on films. When Production Designers first read a screenplay, they assess the visual qualities that will help to create atmosphere and bring the story to life.

After preparing a careful breakdown of the script, they meet with the Director to discuss how best to shoot the film, e.g. to decide: whether to use sets and /or locations; what should be built and what should be adapted; whether there is a visual theme that recurs throughout the film; whether there are certain design elements that may give an emotional or psychological depth to the film; whether CGI (computer generated imagery) should be used. Production Designers must calculate the budgets, and decide how the money and effort will be spent. These discussions are followed by an intense period of research during which Production Designers and their Specialist Researchers source ideas from books, photographs, paintings, the internet, etc.

Production Designers deliver their design sketches (detailing mood, atmosphere, lighting, composition, colour and texture) to Art Directors who oversee the production of technical drawings and models, which are used by the Construction Department to build the sets and to adapt locations. Props Buyers and Set Decorators liaise closely, sourcing props and organising the manufacture of specialist items. As the start of shooting approaches, Production Designers manage a large number of individuals, prioritising the work schedule and carefully monitoring the budget. When shooting starts, they are usually on set early each morning to view each new set up with the Director, Director of Photography and Standby Art Director, responding to any requests or queries. Subsequently, in the Art Department office Production Designers check on the construction and dressing of other sets, and sign off on sets/locations for the following day's shoot. Although Production Designers usually finish work on the last day of principal photography, on larger films they may be involved for longer periods.

Typical career routes
As the head of the largest department on a film crew, Production Designers must have extensive experience gained over a number of years, usually by progressing through the various Art Department roles: Junior Draughtsman, Draughtsman, Assistant Art Director, Art Director. They may also have a background of working in theatre, where they learn the art of set design and construction as well as how to conceptualise ideas and create a sense of drama through visual spectacle. Graduates who have studied Film and Theatre Design may also gain experience working on short films before progressing to junior roles on feature films.

Essential knowledge and skills
Production Designers must have expert knowledge of many art and design related subjects including draughtsmanship, technical drawing, colour theory, architecture, building and construction, history of design, interior design, cameras and lenses, lighting, etc. Production Designers must also have full knowledge of computer budgeting software and computer aided design programmes (CADS).

Key Skills include:

 excellent visual awareness and design skills;

 ability to inspire and motivate a team towards a common aesthetic goal;

 excellent management and leadership skills;

 ability to prioritise and to meet deadlines;

 good communication and presentation skills;

 tact and diplomacy;

 knowledge of the requirements of the relevant Health and Safety legislation and procedures.

Training and qualifications
Production Designers are usually graduates of Art, Architecture, Theatre, Interior or 3D Design courses. Subsequently they usually complete a specialist course in Film and/or Theatre Design.