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Chris Moore: How To Spend Money on a Film
This article is meant to give some examples of the ways money is spent wisely and money is spent poorly. While shooting "Stolen Summer" we spent money wisely only once and we spent money poorly many times.
The time where we spent money wisely was adding the extra five days as part of securing Aidan Quinn in the role of "Joe." The extra time was badly needed, and having an awesome actor in the role of "Joe" is even more important.
The criteria for making good money decisions are as follows. First and most important: Will it make the movie a better experience for the audience? Does extra money allow for shooting more beautiful shots, having time and money to record beautiful music to go along with the shots, or for hiring great actors? More money can also mean more extras to make a scene believable or more cameras to capture great action. But the key question to ask yourself when deciding on how to spend your money is "does this make the storytelling of the movie better?"
Now many directors will argue that the audience does not notice the little things. Many a DP have said the light makes the mood and sets the tone, yet the audience will never notice because it is subconscious. All Production Designers will say that the color palette or the settings establish the desire to watch for an audience. They are all right. There are many things about lighting and camera work and production design that you, as the audience member, do not consciously see and say, "Boy I loved that movie because the lighting was so subtle," or "there were no blues," or "the moving camera shots were awesome." But it does affect your experience of watching. The key is for none of those things to overtake the film -- never forget that you are telling a story.
The poor decisions we made on "Stolen Summer" started on last week's show. They continue in this week's episode and unfortunately they continue throughout the shoot. Money and time was spent on camera rigs and set dressing and lighting set ups that do not make the movie any better. In fact they make the movie worse because they delay the shooting schedule and take away from the time the actors have to perform. This is not a movie about big explosions or car chases. This is not a movie about dinosaurs or space travel. This is a movie about two families living in Chicago in 1976 that cross paths because tragedy brings them together. It is about what they learn from each other and what we can all learn from their story.
So to tell that story well, the key is to get great actors, have enough time to get great performances from those actors, and to cover the scenes from enough angles that you have choices in the editing room. Most of "Stolen Summer" is dialogue. Make sure the sound is good. Make sure the kids involved can do the things we need them to do. Any money spent not doing all of the above was either for the DP, Director, or Production Designer's egos. This, all films must avoid.
The reason that many movies fall into this rut is not that these professionals are out to hurt the movie. It is because they have no control over the ultimate final product, so they fight wherever and whenever possible to get great things that show how good they are at their respective jobs. It is sort of resume building. It just needs to be kept in check while shooting. It is always great to hear what a Production Designer wants to do or a DP, but it is important to make them stick to the concept of will it make the storytelling better?
Let's look at some other movies just as further examples. In "Good Will Hunting" we wanted everything to feel intimate and real. The scenes in Robin Williams' office were shot so you really felt like you were there. The light was what you would expect in a basement office of a community college, the camera moved around the actors, and the actors' faces were not visible for times because the back of the other guys head was in the way. This made it feel more natural. The production design made you feel like you were in a hermit's cave, a place Robin never left and very few people ever came into. All this made you feel like you were there and it was really happening. Money well spent to tell an intimate real story.
"Star Wars" is the opposite: big and legendary. Foreign lands and space travel as well as space war were necessary for the audience to believe the story. Here, the money was spent on action and special effects and boy, did it work. But I am sure if you asked the actors they would all say they wish they had had more time to act and less light saber battles. But it is a different kind of movie so the money should be spent differently.
The second reason to spend money is to make the work experience for the cast and crew better so they can do a better job. Every job on a movie is important. The production is like a well-oiled machine, except all the gears and levers are people. Cold, hungry, pissed off people make for a bad machine. Spending more money on heaters or weather gear and good food is always important. Making sure the production is run in an organized manner with open and clear communication is important.
As a producer you demand the most from your crew, even though they will not get any glory or any more money if the movie is a hit. They will only get the chance to do it again. Making them feel like the management cares about them and their job is crucial. Making them realize they are valued as important members of the team making the movie is worth the money. If the crew takes your generosity for granted or does not understand, stop doing it. But if they appreciate your efforts and see their well being considered when decisions are made, they will do a better job for you.
So next time you are spending money on your film, and you hear someone say "boy this would be a beautiful place for a dialogue scene," and you are standing under the subway train, ask yourself: Is this going to help tell our story better? Probably not, and the money is better spent somewhere else. Or when you see a bunch of people freezing or getting wet in the rain, buy something to get them warm. Making the storytelling better and allowing those people telling the story to do a better job are the two things on which one should always spend money.
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