LIVING THE HOLLYWOOD LIFE
(dis)enchantment
1.SEX AND HOLLYWOOD
Saul Zaentz, the legendary producer from SF, once told me he’d lived through the Summer of Love, read the Kama Sutra cover to cover and believed he knew everything there was to know about getting fucked. Then he came to Hollywood.
2.PITCHING A SERIES IS EASY
All you need is six seasons’ worth of a serialized story complete with cliff-hangers, a pilot outline, character arcs, a sizzle reel, a look book, and “a hook.” And maybe some “rules” for “world building.” In a twenty-minute zoom call. On spec.
3.YOUR FIRST CUT IS PERFECT
Until it’s screened. “Studio opinions,” a producer once instructed me, “are like assholes. Everybody has one and is one.” And I once heard Steven Soderbergh tell an executive, “You confuse having an opinion with having an idea.”
4.IF YOUR PREVIEW SUCKS
It’s probably because the audience knows something’s not working but can’t articulate why. Doesn’t matter what you intended, can you see what they’re seeing? Do you make changes to please them? To please the studio? These are not rhetorical questions.
5.WHY DIRECTORS ARE SO WEIRD
Everybody else goes from one director’s set to another. You, meanwhile, live in a lonely world of your own devising, reinventing filmmaking according to your unique obsessions, eccentricities, and fetishes.
6.MOVIE STARS DON’T AUDITION
Except when their best performance is the one they give while sitting in your office pretending to be mere mortals while paying no attention to the elephant in the room – the role they desperately want.
7.FEUDS
Be mindful of making enemies of executives. Sometimes it’s unavoidable. But remember, whoever you alienate on you way up will inevitably be in a position to torture you on your way down. Nobody forgets where they buried the hatchet.
8.STUDIOS NEED TO MAKE MOVIES
They’d like them to be good but most of all they need them to make money. Every time an executive green lights a movie, he risks getting fired. It’s a start-up that succeeds or fails overnight. Think about it, would you want that job?
9.AIM HIGH
The alternative is aiming low and hitting the target. Da Vinci said "You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more that works. If it works big, others copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is doing something else.” It sounds better in Italian.
10.WHAT I HATE MOST
Ingratitude. Anyone who isn’t abjectly grateful for the privilege of making movies doesn’t deserve the opportunity. Gabriel Garcia Marquez said it best: “The sheer pleasure of telling a story may be the human condition that most resembles levitation.”

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Edward Zwick

Edward Zwick Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @EdwardZwick1

13 Apr
HOLLYWOOD: LIVING THE LIFE
(dis)enchantment
1.SEX AND HOLLYWOOD
Saul Zaentz, the legendary producer from SF, once told me he’d lived through the Summer of Love, read the Kama Sutra cover to cover and believed he knew everything there was to know about getting fucked. Then he came to Hollywood.
2.PITCHING A SERIES IS EASY
All you need is six seasons’ worth of a serialized story complete with cliff-hangers, a pilot outline, character arcs, a sizzle reel, a look book, and “a hook.” And maybe some “rules” for “world building.” In a twenty-minute zoom call. On spec.
Read 9 tweets
6 Apr
A YOUNG DIRECTOR IN HOLLYWOOD
First lessons - nuts and bolts Image
1. FIRST LESSON
One day I arrived on set 12 minutes late. My AD took me aside, “Look around, how many people do you see?” “60?” I guessed. “And they’ve all been waiting,” he said, “now multiply those 12 minutes by 60. That makes you 12 hours late.” I’ve never been late again.
2. THE AD KNOWS
Skip had been a Ranger in Vietnam and had worked on huge movies. For years until he retired, we’d drive to work together at dawn and plan the shooting day. I’d sometimes make fun of his endless lectures but damn if I wasn't prepared by the time we arrived.
Read 11 tweets
2 Apr
10 MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT DIRECTING ACTORS
Apparently the first ten weren’t quite enough…
1. TREAT MOVIE STARS AS ACTORS
Being #1 on the call sheet brings with it an enormous and often unwanted responsibility. Relieve them of the burden of having to lead. That’s your job. Everybody needs help. Direct them. We’re all advanced beginners.
2. TREAT ACTORS AS MOVIE STARS
Consider the years being dismissed and depreciated, the hours working on material only to spend five minutes in a casting session before being rejected. They’ve earned this part. Give them your time and attention. It’s good karma.
Read 11 tweets
10 Mar
10 THOUGHTS ABOUT DIRECTING ACTORS
Actor (n.) generic
1. WHEN AN ACTOR DOES SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Try not to point it out or he’ll never be able to repeat it. Tell him he looks incredible in that coat.
2. WHEN AN ACTOR DOES SOMETHING LESS THAN WONDERFUL
Never say, 'I have a better idea.’ Say, 'You’ve just given me a great idea! If his next take is over-the-top, say 'You don't know your power.' If you want another take, blame the camera operator.
Read 11 tweets
4 Mar
...SO YOU WANT A CAREER IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS?
A cautionary.
1. FILM SCHOOL
is the best preparation for a talented young person hoping to enter the film industry. It is also the worst disservice to an untalented person who should have gone into the family cleaning business.
2. IF AT FIRST...
It is often said if you work hard, you will succeed. Yet many people work hard and don't succeed. When you look at your work, ask yourself 'Am I getting better?' That's all that matters.
Read 12 tweets
22 Feb
As a SEQUEL to 10 SIMPLE RULES FOR MAKING MOVIES, here are 10 HELPFUL HINTS FOR DIRECTORS. I admit I am often too anxious to remember them, myself.
1.EVERY SHOT IS OPENING NIGHT
In theatre you have months to rehearse. On set you have minutes. If something goes wrong, you can’t put a sign on the screen that says, “it wasn’t my fault.”
2.THE PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD
On Tuesday you fall behind. On Wednesday you forget a shot. Friday you lose the light. Multiply this times 8 weeks. That’s 24 moments in the finished film you’ll cringe.
Read 11 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!