When I became director for the project Jump one of the first things I did was begin thinking about what my stylistic approach to the film would be, an approach that would inherently be made up of the various styles of all my favorite directors and their films. As Jump can be classed as a comedy, my first thought was to look at some of my favorite comedies, the Cornetto Trilogy directed by Edgar Wright. I’m a huge fan of the quirkiness and energy Wright injects into his films, and his ability to get some sort of gag into virtually every frame.
However, the more I read Jump and thought about the approach I wanted to take with it, the more I began to realize that maybe Wright’s style wasn’t going to be as compatible as I’d first thought, and I should look elsewhere for inspiration. You see, where Wright’s films are incredibly fast-paced and almost goofball in their comedy, Jump felt more grounded, and played out far slower, the whole script essentially being a conversation. It was then that I started to look at the works of directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, Shane Black and Martin Scorsese, directors who’ve all worked on their fair share of pitch-black comedies. I looked at the way they’d handle their chosen situations and topics, and found many similarities between their films and Jump. In terms of style, they all tended towards more dialogue-led scenes, particularly Tarantino, with the writing and performances being the main focus.
In terms of my creative process throughout production, one of my first jobs was re-crafting the script into something I, and the rest of the crew, were happy with. There were a few throwaway lines and jokes that didn’t quite land, so I edited the script to account for these changes, all while keeping up a constant dialogue with Dominic Carver, the writer. When we changed our location from a rooftop to a car park, I managed to work in one or two more jokes of my own that were afforded to me by the new location. Using the knowledge afforded to me by several trips to the car park, I compiled a shot list in tune with my vision for the film that would make the most effective use of the space.
On the day I had to work in conjunction with everyone on set, and work particularly closely with the actors. I wanted to ensure that we all stuck to a singular vision as to what the film should be. For this I had to be confident and communicate effectively with everyone on-set, asking for reshoots and offering constructive feedback where it was necessary to get each shot exactly as I wanted it. Of course, the problem with this necessity was that I didn’t want to feel like I was giving orders to my friends or to the actors, or endlessly critiquing their work, so I had to find a way of striking a balance between staying true to my vision of the film, and creating an open and relaxed environment, making it an enjoyable experience for all involved, as this is where creativity thrives. I soon learned that the best way to do this was to just become friendly with everyone on set, as this encouraged more openness with one-another. During post I offered continuous support and feedback to our editor.
I found the role of director to be one that was enjoyable and fulfilling, yet also challenging. During production time management was our biggest opponent, on both of our shooting days we were severely behind schedule, which meant that the last hour or so of both devolved into a panicked rush to get things finished. It was a challenge for me to not only keep everything on track, but also not to get frustrated and take it out on the crew. While it was occasionally possible to attribute the wasted time to certain people, it was imperative that I remembered that if they’d made a mistake, it was one any of us could have made, we all had to stay patient and considerate of one another. For me, the thing I found most fulfilling about directing was seeing the film come together before my eyes through the performances and the beautiful shots we were using to capture them. Not only was my own vision being bought to life, but the actors continually surprised me with interpretations of the script far different to my own, which was equally if not more exciting to see.
As with almost all creative projects, I cannot say that I’m entirely pleased with the final product, but I know that we’ve all put 100% into it, and there’s still quite a bit that I do like. Primarily I am a huge fan of the way the film looks. A collaborative process between myself, the director of photography and the camera operator, I truly believe we managed to craft some beautiful and inventive shots that were thematically tied to what it was they were capturing. I think we effectively utilized the space provided to us to turn what is really just a simple conversation between two people into something stylish and visually arresting, which I was very proud of. For me my main flaws with the film are due to the aforementioned lack of time. As I watch it back it is clear to see the moments where we were trying to get through the shots as quickly as possible, as many of them would have benefited from the actors having several goes at the line in different ways and with more direction from myself. The final edit also contains a few awkward cuts that could have been fixed with more cut-away footage, had we had the time to capture it. I also feel the closing moments could have strongly benefited from some music, something which I should have started thinking about in advance and made the arrangements to have some songs written, as none of the songs I was able to find on royalty-free websites particularly fitted.
My final takeaway from the project is that being a successful director is all about having the ability to communicate your vision effectively to your cast and crew at all times, and be confident in the decisions you make. I’ve also learned the importance of extensive planning, and giving oneself lots and lots of production time so it runs in a manner that’s smooth and relaxed, and provides ample time for any re-shoots that may be necessary.
References
Hot Fuzz. (2007). [film] Directed by E. Wright. Somerset, England: Universal Pictures.
Paul, J. (2015). What It Takes to Be a Great Director. [online] The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat. Available at: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/what-it-takes-to-be-a-great-director/ [Accessed 15 Dec. 2017].
Pulp Fiction. (1994). [film] Directed by Q. Tarantino. Hollywood: Miramax.
Snatch. (2000). [film] Directed by G. Ritchie. London: Columbia Pictures Corporation.
The Nice Guys. (2016). [film] Directed by S. Black. Hollywood: Misty Mountains.
The Wolf of Wall Street. (2013). [film] Directed by M. Scorsese. Hollywood: Red Granite Pictures.
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