5 Filmmaking Tips from David Fincher

talenthouse by Michelle

What’s the difference between a film and a movie? What does directing a film have in common with eating a whale? Let director David Fincher, the man behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Social Network, enlighten you with these five tips about crafting elite (and less elite) cinema. And don’t worry – the tips are far less intimidating than the rules of Fight Club.

1. Call your own shots

“There’s nothing worse than hearing somebody say, ‘Oh, you made that movie? I thought that movie sucked,’ and you have to agree with them,” Fincher said on why he’s so hands-on in making decisions.

“You are going to have to take all of the responsibility, because basically when it gets right down to it, you are going to get all of the blame, so you might as well have made all of the decisions that led to people either liking it or disliking it.”

2. Give it your best, but stay realistic

‘Do the best you can, try to live it down,’ that’s my motto. Just literally give it everything you got, and then know that it’s never going to turn out the way you want it to, and let it go, and hope that it doesn’t return. Because you want it to be better than it can ever turn out. Absolutely, 1000 percent, I believe this: whenever a director friend of mine says, ‘Man, the dailies look amazing!’ … I actually believe that anybody, who thinks that their dailies look amazing doesn’t understand the power of cinema; doesn’t understand what cinema is capable of.” read more...